A bizarre row between Leigh Leopards and Wigan Warriors has threatened to derail the climax of the Super League season.
The semi-final clash between the two local rivals is set for Friday night, with a place in the Grand Final at stake.
But the fixture has been thrown into doubt following a dispute over the ticket allocations. By league rules, home clubs must provide travelling supporters with a minimum stadium allocation of 10%.
As Wigan have given Leigh 5,400 tickets out of their 25,000 capacity stadium, they have fulfilled that requirement. However, Leigh requested a larger share and that was rejected.
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It led Leigh's owner Derek Beaumont to claim that his team would not play in Friday's game.
Such a move would see Wigan would advance automatically to the Grand Final, where they would face the winners of St Helens against Hull KR.
Wigan were quick to issue a statement to lay out their position.
It read: "We can confirm that Leigh Leopards were offered the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand. This allocation was determined by the independent Safety Advisory Group and our Ground Safety Officer, following consultation with the police.
"The Super League also sought separate safety advice, which fully endorsed this approach. It is important to note that the allocation offered was well above the 10% minimum required for away supporters—indeed, it was almost double that threshold.
"While we regret that Leigh Leopards found this arrangement unacceptable, our Club is legally, and professionally, bound to comply with the directions of our Ground Safety Officer and the conditions of our Ground Safety Certificate.
"The safety and welfare of all supporters must come first. This is not open to negotiation and underpins every decision we make.
"We continue to prepare for Friday’s Semi-Final and will release further information as the situation develops."
The controversy comes after a strong season for both sides.
Wigan secured second place in the table, finishing three points ahead of Leigh, who were forced into a qualifier against Wakefield Trinity. They came through that game with a 26-10 victory.
The head-to-head record between the sides gives an added edge to the game.
Leigh edged the season opener with a dramatic golden point drop-goal, before
Wigan responded in May with a 36-28 win. In their most recent meeting , it was the Leopards who came out on top, winning18-8.
If the game does go ahead, it promises to be a blockbuster encounter between the local rivals.
Topics: Rugby, Rugby League
James Taylor