Wigan unable to host playoff match

[St Helens RLFC]

Due to the non-availability of the JJB Stadium for Friday evening, September 12th, the Wigan Warriors home Play-Offs game against Bradford Bulls will now take place at another venue which is likely to be the Stobart Stadium in Widnes or the Halliwell-Jones Stadium in Warrington.

It is expected that final arrangements of venue and ticket details will be confirmed and announced on Monday 13th September but this announcement is made now with the wish to give fans as much notice as possible of the forced change. Fans should monitor the website for the announcement of details.

Wigan Chairman, Ian Lenagan, said:

"The players performed extremely well against St Helens on Friday night to earn a home game, strongly supported by the Wigan fans, and we are naturally disappointed that the JJB cannot be made available for our Play-Off game against the Bradford Bulls on Friday night".

"We have explored fully with the RFL the options of playing on Thursday or Sunday but neither is possible for competition integrity issues and we prefer to play on a North West ground of our choice".

"We are looking at all options to facilitate as many of our fans travelling on Friday since we would like to make the chosen venue as much a Wigan venue as possible."

http://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=4179


I am absolutely aghast at this. Rumours have been doing the rounds ever since the stadium was built that one day, Wigan's idiotic former owner Dave Whelan would look to squeeze the rugby team out and make the football team the priority, but I never thought I would see the day when Wigan Athletic ever became the priority in Wigan.

However, I think Wigan should be heavily fined. The fixtures were drawn in January, the football fixtures were drawn in June... so why has it taken for 5 days before the game for something to be done about it? Absolute disgrace.

Wigan should be fined for, essentially, being unable to fulfil the fixture and the JJB Stadium should answer to rugby fans across the world, pay for coaches to the new venue and the policing costs involved.

This is an absolute disgrace. :ranting:

 

[getofmeland]

Just sums up the facts that Stadiums should be single use... They are either Rugby or Football, they can't be both, by that I mean fixtures week in week out not one off games cos that's different...

The same is happening in Union, with Bristol Rovers trying to push Bristol Rugby out of the stadium that was once owned by Bristol Rugby!!!

 

[alexrugby]

Wigan is the Great team.

I think this news with stadiums willn't interfere with the team's play

I also think that Wigan fans will bring all their atmosphere on the other stadiums and help their iconic players to feel the home court advantage.

 

[redunderthebed]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Sep 8 2008, 06:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Due to the non-availability of the JJB Stadium for Friday evening, September 12th, the Wigan Warriors home Play-Offs game against Bradford Bulls will now take place at another venue which is likely to be the Stobart Stadium in Widnes or the Halliwell-Jones Stadium in Warrington.

It is expected that final arrangements of venue and ticket details will be confirmed and announced on Monday 13th September but this announcement is made now with the wish to give fans as much notice as possible of the forced change. Fans should monitor the website for the announcement of details.

Wigan Chairman, Ian Lenagan, said:

“The players performed extremely well against St Helens on Friday night to earn a home game, strongly supported by the Wigan fans, and we are naturally disappointed that the JJB cannot be made available for our Play-Off game against the Bradford Bulls on Friday nightâ€.

“We have explored fully with the RFL the options of playing on Thursday or Sunday but neither is possible for competition integrity issues and we prefer to play on a North West ground of our choiceâ€.

“We are looking at all options to facilitate as many of our fans travelling on Friday since we would like to make the chosen venue as much a Wigan venue as possible."

http://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=4179


I am absolutely aghast at this. Rumours have been doing the rounds ever since the stadium was built that one day, Wigan's idiotic former owner Dave Whelan would look to squeeze the rugby team out and make the football team the priority, but I never thought I would see the day when Wigan Athletic ever became the priority in Wigan.

However, I think Wigan should be heavily fined. The fixtures were drawn in January, the football fixtures were drawn in June... so why has it taken for 5 days before the game for something to be done about it? Absolute disgrace.

Wigan should be fined for, essentially, being unable to fulfil the fixture and the JJB Stadium should answer to rugby fans across the world, pay for coaches to the new venue and the policing costs involved.

This is an absolute disgrace. :ranting:[/b]

Yes it is ******** a complete oversight on the behalf of the club.

We stuffed up big time.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (getofmeland @ Sep 8 2008, 08:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Just sums up the facts that Stadiums should be single use... They are either Rugby or Football, they can't be both, by that I mean fixtures week in week out not one off games cos that's different...

The same is happening in Union, with Bristol Rovers trying to push Bristol Rugby out of the stadium that was once owned by Bristol Rugby!!![/b]

If the codes acted like adults and realise that the clubs are all trying to run a business (although i despise that idea personally its sadly true) and everyone if they do there job properly can co-exist.

But they act like children at each other throats and trying to undermine one another when its all ******** and unnecessary.

So until everyone grows up your sadly right.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LeksoRugby @ Sep 8 2008, 08:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wigan is the Great team.

I think this news with stadiums willn't interfere with the team's play

I also think that Wigan fans will bring all their atmosphere on the other stadiums and help their iconic players to feel the home court advantage.

[/b]

I didnt know your a wigan fan! good lad!.

Wigan is great now all we need to is convince dan of this!

 

[St Helens RLFC]

You'll convince me Hitler and Stalin were good men ahead of that.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_leag...gan/7603263.stm

The game will be played at Widnes.

 

[Crackdown]

Interesting development, how comfortable will Wigan feel playing there? I find it strange that the playoffs are a lower priority than some random football match which was drawn at a later point in time.

As for Bristol Rovers, f***ing disgrace they are - for example: completely shafting us this season (and the last two) by stating they are going to redevelop the ground then pulling out at the last minute. As far as everyone was concerned up until 4 weeks ago we were supposed to be playing in Newport with a massively reduced budget! They even screwed their own Rovers fans when the club organised a tour of their temporary home (I think it was Swindon or Cheltenham, not sure) but didn't actually inform them that the deal was off and was going to let them go anyway despite knowing a week beforehand. Only an unauthorised leak/tipoff from an insider to the supporters club on the very day they were leaving stopped them from going.

It's not a case of both parties acting like children, it's a case of one being a complete cnut! There are plenty more examples such as overcharging rent but you get the idea...

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I know that the Wigan fans are organising a boycott of the JJB stadium in the future by not buying food and drink etc. Fair play to them - but the Warriors have to take some responsibility for what has happened.

Hopefully the distraction of moving grounds will disorientate them and Bradford will go right through them tonight but I personally find that somewhat unlikely.

 

[Vambo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Sep 12 2008, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

but the Warriors have to take some responsibility for what has happened.[/b]

Indeed.
Clearly they didn't expect to get anything out of the Stains game nor did they think that Warrington would lose at home to Huddersfield and so they obviously never raised the possibility of a home playoff tie with the Stadium management... huge and pretty stupid oversight on their part.

Sadly however I think it's becoming more and more clear that the Latics hold the upper hand at the JJB.

Somehow Wigan RL have got to find a way of getting their own ground but I just can't see that happening.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Whelan, the ****** that he is, is making a clear statement that Wigan Athletic are more important to him.