Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has accused Wigan Warriors of “despicable treatment” of Leopards fans and sponsors following their Super League semi-final clash.
In an open letter released on Monday, Beaumont reiterated his pre-match criticism of his opponents regarding the ticket allocation given to Leigh supporters.
Beaumont also confirmed that he has made an official complaint to the Rugby Football League (RFL) on the matter after fans were made to “queue in poor weather conditions” and “physically searched”.
This comes after the RFL’s Senior Executive Director Nigel Wood released a statement saying that an independent panel would review what unfolded in the build-up to the game.
In the letter, Beaumont said: “Unfortunately, I have had many letters and messages, some from significant kit sponsors, containing footage of the despicable treatment bestowed upon thousands of our fans in our semi-final.
“People were queuing in poor weather conditions whilst they were physically searched, something that wasn’t consistent in other areas at the ground and wasn’t in operation at Old Trafford the following day.
“I want to assure everyone that all the letters, messages and videos that I and the club receive will be forming part of our official complaint and will also be provided as part of the full review that will be conducted by the RFL.”
Wigan Warriors have declined to comment.
Jai Field and Bevan French combined beautifully to give Wigan the lead over Leigh just before half-time
The semi-final eventually took place after the rather bizarre build-up, with Wigan releasing a statement on the Wednesday prior to the match saying that Leigh did not intend to fulfil the fixture because of a ticketing gripe.
The background to the furore was that Wigan gave Leigh the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand of the 25,000-capacity Brick Community Stadium.
Warriors said that allocation had been determined for safety reasons after consultation with the police and that the number of tickets given to Leigh was almost double the 10 per cent minimum required for away supporters.
Robbie Mulhern demonstrated impressive hands with a great catch then got Leigh’s first try
In his statement, Beaumont said the offer of an unreserved 4,600 seats was only an initial allocation and “never was it communicated this would be our only allocation”.
Beaumont went on to say that he had been told spaces in the first block in the East and West stands would be available if Leigh could sell the tickets.
He also said Leigh were not given a “reasonable explanation” as to why they were not given more tickets when the seats in the North Stand sold out quickly.
However, despite the war of words, the game went ahead, with Wigan taking an 18-6 victory and spot in the Grand Final.
This news was originally published on this post .
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