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Message from IL

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:42 pm
by wall_of_voodoo

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:47 pm
by wall_of_voodoo
Dear Wigan Member/Season Ticket Holder,

I hope that you are keeping safe and healthy during these troubling times.

It is hard to believe that a few months ago we were cheering and shouting at a Wigan team – playing in yellow – losing to Salford after a very promising start to the season. Even though that was a painful night, I’m sure we would all give anything to get back there now.

Like you all I’ve been through a range of emotions reading, watching and experiencing some tremendously sad stories – a friend of mine whose mother was taken into hospital and died suddenly and a close work colleague in Wigan whose husband was a respected local Headmaster and passed away last month.

I am sure many Wigan supporters have experienced first-hand or through friends similar unexpectedly traumatic times. Fortunately, these occur alongside real acts of inspiration – our own Willie Isa volunteering for the NHS for example and I’m sure we all felt the same way about the achievements of Captain Tom. He could have played for Wigan – what a Warrior!

During this time it has been daunting for me to be responsible for the survival of Wigan Rugby League Club – one of the loves of my life – and it is only because of the effort, will and sacrifices of everyone involved that we have that chance to get beyond this period.

All players and the majority of staff are on furlough leave and have agreed to significant pay cuts for 2020. This itself makes a significant contribution to the future of the Club. For our players who have a short career, it’s a wonderful gesture showing they fully realise the severity of the situation.

The 10 non-furloughed directors and staff have also taken salary cuts and have worked hard and long to get Wigan through this first period. With some difficulty I have provided a further £500,000 in April for cash-flow survival. Our main focus has been to secure the future of the Club and to protect the employment of our people.

Only a handful of business-critical people – 10 out of 172 – have remained in position to ensure the Club can operate. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those people who have gone above and beyond, working incredibly long days in an attempt to navigate these tricky times. I’d also pay tribute to our Marketing and Communication team who have done a wonderful job trying to keep our fans engaged, entertained and loyal.

The RFL did an excellent job with Super League’s detailed input, in securing a £16 million loan from the Government and, although it’s very welcome and provides some reassurance, we need to fully understand the longer-term implications for our Club and approach the gesture with caution.

It is not a bailout. It is a loan which will need to be paid back, starting in 2021, from already depleted revenues. A condition of the loan is that it cannot be used to top-up people’s wages. It has to be used to make us Fit for Future.

The loan offer is an indication of the impact that Rugby League has on its local communities. The annual economic impact of the English Clubs and central events is estimated at more than £141 million. The social impact of the sport of Rugby League on its players, coaches and volunteers is estimated at more than £185 million. We are very proud of the publicly -recognised values, characteristics and contributions of Rugby League people – never more shown than in Wigan.

In terms of returning to play, we are led by the Government and are currently digesting Stages 2 and 3 of the Elite Sport return-to-training-and-play guidance. We will be developing risk assessments at our training centre ensuring all levels of bio security are considered. We do not anticipate that we will be playing games (behind closed doors) before August. Before then but subject to health statistics, we will be finalising plans to make our stadium Covid-secure. With this in place, we hope to get our players back playing in front of fans as soon as practically possible and completing the season.

Since March we have worked tirelessly to protect the Club but we are not in the clear yet. The central distribution from Super League and the Government furlough scheme is helping us month by month – and we have forecasted how we will reach the end of 2020 – but the knock-on effect for 2021 is still unknown and frightening. Without match-day revenues, sponsorship, events, advertising, memberships and retail we don’t have a business. That is the harsh reality.

The sacrifices of everyone at Wigan Rugby League Club has ensured that we will all still be here in 2021. I have been deeply moved by the letters of support that I have received from fans asking us to keep their season ticket money for 2020 and asking us to just make sure we are back up and running in 2021. It has been amazing reading what their Club means to them. They are sharing the burden that this uncertainty is causing and I’m humbled by their generosity.

I shouldn’t have expected anything else of Wigan fans but I am also very conscious that this pandemic will have affected many of our fans’ lives in different ways. Some may have lost relatives, some may have lost jobs and we understand that for some, priorities may have changed. We are sympathetic to these realities of life because it is happening to all of us at the Club too.

We have always been proud of our strategic planning. Short, medium-term and long-term succession planning has allowed Wigan to be successful for a very long period of time. But in these times of uncertainty, even this proactive thinking itself is under threat. It is hard because, like you, we don’t know exactly what the future holds.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I’d like to ask you to share some of that burden too.

Over the coming weeks, our team will be contacting you about your 2020 memberships with some options to consider. Although we don’t know the details yet, it is almost certain that you will lose games on your season ticket. In order to play Rugby League again, to save the season and to protect the income from the Sky broadcast contract, some games will need to be played behind closed doors. A proportion may not be played.

Should anybody want to talk to me personally, an e-mail address where you can leave your contact details will be set up and I or Kris Radlinski will call you back to discuss it. Now, more than ever, we need to pull together to get through this hardship that we’re all suffering.

Many thanks,

Ian Lenagan, Chairman
Wigan Rugby League Club Ltd

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:24 am
by Southern Softy
I'm not sure I've ever said it before and I probably won't say it again but that is very impressive from the Chairman and he's gone up a mile in my estimation.
Very well said and very well done.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:03 pm
by wall_of_voodoo
wall_of_voodoo wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:47 pm
Dear Wigan Member/Season Ticket Holder,

All players and the majority of staff are on furlough leave and have agreed to significant pay cuts for 2020.

The 10 non-furloughed directors and staff have also taken salary cuts and have worked hard and long to get Wigan through this first period. With some difficulty I have provided a further £500,000 in April for cash-flow survival. Our main focus has been to secure the future of the Club and to protect the employment of our people.

