Well said that man!

you can pick holes in every paragraph of that tirade – 90 % of it is totally innacurate to say the least,the other 10% is just crap.
the worse thing is being preached to by a ‘stone island’ clad CREW/LAD/HOOLIGAN (take your pick which),especially one who is a feature writer for the elitist muddhutter magazine that has spent its whole existance berating brenda spencer, john benson or dave whelan while at the same time worshipping FC United fans who did exactly what that buffoon is up in arms about wigan fans doing now,and walk away from THEIR club.
many of the stayaways are people who were in the clique that muddhutter has evolved from,who still make an appearance at periodic intervals and are still welcomed back into the mudhutter fold.

as one who has been going to away days on and off since our entry in 1978 to the football league, most away matches have only been attended by one supporters club coach, this 100’s of ‘lads’ on a day out every week is as true as the stuff written in that 500 bc fanzine Aesop’s Fables,
the ‘lads’ despite what they claim only went to games every now and again – cup matches or bolton,preston and tranmere or anywhere else were there was a chance of some action from opposing teams ‘lads’.

the true away supporters all knew one another or a least you regognised their faces – even now you bump into someone you havent seen since the springfield park days and the conversation always drifts to “do you remember when we went to ???????”

those people who are sick of the rubbish served up by martinez are genuine fans, many long standing ones – and have as much right to their opinions as the stone island crew -without being accused of being disloyal to their club and will still be here when martinez and whelan are distant history.

fec me riks bar only opened its doors and closed again in the last few years and arky has never run his tour bus every week – mostly big matches only and more often in promotion/first year premiership days and we all know it, work,families and banning orders have thrown the last sentance right out of the window – but why let facts cloud that.

or when ever there was call for it – most of the time you didnt run any coaches – how many of the mudhutter disciples in that artical have you got going to matches this season john? and how many trips have you got planned ?

you over the years have offered a valuable service -and yes i may be mis informed about when you ran tours -but the facts show they coincided with the glory times and have gone less and less over the last 5 years and the person who wrote that article and his firm are the ones who no longer ask you to book them.(generalisation)

ive known you since you was 11 years old – tell me what more research i need to do.

you have edited that post before i could quote it and reply :lol:

i am wrong about the quantity of trips that john has run over the years – the point i was trying to make (BADLY)was the supply and demand thing when we did well,but that fellow from mudhutters makes out they are not the one deserting in droves now –“We were loyal, deserving, had a common cause and we’d always be there no matter what”.
when in fact many came on the backs of any past success.

LMB – If only I were that clever! Admittedly, it could look that way, but asking somebody who has written a book to provide evidence that they can write is a bit of a half-volley outside the off-stump which had to be taken on.

Horc – I still have a lot of the research for the second one but time is getting the better of me. I hope to actually finish it, but I’m not doing it for the sake of it. Wouldn’t want to give someone the opportunity to say “that’s a poor book”.

SW – have you actually ordered it? I am in the process of editing some typos etc, and intended re-issuing in the coming weeks – at a slightly lower price!!!

LMB.. I’m certain Jimmy wasn’t having a go at the likes of you (although he’s a big boy and can defend himself). Its a pop at the stay away fans. That articles got 2,500 pages views so its a good thing supporters are reading it and discussing it. Saying that no one should have to justify whether they go or not but the fact is our attendances are shocking given all the reasons for them.

Iv’e been a supporter since 1978 too. DW’s ‘my way or the highway’ attitude has really foookin got on my nipples. Its my football club as much as his and thats why i continue to go. I’m with you on Martinez, his tactics and managerial skills are shockingly poor considering the resources he has at his disposal. Sure they’re not quite on a par with Manchester city but they’re miles ahead of Blackpool who beat us 4-0 (and could of been 8). The worst Wigan Athletic performance i’ve ever witnessed.

I wont defend the club or the town any more but i’ll continue to attend. Staying away solves nothing it just makes the situation worse.