Fans gathering to see off The Leopards in Leigh
They're heading down to Wembley for their Challenge Cup final against Hull KR
Last updated 10th Aug 2023
Fans are expected to gather at the Sports Village in Leigh this morning, as they see off Leigh Leopards for their Challenge Cup final.
The club are travelling down to Wembley today ahead of their clash with fellow northerners Hull KR on Saturday.
Leopards fans are invited to gather from 10am, with the team bus set to leave at around 10.30.
It will be the first time the club have reached the final since 1971, and one of the masterminds of their victory that day is convinced the club are on the brink of eclipsing his Wembley miracle.
Alex Murphy was the inspirational and charismatic player-coach who led them on the day.
In one of the competition's greatest upsets, Murphy's well-drilled side defied the odds to overpower a much-fancied Leeds 24-7 in the final at the national stadium.
Now, 52 years on, the recently-rebranded Leopards have a chance to emulate those achievements having plotted a similarly unlikely route to the showpiece match in their first season since returning to the top flight.
After years of struggle, mostly in the lower divisions with financial crises a recurring theme, the club are enjoying an extraordinary campaign. They sit third in Super League and on Saturday they take on Hull KR for one of the sport's most prestigious prizes.
"They've had a good start to the season and it's a great achievement to get there," Murphy, now 84, told the PA news agency.
"There have been a lot of very tough times but Derek Beaumont, the chairman, deserves a big pat on the back. He has steered them through thick and thin.
"I think it will be a magnificent occasion. When I took Leigh to Wembley, there was nobody left in the town. It was a tremendous turnout but I think this one will be even better.
"I think it will be a hard game - Hull KR are a physical side - but the way Leigh are playing at the moment, they look as though they have got the ability to win. With the supporters' help, they'll do it."