Vikings deserve compensation, says League Express editor!!!

[josie andrews]

League Express editor Martyn Sadler has set out a means of compensating Widnes Vikings for the losses the club suffered last week after the hasty rearrangement of their fixture against Wigan Warriors last Friday night.

The game should have been played at the DW Stadium, but Wigan postponed the match more than 24 hours before it was due to take place, apparently without informing the RFL or the Vikings.

Writing in his ‘Talking Rugby League‘ column in League Express, Sadler has suggested that the Vikings should be entitled to all the income from their own ticket sales for the game against Wigan that is now scheduled for 2nd July.

In the original fixture list, the Vikings should have been hosting Wigan at the Select Security Stadium on that day and they might have expected an attendance of close to 10,000, as opposed to the figure of 6,561 they drew to last Friday’s hastily arranged game, with many fans paying as little as £10 for admission.

Normally the away club would be entitled to 25 per cent of the income from ticket sales it makes for an away match, so that a club, for example, selling 1,000 tickets at £20 each would be entitled to £5,000.

The RFL is currently investigating the postponement and may decide to take action against Wigan, if it finds that the club infringed the operational rules in relation to postponements.

Sadler has suggested what the RFL’s action should be, if it does find that Wigan deserve a sanction.

“My suggestion is that Widnes should be entitled to 100 per cent of the income from tickets they sell for the match on 2nd July, with an added premium value of £5 per ticket,” writes Sadler.

“That would have the advantage of giving Vikings supporters a massive incentive to attend that game, and the more who attend, the bigger the punishment would be, while at least partially filling the stadium.”

“And one final thought on this farce. At half-time of Wigan Athletic’s game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday the DW Stadium groundsman decided to water a pitch that has supposedly been in danger of being waterlogged less than 48 hours earlier, as you will see from the photo on this page.

“That is surely very odd!”

Martyn Sadler‘s ‘Talking Rugby League‘ column is in this week’s issue of League Express, which is currently in the shops and is online at pocketmags.com.

Comment on this and other stories on the Total Rugby League Fans Forum

http://www.totalrl.com/vikings-deserve- ... ss-editor/

[josie andrews]

Comment: Pitch switch costly, frustrating and embarrassing
by PHIL WILKINSON

It’s on, it’s off, it’s on again...

It seems it wouldn’t be February without a DW Stadium pitch problem.

To recap - 25 hours before Wigan’s home game against Widnes was due to kick-off, the club issued a statement in which Ian Lenagan said the game had been postponed until later in the season.

It was decision made after discussions with Latics chairman David Sharpe, and with their Saturday home game in mind, he said - it caught most by surprise, including Widnes officials.

Amid the backlash, it emerged the Rugby Football League was investigating whether Wigan broke operational rules by calling it off.

Then, this morning, there were rumblings the game may still go ahead. Players were told to prepare as if the game was on and, shortly before mid-day, it was confirmed the game would go ahead - but switched to Widnes’ ground.

But go further back.

In October, when the first wave of televised Super League fixtures were released, I wrote: “Warriors fans will no doubt seek assurances their televised home clash against Widnes on Friday, February 24 will not be affected by Latics’ home game against Notttingham Forest the following day. Last season, the fixture on the same weekend - against Salford - was brought forward a day to give the DW Stadium more time to recover for the Wigan Athletic match.”

No assurances were given, but the fact there wasn’t even a whisper of concern over the surface - even as late as Thursday afternoon - seemed sufficient.

And then, hours later, they called it off.

It screams of a lack of foresight. But given the problems they’ve had in the past, that’s hard to imagine.

But if that’s the case, if Wigan have been trying to sort this fixture out and failing, they should say.

If Wigan asked for the game to be moved to Sunday but were turned down by Sky, or the RFL, they should tell fans that.

If they asked Latics to put their game back 24-hours - and neither they or Nottingham Forest have midweek games - they should tell fans that.

Because right now, all we have are the words that the “inclement weather” is responsible.

The weather has been bad.

But that’s not been a surprise - that’s been February.

It’s usually bad!

