When do you think Wigan went full time?

I have the Wigan Annual 1990-91. In the profiles it lists the players professions.

Ellery Hanley - Pro Footballer
Steve Hampson - Drayman
Joe Lydon - Graphic Designer
Kevin Iro - Pro Footballer
Dean Bell - Schools RL development officer
Mark Preston - Insurance Underwriter
Bobby Goulding - Unemployed
Shaun Edwards - Pro Footballer
Andy Gregory - Scrap metal dealer
Martin Dermott - Schools RL Development Officer
Ian Lucas - Antique dealer
Dennis Betts - Student
Philip Clarke - Student
Andy Goodway - Pro Footballer

So it was sometime after 1991 Wigan became full time.

Lies lies and damned lies. Wigan went full time in 1895 and everyone knows it.

That list has nine of fourteen doing nothing but rugby league.

Skill and a brain mate

Are you implying that Phil and Denis shirked their studies?

Don't believe the hype. Wigan brought in a professional ethos long before they went professional.

And, as John Monie mentions in 'Monie's Magic', Wigan were the first club to bring in a proper gym, weights and fitness regime that kept them ahead of the competition for several years - they were too fast and powerful for everyone until teams started to catch up. First thing Monie did was refurbish the gym and kit it out properly, while everyone else was just playing at weights.

not buying that i know Cas players who suposed have jobs in them days but never sore work.

hurt did it

Skill, seriously? Can you tell me one Rugby League 'skill' that Joe Lydon had that Shenton doesn't please?

Let me clear this up, I am a Wigan lad and I went to Central Park every home game (and the 2nd team fixtures every Friday night as well) and took those long trips down to Wembley every year from '85 onwards

Maybe it's because I'm away from the RL heartlands now, but I'm a RL supporter not a Wigan supporter and I can honestly say I don't think there was anything in Joe Lydon's game that Shenton can't do

I maintain my opinion that if Shenton played instead of Lydon in the Wigan line up, he would be remembered today as highly as Lydon

As for the full time question raised in this thread... I don't care if players had professions listed, Wigan were a full time pro team in all but name from the late 80's till their spending and bad planning came back to punish them and they sold their soul to Tesco's (I still miss the old place and have a picture on my wall) – Wigan RL club should be playing in a stadium the quality of the DW stadium but it should be Wigan RL’s ground…

Anyway, a lot of ground covered there… time to turn to the small matter of England vs Australia… come on the lads

The experience should come in handy.

Yes, but the Urban myth was that Wigan (as a club) were all full time professional.

The first team to go completely full time pro was Leeds.

Andy Farrell for instance at the time of his first Wembley Final was an apprentice joiner .

Getting back to the article. Bloody good read.

I went to Wigan Tech with Andy, both of us on day release, though he's a few years younger than me. I wont put money on it but I'm sure he was only doing the course in case his 'pro' career went west.

I dont remember him working full time anyway, because he didnt know a saw from a brick

So basically the argument on this thread is that Wigan were bad for being 'professional' rugby league players.

Those damn rebels why did we not all stay amateur like the true rugby clubs, then Tuigimala would have integrated much quicker without having to get smashed by Shaun Edwards