Ian Lenagan maps out Wigan Warriors’ future ownership landscape after admission
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:16 am
Lenagan has controlled the club for well over a decade.
Wigan Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan insists he has no immediate plans to relinquish control of the club but admits he is plotting for the future. Wigan-born billionaire businessman and data king Mike Danson bought a 25% stake in the Super League club in 2020 and has been linked with a full takeover at some point.
Lenagan says the club’s future direction will be party driven by the strength of his sons Simon and Adrian’s desire to drive the Warriors forward in the years to come. Lenagan, speaking at Wigan’s pre-season media day, told Rugby League Live: “Mike Danson owns 25% of Wigan Warriors and I’m delighted because I have single-handedly carried the club for the majority of my stewardship.
It’s nice to have somebody else putting a quarter of the money in and that will continue, without any doubt. The future direction of the club depends on whether or not my sons actively take Wigan further forward or whether Mike wants to do that. I have to make plans for both scenarios because I’m 76 now and am not going to carry on forever.
"Somebody is going to take over at some point in time and it will either be my family or it will be Mike. Whether or not Mike continues with a minority stake – 25% or something different – is up to him in the end. It’s just about how you share the funding that needs to go into the club.”
Lenagan pointed to other clubs with wealthy benefactors in Super League such as Hull Kington Rovers supremo Neil Hudgell. Hudgell remains at the club as majority shareholder and owner, but the Robins have recently added Ian Richardson and Andy Steele to their board of directors.
Lenagan reasoned: “It’s significant that Hull KR have done that now with two more directors because Neil wants to spread the load and who doesn’t want to spread the load? Ken Davy at Huddersfield Giants has put £20million into his club and David Hughes likewise at London Broncos – I ran London Broncos for three years so I know. It’s a drain financially, but you have to have plans and I’ve got a number of alternative plans.”
Lenagan, when asked if he was likely to relinquish control of Wigan any time soon, added: “I’ve been asked that question for probably 10 years now. I’m delighted to have Mike involved and he’s in the software business as well. You can never say what will happen, but I have no intention of relinquishing control in the immediate future. Ultimately, however, I will have to relinquish control, either to my sons – who are both very keen Wigan fans – or to somebody else.”
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email
Wigan Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan insists he has no immediate plans to relinquish control of the club but admits he is plotting for the future. Wigan-born billionaire businessman and data king Mike Danson bought a 25% stake in the Super League club in 2020 and has been linked with a full takeover at some point.
Lenagan says the club’s future direction will be party driven by the strength of his sons Simon and Adrian’s desire to drive the Warriors forward in the years to come. Lenagan, speaking at Wigan’s pre-season media day, told Rugby League Live: “Mike Danson owns 25% of Wigan Warriors and I’m delighted because I have single-handedly carried the club for the majority of my stewardship.
It’s nice to have somebody else putting a quarter of the money in and that will continue, without any doubt. The future direction of the club depends on whether or not my sons actively take Wigan further forward or whether Mike wants to do that. I have to make plans for both scenarios because I’m 76 now and am not going to carry on forever.
"Somebody is going to take over at some point in time and it will either be my family or it will be Mike. Whether or not Mike continues with a minority stake – 25% or something different – is up to him in the end. It’s just about how you share the funding that needs to go into the club.”
Lenagan pointed to other clubs with wealthy benefactors in Super League such as Hull Kington Rovers supremo Neil Hudgell. Hudgell remains at the club as majority shareholder and owner, but the Robins have recently added Ian Richardson and Andy Steele to their board of directors.
Lenagan reasoned: “It’s significant that Hull KR have done that now with two more directors because Neil wants to spread the load and who doesn’t want to spread the load? Ken Davy at Huddersfield Giants has put £20million into his club and David Hughes likewise at London Broncos – I ran London Broncos for three years so I know. It’s a drain financially, but you have to have plans and I’ve got a number of alternative plans.”
Lenagan, when asked if he was likely to relinquish control of Wigan any time soon, added: “I’ve been asked that question for probably 10 years now. I’m delighted to have Mike involved and he’s in the software business as well. You can never say what will happen, but I have no intention of relinquishing control in the immediate future. Ultimately, however, I will have to relinquish control, either to my sons – who are both very keen Wigan fans – or to somebody else.”
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email
