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The Leigh Leopards are a professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
club based in
Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, on low-lying land northwest of Chat Moss. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Leigh was originally the centre of a large ecclesiasti ...
, England, who compete in the Betfred Super League. The club was founded in 1878, and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the
Northern Rugby Football Union Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...
in 1895. Leigh have been Rugby League Champions twice, in 1906 and 1982, and have won the
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
twice, in 1921 and 1971. The club was known simply as Leigh until 1995, when they became known as Leigh Centurions. On 20 October 2022, the club rebranded to its current identity.


History


1878–1915: Early history

Leigh RFC was founded in 1878 by a surveyor named Fred Ulph. Leigh's first practice match was on 5 October 1878 at Buck's Farm in Pennington and their first game was against Eccles two weeks later. In 1879, the club moved to a field behind the Three Crowns in
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...
and played there for 10 years. Leigh came to the attention of the wider district in 1885 when they had a 23 match unbeaten run with 21 wins and 2 draws. As attendances grew, improvements were made to the ground and the field's slope was levelled. The club moved to Frog Hall Field, later known as Mather Lane in 1889. The pitch was drained and levelled, a 10-foot-high hoarding was built around the ground and 500-seater stand was erected. The first game at Mather Lane was played on 7 September 1889 against Aspull and Leigh forward James Pendlebury scored the first try in front of a 2,000 crowd. The 1894–95 season saw a new stand open on the south side in a momentous year for Rugby football. Leigh along with Salford and Wigan, were suspended for professionalism by the
Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It pro ...
, and placed joint bottom of the Lancashire league. With automatic promotion and relegation, they faced dropping down a division, and potential financial ruin. On top of years of arguments with the Rugby Football Union concerning player expenses, 22 teams including Leigh decided to form a breakaway governing body – the Northern Union. The first season of the new game kicked off in September with Leigh recording a 6–3 loss against
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
. Leigh finished ninth that season. Leigh had a great start in the new Union, they played well and the crowds increased, however they had mixed fortunes over the next few years. As the new century began, Leigh struggled and despite winning the West Lancashire and Border Towns Cup, the crowds and their fortunes dropped dramatically. In the 1904–05 season; there was a dispute with
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...
in the Challenge Cup game. The game was played on 4 March 1905 and Leigh won 3–0 in front of 13,000 spectators. The Northern Union, after being alerted by Wigan, alleged that Leigh player Dick Silcock had played illegally after being absent from work in the week before the game without a permit breaking the 'working clause'. Leigh were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player and ordered to replay without expenses and for Leigh the gate receipts to be given to the Northern Union. Wigan won the replay 5–0 and Leigh were so incensed that the club considered leaving the Northern Union and starting an Association football club. Leigh became a limited company as a result of this financial blow. In 1906, Leigh were Northern Union champions after a season with an 80% win rate. Many clubs complained that Leigh had provided themselves with an easy fixture list, ducking the challenge of the stronger clubs and play-offs were brought in. In 1907–08, Leigh and Wigan were again in conflict in the
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...
County Cup The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
. An attendance record was set when 17,000 spectators watched Leigh and Wigan draw 3–3 at Mather Lane. Leigh lost the replay at
Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
but appealed for another replay because a Wigan player had left the field during the game without the referee's permission, Leigh lost the second replay. In 1909, Mather Lane was upgraded when the embankment on the popular side was extended and raised giving the ground a capacity of 20,000 spectators. Around this time Leigh named its first coach – Jim Jolley. Over the next few years, Leigh had little success and crowd numbers dropped dramatically. However, when the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
began in summer 1914, the Northern Union believed that it would be over by Christmas and the season began as normal. Leigh performed poorly. Competitive rugby was suspended in 1915 until the hostilities ceased.


