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I don’t mean the players or the Manger here, I mean the fans…..
I am not daft enough to think the performances are not top of the list, followed by winning. But is going to the game not bigger than that?
A big part of it for me is meeting up with friends, spending time with family and the banter football creates. There are plenty of football clubs in this country that aren’t winning every week, don’t win any silverware and might not even have great team, but their fans still turn up (and grow).
What are your reasons for coming to the game, and what more do you want the club to do (obviously not team related) so you can enjoy the experience more (no matter the result or performance) .
Please don’t hold back, I see clubs up an down the country that have their fans turn up to the ground well before 1.00 pm, putting money into the Club’s coffers rather than Spoons.
Is it price of food/drink/hospitality, quality of food/drink/service, lack of things to do (fan zone/family zone/entertainment)… or has the club got it right and we have to live with the fact people are only going to turn up at 2.15-2.55 pm and go straight into the ground?
FA Cup Winners 2013, sounds good that
Your 3rd paragraph rings true for me. The dynamics of going have changed for me as ive matured(OK got older). My grown up children came for a while but football wasn’t really for them,but my 2 granddaughters 8 years and 16 go.The younger one goes when possible (when it’s not her dad’s weekend) but the elder absolutely loves it. Ive got 3 season tickets and 3 future fund memberships.We do as many away games as possible. Why does she love it.???..Id guess its what you say ,the banter ,colour ,noise ,food and no small part …the match. ….to be fair I would have to ask her !!!….If we eat we generally do Macdonalds,KFC,Subway even Nandos before. The food in the ground (If available) is atrocious and staggeringly overpriced. The queues a waste of my time.Dry bun,no dressing and a limp hot dog a fiver is it ? Bought a pie once in East stand this season…..binned it,luke warm and base burnt to a cinder. Went in Whelans against Barnsley……1 pint of insipid beer and half of fruit lager £10.60 !!!…again a 20 min queue. The whole matchday experience needs a complete overhaul. I was near the ground yesterday, lunchtime……the outside looks fine…..when you look through the corner at the seats it resembles a scene from a walking dead episode……..a stadium that hasn’t been maintained in years….it’s the seats!!!….Uninviting, tired,washed out..the concourse has the same feel…and that’s how the whole club feels at present. If it was just to win things then I wouldn’t have supported us since 1973……it’s way,way more than that to me. I sometimes think that maybe ive invested too much time,money and more than those both combined….emotion in our club. You know though I wouldn’t change any of it…….Ive had some unbelievable happy times …..the odd bad ones as well…….so I just want this club to somehow get back to being a club the next generations will continue to support……..but those at the top need to invest in it’s infrastructure or there will be less and less of us in years to come.
Generally I would echo most of those comments; but would like to add the following.
I have followed the Latics since 1968 and always been proud of our teams “punching above their weight” and being capable of claiming “big scalps”. To me, that was one special ingredient that made us an exciting team to follow; through the highs and lows of all the divisions. I’m afraid the charismatic Latics are no longer and it makes the annual decision whether to renew your season ticket harder and harder.
The whole experience of going to a home game, is poor for me. We actually try and get there as late as we can so as to not be sat out in the cold.
Its rare we buy stuff on the concourse, but last home game I bought that chicken with rice thing they did. I quite enjoyed it, but wouldn’t pay £7.50 for it again. Food and drink is badly overpriced in the stadium and I’ve noticed you dont see people queuing up to buy like they used to.
The lack of a matchday programme has taken something away for me. I know we had a load of unsold programmes, Ive seen them in the storage room, but I think they should have still done a programme but a much smaller print. The Heritage programme isn’t bad. I dont seem to find out as much about things like the community trust anf other tings thats going on. Likewise, you dont get the opportunity to advertise birthdays and things like that. Its a big link with the club that’s been severed. I used to like scouring the away teams squad to see who they have, things like that.
The ticketing system is still a mess. Because 3 of us are one code, where my dad is the name on it, he is an over 65 and its causing problems when my 19 and 17 year olds want to buy tickets. I have mine on a separate client code. Its just a system that is full of bugs and issues.
Ultimately, Jason, the quality on the pitch HAS to improve. Wiganers won’t watch a boring, crap team playing dull as dishwater. Even season ticket holders are staying away and dropping off. Honestly, we could have Oasis on pre match and Margot Robbie walking around handing kisses out, and I don’t think it would make much different. One of the most fickle fanbases has pretty much had enough. Its going to take big changes to turn this around, I’m afraid. Winning football, would be a start. Excitement. Edge of seat stuff.
Same sentiments as above, overpriced beer, food , long queues.
I’ve been saying for a while now that the club has gone downhill rapidly since this ownership came along, Danson saved us yes fair enough but that’s about it, no money spent on the stadium, piss poor communication and empty promises.
The hierarchy repeatedly say they are listening to the fans, I very much doubt it, in one ear and out the other, the club is in intensive care and that lot upstairs don’t seem to care, only us fans care.
Fuck the EFL
I stopped renewing the ST a couple of seasons back due to personal reasons and being unable to attend many of the tuesday night games.
