I've given Leigh their current name - Centurions, but my abiding memories are from the 70's and early 80's when it was just Leigh RLFC
From 1971 when we famously beat Leeds in the Challenge Cup Final at the old Wembley 24 - 7 - I was only 9 but the memories of that day, and the victorious return to Leigh are etched forever. Our family couldn't afford to go, but we all gathered at my dads Auntie Edith's - she had a colour television!! There must have been about 15 of us crammed round the set, all the us children behaving and sitting still, and all of us so excited.
When the team did an open top bus tour, we made congratulatory banners with bed sheets and wrote on them with lipstick because we didn't have a red marker pen ha ha - I don't think there was any lipstick left in Hanover St. We stood on Holden Road and cheered and cheered.
From then and during my teenage years, I went to Hilton Park and several away games - I was so grown up, allowed to go on my own, and be trusted to behave with my friends in the stand - erm I might have been a bit naughty occasionally shouting at Widnes fans etc ;) . I think I had my first crushes on Leigh players - David Eckersley & Terry Bilsbury
Maggie Hilton
Memory added on June 7, 2013
1 Comment (Add your voice)
A Friday in 1967. Had picked up my pay packet has had my mate and after work we went to a club in Manchester to play 3 card brag. Was doing really well then got AKQ on the bounce. Players dropped out apart from one who was betting blind. My mate and I bet all our wages then the blind bragger saw me. He had 3 3's. We had to walk home to Leigh. Following date my mate won £50 on the Leigh RLFC draw.
– frank blackburn, June 10 2013 at 09:17
