Hatred from Latics fans

[standishcat]

I've never wished Latics ill and was sad when they went down to League One. One of my best friends is a long time Latics fan (pre PL) and the only time we had any friction was when they were riding high in the PL, which coincided with our fall from grace in the mid 00s. We've both grown up a lot since then!

I do fundamentally believe Wigan is a rugby town and football will likely always play second fiddle. Personally think it's good for the town if both teams do well. I pay no mind to any hatred from them cos it's just not important to me.

[NICKYKISS]

I've never wished Latics ill and was sad when they went down to League One. One of my best friends is a long time Latics fan (pre PL) and the only time we had any friction was when they were riding high in the PL, which coincided with our fall from grace in the mid 00s. We've both grown up a lot since then!

I do fundamentally believe Wigan is a rugby town and football will likely always play second fiddle. Personally think it's good for the town if both teams do well. I pay no mind to any hatred from them cos it's just not important to me.

As with 99.9% of towns up and down the UK, Wigan is a football town but the majority of people support Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Everton etc. If we judge it as a rugby or football town based purely on which of Wigan rugby or Wigan Latics have the most followers, then I’d agree it’s a rugby town.

Ideally what we need is for the people of the town to get behind both clubs and get both clubs up to a hardcore home support of 12-15,000. We’ve had that quite recently and Latics had it in the prem but it won’t happen anytime soon, certainly not if this minority of Latics fans have their way by pushing the line that Lenagan tried to kill them off.

[pedro]

I've never wished Latics ill and was sad when they went down to League One. One of my best friends is a long time Latics fan (pre PL) and the only time we had any friction was when they were riding high in the PL, which coincided with our fall from grace in the mid 00s. We've both grown up a lot since then!

I do fundamentally believe Wigan is a rugby town and football will likely always play second fiddle. Personally think it's good for the town if both teams do well. I pay no mind to any hatred from them cos it's just not important to me.

As with 99.9% of towns up and down the UK, Wigan is a football town but the majority of people support Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Everton etc. If we judge it as a rugby or football town based purely on which of Wigan rugby or Wigan Latics have the most followers, then I’d agree it’s a rugby town.

Ideally what we need is for the people of the town to get behind both clubs and get both clubs up to a hardcore home support of 12-15,000. We’ve had that quite recently and Latics had it in the prem but it won’t happen anytime soon, certainly not if this minority of Latics fans have their way by pushing the line that Lenagan tried to kill them off.

I disagree, I like football and like Man U but, I am a wigan rugby fan, people can like other sports but it doesnt make them dominant

[morley pie eater]

First, I admit that when I lived in the Wigan area, Latics were in the Cheshire League.

But in response to the plea that people of the town get behind both teams, imo it won't happen. Every individual makes a choice as to how they spend their time and money. My dad's sport was cricket, but I remember seeing the cherry and white posters advertising the next Wigan game and always wanted to go.

I was finally allowed when I was 13 (Wigan 15 Featherstone 14 iirc), and have been a Wigan fan ever since.

Football/soccer bores me. When Latics got to the 1st Division/Premiership I was concerned that it may affect Wigan and wanted them to fail. In the event, I don't think it did, so I don't have any interest whether they win or lose. In much the same way that I view England at Union - don't care, find it mildly amusing when they lose. (I think the fact that I automatically wrote "they" conveys my attitude.)

If you support both Wigan and Latics, that's fine, your choice. But persuading, expecting or demanding that others should do the same is pointless. Our sporting loyalties are a complex and very personal matter.

[NICKYKISS]

I've never wished Latics ill and was sad when they went down to League One. One of my best friends is a long time Latics fan (pre PL) and the only time we had any friction was when they were riding high in the PL, which coincided with our fall from grace in the mid 00s. We've both grown up a lot since then!

I do fundamentally believe Wigan is a rugby town and football will likely always play second fiddle. Personally think it's good for the town if both teams do well. I pay no mind to any hatred from them cos it's just not important to me.

As with 99.9% of towns up and down the UK, Wigan is a football town but the majority of people support Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Everton etc. If we judge it as a rugby or football town based purely on which of Wigan rugby or Wigan Latics have the most followers, then I’d agree it’s a rugby town.

Ideally what we need is for the people of the town to get behind both clubs and get both clubs up to a hardcore home support of 12-15,000. We’ve had that quite recently and Latics had it in the prem but it won’t happen anytime soon, certainly not if this minority of Latics fans have their way by pushing the line that Lenagan tried to kill them off.

I disagree, I like football and like Man U but, I am a wigan rugby fan, people can like other sports but it doesnt make them dominant

If I look at school when I was there, my workplaces in Wigan over the years, the pubs I’ve been in on a regular basis or my circles of family and friends, it tells a different story to me. I’m more likely to find a Wigan rugby fan than a Latics fan granted but I could probably name 10 football fans for every couple of rugby league fans.

I’m Rugby league through and through and love the sport to death but I’m not convinced there are more than a couple of rugby league dominated towns in the whole country (if any tbh) and I could probably put Union in there as well.

