Leigh Centurions • 75/6 and 76/7 seasons
1) 75/6 Around this time the following players made debuts from Leigh B or Colts (equivalent of the academy these days) :- 8.8,71 Alan Rowley, 2.1.72 Mick Stacey, 4.10.72 Mick Hogan, 15.10.72 Alf Wilkinson, 30.8 74 Terry Bilsbury, 5.10.76 John Woods, 10.10.76 Alan Rathbone, 27.12.76 Des Drummond, 6.3.77 Malcolm Yates. What a production line!! But back to 75/6 and Kevin Ashcroft had returned as captain coach and with 4 promotion places up for grabs out of 16, a much younger team managed to win 19 out of 26 games to grab the coveted 4th place. Local product Mick Stacey at centre kicked an amazing 137 goals together with 34 tries. highlights included 15 goals in a 75-3 win over Doncaster, but no attendance beat the 5,000 barrier,and there was a feeling that 4 promotion places were at least 2 too many.
2) 76/7 S it proved with an immediate relegation, winning only 8 matches out of 30. After a promising start with a win at home to Wigan in the Lancashire Cup and a debut by John Woods at home to Barrow, scoring a try (more about him later!!), the team embarked on 2 exciting cup run. In the John Player trophy (equivalent to the League cup in football), wins over Swinton, Oldham and Hull saw the team through to a semi-final at perennial cellar dwellers, but at the time having their best periods in their history Blackpool Borough. Still,we were massive favourites, so what could go wrong? Yes you’ve guessed it, at a foggy Borough Park and a stinker of a performance, they managed to go down 15-5, to give Blackpool their only major final where they bravely lost narrowly to Cas. Alongside this competition the team were making progress in the BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy with superb home derby wins over Wire 11-10, Salford 22-18 and 12-5 Wigan, and then at home again to Huddersfield 19-10. Woody was now main goal kicker and popped over 12 goals in these matches. The final was between the 2 most successful teams in the Trophy’s history. Cas and Leigh. Unfortunately, although the final was held at Hilton Park, the team had just lost the John Player Trophy semi 4 days previous and although leading at half time 1-0 and Steve Norton sent off for a foul tackle on the returning Dave Chisnall, the in form Cas.used their classy backs to eventually win 12-4. Still this had been a good show up to Xmas by a newly promoted side.
But these Cup defeats had taken their toll, and ended up losing 16 out of their las 19 matches to finish 14th and relegated. But on the bright side Woods had kicked 90 goals and scored 5 tries, and a certain Des Drummond had made his debut!
2) 76/7 S it proved with an immediate relegation, winning only 8 matches out of 30. After a promising start with a win at home to Wigan in the Lancashire Cup and a debut by John Woods at home to Barrow, scoring a try (more about him later!!), the team embarked on 2 exciting cup run. In the John Player trophy (equivalent to the League cup in football), wins over Swinton, Oldham and Hull saw the team through to a semi-final at perennial cellar dwellers, but at the time having their best periods in their history Blackpool Borough. Still,we were massive favourites, so what could go wrong? Yes you’ve guessed it, at a foggy Borough Park and a stinker of a performance, they managed to go down 15-5, to give Blackpool their only major final where they bravely lost narrowly to Cas. Alongside this competition the team were making progress in the BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy with superb home derby wins over Wire 11-10, Salford 22-18 and 12-5 Wigan, and then at home again to Huddersfield 19-10. Woody was now main goal kicker and popped over 12 goals in these matches. The final was between the 2 most successful teams in the Trophy’s history. Cas and Leigh. Unfortunately, although the final was held at Hilton Park, the team had just lost the John Player Trophy semi 4 days previous and although leading at half time 1-0 and Steve Norton sent off for a foul tackle on the returning Dave Chisnall, the in form Cas.used their classy backs to eventually win 12-4. Still this had been a good show up to Xmas by a newly promoted side.
But these Cup defeats had taken their toll, and ended up losing 16 out of their las 19 matches to finish 14th and relegated. But on the bright side Woods had kicked 90 goals and scored 5 tries, and a certain Des Drummond had made his debut!
Statistics: Posted by CHEADLE LEYTHER — Mon Dec 31, 2018 3:16 pm