Quote Jukesays="Jukesays"Exactly what I said a week or so ago on a previous Thread
And I will say it again - The town of "Wigan" will get what it deserves - Because if "We" back our club then I believe more often that not we will come out near the top due to the other advantages the club has (Youth, History etc.)
But if the people of Wigan don't back the club and use whatever excuses they want to use then at some point the club will have to respond to that and cut it's cloth accordingly.
Last year they talked about reducing costs, it doesn't appear to be on the playing front so maybe we've cut costs on Backroom staff, youth development, promotions/marketing, who knows?
At some point any of the cost reductions will have an effect on the club one way or another and I can hear all the voices of discontent when we aren't signing the best youngsters, aren't as fit as other teams etc. etc. and who they will blame for that, and it won't be themselves.
Now I will make it crystal clear again, I'm not criticising individuals for their own decisions and circumstances that dictate when they can or can't go or when they choose to go or not.
What I am saying is that those people don't need to criticise the club, the players, the game itself or anything to justify that stance
The people who can go don't need to constantly scream for perfection and the slightest thing that doesn't go our way criticise the club, the players, the game or each other.
I do believe there are things the club could do better, but when we invested in infrastructure i.e. youth marketing etc. individuals wanted star names - They get star names at the expense of other things and nothing changes.
The club has to continue - and if peoples answer to things is lets get a Sugar Daddy who will cover all the costs so we can sit at home, not support the club and it doesn't matter as Sugar daddy will fill all the gaps then I disagree vehemently.
The club has to be financially viable otherwise at some point it will bite us on the arris. (Whilst some will say lets just go get another sugar daddy).'"
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Very difficult to argue with any of that.
If I'm honest I will be surprised if we have maintained ST levels per 2019 as although we finished quite strongly the early part of the year was pretty disastrous even allowing for the level of injuries and more people are dissatisfied with the quality of the game and the lack of atmosphere at any game at the DW.
Ive been a ST for years but even I have thought about "not bothering" and in 2016 & 2017 I actually gave my ST away part way through both seasons as the quality of the game week in week out was in my view downright abysmal.
The club and the game have got to come up with some new initiatives and maybe resurrect some old ones otherwise as you suggest the game will not survive in its present state.
For me we have to concentrate on new younger fans and making it easier for "roll up fans" to pay on the night.
The free ST for kids under 8 is a great start but we need other sustained targeted marketing on U18 fans e.g. SBW and the Toronto game. For me there should major marketing of this game with incentives for kids/families. We should have been saturating local schools on this forthcoming match to encourage kids to come and see SBW as soon as we knew he had signed for Toronto. The club's & the games lack of marketing is palpable at all times.
I'm obviously not a marketing guy but I'm a guy who knows that the club and the game in general is in severe need of re-branding. Personally I hate the "Warriors" and would abandon it however, if that is the way forward let's do properly or not at all. Very left field should we become Warriors and drop Wigan??
I buy a season ticket partly out of habit, partly because I can afford it and if I'm honest if I had pay on the night or buy a ticket in advance I know that I just wouldn't do it. To go to the North Stand queue up for ages to then walk back to the South stand just doesnt work for me. We need more pay by cash turnstiles and contactless payment turnstiles. We have got to make it easier for fans to have quick and easy access to the stadium.
The game has become too slow and too predictable. Time wasting still continues and I could scream at the number of interchanges that just breeds not very athletic athletes and lazy coaching. The lack of intensity for me is palpable in every game including games against Saints.
The 7th tackle against the attacking team when kicking into dead is a start to reducing the number of lazy, robotic last tackle options however, why don't we give the defending side unlimited tackles after such kicks which I'm sure would reduce such last tackle options. As a sport historically we have been brave with new rules/changes and we need more if we are to re-invigorate the game in becoming more of a spectacle.
Better people than me will have better ideas however, we seem to be sleep walking into oblivion and unless the current malaise is addressed then like you I don't really see much of a future other than a slow painful death.