Inter-war years

Competitive rugby resumed in 1918 with an interim season from January to May. Leigh finished 2nd. Leigh had limited success just after the war and the Leigh directors set about building a new team. They had 19 players and even though their league performances were patchy, they had some success in the cups. In the 1920–21 season, in a round of the Lancashire Cup in which Leigh played
Rochdale Hornets The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...
, an attendance record was set at Mather Lane when a crowd of 21,500 saw Leigh win 9–7. Leigh reached the final but lost to Broughton Rangers. In 1921 the club won the
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
with a shock 13–0 victory over Halifax at
the Cliff A cliff is a vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliff, The Cliff or The Cliffs may also refer to: Buildings *Cliff Brewery, a former brewery near Ipswich, England *Cliff Palace, largest cliff dwelling in North America *The Cliffs, a histo ...
in Broughton, Salford. In 1934, Leigh played under floodlights for the first time, losing 8–25 at London Highfield. Leigh were the first Lancashire side to win the Challenge Cup since 1911. Over the following seasons were quite successful in the league and cup. The club attracted huge crowds and a Leigh v Wigan derby was guaranteed to draw in the spectators. One such meeting when Leigh met Wigan in the first round of the Challenge Cup in 1923–24, saw a crowd of 33,500 at Mather Lane. However, the 1920s, and 1930s were marred by strikes, unemployment and periods of economic depression. The government levied an entertainment tax of around 20% on gate receipts, at a time when clubs were experiencing difficulties balancing the books. For Leigh the mini-boom was over. In 1924–25 Leigh slipped to 20th in the league and suffered a record 9-52 defeat in the league game at Central Park on Christmas Day. In December 1925 star player Abe Johnson was transferred to Oldham for £650 and Leigh's decline continued the next season when they slipped to 4th from bottom in the league. The club lost every away match and suffered some heavy defeats as confidence left the team. 1926 was the year of the
General Strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...
and Leigh admitted miners free of charge for many home games. Leigh had a decent season, finishing 7th in the league. Around this time, Mather Lane was improved including the construction of a covered terrace at one end, the doubling in size of the grandstand and an iron bridge was constructed across the canal to give the spectators easier access from the town centre. Growing financial problems forced Leigh to sell players. In the 1930–31 season, the lack of experienced players had an effect on the field when Leigh won only one away game. The directors decided to ease the financial pressure by reducing players' wages. The players went on strike in response and Leigh were forced to play their reserves. The striking players eventually agreed to take a pay cut. Crowds fell to about 1,000 for home games and one midweek fixture against Swinton saw only 400 spectators. Leigh rallied briefly in 1931–32, encouraged by the return of Abe Johnson, but it didn't last. In the 1932–33 season, things were so bad that the players played for free in several games. The club had major financial problems and a young inexperienced team. Financial support from an outside source was received which enabled the club to continue. Things went from bad to worse in the 1936–37 season when Leigh won only five games all season and finished third from bottom in the league. Gate receipts crashed to an all-time low, with the final home game of the season against Broughton Rangers attracting a crowd of around 250 spectators. From the start of the next season, a new pay structure was agreed with the players, with each receiving £1 each per game. Leigh lost their best players and any new signings were juniors or free transfers from other clubs. The Rugby League Management Committee visited the club in March and two of its members were co-opted on to the Leigh board until the end of the season and the A-team was scrapped to cut costs. The 1937–38 season opened with some encouraging signs as Leigh beat Rochdale Hornets in the Lancashire Cup, their first win in any competition for 21 games. They took the touring Australians to within two points on the opening match of their tour. These were desperate times though and when
Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudd ...
visited Mather Lane for a mid-week game in November 1937, only 200 spectators were there to see Leigh suffer a record home defeat of 64–6. This prompted the Leigh directors to resign ''en masse'' and the Rugby League Management Committee stepped in to prevent the club from folding by guaranteeing their fixtures until the end of the season. The following February, a members club was formed, though the RFL stayed in control until June and Leigh won only one of their last 15 games, again finishing 3rd from bottom. The club found itself without a ground in August 1940 when Callender's Cable and Construction Company bought the Mather Lane site from the owners, Messrs. George Shaw & Company Ltd of the Leigh Brewery. The new owners needed the ground to store steel drums and cases and they advised Leigh that they were unable to let them have a lease on the ground. Leigh's last game at Mather Lane was a War Emergency League fixture against St Helens on 27 April 1940 where a crowd of only 300 spectators saw the visitors win 16-5. Leigh had intended playing in the 1941–42 Lancashire War Emergency League but weeks before the new season began, the Rugby Football League passed a resolution that clubs could only participate if they had a home ground. Leigh arranged to play at
Hindsford Hindsford is a suburb of Atherton in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated to the west of the Hindsford Brook, an ancient boundary between the townships of Atherton and Tyldesley cum Shakerley, and east of t ...
Football Club's ground but this was over-ruled by the RFL and Leigh ceased operations for the duration of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.


