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Word going about that staff are being made redundant. Including Jay Whittle, who apparently said something about it on Twitter. They’re being replaced with unpaid interns, apparently. They already have some of them, and you can tell it’s them doing a lot of the website content and editing, when photos are edited rough, etc.
Just been out doing my daily 10k. Listening to things as I go, came upon a clip celebrating 10 years since the cup win. Listening to the commentary and things from that day, I burst into tears. I played it again, I burst into tears again.
Why did I? Because we are an absolute shell of the club we were. They go on about the FA Cup and all that, 13 years ago. But may as well be 30 years ago. We are not even the same club as then. Just in name and badge. The rest has gone. We are just treading water until the inevitable happens, we either fold, or end up in non league.
How has it got so bad? Death by a thousand cuts.
Is anybody going to this thing at Whelan’s tomorrow? With Sarah Gilfoyle and Gary Caldwell. They want to know how to improve the matchday atmosphere.
For me, it’s simple. Success on the pitch. A team playing well and getting people wanting to go to games. You can have as many acrobats, dancers, singers or whatever. But if the team isn’t getting people in, whats the point? We go to Latics to watch football. We want to be competitive. You can never guarantee winning games, but you can at least make sure the team is the best it can be. The only way to get bums on seats is to be attracting people for what is done ON the pitch. Until that point, forget any other nonsense. Nobody goes to a Latics game to watch a crooner stood on the centre spot.
It’s quite simple. Get it right on the pitch first of all.
A very good post indeed. Maybe cheap and better beer. Much better and cheaper catering and put an end to all that shite on the p.a. system. Fanfares crescendos and shouting. Let the fans build an atmosphere up. Cut off the music ten minutes before kick off but of course get some improvement in the football and the owner too could give some hope and lift the gloom by actually communicating rather than leaving it to his puppets who mustn’t have a clue either wtf is going on.
We have an owner who doesn’t care about Wigan Athletic. His sole purpose purchasing us was to get his grubby little hands on the stadium which he achieved at the second attempt.
His second target is, to make our overall player staff wage bill so low that he can make us enticing to any potential buyers.
And you know what?, I can’t thank him enough for saving us but from the day after he bought us he’s gradually drove this club into the ground. BELIEVE? bollocks only thing I believe is the dark cloud that rides above the ground on a daily basis.
The sooner he gets us sold the better because been honest right now he’s made this club a shit hole.
Rather than point out what’s wrong I’ll point out whats right,
Errrrrr
Fook all
Cup Winners, yes I agree fully.
Unless things change, I really fear for our club. I don’t know how Gary Caldwell can work like this. I actually think we are worse than Exeter. I am not sure he was painted the full picture when he agreed to come back.
Only the same rumours buzzing around but again, there rumours, some Swedish gang.
We’ll have had more owners than a King St Bar, honestly, they come in and either try to run it like a hotdog stall or tighter than a submarine door.
I’ve never had an issue with Danson bringing the wage bill down from when he took over and we’d a small army on £8000+ a week.
The problem I have is, he’s got the taste so bad I can’t stop cutting back and we’ve moved on to staff.
And there doesn’t seem to be an end to it. Turnstiles closed even entrances to seats had shutters down in the EFL trophy.
I reckon the West Stand top corner will end up for away fans with 500 or less, you watch so they can close the North Stand and save 50p.
They tried it last season and they’ll be thinking ahhhhh success that’s till it goes off big time on the concourse and someone gets hurt.
He needs to sell us or better give us away to someone who cares about the club just as much as he cares about the rugby/women’s football and his charity
Latest rumour, Sarah Gilfoyle has walked/been sacked.
