I don't agree Bilko....the play off fixture was an additional ...unexpected ...unplanned fixture which NO ONE thought would occur (Wire's ineptitude under the adorable James Lowes being the bizarre catalyst behind the whole situation) would have drawn a 15,000 gate at least ....which meant unplanned and unexpected revenue for Dave Whelan...and what does he love more than money?......N'owt !

He cancelled the fixture because the ground was already in a shocking state (thanks to his unwillingness to invest in it properly...since rectified at long last).....and he was on a last warning from Premier League Chiefs who were just bursting to slap him down due to his "runaway gob" and generally inane pronouncements about all manner of things which don't concern him.

The pitch for the football was appalling and he'd been warned if there were anymore complaints from opposing Managers/Chairmen (apparently there's been plenty) then he was facing a points deduction, which could (potentially) at a stroke spell relegation for Latics and Arrividerci to the 30 million quid annual income.......In effect he was reminded that although he thinks he's "Ruthless Billy Tough Nuts" along the highways and byways of Wigan...in the company that Latics are moving in he's a `Boy Scout'l .....that's why the fixture was cancelled....the pitch was sodden...the forecast awful ....although ironically the weather leading up to the weekend wasn't nearly as bad as feared.....but all the talk of not being able to turn the ground around in time was just face saving waffle on his part, he'd been forced in to making himslef look silly..... but he wasn't going to acknowledge that in public.

It doesn't matter. If Latics fan's decided the rugby wasn't an evil in the town and came to embrace the club and the sport there will be rugby fans complaining the stadium is overrun on match days with football fans.

Both sets of supporters are now as bad as one another, trying to score points over the internet over attendances and results. Even the level headed fans of both teams still have to put in sly digs or imply negative connotations with each club.

To truly distance ourselves from the rivalry the sacrifice's that need to be made are to swallow a bit of pride and ignore the Latics/Rugby if your not a fan and forget about passing down this childish 'Never Forget' or 'This town is a Rugby League town ONLY' verbatim to our children and their children and let them decide what they want to watch and treat both sides with equal respect.

Only when that happens will there be an end to the feud.

Well said that man!
Although as previously stated the focus of negativity that is Whelan/Linday will have to depart the stage before that process can even begin

Maybe Stains will let you ground share with them.

Naaah, it's always good to put a face to a post. Especially when both face and post display equal levels of sublime idiocy.