Post-war

In 1946–47, the Rugby Football League drew up the fixture list but Leigh's name was omitted and it was only when local businessman James Hilton made a personal and impassioned plea to the Rugby Football League that Leigh were included. In January 1946, a public meeting at Leigh Liberal Club approved a motion to re-launch the club as ''Leigh RLFC''. The club played the 1946–47 at Madeley Park, the home of Leigh Harriers & Athletic Club. In 1947, the club moved to Kirkhall Lane headquarters and in 1953 floodlights were installed at a cost of £4,100. The ground saw a record home crowd of 31,326 attend a
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
tie with St. Helens in the same year. Later, Kirkhall Lane was officially renamed Hilton Park after James Hilton. Leigh signed
Jimmy Ledgard James "Jim"/"Jimmy" Ledgard (9 June 1922 – 26 January 2007) was an English rugby union and World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and coached rugby league in the 1960s. He played club ...
from
Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudd ...
in January 1948 for a then record fee of £2,650. Joe Egan joined Leigh for a record £5,000 fee in October 1950 and succeeded Emlyn Jenkins as player / coach. Leigh finished 4th in the league in his first season. In Egan's second season, Leigh made it to the Lancashire Cup Final and a Challenge Cup semi-final as well as finishing 7th in the league. On Saturday 27 October 1951, 33,230 spectators saw Leigh lose 14–6 to
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...
in the final of the
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...
County Cup The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
at Station Road, Swinton. The club repeated that league placing a year later, this time helping Leigh win the Lancashire Cup in front of a crowd of 34,785 at Swinton. The 14 March 1953 brought the biggest recorded crowd at Hilton Park when 31,326 crammed in to see St Helens win 12–3, to make up for their Lancashire Cup defeat. In 1951, Leigh signed Australian rugby union test forward Rex Mossop. The tough man known as "The Moose" played three seasons with Leigh before returning to
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
to play for his local club Manly-Warringah. Mossop became a dual-international when he was selected to play for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
against the touring
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
side in 1958. An injury to Egan saw him sit out the entire 1953–54 season and his absence hit Leigh hard and the club finished 13th and interest in cup competitions also finished early. Joe tried to make a comeback the following season but was forced to retire, although once more the club enjoyed runs in the cup competitions, losing to Barrow in the Lancashire Cup semi-final and then getting knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Featherstone. Joe Egan remained with the club as coach and the team was successful in his final season, finishing 11th but winning the Lancashire Cup for a second time with a resounding 26–9 success over Widnes. Leigh and
Bradford Northern The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is pre ...
were the first rugby league clubs to stage matches on a Sunday in December 1954, although there was opposition from the Sunday Observance lobby. The 1955–56 season saw the introduction of a tournament titled the ITV Rediffusion Cup. Eight clubs participated in a series of games played at football grounds in the London area, with
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
eventually running out 43–18 victors over Leigh at Loftus Road.


1971–1980: Alex Murphy era

Alex Murphy joined Leigh as player-coach in 1966. In 1971, Leigh reached the Rugby League
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
Final and defeated
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
, 24–7. Murphy left Leigh on 20 May 1971 to become player-coach at Warrington. In 1978, John Woods played and scored in every game as Leigh secured the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. In 1982, Leigh were Champions for the second time, as Alex Murphy guided them to a tense 13–4 victory at
Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It i ...
, after Leigh trailed 4–1 at half time.


