That’s interesting and would have been preferable to moving to the DW because of proximity to the town centre, railway stations, bus station and more importantly, pubs. I did see just the one game at Central Park but the end of that era was just before I started to watch the Warriors regularly. I think the club were so much in debt that they simply had to sell to Tesco to avoid going under.

The DW is one mile away from Wigan Wallgate and marginally nearer the town centre than Ewood Park is to Blackburn town centre. I think the DW was modelled slightly on Ewood. There is a lot of brickwork and the stands feel solid, unlike many of the new soulless bowls such as at Leicester, Stoke and Southampton etc. Because of the stupidity of the Taylor Report, the DW had to be built as an all seater. Were it not for that, it could have been modelled on a design like St Helens’ stadium, which is spot on. Seating down the sides and terracing for standing behind the sticks. Everyone happy and great for atmosphere.

As far as I am aware, the Warriors’ finances are in reasonable shape and with Ian Lenagan as chairman, they will continue to be. There is no danger at all of the rugby club collapsing. Regarding the Warriors relocating, this is the first I have heard of it. Over the last two or three years, Warriors have moved their offices and administrative setup to the Robin Park Arena, which is next door to the DW and which we lease off the local council. It’s a multi functional facility with an athletics running track and pitch for rugby training. There have been hopeful rumours of Ian Lenagan funding the development of Robin Park to become our own rugby stadium but this, I think, is wishful thinking more than anything. It would take millions to do it and doesn’t really make sense with the football/rugby sharing the DW. Let me know, 1864, if there is anything more to it than that, as I would love to know! The guys I sit with at the DW may well know but I obviously haven’t been able to see them because of the virus.

Haha, even as a Wigan fan I find that very funny. It’s done the rounds on RL forums for years. The teams played again, three months after that game and Cas player Dean Sampson got revenge by breaking Kelvin Skerrett’s jaw. You didn’t mess with Kelvin Skerrett, he could take it as well as give it. Some tough lads in RL ?

Own up. Who’s just had a look at the table?

I wasn’t at the Manley game, Tyrone, a few years before I got the bug. I do have the dvd of the game. Superb showing and a real arm wrestle.

I have been watching the Warriors for over twenty years now and had a lesser interest for a few years prior to that, taking in my first game at Central Park in 1994. Since taking over from Dave Whelan in 2007, Ian Lenagan has proved himself to be a man of the upmost integrity, as well as being a highly successful chairman of the rugby club. I can assure you that, assuming he gets a consortium together, he will have the best interests of both the football and rugby clubs at heart.

True but if the status quo remains, they will never recoup the £130-150m they have ‘invested’ so far. With another ten years of their tenure, that figure will have risen to probably north of £200m. I, along with thousands of others, wish I knew what they were up to.

Just been on North West Tonight that there are around thirty parties interested in buying Wigan Athletic. They reckon about five of those will be serious. Already spoken to two, who appear to have the money and are also reasonably local to the town. If Venky’s were willing to write off a huge chunk of the money they have invested and put us up for sale at around the £20-25m mark (recouping their initial outlay), there is no reason why we could not attract similar, if not more, interest. We are a much ‘bigger’ club than Wigan in all aspects.

A winner as a player, yes, but not as a manager. Two full seasons at Rangers, that’s six attempts at a trophy and he’s won nothing.

Cardiff have the bit between their teeth and will win at a canter, probably 3-0 if we’re lucky.

I voted ‘go’ but no need to add anything else as I would only be repeating what a variety of others on here have outlined. For me, though, the hierarchy won’t sack him so, unless he walks himself, he ain’t going anywhere.

Hold on a minute. We don’t just let anyone into this leafy county you know. There are stringent tests to pass and a committee to bribe..(it’s how we got in)

Venky’s were badly advised by a whole host of different people after they rolled into town, the worst being Jerome Anderson and the Kentaro connection. There were rumours of Glasgow gangsters, managers came and went through the revolving door, we were relegated, started losing money on a grand scale and then finally in came Tony Mowbray. I am not defending Venky’s in any way here, I want them out more than most but, after several years of utter shenanigans, there was finally a sense of normality especially after promotion back to the Championship. I think they found it easy to get along with Tony Mowbray and, for the first time in their tenure, I think they felt they were dealing with someone they could trust. In any other situation, Tony Mowbray would have been sacked by now or, at least, be extremely close to it. Despite wasting a further chunk of their money, for the reasons I mention above, I feel they will be very reluctant to part ways with their man and we’ll be stuck with him for the foreseeable. Throw in Waggott and the old pals act and there will be even less pressure to get rid of TM from within.

The spine of the squad is really Keeper, Centre Half, Central Midfielder and forward. Walton is a very poor keeper at this level and Armstrong’s goal ratio is one in four, ie. eleven or twelve a season and not prolific enough. I agree with Lenihan and say Dack/Travis.

Haha, he wouldn’t have been trying to chin a bloke in his early 60s would he? I’m not wrong though. I’m on a few Facebook football sites and Leeds are quite genuinely despised by most and the butt of many jokes.

Hate Leeds with a passion. No one had ever heard of them until the mid 60s and up until then, they hadn’t won a bean. For a city of 700k they have, in the main, greatly under achieved. Teams like Rovers, Bolton and Huddersfield easily eclipse them on the record attendance front and in their support, they have hordes of knuckle dragging neanderthals, intent on hooliganism. I can’t think of anything good to say about them. Wan*ers.

???

As well as playing a false 9, we also play a false 1 in the nets, a false 3 at left back, a false 7 on the right wing and any number of other false numbers wherever the square pegs are being pushed into round holes. Even Mr Mowbray could be deemed a false manager..

In November 2018, Whelan sold Wigan Athletic to Hong Kong based International Entertainment Corporation and then there was a further change of ownership, a few weeks ago, when Next Leader Fund took control. That’s two changes of ownership in eighteen months. The fit and proper test still working wonders then..and just look at the names of the buyers. Faceless non entities. Not local, no connections to Wigan, just more piggies thinking they can get their snouts in the trough.

Anyway, now we know that we’ll be in the Championship next season, I look forward to Mr Waggott putting the season tickets on sale in the morning..

Never had a decent keeper and no one to put the ball in the net. That’s half the spine. I had completely forgotten about Dack for some reason.

Mowbray needed to get the spine of the team right and go from there. No need to be the best players in the division, just very good and importantly, consistent. Keeper, Centre Half, Central Midfielder and Forward. He has failed miserably. Never addressed the Keeper position, Centre Half sorted to a degree but best lad only a loanee and we don’t have the funds to buy, all midfielders flatter to deceive with none being consistent. Danny Graham been half decent up top but has had shelf life and is now way past his best. Completely spunked £12m on two cart horses to replace DG who, despite his age, is still better than either of them.

Quite right but I wouldn’t have confidence in any of that rabble down at Ewood knowing what to do next.

Very true Rev. I was thinking the other day when we had slipped into the old Division Three for the first ever time. Money was tighter then than at any time in our long history. In came Ken Furphy on a mission, wholesale changes and a plan. The club started to gain momentum, unfortunately Sheffield United then nicked KF but he was replaced by Gordon Lee and the plan continued with the club making its way back to the Second Division. Not long after that, we almost made it back to the top flight. The Chairman and Board of Directors were local men in those days. Their stake wasn’t particularly high but they had a pride in the place. Both Ken Furphy and Gordon Lee had a presence and wouldn’t it be nice (understatement) to have someone of their calibrate at the helm now.