My experience of ‘Nicko’ (not WAFC related) is that he knows very little on topics he claims to be ‘ITK’ on.
I wouldn’t trust the bloke to warm my tea up. Mind you, he wouldn’t have time to do that. He’s usually too busy blocking folk on Twitter isn’t he?

Pretty much my experiences also. Absolute joke of a journo.

The Challenge Cup Semi Finals were never minor events when they were held on a regular basis at Central Park and Headingley because you got the many supporters of the two best supported clubs going to the games even when their own clubs were not involved,

All went downhill when they started to take the Semi Finals to the bigger football ground in the belief that they would get bigger crowds,

From 1970 when I started to support the club, I like many other Wigan supporters never missed a Semi Final at Central Park, irrespective of what clubs were involved as they always had a great atmosphere.

And it was the same at Headingley on the many occasions I went there to watch Wigan play in a Semi Final or even a Final.

Moving to football grounds has nothing to do with it.

Wigan failed to sell an allocation at Widnes against Warrington.

No argument with this, except to say that it's irrelevant. You refer to another era and another culture.

For whatever reason, and there are probably lots, those days have long gone.

Agree but you can't compare that era with today. The Challenge Cup has become an "add on" We've gone to having double/triple header semi finals because we struggle to get figure crowds to cup games. Even the Challenge Cup Final can't get much more than 60K if that.

Fans don't want to pay for play off games either, the whole fan culture needs changing.

You can't stop the changing attitudes of people - whether good, or bad.

I'm sure you'll (rightly) say that if fan culture doesn't change, the future of the game is in jeopardy. People aren't going to change however, so the game needs to find different ways to fill the gaps left by the decline of the cup.

I'd argue that in many ways it's tried to do that. Events like the Magic Weekend, when done right, are an example of new ways of thinking.

Make people want to go, don't just expect them to attend.

I'm a firm believer in atmosphere and making something exclusive, or must see. I'd rather see Wigan Vs Saints CC semi final at Warrington with a capacity of 15k & an intense atmosphere, than have it at a 50k stadium with no atmosphere. I get there's money to be made, but still think it doesn't help long term.

Same goes for SL. I'd rather have 10 teams, who can produce games like the recent Wigan Vs Saints matches than 12 or 14 teams with a poor standard and poor crowds.

The constant changing of the format hasn't helped with fans. I know plenty of fans who have started to pick and choose because games don't have the same intensity etc.

As for playoffs and cup games, fans just don't pay anymore. There is a small group though that won't pay for a semi final but will demand the best access to final tickets and will complain when ticket prices go up.

The 2nd Salford semi in 2019 was a prime example. Had we won that there would have been more people in the queue come 9am the following morning than there were on the ground.

I'll fully admit that I'm one of those fans. Some games just don't appeal to me and I'd rather meet some mates, who don't follow rugby, for a few pints in town.

ATEOTD going to a match is supposed to be enjoyable. Going to watch Wigan Vs Hudds with 12k on, with no away support and little merit/need to win doesn't appeal to me as much as meeting friends.

One of the problems, I think, is that we are still haunted by what was basically a halcyon age.

The Gang of Four gambled on bringing the crowds back to Wigan by bringing in a galaxy of stars. The timing couldn't have been better because the huge crowds that had watched Boston, Ashton etc were still around, albeit still raw from the dog days of the 1970s when we put out poor teams and won very little. But they flocked back when the likes of Hanley and Edwards were wearing Cherry and White. Suddenly, Wigan was the centre of the RL universe again. We even beat the Aussies champions on their own pad. For a short time, the best players on Earth were coming to the UK. Not just to Wigan. The likes of Davies, Offiah etc going to our rivals, that overrated but very expensive Kiwi fullback to Leeds, etc. After years in the international doldrums, we were almost on a par with the Aussies again.

Ultimately, though, we paid the price. There were lots of reasons why we lost Central Park and fell into Whelan's grasp, but one of them was our overspending in previous seasons. Another price we had to pay was that it set a bar that was almost artificially high. Those fans who were there still remember that era and have had to judge everything that's come afterwards and found it wanting. I know a whole bunch of guys who used to stand with me at Central Park, who will not go any more because they consider that we offer substandard entertainment by comparison. IL is a very sensible administrator who cuts his cloth accordingly, keeps us afloat in dark times and continues to deliver silverware. He's the best chairman we've had during my lifetime. But for all these reasons, it's a safe bet that he will never go on the kind of mega spending splurges that Mo did ... and that will be enough to keep some people away. They're impressed by stars not value for money.

The end of Wigan's dominance also coincided with the arrival of lots of other attractions ... multiple entertainment platforms, DVDs, the internet etc. It's surely no surprise that other upsurges of enthusiasm, the likes of Bullmania at Bradford, turned out to be brief. I'm sure a lot of this lies at the root of British RL's many problems. There are just too many other things to distract the fans. To counter that you need a competition like the NRL, packed with big names and high-octane action. In that regard, the RFL's imposition of a strict salary cap could not have come at a worse time, but in an age when half the so-called elite-status clubs still can't even pay that much, what realistic alternative is there? I think now more than ever before, it is dawning on people just how skint British RL really is.