I always say to look at towns up and down the country when England play football in a tournament and compare it to what a big rugby league or Union fixture is on and it is worlds apart.

[pedro]

Like I said fans not people who like them, moved the goalposts a bit by mentioning up and down the country as of course your right and by some distance but I mean wigan

[NICKYKISS]

Like I said fans not people who like them, moved the goalposts a bit by mentioning up and down the country as of course your right and by some distance but I mean wigan

Up and down the country including Wigan. Have you been in the town centre during an England football World Cup game? It’s manic, with pubs absolutely packed to the rafters. I doubt it’ll be like that for England vs Samoa in October, as much as I’d love for it to be.

I suppose it’s about definitions of what is a rugby town. It’s a great rugby town in the sense that rugby league thrives in this town but is non existent in some others but on any given weekend I’m absolutely convinced more of the boroughs residents go watching live football than they do Rugby league, be that at Wigan, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton or numerous semi pro clubs knocking about. If we stick to armchair fans it’s not even close but solely on people attending football matches as fans, it is still heavily in the favour of football.

That’s no slight on rugby league by the way but football is absolutely massive in each and every town in this country and ours is no different.

[pedro]

Like I said fans not people who like them, moved the goalposts a bit by mentioning up and down the country as of course your right and by some distance but I mean wigan

Up and down the country including Wigan. Have you been in the town centre during an England football World Cup game? It’s manic, with pubs absolutely packed to the rafters. I doubt it’ll be like that for England vs Samoa in October, as much as I’d love for it to be.

I suppose it’s about definitions of what is a rugby town. It’s a great rugby town in the sense that rugby league thrives in this town but is non existent in some others but on any given weekend I’m absolutely convinced more of the boroughs residents go watching live football than they do Rugby league, be that at Wigan, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton or numerous semi pro clubs knocking about. If we stick to armchair fans it’s not even close but solely on people attending football matches as fans, it is still heavily in the favour of football.

That’s no slight on rugby league by the way but football is absolutely massive in each and every town in this country.

again, England isnt Wigan, Ive been to the town for the FA cap and Challenge cup final and it was far busier for the rugby, thats all I can say

[pedro]

Like I said fans not people who like them, moved the goalposts a bit by mentioning up and down the country as of course your right and by some distance but I mean wigan

Up and down the country including Wigan. Have you been in the town centre during an England football World Cup game? It’s manic, with pubs absolutely packed to the rafters. I doubt it’ll be like that for England vs Samoa in October, as much as I’d love for it to be.

I suppose it’s about definitions of what is a rugby town. It’s a great rugby town in the sense that rugby league thrives in this town but is non existent in some others but on any given weekend I’m absolutely convinced more of the boroughs residents go watching live football than they do Rugby league, be that at Wigan, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton or numerous semi pro clubs knocking about. If we stick to armchair fans it’s not even close but solely on people attending football matches as fans, it is still heavily in the favour of football.

That’s no slight on rugby league by the way but football is absolutely massive in each and every town in this country.

again, England isnt Wigan, Ive been to the town for the FA cap and Challenge cup final and it was far busier for the rugby, thats all I can say

But a supporter is different to a fan, Ive been to watch Man U quite a bit but if I had a choice between Wigan and Man U there would be no contest, that goes for all my family also. Football although enjoyable doesnt come close, Id go as far as to say Id watch saints v wire before man u, I know for a fact that the dads at my sons rugby club are the same as ive been out with them and rugby on the tv was the priority, again your right it depends on what constitutes a rugby town

[NICKYKISS]

Like I said fans not people who like them, moved the goalposts a bit by mentioning up and down the country as of course your right and by some distance but I mean wigan

Up and down the country including Wigan. Have you been in the town centre during an England football World Cup game? It’s manic, with pubs absolutely packed to the rafters. I doubt it’ll be like that for England vs Samoa in October, as much as I’d love for it to be.

I suppose it’s about definitions of what is a rugby town. It’s a great rugby town in the sense that rugby league thrives in this town but is non existent in some others but on any given weekend I’m absolutely convinced more of the boroughs residents go watching live football than they do Rugby league, be that at Wigan, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton or numerous semi pro clubs knocking about. If we stick to armchair fans it’s not even close but solely on people attending football matches as fans, it is still heavily in the favour of football.

That’s no slight on rugby league by the way but football is absolutely massive in each and every town in this country.

again, England isnt Wigan, Ive been to the town for the FA cap and Challenge cup final and it was far busier for the rugby, thats all I can say

As I say without knowing peoples definitions of ‘what is a rugby town’ it’s tough to agree.

In my mind if a rugby town is where there is a big interest in rugby, then yeah this is a rugby town.

If you’re saying it’s a rugby town because rugby is bigger than football in the town, then it absolutely isn’t (and I’d love it to be just that) in my opinion.

Maybe it was 25+ years ago (although I was at school then and there were probably 3 or 4 rugby fans in my class compared to 20 or so football fans) but football has boomed and we’ve at best stagnated.

We’ll never be able to prove it either way but I’d love for you to be right.