I have attended this season pay as you go and have only missed a few home games and have also been away from home also. The experience on the matchday starts on the pitch and prior to the Bolton game in September was pleasantly surprised with the play on the pitch.
Since then its been drab and souless football and dont get me started on the prices of drink and food , beyond disgraceful.
Dave Whelan was a tough businessman for sure but understood the town and its finances , this present lot think Wigan is a suberb OF London , £7 for a pint of Guinness FFS ???????????????
Will continue to attend but still loads to do by the management in my opinion
For me, its supposed to be the thing i look forward to at the end of the working week – latics at home on sat, buzzing atmosphere, team full of players who want to play for Wigan and understand our history, have chosen us over other clubs to play for, and good banter with fellow supporters over a pint.
Now a day, i actually dread having to go out on a saturday to watch wigan – i work hard during the week and watch latics as an “escape”, however I end up leaving the ground frustrated and tired, and for the last 3 seasons have attended less and less games due to this. Even the banter with fellow fans is all negative, as collectively we all share the same thoughts and opinions, so the conversations themselves become frustrating as well
As for the players, none that i see want to actually represent us, they just want a pay day until someone comes in for them and off they go elsewhere or are released, job done.
All in all, without sounding a doom merchant, there is nothing at all that excites me for a long while about being at the Brick on a Saturday, its becoming more of a chore than a hobby and i decide on the day if i will go or not ..
Re food and drink, thats the least of my thoughts when it comes to watching latics.. or not
The best owners we’ve had were Talal’s gang. It was such a shame they hadn’t a clue about running a club and then people like Brannigan sent us down the river dishing out false promises
I always said, Sharpies chippy was the perfect opportunity too make a unique indoor fanzone experience for home fans. A big car park for when the weather’s nicer for both the rugby and football then use it for other things when both aren’t at home say events, music, beer festival who knows, but ooh no.
This clubs been run to the ground, it’s all about cost cutting, saving pennies and an owner and board sat on top of the hill with little or no interaction.
My worry is, this has gone on for years and there’s a generation of kids lost to the big 4 neighbors.
We’re are the next lot of fans gonna come from when coming to the football is a bland boring stale experience?.
Danson talks about being “Self sufficient”, and I agree to an extent but when he took over the club it was in desperate need of a makeover. Little had been done on the maintenance front for years and now it’s showing, the ground looks tired.
One gripe I have is the TV’s on all the concourses. Now it might seem petty but at half time it’s a conversationa piece, people going over scores, scorers, league positions or even our match highlights.
The TVs are currently fcuk all bar advertising boards. The two TVs I stand near both don’t work. I go away to some shit hole 6k capacity ground and there’s a TV with Sky on while ours show were to hire a scaffold tower.
The food and ale I don’t touch on the concourse, I prefer not to spend 15 minutes queuing then 5 minutes throwing it back especially when there’s only about 50 queing up.
Again it’s all about cost cutting on every level and it shows. I looked at the age of people in Whelan’s bar the other week and most are in their 50’s plus.
I walk round and there’s less and less kids. Were’s the next gen of fans gonna come from. I’ll always hark back to Charlton years ago. They honed in on kids making it a day out for them then big discounts for families.
Bradford for instance, surely it’s better having 20k on discounted tickets than 10k paying full wack?.
I’ve said it from day one
“The vessels too big for the pond”
The ground was always too big. 15k would have been perfect. The demand would have gone up and I’ll guarantee we’d be pulling 8k-10k every week even now.
I think I’m coming to the end of a season ticket. I’ve done 40 years+ and there’s no spark, these past years have drained the footballing life out of me.
Then the bridge over the canal. I’ve read the letters Harry from The Bricks write and the council and Nandys reply.
Through all the pieces I keep reading “unsafe” but there’s one word missing “Structurally”. Not once has anyone said it’s structurally unsafe.
If it’s structurally unsafe whether it’s handrails or grip flooring loose it would be closed 24/7 but it’s not.
I noticed this season a huge police presence both sides and it makes you wonder, has the old DW argument about who pays for what regarding policing has raised it’s ugly head.
If police pull the plug this side of the bridge is that deemed unsafe so they close it 12-6 ?.
If it was structurally unsafe there would be a report done on the bridges integrity but the council don’t seem to have one.
For me it’s cost cutting that’s closed it
Next year I’ll pick n choose because if the owner can’t be arsed neither can I
Thanks for the input guys. As I eluded to in the original post, there isn’t much we fans can do about what goes on, on the pitch. Also with the bridge, I think it has finally been resolved that it has nothing to do with the stadium so the council (with input from waterways) have done a pre-inspection, deciding that it is unsafe to have X amount of bodies going across it at any 1 time (like a weight restriction for lorries on bridges, if that a good comparison), but they should come out and say it.
In answer to not seeing many kids around, I do see the the family zone thriving and the South Stand having higher than average footfall this season. Though the South Stand, like the rest of the stadium only sees that footfall very late on, and the point I was trying to make is, we need people at the ground earlier putting money in our coffers so improvements can be made.
