He's certainly had a lot of private meets with DW of late...

Something seems to be going on.
Time will tell.

Which means he can't buy the Latics until he gives up his holding in Oxford.

If it did happen Wigan RL owning their own ground could lead to the biggest instance of mass suicide ever seen.

To his son?

Is it not now his son who is the director at Oxford? If not he could probably just give it to him and he buy latics himself.

Or maybe he could just put it in his dogs name? A la Harry Redknapp?

Likely to be a problem as well, especially so as it will still be IL money.

Interesting. If I was a Wigan fan I'd rather ownership was kept separate. No real facts to back that up, just a gut feel around independence and financial risk.

Whatever happens, here's hoping its to the RL club's benefit.

They would be two separate "holding" companies, maybe even three.

I appreciate that, but you'd have one bloke funding both clubs regardless of the legal entity status and funding requirements within a Group can impact on distinct limited companies very easily indeed - especially when they share the use of a substantial asset.

If IL bought latics and ran it like the Rugby theyd get relegated again and again it doesnt seem viable to run a football team as a profitable business anymore so i doubt he willtake them on. time will tell.

IL may buy the Latics but would Whelan sell the ground?
He could decide that Whelco will retain ownership of the stadium and ownership of the clubs is entirely separate.

It is definately possible, you just require a top manager. And not to be in the prem. You can easily, easily build a profitable team and club in the championship.

Not on the crowds Latics would pull in the Championship you can't. IMO of course.

I'd love to know how many Championship clubs are "easily, easily" profitable.

IL owning Latics would be a good result for them, the RL club and the town.

I imagine IL would want the stadium (which wouldn't be worth much in isolation anyway).

IL would undoubtedly run the football club on a sustainable basis. Some Latics fans might be disappointed at that outcome, but the reality is that a Whelan-esque UK sugar daddy is unlikely to want Latics, and overseas investors are even less likely to want to buy what is a relatively small football club. At least with IL in charge any relegation scenario would be managed so that the club didn't plunge down the leagues into total obscurity.

As for the rugby club, it would be great to have a proper ground share where equal priority is given to the clubs (although I don't particularly like Latics I would have no desire for revenge, and I don't expect IL would be anything other than scrupulously fair). There's no reason in reality why either club should be disadvantaged at all by groundsharing, fixture lists can be managed to avoid any problems.

No doubt some desperate Saints fans would still attempt to crow about having their small ground all to themselves. Inside though they would be seething with rage and envy at our high quality, 25k stadium.

I agree its possible but its not easy. The guy in your avatar pic is doing it but he has worked a miracle and there isnt many guys like him around.

They'd be wrong then - rlhttp://www.wix.com/mckiernanj/town-sponsorship#!our-historyrl 5.12890625:5