Yes they did plan to use what was the JJB stadium mainly due to the fact that Orrells own stadium was not upto scratch to cater for any decent crowds, Orrell had already sold part of the ground for housing by this point to help pay the players they had.Whelley Warrior wrote:Why then, did Whelan have plans for Orrell RU to play at the DW Stadium in the Premier League of that code?slimshady wrote:Orrell RU were bolloxed before Whelan got involved he actually bailed them out after years of mismanagement and trying to compete with the southern clubs with big money backers. They gave players cars and payed former RL players and Union players like Austin Healey large sums trying to get into the top division. When what they should have done is concentrate on what they new best, maybe then they would still own their ground instead of playing out of a pub and on St John Rigby. They were the architects of their own downfall but love to blame Whelan, Lindsey and RL in general. Yes Whelan saw an opportunity and paid every member £1000 for their share of the club, he didnt force them they took his money. The got what they deserved.Whelley Warrior wrote:
DaveO, If you think IL is no good, why is it that when he appear on the pitch for the resigning of Joel, he was met with a massive round of applause and cheering by the MAJORITY of our supporters. Were you around in the seventies when we were actually a poorly run club under people Gostellow and Baxendale and had teams full of poor players.
Every club makes mistakes, but at Wigan we make more good signings than bad and it is why our club has been and always will be the most successful club in thew history of the game. As for many players leaving each season, that is because we sign so many good youngsters, we cannot keep them all and some go to other clubs. Like Paul Cullen once said, Wigan keep the best and other Coaches pick up the scraps, the Widnes club being a current example The same happens at Leeds on the Yorkshire side where many of their cast offs end up at other clubs.
As for Orrell RU, what are you on about when everyone in Wigan knows that the demise of the club occur with Whelan and Lindsay when they pulled the financial plug on them as a result of the RFU would not allowing the club into their Premier League as they already had one representing the North West in Sale RU in Manchester. Suggest you speak to any member of that Orrell RU club before you accuse them of anything to do with its demise and loss of their ground. Dez Seabrooke in particular, if he is still around.
Finally, if you think that Wigan is so badly run under IL, I hate to think what you your opinions would be if we were a club like Wakefield, in and out of administration all the time.
No wonder good posters like Kittwazzer have thrown in the towel with some of the petty moaning that is rife on here!
He and Lindsay pulled the plug when the RFU made it clear that Orrell would never be allowed to play at the top level of the Union game representing the North West.
And before you mention about members of the Orrell club snatching the hand off Whelan with the offer of £1000 for their memberships, it may interest you to know that our own shareholders did exactly the same thing when he also offered £1000 for every £1 share with the result that he gained control of our club far too easily and with it, control of the the assets which included the balance of around 50% of the Tesco money after the debts had been paid off.
What else could DW do when the RFU said Orrell wouldnt get into the top flight, they didnt have a fan base so gate receipts were poor so he would have been pouring funds into a money pit with no chance of a return.
I know that Wigans members sold their shares but he put money into Wigan and got a return, we didnt do too bad from his input. If he hadnt got control where would Wigan be now, in my opinion we wouldnt be anywhere near the position we are now.
