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!!!