LEIGH have been 'promoted' twice in less than seven days!

Confirmation finally came through they will be in Division One next season - despite clubs doing a U-turn and voting to retain a three-division set-up.

The club had been told they would be included in a single division below Super League. But FASDA (First and Second Division Association) later back-tracked when they felt a Division One of 19 clubs was too unwieldy.

Leigh feared the worst and expected to be kept back in Division Two.

But now Division One will operate with 11 clubs and Division Two with eight.

Leigh, who missed out on automatic promotion to Division One on points difference, and Widnes, relegated last summer, will be included in the new First Division set-up.

But both 'promoted' clubs will only be entitled to a £90,000 share of the News Corporation subsidy. Existing Division One clubs will each be allocated £390,000.

The uneven cash carve-up has angered Leigh chairman Mick Higgins who is now planning to lobby RL hierarchy for a greater share.

"Both ourselves and Widnes have been invited to join Division One," he said. "And, while we are delighted by that decision, it seems grossly unfair we should be expected to compete in equal terms with other clubs when there is such a disparity in the distribution of Murdoch Money.

"Widnes are of a like mind. We must have a good case because there is money available. Prescot have gone out, the new Oldham club doesn't receive a penny this year and the merged Barrow and Carlisle club is only entitled to one share.

"I think we have a strong case. We've paid off all our debts, come out of administration, acquired close on £500,000 for ground improvements and applied a self-imposed salary cap. Surely that should count in our favour."

The new Division One set-up will see clubs play each other three times, giving a 30-game league programme to run from February 8 to the end of August.

A five-team Grand Final play-off system, identical to the one adopted by Super League, will decide the one promoted club at the end of the season.

The season could also finish with a European Championship involving two or three leading French clubs.

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