I wasn't going to bother going to London two weeks in a row (and the train strike made getting home on Saturday a bit of a nightmare), but paradoxically the cricket score (one for you Aussie fans there...) by Leeds has made me more inclined to go; I'd like to see a good competitive game, and poor as Catalans have been on the road, with Carney back (?) and all to play for, I'm sure they'll give us a good game.

We've been just as bad as Catalan away from home. I'm just hoping we'll give them a good game seeing as it's also an away game for us.

On the point of shortsightedness, I actually think it's something that northerners have bred into them. A lot of people I know generally never leave the area they're born in their whole life (unless it's to go to a game vs. London Broncos...) and it goes back generations. I recently mentioned Leigh (can't remember why) to a guy at work who is from the East coast and his only impression of it was "if you're born in Leigh, you die in Leigh".

It's not just Northerners. I took some lads, thirty-something, from my local to Wembley to see the Kangaroos in 1990, and I remember at least one of them had never been to London in his life before. Never been out of Wiltshire.

In many ways it's the British mentality and goes up and down the country. Holidays abroad to the same place every year, finding an English pub etc etc.

Fair comments. It always makes me laugh those people that go on holiday and have a full English every day for breakfast, burger for lunch and sausages and mash for dinner.

Its harder for us Scots . Not easy to get Haggis and chips abroad .

Regards , EW

I thought IL came across very well on Backchat and certainly has some good ideas on how to run the game. He is an intelligent and successful man and I'm glad that we have him at Wigan.

I like it that he is prepared to gamble with this game and full marks for trying. His arguments for a game on the road are persuasive.

However as a fan who attends every game home and away this a right pain. I love to see the team play each week throughout the year. But this makes it difficult to do so. Having just spent the weekend in London for the cup final I'm spent up. So it'll have to be the coach from Wigan at 7.00am with a return close to midnight to watch 80 minutes of rugby. I know I'm only one bloke and there are bigger issues here at stake than my comfort.

But even intelligent men do daft things and I think that IL has done a daft thing. I hope to be proved wrong otherwise Saturday is going to be a very long and miserable day.

Long and miserable if we lose!

I was thinking twice about two successive weekends in London too. £56 for a day return to London (I'd imagine it's nearly double that from Wigan?). I reckon I will go, though. If the weather was better I could take my bike...

Not expecting a big crowd at all, though. And if Faz is out, that's a real blow; he has been so good this season after a shakey start.

Just been for tickets for Saints and I asked if the club are opening the car park on saturday morning for those travelling down to Millwall by coach.
They said car park A (east stand) would be open from 6am, it would not be manned but would be locked after the last coach leaves and then be re-opened for the return of the coaches.

Looking at the Den stadium plan, does anyone know which side (or either?) it's best to choose: Barry Kitchener Stand or Dockers Stand?

Nothing to do hear the ground. FFS it's just a short train from London Bridge, loads of good pubs etc, not to mention the rest of London!

Yeah but we are spoilt when the DW is surrounded by a hive of activity including the famous Red Robin, Costa Coffee, Burger King and, not forgetting of course you can pop to B&Q for a quick DIY shop.

Quote ="Last Son of Wigan"Can't actually believe people on here use speculation and they're 'mates' word over a highly successful businessman's plans. Any forward thinking, promotion and development of our game and more importantly our club should be welcomed with open arms. Like it or not London is our capital, the most highly densely populated area in the country, the home many major companies, it is an area we simply cannot ignore. A few years ago people on here were slagging off cos Wire have Fly Emirates and we had a lesser sponsor, this is IL doing what he can to change things for the better. This site would be going mental if a SL rival achieved success in London questioning were where we... when now we're leading the pack.'" Oh yes, really well thought out idea this ! Wigan v Catalan at Millwall .... really attracting those major London sponsors on Saturday, especially as the only competition in town ..... will be England v Ireland at Twickenham in the final World Cup warm up game. Check their website out www.englandrugby.com/# look at their partners and suppliers. Makes you wonder which companies we are going down there for. Still, lets see what happens.

