The mini bus has been running for a few years now, it's consists of 16 people who are aged from 17 to 70 years of age. This season alone we have travelled to Batley, Workington, Barrow and Halifax (all of them) early, sat in pubs with opposing fans and had a good laugh. If i recall right, over the recent years there has been 3 incidents nothing serious.

On Monday tempers did flare after a 17 year old from our mini bus was punched from behind whilst we was celebrating, my dad was also punched inside the ground and kicked twice in the back of the head outside the ground. This was why some people from the mini bus were involved, maybe alcohol played a part but the mini bus follows the Leythers with passion not thuggery.

Many Thanks

Ste

Good post Ste. Hope a line can be drawn under the event and lessons learned.

I didnt see any of our fans actually fighting, just other fans holding them back to stop them retaliating to be honest.
I did see bruises cuts etc on some fans and I beleive an elderly man(Leigh Fan) was punched on the carpark for nothing.
I did see the young FEV fans with their golf balls on the ready, so I told the stewards to watch them.They legged it when the police arrived. However funnily enough, when we was on the main road they were all on a corner waiting, so good job the police escort was present.
I must say that after talking to a couple of the lads on the bus they said no one had any ale left to throw at the end.
What time do the bars shut there?, ours shut just after half time.

All in all, must Leigh fans will now hope we play Fax now in the final as we never have trouble there and we all stand in one stand together.
Then again the police in Blackpool are used to dealing with soccer hooligans and they won't mess about!!

well i for one hope anybody no matter who they support if found guilty of any crime, re fighting/punching anything is dealt with by the laws of the land, there is no place in rugby league for violence of any sort.

Not pointing fingers in either direction, but I'd say it was a racing certainty that alcohol played a part!!

Just my own observation from what I witnessed both inside and outside the ground!

Pity that incidents like this get to overshadow what turned out to be a highly entertaining advertisment for Championship Rugby League!

Alan Dickenson was the bloke who got thumped does anyone know if hes OK?

The Fev fans were just gutted and obviously there actions showed. We were not to blame... We just stuck up for our fans that got caught up in the hastle. When you see a fellow Leigh fan getting hit you will react and help them out. It's over now and we got a draw which we did not deserve lets hope we can beat Batley and make it 13. COME ON LEIGH!

I hope he is !
I heard Tommy had his teeth in a tissue on the services later

and there's the rub. I could provide some evidence to suggest Leigh Fans started the rumpus inside the ground. I could provide some evidence to evidence to suggest Fev fans started the rumpus inside the grounds.
As is usually the case, each clubs fans are quick to hold their hands up and say "not me gov, it was t'others"!!!

We then go away, blame each other and as long as we remain narrow minded to the numpties amongst us - [size=150NOWT GETS DONE!!!!!!![/size

I was given some abuse in Station Lane - it was nowt - and I've been called worse - by Ging dong - and he's a mate!!!
But the point is, I have never abused or assaulted anyone. Why anyone from Leigh then felt the need to abuse me Lord only knows. Matt's experience in the ground next to the lagoon illustrates the same situation in reverse!!!!

There is a problem at Fev, I acknowledge that. It would be blinkered, niaive or downright daft if you think that the problem on sunday was one sided! I saw with my own eyes that it wasn't!!

Why folks have to drink then feel the need to threaten others I'll never ever understand.

Love n peace man!!!

potentially one of[size=200 THE[/size games of the season and all we seemed to have talked about was the sheeite after!!!

Sad. So very sad.

Actually not so sad, since it shows how rare these incidents are that it has got such a lot of attention. I was behind the sticks and 6 of one and half a dozen of the other as far as I saw. The Leigh fans were throwing beer and being provocative, the Fev fans reacted. One effect of a 4.00 KO I suppose. Longer for the kids to drink.

And that Joe, is almost exactly what appears to have happened having heard from the sensible, the daft and the downright ugly - from both sides!!


The more dependent we are on alcohol sales to survive, then we're going to have more o' this! It's crapola mate.

As Paul Rogers sang in 1974 "love in a peaceful world"....