The Supporters Club have things on in the South Stand Bar (and they receive a 25% discount to before 1,30pm) – this is a FREE to enter Bar, yet people still walk past thinking it is members only (discounts are members only). Onstage they have player interviews, quizzes, raffles and show an historic game on at least 1 of the 4 TV screens.
I understand I am being simplistic here, and probably well off the mark, but hopefully you’ll see what I mean: If 1000 fans come down at 1pm instead of 2.50pm, spending £10 each…. we gain £10,000 per game, £250,000 per season (I know that is not all profit). If that grows to 2k or 3k and/or come at 12pm, then you can do the maths. Most who know me will see me at every single game, home or away, and the most striking thing I see at away games is the amount of people that turn up early providing much needed funds for the club.
Hate to swear, but even our Warriors friends do it, though they do use the RP Stadium as a fan zone. I have seen them in their fan zone (like I have seen fans of Lincoln, Exeter etc…) as early as 11.30am for a 3pm kick off. I understand that people go there just for the fan zone too, not even going to the game.
I see common themes about the things that CAN be rectified:
The state of the interior of the Stadium
Prices and Quality of food
More visible things to do around the ground
But would this bring the footfall, with or without Brazilesque football on the pitch?
FA Cup Winners 2013, sounds good that
Jayt, this is the last line of the comment above yours.
Next year I’ll pick n choose because if the owner can’t be arsed neither can I
Dave Whelan and Talal showed their faces, spoke to the fans about their plans and desires for Wigan Athletic. They were interested and passionate. They made the fans feel that the owners felt as we do about our once great club.
All that has long since gone and we have become stale and uninviting. The thoughts above are not exclusive to a few fans on here, loads of fans are thinking the same, ‘Latics speyk’ is littered with similar stuff as I am sure you know.
I understand why sustainability is important but Mr Danson must also realise that his lack of interest or involvement is making fans feel that the owners don’t really care about WAFC and that is a big part of why fans are leaving in droves.
May be it is true, and he has no interest, then at least tell us the score, let us know where we stand. It is very frustrating being a Latics fan as well you know.
Only Wigan Athletic could find an Arab with no money that takes them to the edge of the abyss only to then get saved at the last minute by a local multi-billionaire who appears to have loads of money but has little or no interest in us.
Unfortunately Jayt I think the situation is going to get worse unless there aren’t a few more positives vibes from above.
I, like many others are more likely to stop going at all rather than turn up hours earlier.
I hope in your capacity off this board that you gather all this information and pass it to Diane or Jonathan or better still, the hierarchy of the club.
Jayt, I hope in your capacity off this board that you gather all this information and pass it to Diane or Jonathan or better still, the hierarchy of the club.
We have another FAB Meeting next month, and I want as much input from fans as possible. Through the FAB, we have improved quite a few things over the last 18 months, but we need to get our Club listening to the right problems and addressing them.
I’ll ask what I ask all new FAB Members that are elected:
What is an easy win for the Club, what can they do quickly to make the matchday experience better?
eg, have more local ales, local pies, more staff, paint the roof
What is a Short Term Goal the Club should concentrate on (1 to 2 years)?
eg, have a regular outdoor fanzone, reduce prices
What is a Long Term Goal the Club should aim to achieve (2 to 5 years and beyond)?
eg, New seats/rail seats, solar panels, concerts
I don’t go on LaticSpeyk anymore as the vitriol I have had off there isn’t good for me and my presence there seems to infuriate some on there. I tend only to go on if Mooney asks me to reply to something directly. I don’t mind you asking the same over there and bringing it back on here if you wish, the more sensible input the better.
FA Cup Winners 2013, sounds good that
Hi Jason,
I like many others echo the sentiments of Horc so no need to repeat what he said.
My main gripe with your latest post is “much needed funds” asking fans to turn up early to spend their money, we have a billionaire owner and the manager is forced in to buying players on the cheap or dud loan signings.
If fans did succumb to your appeal and turn up early, spend more money etc where exactly would that extra money go or be spent on? Would it be given to the manager towards transfer funds? This thread seems to be a Supporters Club promotion to me.
Not trying to be awkward or rude mate, just that questions need to be answered, since the takeover two and a half years ago the club has become a shambles, and by the way I am a member of Latics Speyk and post frequently, my views are slagged almost every other day but I keep going, get back on there Jason you are more than welcome.
Edit…Any updates on the Wall of Hope organised by a committee member of the SC?
Fuck the EFL
Bullitt
I would say you are slagged off numerous times a day not every other day but I know you love it and a lot of what you say, I reckon, is said on purpose in a way to get a rise out of the usual suspects.
The SC comes under fire from a few fans , but I personally think it should be backed as they are an important voice for us fans, as is the FAB.
If Jason can drum up interest and funds and the SC grows then good luck to them, I do however feel anything raised should be spent by the SC on what the committee thinks best for the club, and not given to the billionaire owner that pretends to run our club.
Whether much notice is taken by the owners time will tell, but other than our emails and letters etc these organisations are the only real voice we have unless we can find £50M or so to buy the club.
The first thing I would do once we find the £50M would be to sever all links with the worriers.
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