Salford game

[doc]

So, from IL's interview, it would appear that we informed the RFL that we could not play on the weekend of the 26th due to Latics already having a fixture scheduled (fair enough, they had their fixture arranged before ours). The RFL then scheduled a match for the weekend of the 26th regardless, told us we could not move to Thursday/Sunday due to the 4 day turnaround of Salford and as reversing the fixture wasn't possible told us to play at Blackpool/Bolton (both of which were also unavailable). They (RFL) then told us to play at Widnes and IL dug his heels.

Seems to me that all this was caused by the RFL ignoring information passed to them by the club then fannying about for weeks before coming to the sensible decision a week before the match. If they RFL had taken notice of the club in the first place or made the sensible decision sooner e.g. before Xmas then all the bad feeling from the fans could have been avoided.

Remind me never to ask the RFL to organise a party in a brewery.

[WiganWoman1968]

Personally I'd prefer the club to make a statement as early as possible that there is a potential problem with the fixture and state the reasons without implying blame. Then say the club is working to resolve the issue and will try to minimise disruption to the fans.

With a statement like that you wouldn't have a huge "social media" outpouring when the game gets changed days before the original date. Basically the official line from the club is that the match is confirmed on the date on the fixtures just like all the others, until it isn't.

I understand IL's desire to keep negotiations private, but you don't have to keep the fact that there are negotiations on going private. The club often allow issues to be dribbled out by rumour and insiders when they could take the lead in communication. That doesn't mean revealing the details of contracts and negotiations, but it does mean deciding what can be released and releasing it. From the outside, it looks like the club has a very private need-to-know attitude about its stakeholders. Perhaps a fans rep on the board would help with this?

I agree about being open and giving as much notice about potential problems so that, in this case, supporters can make their informed decisions to potentially difficult situations too.

I've worked in big macho organisations. It's not soft to admit there's a problem ( and not necessarily of your making). People respect you more if you bring them alongside and share difficulties.

At the end of the day (awful over-used expression but!) we are just supporters who want to watch our team play rugby and support them by turning up to watch them. Nothing devious in that.

I wasn't overly fond of the comment re. Latics supporters and Wigan RL supporters being silly by hating each other. It was a bit like telling your children to "play nicely together".

Here's an idea: why not screen live on Wigan TV with Wish FM commentary for those who can't go on the Thursday? Nice gesture? ( I know not everybody subscribes to Wigan TV).

[cpwigan]

So, from IL's interview, it would appear that we informed the RFL that we could not play on the weekend of the 26th due to Latics already having a fixture scheduled (fair enough, they had their fixture arranged before ours). The RFL then scheduled a match for the weekend of the 26th regardless, told us we could not move to Thursday/Sunday due to the 4 day turnaround of Salford and as reversing the fixture wasn't possible told us to play at Blackpool/Bolton (both of which were also unavailable). They (RFL) then told us to play at Widnes and IL dug his heels.

Seems to me that all this was caused by the RFL ignoring information passed to them by the club then fannying about for weeks before coming to the sensible decision a week before the match. If they RFL had taken notice of the club in the first place or made the sensible decision sooner e.g. before Xmas then all the bad feeling from the fans could have been avoided.

Remind me never to ask the RFL to organise a party in a brewery.

I know IL was positive re the RFL but they come across as idiots.

[thegimble]

So, from IL's interview, it would appear that we informed the RFL that we could not play on the weekend of the 26th due to Latics already having a fixture scheduled (fair enough, they had their fixture arranged before ours). The RFL then scheduled a match for the weekend of the 26th regardless, told us we could not move to Thursday/Sunday due to the 4 day turnaround of Salford and as reversing the fixture wasn't possible told us to play at Blackpool/Bolton (both of which were also unavailable). They (RFL) then told us to play at Widnes and IL dug his heels.

Seems to me that all this was caused by the RFL ignoring information passed to them by the club then fannying about for weeks before coming to the sensible decision a week before the match. If they RFL had taken notice of the club in the first place or made the sensible decision sooner e.g. before Xmas then all the bad feeling from the fans could have been avoided.

Remind me never to ask the RFL to organise a party in a brewery.

I know IL was positive re the RFL but they come across as idiots.

CP you think he was been actually calculating and clever he has just dropped the issue re the Salford game on them without leaving himself open to a charge.

[cpwigan]

Possibly. To be honest I got the impression ideally he wanted the fixture issues sorted months ago and perfectly 7 from 7 issues sorted rather than 5 from 7. I am not sure his obsession to play homes games at the DW when we clearly do not (London game) but maybe he was using that stance to dampen the RFLs desire to play anywhere. I do think SL / RL clubs /fans are going to have to be prepared more to sell the game beyond their own tiny parts of the M62 corridor.

