Derek Beaumont says he will step away Leigh Centurions having secured the club’s future.
The Centurions’ short-term future has been saved after the club agreed on release settlements with the final two players still on full-time contracts.
Now, Beaumont, who has overseen a number of highs and lows during his time as owner of the club, says he will move aside and allow the remaining board of directors run the club while he remains the owner.
The special measures have now been lifted over the club and they are free to continue making signings, with further announcements expected this week following the arrivals of Martyn Ridyard and Tom Spencer.
In a statement, Beaumont said: “The last five months have been extremely difficult ones and I would like to place on record my gratitude for the unwavering and unequivocal support of my fellow board of directors Mike Latham, Jason Huyton, Steve Openshaw and Matthew Chantler whilst we put the future of the club at the expense of our personal reputations to be able to reach this point.”
“We now have an enthusiastic, young head coach who is really passionate about the town and its fans and have a squad being built around our home-grown hero Martyn Ridyard with more now to be announced over the coming days, now that it is appropriate to do so. The very fact Martyn has returned should put people right about their wild accusations over his departure and my relationship with him, but I gave up worrying about that some time ago.
“So a little battered and bruised and extremely exhausted with rugby work and commitments I am able to remove myself from the Club and leave it in the capable hands of the remaining board of directors without owing anybody anything significant, save for AB Sundecks with a solid, sustainable budget which is self-sufficient and money in the bank, not having taken a penny in revenue from fans or sponsors. This means that every penny now introduced to the club is to the benefit of its future, not historic debt.”
