Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has confirmed the club has lodged a complaint with the Rugby Football League (RFL) over what he described as the “despicable treatment” of fans in their Super League play-off semi-final.
Leigh played Wigan Warriors for a spot in the Grand Final, with the build-up to the game marred by a spat over ticket allocations.
Wigan released a statement on Wednesday saying their opponents had informed them they would not contest the game as a result of an “unacceptable” ticket allocation, having been offered the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand. Beaumont issued a 4,466-word statement in response, saying that statement was “unnecessary and factually incorrect”.
Ultimately the game was played out on Friday in front of around 4,800 travelling fans in the North Stand. Wigan won 18-6 win at the Brick Community Stadium to set up a Grand Final against Hull KR, who dispatched St Helens 20-12 in their semi-final.
On Monday, Beaumont released an open letter to fans, confirming that the club had made an official complaint over the “despicable treatment” of its supporters.
The fixture had a heightened security presence, coming the day after the terror attack on a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, and amid poor weather conditions.
Beaumont wrote: “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 semifinal where 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 [for Manchester United’s game against Sunderland in the Premier League].
“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.
“I will keep our supporters informed as this proceeds and will vigorously seek the correct outcomes on behalf of our fans as hard as I fought all week.”
The open letter continued to ask fans to get in touch with the clubs with any information “regarding their treatment”.
Beaumont did not attend the game in person, posting a selfie to social media beforehand indicating he was watching the live broadcast. He then took to social media in the aftermath of the game, commending the “massive effort from both sets of players” and criticising the “disrespectful way” Leigh fans had been treated.
The RFL announced an independent panel investigation into the circumstances around the match on Saturday, with senior executive director Nigel Wood calling the build-up to the fixture “unprecedented”.
