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My latest article is here: http://www.cockneylatic.co.uk/index.php … &Itemid=50
Would love to hear you opinions on this one, as I know it’s a subject most fans will care a lot about.
Fine sentiments Duke. I’ll be gutted if/when we eventually get relegated. But will I enjoy watching Latics any less? I very much doubt it.
Lot of `rose coloured` sentiment there,
when i think back to the Kenyon/Gage/Swain years,and compare it to the dream we are all living now I for one hope to god we stay in the prem.
Although the couple of years under Larry Lloyd are worth a mention.Agreed Shorthousemuir, whether everyone will agree is a different matter, where I go back to my point about eradicating the fickle.
Having a new challenge would be great, that’s why I think everyone is hoping for another Carling Cup run.
And truelatic, care to explain the ‘rose coloured sentiment?’
And truelatic, care to explain the ‘rose coloured sentiment?’[/quote]
Signing centre backs from Rochdale and missing the visits of Gillingham and Northampton!!
Are you serious?
Yes, that for me, was the whole attraction of the lower leagues. We were sh1t at times, yet we were all i it together, and we had spirit and soul. I feel we’ve lost that now, and although it is great seeing the likes of Rooney, Torres and Drogba grace the DW, I still miss the days when everything was low key and small because it just seemed to give us a sense of reality.
Only my opinion though.
We still used to get laughed at for having crap support even then. I must admit though i do miss the springy park days, but also enjoy days like last season beating Liverpool, Chelsea n co, i guess you just cant have it all? I think the biggest problem with going back down now would be it just wouldnt be the same crack in a ground of our size.
Couldn’t agree more, it would be hard to generate an atmosphere in a 25,000 stadium when there’s only 12,000-ish fans. The away days would still be brilliant though, in the Championship, we might generate large away crowds again, who knows?
Duke,
I share your general sentiment. In a way it would be good to apply for relegation to the bottom division and to start again.
However, the supposition behind that is that we would ‘automatically’ enjoy more success and therefore it would be better than the current situation where we only win about 1 in 5 or 6.
I suspect that the years from 1995 onwards (the Whelan years) could never be repeated. Many other clubs have tried to do what we did and have failed.
When you refer to the club losing some of the heart and soul, what you are really referring to is the fact that we don’t win as many as we used to so it is naturally less enjoyable going to the games.
“we had an amazing atmosphere and chemistry between fans all the way through Jewell’s reign in charge, and we haven’t come too close to replicating that ever since he left”
Historically, other than the odd big cup game or for the odd promotion-type games, the Wigan crowd have never generated an ‘amazing atmosphere’ – anybody who says that the atmosphere at Springfield Park was usually anything other than quiet has a very selective memory. As I recall, going back to around 1981/1982 Larry Lloyd even commented on this despite it being a promotion period.
As ever, the atmosphere (and chemistry between fans) improved when we started winning more games under Jewell and the glory hunters were pacified. When we were initially poor under Jewell and latterly also very poor, the atmosphere at the games was as bad as it always has been (Jewell commented in this more than once) and the chemistry between fans was just as it is now – largely moaning buggers. The Sheff United game was of course a one-off situation.
I would argue that the effort put in nowadays by the ES2 lot surpasses any previous efforts at generating a consistently good atmosphere at games, yet their attempts to improve things are met with disapproval from many of the ‘old boys’.In a different front, I’m afraid that no-one will ever play for us because they love the club and what is around them. We are and always have been a stepping-stone club. None of the local boys like Peter Atherton, Kevin Langley, Alan Johnston (who we lost to Lincoln!), etc., have ever declared that their love for the club was so great that they didn’t want to move on to bigger and better things. The only bunch of players who would be truly proud to pull on the blue & white would be a supporters’ club team and I suspect that the novelty of watching Steady Nigel week in and week out would soon wear off (no offence intended).
I think that a question worth considering is – would we enjoy being very mediocre back in the 4th division (or whatever it is called) any more than we enjoy being very mediocre in the Premier League?
Do we need to count our blessings for what we already have?
Whilst we all know that there was some nice easy grazing to be had whilst up and around the brow of the hill, was the grass in fact any greener on the previous side after all?We all have our own views and expectations.
Maybe we could each be a little more tolerant and moan a little less?
And maybe we could each take a little responsibility ourselves (as the ES2 lot do, of which I am not one) and consider how we might be able to contribute towards helping to improve our support, our own enjoyment and possibly the standing of our club in our current league?Thanks for your points andyc.
In reply I’d say yes, I appreciate that the ‘Whelan’ years were unique if you like, and I mentioned that getting relegated wouldn’t be like ‘going in a time machine’.
The whole attraction of the lower leagues for me, is the togetherness of the club, it’s us against the world and I think we all felt a unity in our rise.
Although the atmosphere hasn’t/isn’t great as you mentioned, if we did get on a bit of a roll and in a promotion race, then the fans we’ve gathered (as you say the ‘ES2 lot’) would generate some atmosphere and I think that will spur everyone on and create a buzz. While at present, the only games that seem to merit a decent atmosphere are one-offs such as the Sheff Utd game, if we were in a promotion chase, then I think we’d see them more often.
Fair point about the stepping stone club, yet the further you go down the leagues, and I know it sounds like a typical myth, yet players do tend to care about their clubs more and less about money.
Can I just say thanks for the conservative post, most debating posts end up in aggression.
2 points:
1, think you meant a constructive post, not a conservative post.
2, Andyc’s a mard @rse, that’s the only reason he was polite.
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