1981–1995: Relegation and ground moves

The 1981–82 season was memorable as the club lifted the
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...
County Cup The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
and ended the campaign as winners of the Championship for the second time in their history. Leigh were relegated from First Division in 1985 but bounced back; winning the Second Division Championship in 1985–86, losing one league match. During the season, they twice broke the scoring record for most points in a game against Mansfield Marksmen (76-6) and Keighley (92–2). Leigh were relegated from the First Division again in 1988 but again won the Second Division title to secure promotion at the first attempt. Leigh relegated from First Division yet again in 1990 and crippling financial problems are revealed. For the 1990–91 season the club adopted the nickname ''the Bears'', adding a bears emblem to the right breast of the club jerseys. The nickname was only used for one season and did not prove popular. In January 1991, the club tried to sell its ground to ease cash problems. A consortium offered £200,000 to take over Leigh but the club ended up in administration. Swinton offered to ground share, Station Road, to help Leigh but this offer was refused. Tony Cottrell heads a consortium that takes over the club in 1991 and Alex Murphy is sacked on the eve of the new season.
Kevin Ashcroft Kevin Ashcroft (born 5 June 1944) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Lancashire, and at club le ...
takes over and guides the club to promotion behind Sheffield. Steve Simms is appointed as the club's first overseas coach in 1992. John Woods broke the club record for points scored in a game at Leigh's home game against Ryedale-York in January 1992. In November 1992, Leigh get High Court reprieve following threat of eviction from Hilton Park. St. Helens inflict a new club record defeat with a whopping 64–9 win over Leigh at
Knowsley Road Knowsley Road in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hoste ...
. Leigh regain their form however with great wins at Wakefield Trinity, Hull and Sheffield; and finished the season with excellent results at home. In February 1993, Leigh failed in a bid to buy back Hilton Park for £300,000 but in June, they were offered a reprieve and are allowed to stay for another 12 months. Leigh enter administration in July 1994. In December 1994, Ian Lucas became head coach of Leigh, the youngest senior coach in the game. Despite victories over title chasing St Helens and Bradford, Leigh are relegated from the top division. In 1995, the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
club Horwich RMI made the decision to move from Horwich, near Bolton, to Hilton Park, changing their name to Leigh RMI in the process. As part of the deal a new company, Grundy Hill Estates, was formed to take over the ownership of the ground. Leigh added "Centurions" to their name for the 1995–96 season.