I like it when IL communicates more regularly; he can use Wigan TV to frame interviews how he sees fit and how long he wants to speak. Clearly the club have been working weeks / months trying to sort an issue and obviously fans sounding off probably grates. I have always said the club can make social media dead' by communicating more and ultimately who do people want to hear from IL / Rads or a small % of fans on social media?

A good snippet is that I think the DW stadium will be ripped up DEEP when we go away as the need for a long term proper solution was mentioned. P.S Do they fancy doing my garden too

[cpwigan]

Gimble apart from the obvious, when the RFL suggested Blackpool I though where have they been? The pitch is dreadful!

[sheepdip]

Travelling in my car the newstation announced on the radio that "Wigan" had bought Bolton Wanderers Euxton training ground

Is there more to this than meets the eye?

Just found this

Geograph







BUSINESS-IN-SPORT

Bolton Wanderers secure sale of Euxton training ground
Financially troubled Bolton Wanderers have managed to sell off their training ground just days before a High Court appearance over a £3m unpaid tax bill.

The club, which are £172.9m in debt, have sold the Euxton training facility to League One side Wigan Athletic and are due to appear before the High Court this Monday (February 22).

Last month, Bolton bosses were granted extra time to either raise funds through the sale of assets or attract a buyer for the club.

An official statement read: “Bolton Wanderers can announce that the club has concluded a deal to sell its Euxton training ground.

“The facility will now be solely owned by Huron Properties, with another North West football club set to be based at the Euxton site from this coming summer.”

Wigan Athletic, which confirmed the transaction on their website, will train at Euxton from the 2016/17 season onwards.

According to FC Business, Wigan chairman David Sharpe commented: "It’s integral to our future success that we have a high quality first team training ground, and an academy based in one location enabling it to grow and develop the players of the future."

Following the deal, Bolton Wanderers will continue to operate from their Lostock training ground and Macron Stadium.

In my experience that seems to be how Whelan operates. Waits till a business is on its uppers and then steps in. Wonder if the Euxton training ground will be a housing estate in a few years time.

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

Our owner claims Wigan Warriors are a global brand yet he believes all the teams supporters live within a two miles radius of the DW Stadium and can go to a home match at the drop of a hat .

What is wrong with Wigan v Salford *

* please be aware that there is a possible problem with the scheduling of this match. Please don't purchase Advance (non refundable ) train tickets from Penzance to Wigan or Inverness to Wigan and/or book non refundable hotel rooms at Wigan Premier Inn / Wigan Oak until the club confirm the actual date this match will be played .

Not rocket science is it

Diitto the HKR game on Easter Monday .

"We dont/won't take Wigan home Superleague Matches away from the DW Stadium" .
When did the DW Stadium have a South Bermondsey post code I ask myself .

Personally found that monologue a bit hard to swallow or even understand at times .

As for the 4 day turn around rule I thought it was a simple rule. Now it appears it's more akin to rocket science. Contradicted himself on that one a few times or maybe just confused a simple lad that much that features had given up the will you live after that 23 minutes.

To sum up

See you all Saturday and we will once again board the Merry Go Round that is Wigan Warriors . Would we change I not a chance we love it that's why we (me at least) KEEP COMING BACK.

As always Regards , EW

[Owd Codger]

Ther has been occasions over the many years that I have missed a game as a result of a date change and on one occasion even ended up on holiday due to a fixture being reversed and some were even at Central Park which the Warriors owned.

As far as I am concerned, many of the problems now in regard to a clash of fixtures is due to us annully playing away for six weeks while the pitch is renewed or repaired. A period which is outside the football season and does not effect any fixtures of the Latic's, but only those of the Warriors as more home games have to be played during the football season where the Latic's have more home league games than the Warriors. A situation which is not helped by the fact that the Stadium is owned by one club with the other a tenant.

Why is it that other grounds like those in Huddersfield, Hull, Leigh, Salford etc where they too have all year round usage, but do not have the same problems.

The reason is because the DW Stadium was built in the wrong place on a tip and known flood plain in spite of it being pointed out at the time and ignored.

IL has said that in order for the ongoing problem of the pitch to be properly rectified, it will cost in the region of £1 million pounds and as far as I am concerned that money should be spent in May by Whelan and Wigan Council as it was they where the ones who were adament that the Stadium should be on the Robin Park complex in spite of better sites in Wigan being avaiable at the time.

As for having a Stadium of our own, that will never happen as the club does not have the money and knowing the Council, they would more than likely not grant planning permission, especially when they have 14% share in 'Whelan's Folly'.

[OJ]

Apart from the messing about of fans I can't really imagine the players are too happy either. High intensity game tonight and now a day less to prepare for their next league match against a Salford side starting to show signs of improvement. In fairness Salford are playing tomorrow so they will have even less time to recover but either way it's not long to sort themselves out when playing conditions are heavy