It’s why there was a similar drama last year. Indeed, a quick Google search of ‘February’ and ‘DW Stadium pitch’ reveals frequent problems at this time of year.

But this has arguably been the most dramatic incident, and the timing couldn’t have been much worse, just days after Wigan were crowned World Club champions for the first time in 23 years.

The cost to Wigan of hastily switching this game, Lenagan admits, has been “significant”; the cost from a reputation point of view is impossible to gauge.

Some will shrug it off. They’re used to it now.

Others will repeat their call for Warriors to find their own ground, to avoid any future problems, although such a dream seems wishful - Lenagan has previously stated he is happy to ground-share at the DW Stadium, even with the problems that brings.

With ground-sharing, most reasonable fans accept they can’t have everything their own way, especially with Cup and play-off fixtures which are hard to predict - and we can only hope the broadcasters, who funnel millions into the sport, are understanding.

Hull and Huddersfield face similar problems, though I can’t recall any late, dramatic switches like this.

Everyone with the most basic understanding of sport recognises football needs to be played on a better surface than rugby.

But this last-minute switch has not only proved costly, it has been hugely embarrassing.

And it has played into the hands of those fans who like to perpetrate a rivalry between two clubs playing entirely different sport.

Some frank answers would be appreciated. But not nearly enough as some assurances this won’t happen again.

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/opinion/ ... -1-8409056

[AdamMac]

A complete and utter farce. I hope, that once the RFL run the rule over us IL provides us with a thorough account of what happened.

I can't for the life of me understand why a conversation with widnes didn't take place before announcing the postponement.

[joeb]

So why did the rfl not act on fixture clash when the warriors informed them that there was 3 clashes I headed a whisper that Mr lenegan wanted to bring it to a head as he informed rfl twice about fixture clash one being before our fixtures was released and again when they was published

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

Both parties reached an agreement re compensation prior to the match being switched so what is Sadler's issue? The main beef should be the compensation of fans!

[Wandering Warrior]

Sandler should get back to what he's good at, spouting BS. Oops sorry he is, misread it.

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

Both parties reached an agreement re compensation prior to the match being switched so what is Sadler's issue? The main beef should be the compensation of fans!

I'm led to believe some fans have been contacted by the club re the Widnes fiasco.(not myself)

Regards , EW

[josie andrews]

Both parties reached an agreement re compensation prior to the match being switched so what is Sadler's issue? The main beef should be the compensation of fans!

I'm led to believe some fans have been contacted by the club re the Widnes fiasco.(not myself)

Regards , EW

I haven't either, though I've not had as far to travel as yourself & others

[markill]

Moving on from the farcical situation itself as that's been covered, Widnes were compensated by Wigan, I assume fairly significantly based on the comments from both clubs.

In addition to that, they got a bigger crowd of on-the-day paying supports than the same fixture last year, which was also £10 entry AND Wigan would keep 25% of any pre-sold tickets for a normal away fixture, but there were no pre-sold tickets by Wigan for this game so Widnes kept 100% of away ticket sales takings. The Widnes club have made out well financially from this I suspect, the Wigan club very much not so (and deservedly that is the case).

I do agree that some concession to the Widnes fans for the reverse fixture is reasonable. Discounted tickets or free travel/parking maybe. The Widnes club have already been compensated though.

[Nezza Faz]

Moving on from the farcical situation itself as that's been covered, Widnes were compensated by Wigan, I assume fairly significantly based on the comments from both clubs.

In addition to that, they got a bigger crowd of on-the-day paying supports than the same fixture last year, which was also £10 entry AND Wigan would keep 25% of any pre-sold tickets for a normal away fixture, but there were no pre-sold tickets by Wigan for this game so Widnes kept 100% of away ticket sales takings. The Widnes club have made out well financially from this I suspect, the Wigan club very much not so (and deservedly that is the case).

I do agree that some concession to the Widnes fans for the reverse fixture is reasonable. Discounted tickets or free travel/parking maybe. The Widnes club have already been compensated though.

Heard there's loads of Widnes fans contacting the DW as Season Ticket holders, who were unable to go to the game ! Been told by the Widnes club they should speak with Wigan for compensation.