1996–2011: Summer era

In 1996, the first tier of British rugby league clubs played the inaugural
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of w ...
season and changed from a winter to a summer season. As the sport in Britain entered a new era, it was eight years before Leigh gained promotion to the top level of the game. In April 1996, Eric Hughes was appointed head coach replacing Ian Lucas who was sacked after Leigh had won only one of its first five games of the season. Hughes was replaced by Keith Latham who was in charge until 1998. Norman Turley was head coach in 1998, Leigh finish bottom of the table with a succession of heavy defeats. In October 1998 Ian Millward was appointed head coach. Under Millward, Leigh finish 4th in the Northern Ford Premiership. Millward left in 2000 to coach St. Helens. Australian Paul Terzis was coach of Leigh from 1999 to 2003. His reign was notable for a number of 'near misses' as Leigh attempted to win promotion to Super League. In 2000, Leigh made it through to the Grand Final before losing 13–12 to Dewsbury. In 2001 Leigh recorded a shock Challenge Cup victory over Super League Salford, finished 9 points clear at the top of the Northern Ford Premiership winning 26 from 28 league games and claimed the Trans-Pennine Cup. However, Leigh were defeated in the play-off semi-finals and
Widnes Widnes ( ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form th ...
went on to win the Grand Final and a place in Super League. In 2002 and 2003, the relegated Super League sides,
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence i ...
and Salford remained fully professional teams. Thus, their full-time fitness and coaching led to defeat in successive grand finals for Leigh. A consortium saved Leigh from administration on the eve of the 2003 season. Towards the end of the 2003 season Paul Terzis was sacked. In October 2003, Darren Abram was appointed head coach, with a view to taking them into Super League. When Halifax were relegated to play in the 2004 National League competition, their financial troubles meant they were unable to retain a full-time team and struggled, paving the way for Leigh to go about achieving their dream.
Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It i ...
were the opponents when Leigh won the National League One Grand Final 32–16 (after extra time, 16-16 at full-time) in 2004, thus securing promotion to
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of w ...
. Leigh's Super League season of 2005 proved a disaster and the club were relegated to National League One after winning just two games. Abram resigned in August 2005 after a disagreement with the board, who felt unable to offer him the full-time contract he wanted for 2006 if the club were not in Super League. Tommy Martyn and Heath Cruckshank both try their hand at the job before Tony Benson was appointed head coach in September 2005. Leigh's relegation from Super League had been all but confirmed at the time of his appointment. In July 2006, Leigh won the Northern Rail Cup after defeating Hull Kingston Rovers 22-18 at Bloomfield Road,
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
. It was the second time the club had won that particular trophy having also triumphed in the 2004 final against the same opposition. A loss to Batley in the play-offs signals the end of Tony Benson's reign. Following Leigh's 23–22 defeat by Batley Bulldogs in the 2006 National League One playoffs, the club's future was thrown into doubt. The club's owners decided to part company with Tony Benson causing some of the back room staff and management to resign in support of their colleague. The uncertainty also caused a number of the club's playing staff to leave.
Darren Shaw Darren Shaw (born 5 October 1971) is a former Scotland international rugby league footballer, and coach. He has previously coached the Rochdale Hornets. Before his coaching career, Shaw played for a number of clubs in England and Australia. ...
was appointed as coach of the club in October 2006, however, it was found that
Darren Shaw Darren Shaw (born 5 October 1971) is a former Scotland international rugby league footballer, and coach. He has previously coached the Rochdale Hornets. Before his coaching career, Shaw played for a number of clubs in England and Australia. ...
did not have the necessary qualifications to coach at this level and he was moved to the position of Football Manager, while assistant coach Paul Rowley was appointed as First Team Coach. In January 2007, the club announced it would drop the Centurions name ahead of its move to a new stadium at Leigh Sports Village. The club changed the name of its stadium back to Hilton Park after renaming it the Coliseum a number of years earlier. However, due to an influx of letters, e-mails and telephone calls from Leigh supporters asking the club to re-think its decision; this decision was reversed in May. Darren Shaw's first full season in charge of Leigh ended with a 19-6 play off defeat away to Whitehaven. Leigh's 2007 season was one dogged by inconsistency. Convincing wins were often followed by heavy defeats as Shaw was forced to field a number of youngsters due to injury problems. The unsettled nature of the side in 2007 was reflected by the fact that Shaw gave debuts to over 20 players over the course of the season. Despite the disappointing end to the 2007 season, Shaw was given a contract to coach Leigh for the 2008 season. After a promising start to the 2008 season, Shaw tendered his resignation following defeats to Salford, Widnes and Featherstone Rovers. Darren Shaw was replaced by
Neil Kelly Neil Kelly (born 10 May 1962) is an English rugby league coach and former professional player who was the head coach of Cornwall RLFC. He played club level rugby league for Dewsbury Rams (two spells), Featherstone Rovers, Wakefield Trinity ...
. Leigh move to the Leigh Sports Village in December and open the venue with a 4,600 crowd against Salford. In April 2009, Neil Kelly took up the position of Director of Rugby at the club and his assistant Paul Rowley became head coach. Simon Knox became assistant coach. At the end of the 2009 season, despite winning a 'must win' game at home to Whitehaven 47-14 other results went against Leigh and they were relegated to Championship 1. Leigh were reinstated into Co-operative Championship on 11 November 2009 after the RFL Board took the decision after Gateshead Thunder's chairman Steve Garside wound up Gateshead and Newcastle Rugby Ltd. Ian Millward returned as the club's head coach for 2010, Leigh took advantage of their reprieve and had a terrific season, finishing in third place in the Co-Operative Championship before losing at home in the play-offs to Sheffield Eagles, whilst also reaching the semi-finals of the Northern Rail Cup before being knocked out by eventual winners Batley Bulldogs. The 2011 season saw Leigh start as league pacesetters losing their first league game of the season in early June at home to Halifax. That defeat was more than made up for by defeating Halifax 20–16 in the final of the Northern Rail Cup at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road on Sunday 17 July 2011 after a match-winning try in the final 30 seconds of a thrilling encounter from young centre Tom Armstrong. They finished the season well, finished 2n in the league, but they failed in the play-offs, losing to Featherstone Rovers in the qualifying final then losing to Sheffield Eagles in the final eliminator. Ian Millward left his position as head coach at the end of the 2011 season to take over as head coach at
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of w ...
side
Castleford Tigers The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England, that compete in the Super League, the top-level professional rugby league club competition in the Northern Hemisphere. The club have compete ...
. A new head coach has yet to be appointed (January 2012) with Paul Rowley and Neil Jukes currently in temporary charge of first team matters. Rowley was later appointed first team coach on a permanent basis in January 2012. After a successful first season in charge which included guiding the club to 2nd in the Championship and a Northern Rail Cup semi-final, Rowley was named Championship Coach of the year. In February 2013 Rowley signed a new contract at the club, which will keep him at the club until the end of 2015. Rowley resigned as Leigh Centurions head coach 10 days before the start of the 2016 Championship season, citing personal reasons.


