According to a recent BBC article, over the last two years our chairman has had to pay Oxfords debts totalling approx. £1.2 million. Whist I don't have the evidence I would bet that the transfer fees we have received during the same period have totalled a similar figure. Is it the case that we are funding the dismal existence of Oxford at the expense of marquee signings to bolster our squad which has been decimated since the 2010 GF win? Next year our senior players are SOL, Mickey Mac and Bowen if he stays - whilst we have a good crop of youngsters, I fear that the turnover of experienced players will mean that the youngsters are going to get flogged. Also, strange that we haven't had a fans forum for a number of years? In my view, our chairman has increasingly distanced himself from our club.

I wouldn't worry. Standards in SL have fallen so much in recent years that we don't need to have a very good side to be in with a chance of silverware. In the long run, when inflation and the salary cap have forced the game back to a semi-pro basis, IL will be able to fund the squad on a shoestring budget anyway.

Been saying this for ages, leneghan basically uses the money produced from Wigan to fund oxford united.

I think people should be advised to be very careful what they write on this thread. Although I haven't seen Wigan RL's books myself, I expect they are fairly transparent to the observer. Unless there is a £1.2m sized hole in them? Let's not forget, we've paid out a number of transfer fees, have a very large squad AND we make a profit.

I don't think IL is short of a few quid either.

Why do fans think they have a valid opinion on how Lenegan spends HIS own money? Or do you truly believe that he takes money out of Wigans operating budget?

From what I have heard, WW is self sufficient and any money it does make it ploughs back into community projects.

He doesn't take money out, he just doesn't put money in.

A matter of 5 years or so ago fans of every team in Super League were constantly complaining about 'second rate' Aussies coming over here and stopping the progress of English players and coaches.

IL has delivered success (six trophies in four years) with an ever increasing number of Wigan born and bred youngsters and replacing an Aussie coach with a Wiganer. This against the backdrop of losing senior players who no longer wanted to play for the club or whose contracts finished.

We ought to be grateful that he is here and that he chose Shaun Wane, because without either of them we would be in a right mess - roughly about where we were 8 years or so ago.

As for him siphoning off Wigan RLFC money to fund Oxford Utd, that is quite ridiculous.

Why should he have to put up with such scurrilous rumours? I woudn't blame him if he decided that the Wigan people didn't deserve his time and effort, if that's the way he is to be treated.

IL said after the Tomkins departure that he has never taken a penny out of the club. Why spread baseless rumours like this?

Two points....

1. Where is this article you have seen?
2. Re the fans forum tbh after some of the ridiculous questions that were asked at previous forums i dont blame ifl for not wasting his time again

Brilliant thread.

Off the top of my head we paid a transfer fee for Gleeson, Taylor, Green, Smith, Hopkins, Bateman, Clubb & Sarginson? (not sure about this one).

IL bought Edge Hall Road, funded state of the art training facilities within that stadium. Set up the Central Park Acadamy on the old Pem High School site. I'm sure there's many more community systems he's put in place too.

Apart from all of the above, you're quite correct. He's clearly bleeding us dry.

Eric Pollard OUT!!!!!

Simple answer based on the accounts is no.

Ok but apart from the trophy successes, financial stability, the youth development and utilisation, the skillful handling of the ground share, the perception of us as a sound club rather than the salary cap busting one owned by Uncle Dave, the on field domination of Saints, the developments at Orrell and Pemberton, what exactly has he done for us?

Ian Lenagan - The best Chairman in our history??

Eric Pollard is not the Messiah. he's a very naughty boy.

Fully agree with this post.

The club has never been run better in my opinion, we're successful have a world class youth academy and the off field business is sound.