But all this is history now. When Covid is finally over, I fear we're going to have far more complex problems than trying to work out why people don't turn up for Cup semis anymore.

I dunno, werent out attendances a few years ago bigger than at CP? I still think a lot of it is price, if your not a season ticket holder and have a family of 4 it is nearly 100 pound just for enterance, thats a lot if you consider maybe you get a drink and a snakc for the kids while your in there, factor in if its on TV and I dont think it helps, TV is now the norm but back then it was in its infancy the weekly game on TV.

I though this site was about Latics in administration and not about Wigan Rugby passed and present.
Any update what is going on with the Latics.

Quote ="Ashton Bears"I though this site was about Latics in administration and not about Wigan Rugby passed and present. Any update what is going on with the Latics.'" Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 Quote Wigan Athletic's administrators say there are ELEVEN parties still active in the race to buy the club, with SEVEN at an advanced stage. By Paul Kendrick More than 30 groups have come forward since the Spanish bidders dropped out at the beginning of last week. And of the 11 parties in the leading group: * Two have provided verifiable or certified proof of funds but not yet made an offer; * Two have provided offers that are acceptable subject to providing verifiable proof of funds and full details of proposed owners and directors; * Three have advised that proof of funds will be provided in the next few days. "We are in discussions with these parties and they are performing due diligence which involves reviewing documentation within the data room and making further enquiries to the administrators," read a statement. "Exclusivity has not been granted to any party and we have updated the EFL on the current position." The administrators also say they are 'in regular dialogue with Leam Richardson and Gregor Rioch in relation to the playing squad'. And they are 'in the process of issuing our statutory progress report to creditors for the six-month period to 31 December 2020. This will be made available to creditors and also filed at Companies House." '"

Quote ="Ashton Bears"I though this site was about Latics in administration and not about Wigan Rugby passed and present. Any update what is going on with the Latics.'" Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 Quote Wigan Athletic's administrators say there are ELEVEN parties still active in the race to buy the club, with SEVEN at an advanced stage. By Paul Kendrick More than 30 groups have come forward since the Spanish bidders dropped out at the beginning of last week. And of the 11 parties in the leading group: * Two have provided verifiable or certified proof of funds but not yet made an offer; * Two have provided offers that are acceptable subject to providing verifiable proof of funds and full details of proposed owners and directors; * Three have advised that proof of funds will be provided in the next few days. "We are in discussions with these parties and they are performing due diligence which involves reviewing documentation within the data room and making further enquiries to the administrators," read a statement. "Exclusivity has not been granted to any party and we have updated the EFL on the current position." The administrators also say they are 'in regular dialogue with Leam Richardson and Gregor Rioch in relation to the playing squad'. And they are 'in the process of issuing our statutory progress report to creditors for the six-month period to 31 December 2020. This will be made available to creditors and also filed at Companies House." '"

Quote ="MattyB"Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 '" Let's just say there's no more than half truths in any of that statement

Quote ="MattyB"Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 '" Let's just say there's no more than half truths in any of that statement

That much?

That'd be an improvement on previous statements by the admin jokers.

Well it was clear as mud.

11 parties in the leading group.

2+2+3 =?

#



A very good assessment of the period in question, but times have changed as many people now are now more interested in things other than just going to game like they used to be in the past.

Sky Sports has created a catch 22 situation as on one hand they give the game money in the form of a financial contract, but on the other hand, many supporters have stopped going to games and now drink at home and watch the games on television which has also not helped the pubs and clubs.

Its not the Latic's that majority of Warriors supporters are interested in, but the future and ownership of the Stadium.

Quote ="MattyB"Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 '" And of the 11 parties in the leading group: * Two have the money but are not interested in purchasing a loss-making money pit. * Two have offered some money for a loss-making money pit, but haven't actually got any money. * Three are timewasting Walter Mittys who have neither made an offer, nor have a pot to p**s in.

Quote ="MattyB"Latest as at yesterday afternoon: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/footba ... en-3102508 '" And of the 11 parties in the leading group: * Two have the money but are not interested in purchasing a loss-making money pit. * Two have offered some money for a loss-making money pit, but haven't actually got any money. * Three are timewasting Walter Mittys who have neither made an offer, nor have a pot to p**s in.

Or, it could be rubbish

They’ve more ‘interested’ parties than players.

Realistically how long does this go on for? I’m sure there was an end date last year that came and went. They’ve been stitched up with this administrators

Until they run out of money I guess.

One of my mates said that there is a rule that you can't start two consecutive seasons in administration so they have until August or they done

It is certainly dragging on far longer,I would think,than most clubs in this plight and to be fair they’re no nearer to finding a buyer at seems than at the start,at some point t it has to end surely it can’t keep bumping along like this?

It's probably one of the shortest in all honesty. Portsmouth did 14 months. Bolton were about a year I think.

At what point do the fees owed to the administrators become greater than the value to any potential investor and what happens then? Is that where everything gets sold for a quid. Also do administrators get paid before creditors? If so when does their own self serving become a conflict of interest?