Didn’t turn up for the meeting at Whelans tonight. Something definitely feels amiss. I emailed her today with these comments regarding improving the matchday experience…
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Good Morning,I hope my email has been forwarded to you.I understand that there is a meeting being held tonight, to discuss improving the matchday experience. I am not sure entirely what this is going to entail, but I myself have a clear idea of what is needed with the clubs current situation. I’ve been a Season Ticket holder for 40 years and have a good idea about the game. An encyclipaedic knowledge of the game, to challenge any quiz master. Obviously I have seen many good times, and tough times as a Latics supporter in my time.At the end of the day, we need fans through the turnstiles. Bums on seats. That’s the first thing. It’s a cliché, but without fans, football is nothing. What gets people into a ground and into the seats then? Being entertained by the team on the pitch. It sounds very simplistic, but it is true. Thats not to say you are always guaranteed to win, no, there are never guarantees. The Nazi’s didn’t like football as they couldn’t manipulate results. We, at Wigan Athletic have proved ourselves many times that a result is never a given. The FA Cup Final in 2013 being the perfect example.But supporters want to see a competitive team. One that is as good as it can be. Ok, you don’t always get what you deserve in football. But it’s seeing that team giving it their all and competing with opponents. Wiganers WILL back a team that’s doing well. Its common knowledge that season ticket sales are down. The only way to get those people back, is to have some degree of success on the pitch. The people can be very fickle. We’ve had a tough few years and in all honesty, have been in constant decline as a club on the whole, since 2020. Things were stabilised with Gary Caldwell’s return last season, and with him at the helm we have that solid basis to build on. Gary saw us to safety last season. I back him to progress us as a club. But I do feel he needs more backing off the board. We sold Sam Tickle and that money should have been given straight to Gary to rebuild with. I feel we are 4 or 5 players short and if we were to spent 300-400k each on 4 or 5 players it can be the difference between challenging in the top 8, to having a relegation fight on our hands. I know Sam Tickle was sold for an ‘undisclosed’ fee. But considering Bristol City have this week spent 5 mil on Ballard from Leyton Orient, I can’t help feeling we have let them have Sam too cheaply. Given he is an established player over 3 or 4 seasons and an U21 cap. Ballard has had one decent season. I am not sure who is doing our ‘bidding’ in transfers, but I think they are too soft.The whole thing about us having a club model based on self sustainability as a club and producing our own players to sell is something we seem to have gone back on as well. We have brought so many loan players in, actually developing other clubs players, rather than our own. We’ve also let Bettoni go for a small fee, and seen Leo Graham walk away. The fans are at a really low-ebb, I can tell you that much. We have a squad at the time of writing, that has 19 players with the league season start a week away. That’s far too small. I know you’ve said about us having a smaller squad this season, but we need a squad of 26 players, minimum. Considering we play 46 league games, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and BSM Trophy. We are talking around 52 games at least. Get a few injuries, suspension, or illness, and we would struggle. I would definitely say minimum 26 players. That should give us enough back up and options to switch things around.But the crux is, the first thing we have to do is be competitive on the pitch. Until we are and until we are getting the people through the turnstiles, forget everything else. I have explained to many people why the prices on the concourse are quite expensive. We are paying more per barrel of beer and per pie or hot dog, than someone such as, say, Manchester United. They have a greater footfall and attendance and sell a lot more, hence they do deals such as ‘4 pints for £12’ and things like that. If we had 25k every home game, then maybe we could put the prices down. And that all makes sense to me. But attendances will only improve if we are doing the business ON the pitch. And until we are, and things such as bands, singers, jugglers, etc is just a fools errand. There’s no point.I can say with full confidence that people are going to watch the football, not a singer, etc. However, if we are doing well and the crowd is up, people in a happier mood, then that’s the time to do things like that.I would definitely say the tannoy system needs sorting out. We can’t make out what is said in the East Stand. I would cut-out the recorded crowd clips use as well. Thats quite embarrassing. I’d say the pre match atmosphere needs pumping up…volume, lively, more varied music. Its too repetitive and boring..same songs all the time. The club could put a link out to request a song or a ‘matchday playlist’…I’ve seen other clubs do that.I would also suggest that when the team is read out, they don’t read out the players sponsors. It’s far too long winded and people lose interest. Have the sponsor on their photo on the screen. Likewise when subs are made. It’s not needed. It just needs to be along the lines of “Coming off the field, please show your appreciation for number 7, Fraser Murray. Fraser is being replaced by number 20, Callum McManaman”. Clear, sharp, supportive. That’s all it needs. Perfect.I hope what I have said is ok and is of some use. I am quite up-front in what I say, and thought I can get it over better in a email to you. If you think I should still come down for a chat, I’d be happy to do so. I just want the best for Wigan Athletic. I want us to prosper and progress.Kind regards,Diane Winnard said she had passed it on.
Rumours of allsorts going on at the club.
Apparently Gregor Rioch walked because they’d said GC would get the Tickle money in full and then went back on it, only giving him 500k.
There’s a lot of going back on their word from this lot, I’ve noticed. Came in advocating a self sustainable plan if developing our own players to sell on for profit, for the club with the aim to get back to the Premier League.
We’ve gone the other way, if anything. Relying on loans and short-term option players a lot of the time.
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