www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-7601355 IL states that the club "want it to be a regular season game, rather than a Super 8s game, because it would give us more time to market the game and sell tickets". He also states that if it does go ahead, then it is almost certain to take place at Millwall. Personally, I would have thought the Hull KR fixture on Easter Monday (Latics at home) would have been the one to be moved, but Millwall are also at home that day. Looking at the fixtures, there are only four home games that don't clash with either a Millwall home fixture on the Saturday, or Sky TV coverage. The games in question are: Salford Castleford Hull (Although this would potentially clash if Millwall ended up in the playoffs) Wakefield Of those, I would imagine the Wakefield game would be the one selected - the advantage being it gives the DW pitch another fortnight post-relaying, but the disadvantage would be about 10 weeks without a home league game. Thoughts...

www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-7601355 IL states that the club "want it to be a regular season game, rather than a Super 8s game, because it would give us more time to market the game and sell tickets". He also states that if it does go ahead, then it is almost certain to take place at Millwall. Personally, I would have thought the Hull KR fixture on Easter Monday (Latics at home) would have been the one to be moved, but Millwall are also at home that day. Looking at the fixtures, there are only four home games that don't clash with either a Millwall home fixture on the Saturday, or Sky TV coverage. The games in question are: Salford Castleford Hull (Although this would potentially clash if Millwall ended up in the playoffs) Wakefield Of those, I would imagine the Wakefield game would be the one selected - the advantage being it gives the DW pitch another fortnight post-relaying, but the disadvantage would be about 10 weeks without a home league game. Thoughts...

My thoughts are that as I guess, to some extent, the target audience here (live in the southern half of England), whereas I didn't mind the trip to London to see Catalans, I can't see myself making that journey to watch Wakey. In fact, of the four sides listed above, probably only Cas would tempt me.

Presume it will all pay this season as the Season Ticket Guide for this season states " all Superleague and Super 8's games at the DW Stadium "

I wish they would sod off with all this crap. Why bequeath another home game for another nonsense trip? Are we going to do this for the next 20 years because that's how long it will take to get 500 out of towners. Not really fair on the players either. They work hard to earn their place in the league and then what is usually a 10 minute commute turns into a 5 hour one. I hope we finish out of the top 2 if we are going down this route again. We got away with the last one. Do the season ticket holders who don't want (can't afford) to go to London get a full match refund off their season ticket?

I think it'll be the Hull game, they have expressed a desire to be part of the "on the road fixture"

bloomin hope not, already put in a holiday request for the original friday night fixture let alone extra travel costs!

Doubt it. They've gone to great lengths in the T&Cs to define "The Ground" as the DW and a few other bits & pieces besides. We probably won't even qualify for the ticket exchange or reduction in the 2017 price. Although, to be fair, they did offer free travel for ST holders last time. Although for many it was just too much of a chunk out of the weekend.

(Which makes the 10% hike for west stand seats all the more galling - I do think those in the of us in the posh seats have been fleeced this time round. Better not happen next year, or I might well be off)

Surely it is up to the broadcaster to be moving heaven and earth to promote the sport elsewhere. Why do we have to be the guinea pig?

If Hull have expressed an interest then why don't they move their home game? Because it is a win, win situation for them that's why, even if they lose. Any side that get's to play us away from the DW knows they have a chance against us. Our home form last season was clearly the key to our (near) success last season. We beat Catalans because they are catastrophic away from home. We moved the Hull KR game in the cup and we got done. I have no doubt in my mind they wouldn't have had a chance at the DW.

Really riles me all this nonsense.

If our away form next year is as bad as this year's was, I suspect there will be more questions being asked than just "why Millwall again".

They hinted a while back that it would be that game. I can't remember exactly the points that were made by Lenagan but it all pointed to that game being the only real option.

I'm guessing they'll be happy to use that game for it as you'd expect a 1,000 plus to travel from Hull which will be an extra £15,000+ in gate receipts.

Looking forward to it, IL and Co should be applauded for increasing our presence

I don't think we should bleat too much about one game a year, but it'd be nice to see some of the other SL clubs following suit.

Didn't like it last year and it hasn't grown on me since then.

If it was to be the Hull FC game that would mean two long distance on the road games within a week . That would go down like a lead balloon in some quarters .

Regards , EW

Only problem with the Hull game is that it takes place the weekend after the 3rd division football fixtures are completed. As yet (and probably up until 7 May), there will be no certainty as to whether Millwall will be in the mix, and whether they will be at home on Sat 14 or Sun 15 May. That said, last seasons play-offs for that division took place on the Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, which would potentially leave Sat 13 free.

For the purposes of atmosphere, then Hull would be the logical choice out of those four. For the purposes of maintaining our proud 100% home league form, then Wakefield every time.

All opinions welcome in my book and we obviously differ on ours but i struggle to see where our presence has been increased. It was all about raising the corporate profile. It failed. We have swapped our worldwide betting sponsor of Coral to one of a no mark betting firm from the Isle Of Man. Hardly Harrods is it?

I'm inclined to agree. I usually back the club and IL with a lot of what they're trying to do at the club, but I really can't get behind this idea. It was reasonably successful last year because a decent chunk of people who attended didn't have to pay to get in, and a fair amount didn't even have to pay for travel. I said last year I was happy to eat my words and if we were awash with blue chip sponsors then the idea was completely justified. As you say, however, we've lost one of the largest high street betting companies for a much smaller one (admittedly not knowing what either has paid).

If there was the demand to get one of the big stadia in London filled, similar to what Saracens do at Wembley, then I'd be all for it. But getting half of our regular attendance at Millwall simply doesn't achieve anything IMO.

I've no idea how much money 188 Bet are putting into the club, have you? It could be a far more lucrative deal than the Coral one. Nor have I any idea how many converted fans from London are now coming up and buying corporate boxes, groups of tickets, sky sports packages, replica shirts etc, nor how many young lads from London will now start playing rugby with Wigan as the club they want to play for one day. Plus let's not forget we've only done it once so may be a bit of a grower. The attendance was pretty decent this season as well wasn't it?

Just because they're based in the IoM doesn't lessen them any. It's just a tax haven allowing companies to exploit loopholes & not pay their fair share (like McDonald's, Amazon, Starbucks etc).

How is one year of an experiment proof of failure? Whilst I strongly disagree that Millwall is the right place to do it, and I'm less than impressed that it looks like the value of season tickets and any home advantage are compromised, IL's just a businessman out to make money & the Business Club would actually appear to be working (albeit very early days) in that aspect at least. Also, if it widens the pool of talent the club has access to, that can only be a benefit as well.

I think what might have an effect on next year's trip though, is the dire performance with NZ in Stratford. That game [iwill [/ibe mentioned in the run up to ours by the London-based media and I suspect it'll be an uphill struggle to turn around everything negative that memories of that game will bring up.

Why? I thought the idea was that you'd enhance your corporate standing. Surely less competition would make more sense.

Any chance it might be the Easter Monday game with HKR as the DW is double booked on that day .

If not any word on what's happening on Easter Monday ?

Regards , EW

Emailed the club some weeks ago re Easter Monday, no reply as yet.
Interestingly news story on club website today re extending deadline for season ticket renewal has changed the wording " Warriors Season Tickets for the 2016 campaign include all of the Warriors home matches during the
regular season and Super 8s stage." the DW wording has been dropped.

Millwall are at home to Burton Albion on Easter Monday.

Bolton are not playing at home on Easter Monday, and I believe they are in need of a few quid...

Not a fan of this idea.... I may well attend, but i know that many can't, which i don't like...

If they don't attend and you don't like them then surely it's a win, win for you