2012–2016: Super League bid

In 2012 the club announced its intention to apply for a Super League licence. The club started the 'We BeLEIGHve' campaign, believing that Leigh will be the club nominated by the Rugby Football League to be promoted to the Super League in 2014. In the 2014 Kingstone Press Championship season, Leigh recorded the best season in the club's history by going the entire season losing only two games; the first defeat coming at the hands of
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
in the Challenge Cup, and the other coming at the hands of
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. For their efforts, Leigh picked up the League Leader's Shield and went on to win the Grand Final for the first time in 10 years, with a 36–12 victory over bitter rivals Featherstone Rovers. In 2015 Leigh finished top of the Championship for the second year in a row and were one of the favourites to finish in the top three of the Qualifiers to gain automatic entry to Super League after they knocked Salford Red Devils and
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
out of the Challenge Cup earlier in the year. However they ended up finishing bottom of the Qualifiers after several close games and were confined to another season in the Championship. In 2016 Leigh gained automatic promotion after winning their first 5 matches in the middle eight's competition. The club were relegated after just one season back in the top division.


2017-2022: Promotion and relegation

It was announced on 14 December 2020 that Leigh would get the spare Super League place for the 2021 Super League season, left vacant after the Toronto Wolfpack withdrawal; Leigh beat five rival bids Leigh started the 2021 Super League season poorly losing their opening eight matches. On 2 June 2021, it was announced that Leigh's head coach John Duffy had parted ways with the club by mutual consent. On 23 August 2021, Leigh recorded their first victory in the 2021 Super League season after losing the previous 16 matches in the competition beating Salford 32-22. Despite that, they were already relegated from Super League. Leigh finished the season with only two wins from 22 matches.


2022-present: Back in Super League and rebrand

On 28 May 2022, Leigh reached the final of the 2022 RFL 1895 Cup against Featherstone winning the match 30-16. It was Leigh's first triumph in the competition. On Sunday 2 October Leigh defeated Batley in the Million Pound Game and won promotion back into Super League for the 2023 season. On 20 October 2022, Leigh Centurions changed its name to Leigh Leopards.


Stadium


1947–2007: Hilton Park

In 1947, Leigh Rugby League Club moved to new headquarters in Kirkhall Lane, having played at ''Mather Lane'' before the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and at ''Madeley Park'' (Leigh Harriers Athletic ground) immediately after the war. In 1953 floodlights were installed at a cost of £4,100. The ground saw a record home crowd of 31,326 attend a Rugby League
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
tie with St. Helens in the same year. Later, Kirkhall Lane was officially renamed Hilton Park after former club chairman Jack Hilton in recognition of his work in securing the site for the new ground. In 1995, the
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club Horwich RMI relocated from the Grundy Hill Stadium, in Horwich to Hilton Park, changing its name to Leigh RMI in the process. As part of the deal a new company, ''Grundy Hill Estates'', was formed to take over the ownership of the ground. Leigh added Centurions to its name for the 1995–96 season, and as part of the name change the stadium was renamed the ''Coliseum''. Leigh Centurions moved to Leigh Sports Village for the 2009–10 season. Hilton Park has since been demolished.


