So the Latics own the DW but would still be paying themselves rent?

It would be very risky of them to call our bluff by trying to up the rent if they go down. If we say feck off they would be struggling for the rent even more.

Correct me if im wrong, but as far as im aware they currently pay half the running costs



Thats one way to look at it, the only place we could go is to the reebok stadium, that wouldnt go down well id expect

On the flip side though If they did drop like a stone, what is to stop IL going to buy the DW outright? This would add a huge amount of corporate and matchday revenue that currently goes to Welco (Whelan)

I think they would offer us the chance to buy it before they up the rent to a stupid amount. I suppose it all depends on the terms of our lease as to what they can do with how much we pay anyway. The more desperate they get the more chance we have of getting control of the stadium i suppose but things could get very messy in between and do we really want that just to see some football team suffer that most of us dont really care about?

On reflection it would probably be easier for us to keep things as they are as we are thriving and we dont need the hassle.

No I don't watch latics. Reason is, I find SOCCER pedestrian and boring, and at top level at least, played by overpaid foreigners who aren't there for the love of the game, just the money.

Yeh exactly, thats what i was basically trying to say in my first post. Seeing them drop like a stone is probably not good for Wigan RL. Whelan could bankroll them of course, but Whelan isnt going to be around forever

Them dropping could be good if Whelen pulled out because they would be bust then but we dont need to take the risk on the chance it might not turn out how we want. Weve got a good thing going on and off the field at the moment so we are best off keeping things exactly as they are for now.

If we get the 20k average IL wants it might be worth hoping for them to go down and fall apart but until then we are better off as we are imo.

How about the football go down, RL have an agreement with regards to rent and limits (e.g. can't be more than the football's contribution). The owners of the ground cannot keep up repayments on loans for the ground if they were transferred with the ground. Owners go bankrupt and have to sell the assets.

How about the latics go down, then down again and again and again disappear out of mind and die a death and let real football teams take their place, like QPR and Notts Forest

Quite likely, although probably best discussed when they are actually struggling in the championship

Still think they might end up a mid-table Championship side, a bit like Preston north end

Sounds good to me but i doubt it will be that simple. It will get messy and we might end up worse off. Unless Latics going bust will 100% certain make things better for us I would rather things stay as they are.

When I saw the Latics result this afty I got a picture in my head of an auctioneer saying "Going, going ..."

I think we know the missing word.

I still think they will stay up.

So do I, been saying it for a while, Blackpool, Wolves and Blackburn for me.

Since when are running costs rent? Do you call your utility bills and council tax, rent?

Where did you get your info from on who pays what proportion of the running costs of the DW?



Maybe a lack of £20m-£30m might be a bit of a problem for Lenegan, that's if the Latics wanted to sell in the first place - why they would is anyone's guess, especially as it's a relatively new ground and the maintenance will be relatively low still.