Leyther_Matt

I think I'd break the bandwith of TotalRL if I individually listed all the trainers I've got, in particular Adidas Originals. Aside from that, I own a pair of smart shoes for work, smart shoes for funerals/weddings and a pair of apiece of Original Penguin boots and Timberland boots for those cold midweek nights watching football in the winter.

Not one for quoting myself but loved our visit to Sowerby Bridge on Saturday. Given the beautiful weather it was definitely a good decision to avoid the Stalybridge-Dewsbury ale trail as I'm sure it was absolutely mobbed. Only had a half in each pub so we get round more of them but visited The Moorings, Hogs Head Brew House, The Commercial Inn, The Bull on the Bridge, The Works (couldn't remember the name and that's what it's listed as on Google Earth, at least) and the Turks Head. All had various cask ales on and don't recall them being pricey, though you don't really notice when you've got a kitty between a few of you. Went to six pubs in Halifax (only two of which we'd visited previously) and popped in at Hebden Bridge and Littleborough on the way back to Manchester. Sadly Littleborough wasn't a patch on the Yorkshire stops!

Encouraged to read that as we're going to Halifax via Sowerby Bridge on Saturday as an alternative ale trail to the Stalybridge-Dewsbury route, purely because promotion to Super League meant we missed out on our usual day out in 'Fax.

Amazed there weren't any at Featherstone, they're usually a good call for them. Although they lose several marks for using Pukka Pies (or at least they did in the last few seasons), those points are regained and then some by having that admittedly tasty West Yorkshire delicacy of mushy peas and mint sauce to accompany them.

Whenever I think of scrum caps, I always think of Johnny Lawless at Halifax. His career would probably serve as a decent timeline in the evolution of scrum caps as well, I'd have thought.

4G pitches already in use in the Super League and RU Premiership so no issues on that side. They're allowed in football as far up the pyramid as Conference National (Maidstone have one if memory serves me right) so it rules out Coventry City but won't be a problem for Coventry United, assuming they actually start next season as I believe they aren't the first 'protest club' that have been set up by CCFC fans?

Gigg Lane is slightly different in that regard as it was Swinton's home ground at the time of the NFP final, and in fact it's probably their longest consecutive tenure since leaving Station Road?

I've seen games at 10 of the 12 current Super League teams (only Saints and Catalans to go, both of which will be done with Leigh this season) Only current Championship ground I haven't been to is London Broncos at Ealing. Have seen Toulouse at both Stade Blagnac and Stade des Minimes. In League One, I've been to Barrow, Coventry (in their NL3 days), Doncaster, Hunslet, Keighley, London Skolars, Whitehaven and Workington. Getting to quite a lengthy list of defunct clubs and old/moved grounds. Blackpool (x2 - Bloomfield Road & Memorial Ground) Celtic Crusaders (Brewery Field) Chorley Lynx (Victory Park) Doncaster (Belle Vue) Gateshead Thunder (International Stadium) Leigh (Hilton Park) London Broncos (Griffin Park) North Wales Crusaders (x2 - Racecourse and The Rock) Oldham (x2 - Boundary Park and Whitebank plus seen a few of their groundshares) Salford (The Willows) Sheffield (x3 - Don Valley, Bramall Lane and Bawtry Road) St Helens (Knowsley Road) Swinton (x2 Gigg Lane, Park Lane plus the various groundshares) Warrington (Wilderspool) Wigan (Central Park) With internationals at the various football grounds etc, I've seen RL at 66 different grounds with 29 of them currently in use in the three professional divisions. Yes, I do keep a spreadsheet of this kind of thing.

They entered for quite a few years. Leigh played Lokomotiv Moscow at Hilton Park in 2002, Strela Kazan at Hilton Park in 2008 and Lokomotiv Moscow again at LSV in 2009.

After a couple of hours in the pub it might have taken a bit longer than half an hour

Although if staying at the Ibis Central (or drinking in the Melting Pot) you're probably better getting a bus from the Jean D'Arc bus station next door that goes within 5 minutes of the stadium rather than hiking for the tram stop.

Ibis Toulouse Centre is a good base, next door to the bus station where buses run virtually right to the stadium in Blagnac and all of 5 minutes stumbling from the Melting Pot. Stayed in 2009 and have tried a few others since (the Ibis opposite the station and the Novotel Caffarelli) but return to the Toulouse Centre for our Challenge Cup game there last year. Usually easy enough to get Ibis voucher codes online as well and cashback with Quidco etc.

She also carried out the official opening of Leigh Sports Village.

Nothing wrong with the rules for me, but both England and NZ would benefit from trying to 'out Aussie' the Aussies. For what it's worth, I thought the atmosphere at Coventry for the England-Scotland game was far superior to what would have been likely at a heartland ground where there would have been an expectation to sit and back and wait for England to rack up the points.

Thumbs up for the Soccerbus from me as well. £5 return on the train from Newton-le-Willows to Lime Street, but for another 20p we were able to upgrade to a day pass that included the Central-Sandhills train plus the Soccerbus. Bargain.