2008–present: Leigh Sports Village

Leigh moved into their new 12,500 capacity stadium, being made up of 10,000 seats, and a standing terrace of approximately 2,500 in late December 2008. The stadium forms part of the Leigh Sports Village complex was shared with Leigh Genesis
football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all ...
. The old ground at Hilton Park has been demolished and the land sold for housing development. It is hoped that the new stadium will be the cornerstone of Leigh's application for a
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of w ...
franchise in the coming years. The first game to be played at Leigh Sports Village took place on 28 December 2008. The friendly match against Salford was held as a ramp up event in order for the stadium management company to gain a full safety certificate. On Thursday 21 May 2009, the
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and Prince Philip visited the region to officially open Leigh Sports Village.


Kit sponsors and manufacturers


2023 squad


2023 transfers


Gains


Losses


Players


Coaching history


Seasons


Super League era


Honours


League

* Division 1 / Super League: ::Winners (2): 1905-06, 1981-82 * Division 2 / Championship: :::Winners (8): 1976–77, 1985–86, 1988–89, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022 ::
RFL Championship Leaders' Shield The RFL Championship Leaders' Shield is a shield awarded to the team finishing the season top of Championship in the sport of rugby league football. Currently the Shield is awarded to the team finishing top of the Championship at the end of the r ...
:::Winners (5): 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022


Cup

*
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involve ...
: ::Winners (2): 1920–21, 1970–71 * Lancashire Cup: ::Winners (4): 1952–53, 1955–56, 1970–71, 1981–82 *
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy The BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy (also known as the BBC 2 Television Trophy) was a competition for British rugby league clubs held between 1965 and 1980. It was designed specifically for television, and the then director of BBC2, broadcaster David Atte ...
: ::Winners (2): 1969-70, 1972-73 *
Championship Cup The Championship Cup, (known as the Northern Rail Cup for sponsorship reasons), and previously known as the National League Cup, was a rugby league football competition for clubs in the United Kingdom's Rugby League Championships. Although the F ...
: ::Winners (4): 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013 *
Trans-Pennine Cup The Trans-Pennine Cup was a short-lived competition for professional British rugby league clubs in the RFL Second Division. The competition had no qualification rounds; only a final was played. The finalists were the highest placed team in the N ...
: ::Winners (1): 2001 * 1895 Sundecks Trophy ::Winners (1): 2022


Records


Club Records

*Biggest win: ::100-4 ''v.''
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
*Biggest loss: ::94-4 '' v.''
Workington Workington is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England. The town was historically in Cumberland. At the 2011 census it had a population of 25,207. Locat ...
*Highest all-time attendance: ::31,326 ''v.'' St. Helens (at Hilton Park, 1953) *Highest summer era attendance: ::10,556 ''v.''
Batley Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Batley lies south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield. Batley is part of the ...
(at Leigh Sports Village, 17 September 2016)


Player records

* Most tries in a game: 6 ** Jack Wood vs
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, 1947 ** Neil Turley vs Workington Town, 2001 * Most goals in a game: 16 by
Krisnan Inu Krisnan Nevada Inu (born 17 March 1987) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for the Leigh Centurions in the RFL Championship. He has played for both New Zealand and Samoa at international level. On 24 February 2022, ...
vs
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, 2022 * Most points in a game: 42 by Neil Turley vs Chorley Lynx, 2004 * Most tries in a season: 55 by Neil Turley, 2001 * Most goals in a season: 187 (inc 10 drop goals) by Neil Turley, 2004 * Most points in a season: 468 by Neil Turley, 2004 * Most career tries: 189 by Mick Martyn, 1954–67 * Most career goals: 1,043 by
Jimmy Ledgard James "Jim"/"Jimmy" Ledgard (9 June 1922 – 26 January 2007) was an English rugby union and World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and coached rugby league in the 1960s. He played club ...
, 1948–58 * Most career points: 2,492 by John Woods, 1976–85, 1990–92 * Most career appearances: 503 by Albert Worrall, 1920–38


Notes


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh Leopards Super League teams English rugby league teams Rugby clubs established in 1878 1878 establishments in England Rugby league teams in Greater Manchester Leigh, Greater Manchester