By Matt Lawton
January 28 2005

Saturday January 29th 2005 could potentially turn out to be a pivotal day in the history of Leigh RMI Football Club when former Football League outfit York City visit Hilton Park for the first time. Although on the surface it’s merely a clash between a side seemingly plummeting towards the Conference North at an alarming rate and a side struggling in mid-table, going against pre-season predictions of promotion, it could have far more wide-reaching effects than the immediate changes in the Conference table.

Although on the field there will be no backward steps in what is set to be a traditionally fierce Roses battle between Lancashire and Yorkshire, off the field both sets of fans are united in the face of adversity in a bid to save their respective clubs. Such is York’s plight that their famous Bootham Crescent home was recently hideously renamed the “KitKat Crescent” in a bid to gain as much money as possible to stave off the threat of extinction.

However, the Minstermen have a large fan base that repeatedly comes up with the financial goods for the club, and unfortunately supporter numbers isn’t one of RMI’s strong points. With crowds continuing to drop lower and lower and the club’s budget becoming tighter and tighter, media-friendly Leigh MP Andy Burnham has begun the fight back for the area’s top non-league side, starting his “Save RMI” campaign that aims to lead the club away from financial oblivion. Saturday’s game is the culmination of several weeks of promotion of the so-called “Ladies Day”, with free tickets distributed to local female-orientated groups in a bid to attract more women to the Hilton Park terraces for RMI games. Existing supporters are also being urged to take along their partners and children, and with a large travelling support undoubtedly on it’s way, it’s hoped that RMI will get one of their biggest crowds of recent times and turn the tide off the field, with playing fortunes hopefully set to follow.

As far as on-pitch matters are concerned, RMI boss Geoff Lutley is likely to be without new signing Ashley Scothern and tricky winger Gary Williams after they both went off injured in the Tuesday night's extra-time 1-0 defeat to Northwich in the Carthium Cup. Former Mansfield striker Craig Mitchell is missing through suspension, although defender Mark Drew returns after serving a ban of his own.

Make sure you're at Hilton Park for an afternoon of excellent football and pull together to save this club of ours.