I couldn't care less f Trafford borough was the first team that went pro! The post is the fact the final was worth a million back then and paid your players to go fully pro!!!!!

Why you so defensive over who went pro first?

Wigan only went fully pro in about 1994.
Andy Farrell was an apprentice joiner when he played in the 1993 final.

I don't care who went pro first, that's not what this thread is about is it?

I'll say it again, the point I'm making to the question of the OP is that back in the 80s the final was worth a million and Wigan used that million to pay players to be fully pro!

..... But what's that got to with this thread?

We didn't go fully pro until 1994. HTH.

Ok, I'll phrase it different as we are so keen on detail.

I seem to recall Wigan saying, the final was worth a million and it paid the players part time wages for the year. It was worth a million back in the 80s.

Jesus, I couldn't care less if you was fully pro since rugby league started. I do t see what the big deal is.

How about:

"I seem to recall Wigan saying, the final was worth a million and it paid the wages of those that were fully pro for the year."

That statement may well be true.

Your claims that that is how we went fully pro and that everyone else was 'basically amateur' is incorrect and the usual tripe we have to put up with on here. That's why people get defensive and point out the facts. The fact we only went fully pro in 1994 is rather important to the thread if you are claiming our 1980's cup wins turned us pro.

You're first post on the thread said that when we won 8 CC's in a row we were a fully pro team playing against amateurs. Everybody is saying that that wasn't the case as Leeds were also fully pro at the time. Is that clear enough?

I thought you was pro then, but in anyways if you wasn't, the point is the same, it paid your players wages for the year.

So defensive over this it's unreal.

Like I said, I don't care if you've been pro for 1 year or 100 years.

Of course the money contributed to paying players wages but the club was also successful in pulling in higher crowds which brought in revenue to pay players wages. The club also invested some of the Wembley money on the stadium maintenance and a new stand. Success breeds success. St Helens have won the cup 7 times in the SL era which will have brought in the same £1m per year or whatever the figure now is. I am sure that also contributed to paying players wages otherwise the club would not have got into financial difficulty. Despite the salary cap Saints seemed to spend the money somehow.

You might be surprised by the reaction to your post but it is because we are fed up with rival supporters making incorrect statements that Wigan were only successful because they were fully pro. It might not have been your intention to add to that annoyance. It is not that people are being defensive, just keen to keep that period of history factual.

Wembley didn't pay/fund their wages IIRC...our 14/15k average crowds and large sponsorship deals did that. Wembley paid the players BIG bonus's, seem to remember ML promising £10-15k per player for a win.

It would have been more profitable for Wigan to have reached all 8 finals and lose every one.

That is not the Wigan Way though Matty

Indeed it isn't my dear fellow.

Anyway, back on topic; you were lucky! There were 29 of us living in a rolled up newspaper in a septic tank...




(I'll get mi coat)

COAT???? LUXURY!!!