Interesting post by this Wigan fan. https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/threads/bury-dale-and-disaster-capitalism.97689/ Less than 9,000 home fans at the game yesterday, yet they are still prepared to pay the transfer fees and wages that we won't. Surely something has to give?
They've been paying too much in wages for years. Wouldn't be surprised to see them come up next time it hits the fan.
Incredible how few, if any, of the responses address the Wigan situation directly (which was the intention of the OP). They seem to be suffering from a serious case of the ‘Ostrich’s’.
I feel that Lancashire clubs are more inclined to overspend in order to prevent their casual fans departing to the Etihad or Old Trafford. Or even Liverpool. Bury buried. Bolton unfortunately survived - for now. Wigan somehow had £3/4million to spend on Moore, and there were, what, 8500 home fans there yesterday? Macclesfield keep dodging WUPs and Oldham, as said, are toiling. All from that neck of the woods. I don't think it's coincidence.
They’ll never be a big club with such a poor fan base. However, to be fair though, the fact they won the FA Cup in recent years is bound to raise expectations and self opinion at any club. I actually work with a Wigan fan who’s nigh on 60 and had been a fan all his life. He’s pretty grounded in his opinions of the club.
That's the key. Age of fanbase. Anyone who goes back further than the Dave Whelan era will remember where they came from, but they will be in a minority given the crowds they used to get at Springfield Park. Majority of fans who started watching them over the last 15 years have never known them live within their means.
It was interesting watching the cameras outside of Gigg lane last week - kids playing football on the car park and hardly any Bury shirts - Liverpool , City , United. People sometimes say our crowds aren't great but I think they are pretty good if take into account we have Sheffield clubs, Leeds and Manchester not that far away
I was told they’ve signed Moore on £16k a week which I was also told is roughly double what our top earners are on. Just seems crazy money for a player who I rate but he’s hardly a big name player & whilst I think he’s decent enough at this level he’s not going to turn a bottom 6 club into a top 6 one which is what I’d want if my club were spending so much on him. But then again they might not see it as much of a fee or a wage as they’ve been used to paying premier league wages for the best part of a decade. I’d definitely be worried about them if I was a fan. Blackburn & Reading are two other clubs who’s spending baffles me given how small their crowds are.
Just sit back and watch what happens over the next 2-3 years. We’ll then be expected to sympathise with them when the inevitable happens.
If, and it's a big if, a traditionally 'small' team can get to the premier league (eg Bournemouth) then the gates aren't all that important. It's the TV money that matters. In the lower divisions gates are probably more important but loads of teams are gambling their future to get to the premier league.
Just been reading that Oldham have some players on 4k a week.Average crowds of 3 thousand.The figures don't add up.They need to tread very carefully.
I think we're lucky really that Leeds and Wednesday aren't any good. If Leeds had built on the Champions League years they could easily have taken loads of our fans.
