Chorley will break new ground this weekend when they visit the Leigh Sports Village Stadium for a first encounter with Leigh Genesis, who as Leigh RMI were their last opponents as a UniBond Premier League club, in April 1999.

A 1-0 win for Chorley over Steve Waywell’s RMI side failed to stave off relegation and now the Magpies manager is hoping to put one over his old club, who were relegated last April.

Waywell, who prefers to look at the future in his aims and objectives for Chorley, was less worried about the postponement of last Saturday’s First Division North match at Skelmersdale than the home officials.

“We have only league matches to cope with for the rest of the season and clubs like Skem, with other commitments, won’t want a backlog of fixtures,” he said.

“Having the game called off seemed to bother them more than us.”

The date with Skem, the first of five tough away clashes for Waywell’s men before the visit of league leaders Lancaster City (and their band of ex-Chorley players, manager Tony Hesketh and assistant manager Phil Brown) to Victory Park on February 20, may be rearranged for March or April.

There aren’t many weeks left and there doesn’t seem much likelihood of an extension to the UniBond season, despite the enforced break during December and January.