Derek Beaumont makes plea to Leigh fans to show ‘class’ as latest on Wigan clash provided
Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont has urged Leopards fans making the trip to Wigan Warriors for their semi-final tie to represent the club and the town with class at the end of a drama-filled week.
Friday night sees the Leopards travel across the borough for a Super League semi-final tie for the second year running.
On Wednesday morning, the game was thrust in doubt as Wigan published a club statement revealing that Leigh owner Beaumont had threatened to pull out of the semi-final tie over ticketing qualms.
The Leopards sold their allocation out in no time, and supporters purchasing in the Warriors sections of the ground for Friday night have since seen their tickets cancelled.
That saga remains ongoing, with Beaumont himself having published a lengthy statement in response to Wigan‘s late on Wednesday night.
But, the good news is that the game will now be going ahead: and the outspoken Leigh owner has delivered a plea to those backing the side on Friday night to do so in the right manner.
Derek Beaumont makes plea to Leigh fans as latest on Wigan clash provided
Beaumont had previously suggested that he had heard of planned protests from some Leigh fans who had not been able to obtain tickets, and even the potential of storming the gates at The Brick on Friday night, though nothing has appeared on social media to suggest any of those proposals had been made.
In a video published by the Leopards on social media on Thursday afternoon, Beaumont said: “I just wanted to ask our fans to represent the club the way that they have done all year – impeccably vociferous, colourful and showing great support for the lads.
“We’ve just talked about it in there (a team meeting), about how much it means.
“I apologise that, at this stage, I’ve not been able to secure those people who have tickets cancelled unnecessarily a return into the stadium.
“But I’m still working hard on that, as are Super League and RL Commercial. Hopefully that will change.
“I understand that people feel aggrieved and aggravated because I feel those feelings myself, deeply.
“However, what is vitally important is that we go there with class. We go there with the numbers that we’re taking and we behave how we have done in the last two times that we’ve been there.”
🚨 A message from Derek ahead of tomorrow’s Play-Off Semi-Final. pic.twitter.com/ZgZ7J8gnDc
— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) October 2, 2025
During last year’s 38-0 semi-final defeat against the Warriors, there were instances of crowd disturbances in the Leopards’ end.
But they have made the trip to Wigan twice since then, including in Round 1 when they secured an unforgettable 1-0 win in Golden Point, and no further issues have arisen.
Furthermore, Leopards supporters have been instructed not to sing an anti-Warriors ‘flute’ song, which concludes with the lyrics, ‘f*ck Wigan rugby and the IRA’.
Beaumont added: “Under no circumstances will our club tolerate any anti-social behaviour, any use of flares or any singing of anti-sectarian songs.
“We got rid of that, I urge you not to get back involved in that, and I urge you to show our town as the classy town it is.
“Let’s keep building this club, breaking records and creating history. The lads will reward that and give their best efforts for you.”
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