Thanks for the update Bilko - that much certainly makes sense. I was thinking more of the incredibly wealth of past team news and match reports etc., which I think a lot of people would still get much value from, and which would of course never get out of date, because they are already in the past!

Many apologies if you took my comments the wrong way, as some seem to think I was being obnoxious and idiotic. I really didn't mean to come across that way, and if I did to you, then I am very sorry about that. I was intending to be tongue in cheek, and indeed even included the obligatory smiley

What I was leading towards was that if it was hosting for the site you were looking for, then I may be able to help out, but it sounds more like it's impetus for the updates, and at the moment the technical equipment for the updates that's causing you issues, not the actual hosting itself.

I'll leave it there before anybody else gets offended on your behalf!

It's my laptop that went away 16 days ago (under guarantee) for repair and I'm awaiting its return still.

Yes but I doubt subscription is technically possible. I'm clueless on technology.

I usually access your tv listings page via the tv link on the top menu.

it doesn't go to the holding page.

Glad i found this thread i was wondering why it hadn't been updated.

hope you carry on with your listings page at the very least.

If not, cheers for you hard work over the years

The club should employ Bilko part time. What he has done for us, all the fans, for free, is as good as what any player has ever done. I've spent hours on that site over the past few years and that's why i donated quite generously to him 12 months or so ago.

A United fan did the equivalent of the Cherry and White site and i've noticed that now you actually access his site via the official club website and they have now named it the Official Statistics site.

If club officials read this I hope they can act on it and keep the site alive as its all for Wigan Rugby League.

+1

+2

I have questioned for a long time why Bilko updates the site for no payment. If it's a hobby then fair enough, but it's a blinking time consuming hobby.

If I were Wigan RL I would be offering some kind of financial reward to make it worth his while.

That's not sentimental judgment, that is common sense.

Doesn't C&W get backing from RLFANS? It's ultimately bringing visitors to the forums and therefore advertising revenue.

+3

Backing for Bilko banner at the Saints match.

Why would Wigan pay someone to be an official historian when Bilko does it off his own back for free? No offence meant at all to Bilko - I know the lad and he is thoroughly decent.

Look, it's one thing doing this kind of thing as a hobby when you're young and with no commitments, but when you get a bit older, earning some coin sort of takes priority, and no matter how much you love doing what you're doing, you can't carry on if you can't find the time to commit or the money to replace ageing equipment.

Personally, I don't blame Bilko for taking the site down.

I mean, why should the club get the benefit of his hard work when he doesn't get anything? Hopefully the site - and Bilko himself - being unavailable will make the club think hard about whether they want an official PAID historian (and they bloody should!) and if they do, would they want someone with Bilko's commitment, knowledge and back catalogue, or do they want to start from scratch with - I bet - someone less committed than he is.

Mr Lenegan - I know you're a businessman and every penny counts. We all know you can't fritter money away - but surely this is a great INVESTMENT for the club given we have the richest history of ANY rugby league club in the world?

+1

Great work Mr Bilko, agree with Mr Robinson; you deserve formal recognition for your outstanding effort and support. I'm sure a retainer would be straight-forward enough for the club.

Mr Lenegan, the site C&W site is a superb repository for all things Wigan RL; I'm sure the cost of 'buying' this data and Bilko's ongoing administration would be a damned sight cheaper than developing it from scratch and administering it thereafter. Time to recognise the good within the community.

The name of the topic needs changing - Bilko deserves recognition!

I agree with a lot of that. The least the club could do would be to purchase the existing site and then employ someone to update and maintain it (assuming Bilko didn't want to carry it on for much longer).

Having looked at a lot of rival SL unofficial sites, C&W is lightyears ahead of the rest (in true 'Wigan Way' style ), would be a shame to lose it.