Only a handful of business-critical people – 10 out of 172 – have remained in position to ensure the Club can operate.

Many thanks,

Ian Lenagan, Chairman
Wigan Rugby League Club Ltd
With only 10 out of a total of 172 not having their wages paid for by the Government it is curious to question what the extra £500,000 was actually needed for?

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:47 pm
by fozzieskem
wall_of_voodoo wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:03 pm
wall_of_voodoo wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:47 pm
Dear Wigan Member/Season Ticket Holder,

All players and the majority of staff are on furlough leave and have agreed to significant pay cuts for 2020.

The 10 non-furloughed directors and staff have also taken salary cuts and have worked hard and long to get Wigan through this first period. With some difficulty I have provided a further £500,000 in April for cash-flow survival. Our main focus has been to secure the future of the Club and to protect the employment of our people.

Only a handful of business-critical people – 10 out of 172 – have remained in position to ensure the Club can operate.

Many thanks,

Ian Lenagan, Chairman
Wigan Rugby League Club Ltd
With only 10 out of a total of 172 not having their wages paid for by the Government it is curious to question what the extra £500,000 was actually needed for?
I thought the same thing,I’m not for having a go at Lenegan but is the club that strapped for cash even with pay cuts and furlough and the help offer to business?

If that is the case then the club is in dire straights,god forbid should anything happen to him.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:27 pm
by Nezza Faz
I'd imagine they still have some costs/overheads to find if not necessarily for the DW, but also Robin Park and Central Park. The 10 people still earning will be costing, whilst they are still forking out the 20% balance of salaries for the majority of all others.
Of course, they've had zero income for 3 months, with even the Supporters Shop closed in the Arcade.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:19 pm
by jaws1
Do we want to save our club?
Been a supporter for 65 years its in my blood.
Personally I would not want a refund on my Season ticket but understand that a lot of supporters would.
Could a Just giving site for Wigan RL be set up?
Would Wigan Supporters cough up even if its only a pound ?
Would the supporters come back to Wigan like we did in 2006 to support the team.
What we need is to unite behind the Wigan RL and not let it go into admin.
IL has pumped his own money into the club lets get behind him without him taking over from DW we would not have a club at all.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:42 am
by Caboosegg
jaws1 wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:19 pm Do we want to save our club?
Been a supporter for 65 years its in my blood.
Personally I would not want a refund on my Season ticket but understand that a lot of supporters would.
Could a Just giving site for Wigan RL be set up?
Would Wigan Supporters cough up even if its only a pound ?
Would the supporters come back to Wigan like we did in 2006 to support the team.
What we need is to unite behind the Wigan RL and not let it go into admin.
IL has pumped his own money into the club lets get behind him without him taking over from DW we would not have a club at all.
If Wigan RL is a business id be surprised that they dont have some loss of earnings insurance as well.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:06 pm
by jobo
fozzieskem wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:47 pm
wall_of_voodoo wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:03 pm
wall_of_voodoo wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:47 pm
With only 10 out of a total of 172 not having their wages paid for by the Government it is curious to question what the extra £500,000 was actually needed for?
I thought the same thing,I’m not for having a go at Lenegan but is the club that strapped for cash even with pay cuts and furlough and the help offer to business?

If that is the case then the club is in dire straights,god forbid should anything happen to him.
The club was running at a loss before Covid reared its horrible head and has been for several years.

IL has had to put £500k in just to keep the club going for the present season.

I think but might be wrong, that only Wakefield and Leeds sort of break even.

Re: Message from IL

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:20 pm
by shaunedwardsfanclub
jaws1 wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:19 pm Do we want to save our club?
Been a supporter for 65 years its in my blood.
Personally I would not want a refund on my Season ticket but understand that a lot of supporters would.
Could a Just giving site for Wigan RL be set up?
Would Wigan Supporters cough up even if its only a pound ?
Would the supporters come back to Wigan like we did in 2006 to support the team.
What we need is to unite behind the Wigan RL and not let it go into admin.
IL has pumped his own money into the club lets get behind him without him taking over from DW we would not have a club at all.
I think your position is admirable Jaws and I too would not be against donating my season ticket money to the club. However, I think every supporter needs more information from the club. I have no reason to doubt that IFL has put £500k in to the coffers to keep the club going through these difficult times but other options were/are available. He could decide not to replace the players that are coming off contract in order to cover his outlay but he may have seen this as a gamble in the short to medium term especially if fans vote with their feet and stay away due to the lack of quality on the pitch. Such a strategy also doesn't fit with his previous comment about the salary cap, when he supported the status quo. If my memory serves me right he said something along the lines of, Wigan has plans in place and therefore could not support a reduction in the salary cap. He could finance the shortfall through loans, I am sure banks be willing to lend if the loan was secured against the companies assets. He could ask individuals or companies for a loan or consider a share issue.

Personally, I would like IFL to spell out the financial difficulties that the club face in the form of a budgeted profit and loss account. We need to know the details around the clubs financial plight. Let's not forget that the players have taken a cut in salaries and the vast majority of staff have been furloughed, so the club's outgoings should have reduced. The season ticket income has been paid upfront and can therefore be used to prop the club up. Obviously, due to the suspension of the Reserves competition the number of employees will be reduced and this will present itself as a saving over the next 18 months. The club has paid no rent to the owners of the DW Stadium which is another saving.

I will be interested to read what IFL has got to say and the options available, hopefully I will be contacted (I have not yet received his initial letter). But more than anything, I want the club to recognize those individuals who are willing to put their hand in their pocket (season ticket holders - the lifeblood of the club).