Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has hit back at Wigan Warriors with a lengthy late-night statement, published at 10:37 pm - a time that appears to be a pointed nod to Wigan’s earlier release, which made much of message timestamps in their dispute over ticketing for the Super League semi-final.
In a statement approximately 4,400 words long, Beaumont accused Wigan of issuing a “factually incorrect and unnecessary” release earlier that day, claiming that the Warriors had presented information “in a way intended to cause damage to my reputation.”
Beaumont disputes Wigan’s assertion that a notice was “served” via WhatsApp, stating that all formal correspondence took place by email rather than informal messages.
“It is widely accepted that email is formal and WhatsApp is a more casual place for chat,” he wrote, adding that Wigan’s focus on messaging was misleading.
The Leigh owner also challenged the details of the ticket allocation, insisting his club was offered 4,800 seats, not 4,600, and that the figure was never described as fixed. He accused Wigan of refusing further requests, cancelling valid fan tickets, and applying restrictions that were “unfair and unnecessary.”
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“Tickets sold out almost immediately, and when we requested additional tickets, our request was refused without a reasonable explanation,” Beaumont said.
“Restricted seating causes issues,
"People cannot get their tickets together who want to be together.”
Beaumont framed the situation as a matter of fairness, saying fans were being treated as “second-class citizens,” and called for any cancelled tickets to be reinstated.
He also requested independent arbitration to assess evidence from both clubs and reach a binding resolution.
While his statement includes several factual clarifications, its rambling and defensive tone drew attention in itself.
The 4,465-word release reads more like a personal essay than a club statement, moving between ticketing detail, communication disputes, reflections on sportsmanship, and an odd diversion into the Lancashire Hotpots.
With tensions rising ahead of this weekend’s semi-final, the row between the two clubs has shifted from ticketing to questions of transparency and professionalism.
Beaumont closed by reiterating his club’s desire to “act fairly,” but warned that he may reconsider his attendance if the situation remains unresolved.
Latest from The Sporting News:
- Confusion ahead of semi-final as Leigh withdraw
- Ravens ready for offensive 'challenge' without Lamar Jackson
- James Ward-Prowse could return to Southampton