A FOOTBALL boss and his players took to the streets on a shopping expedition...for supporters.

Manager Mark Patterson and his Leigh RMI players mingled with shoppers in the centre of the town in a bid to encourage more people to watch their team.

They walked through the town's Spinning Gate Shopping Centre, signing autographs, handing out free posters and talking to shoppers in a bid to boost attendances at the club's Hilton Park ground.

There was also a free raffle for autographed footballs, signed shirts and family tickets for home matches.

The club, which is fighting to stay in the Nationwide Conference, has the lowest average attendance in the league.

But manager Patterson was hopeful that their shopping centre efforts would attract more supporters to home games.

He said: "It's been great to see so many people coming down to meet the lads.

"We need to raise the profile of the club within the town to get more supporters through the turnstiles.

"We're hoping that this will encourage them to come and watch us at our next home game.

"We are an ambitious club and we want to get into the Football League eventually, but we need the backing of the local people.

"We want to double our average attendances."

Striker Ian Monk, who is from Leigh, said that it was important to meet the fans and try to woo them to Hilton Park.

"We played Yeovil the Nationwide Conference leaders at their ground last week. There was a big crowd and the atmosphere was superb; it lifted the players. If we can attract more fans to our home games we could pay more wages and the manager could buy better players."

Supporter Anthony Conner, aged 17, of Pennington in Leigh, said: "It's unfashionable to support Leigh RMI, because there are so many other glamourous teams in the area.

"But I am a big RMI fan, and I hope that more local people will come and watch the club play, because it's a great day out and a good standard of football."

Leigh RMI's next game at Hilton Park is against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, March 29 (kick off 3pm).