I HOPE the athletics track planned in Leigh's Sports Village complex scheme is not lost along the way. It's about time the athletes of this town had top class facilities.

Leigh Harriers, a private club, has done its best over the decades but no-one can say the runners have had the greatest track.

When I was a member in the mid-sixties there was nothing for field eventers but a tatty sand pit and a discus. There wasn't one hurdle for me to train over, I used some my dad made out of baking trays.

Despite the lack of coaches and the cinder, and I mean cinder, track the club spirit was and always has made up for the lack of facilities.

During my period there many county, inter-county and national champions paced the short track, including Val Guest, Eddie Pavitt, John Hooson and John Gerrard to name but a few.

We "trained" ourselves. In many cases it was a matter of a quick once round the track to warm-up, a few starts and strides then back into the clubhouse for a blackcurrant and lemonade and a game of snooker.

We always said if you could run on the Leigh track you could run on anything. But that was when sport was done for fun.

Times changed and in later years the up and coming athletes had good coaching and much improved facilities at Charles Street, but I'm sure they would all welcome a new stadium on their doorstep. They deserve it.

Perhaps then we could nurture GB internationals here instead of losing them to bigger clubs like Wigan or Stretford.