Quote ="Last Son of Wigan"Can't actually believe people on here use speculation and they're 'mates' word over a highly successful businessman's plans. Any forward thinking, promotion and development of our game and more importantly our club should be welcomed with open arms. Like it or not London is our capital, the most highly densely populated area in the country, the home many major companies, it is an area we simply cannot ignore. A few years ago people on here were slagging off cos Wire have Fly Emirates and we had a lesser sponsor, this is IL doing what he can to change things for the better. This site would be going mental if a SL rival achieved success in London questioning were where we... when now we're leading the pack.'" Oh yes, really well thought out idea this ! Wigan v Catalan at Millwall .... really attracting those major London sponsors on Saturday, especially as the only competition in town ..... will be England v Ireland at Twickenham in the final World Cup warm up game. Check their website out www.englandrugby.com/# look at their partners and suppliers. Makes you wonder which companies we are going down there for. Still, lets see what happens.

You are missing the point, this is our home game , earned by the players for finishing in the top 4, we are throwing this advantage away, why , don't see Leeds or Saints doing this, unless you want to shell out quite a lot of money and make your own way there, you are travelling at 7am for a home game, I've been to London plenty of times and used London Bridge, also been to Millwall more than once new ground and old ground and I do know the area, anyway lets just agree there are those for this adventure and those against, we all want to go to Old Trafford lets just hope we win on Saturday, because if we lose the idea will look even more crazy in my opinion,
enjoy the day for those who are going , Wish FM for me.

It's happening we just have to live with it.

The on thing about IL he is not going to die wondering . Can fully understand people not being happy about it but if you don't try things out things will stagnate . If it's a failure that will make a lot of people very happy . If it's a success well done to IL .

Rugby League at the moment is dying on it's feet in a financial sense so nothing ventured nothing gained as far as i am concerned .

Regards , EW

Hi EW, agree RL is dying on it's feet, that's why we need changes at the top, not sure how success or failure will be measured for this game, if we win get 15,000 and some new blue chip sponsors for next season , then yes success, do you think that will happen, is it not up to RL as a whole to try and move the game forward , the London idea has not worked for 20yrs for lots of reasons , we shall see I just hope we don't drop 2 home points and it costs us a place in the GF

Thank god there are people in our game, such as Ian Lenagan, with vision and belief and passion.
If some of the posters on here were running our game we would still be playing under union rules on grounds in the middle of dog tracks near the pit head, playing round robin matches against other pits in the area.
There would be no Rugby League, no challenge cup at Wembley, no Catalans Dragons, no Grand Final at Old Trafford, no Magic Weekend etc, etc.
Get out, walk to the end of your street, there is a whole new world out there.
The club are trying something new why can't we support them in this venture but if not then pretend its an away game against London Broncos, oh wait if you lot run the game there would be no London Broncos.

I've got plenty of passion for Wigan RL, also been to the Hive and the Stoop plenty of times, games in London are nothing new been going on for 20yrs, this is the wrong game at the wrong time, lets have magic weekend at Twickenham if you want the game promoting in London , or lets have a double header in the playoffs in London, anyway not going to fall out with you I am a Wigan fan through and through, just hope the gamble pays off for IL.

I know this may be a more bizarre slant on this game, but I'm guessing if this was a Super 8 game v London Broncos, everyone would be chomping at the bit to venture down for a great day out in the capital! Games away in London have always been great days out, and this doesn't have to be anything different - it's down to the fans whether they want to enjoy it or not. Either way, it seems IL has nothing to lose. As EW said, he'd be damned for not trying new things, so why damn him for giving it a go? Can't fault him for trying to advance the game.

Oh, and I live down south, so it's easier for me to get to!

I live up North Jaybe and its easier to get to.....lol

Regards , EW

Panic over , IL can relax now , let's get back to normal , sounds like Matty Bowen is showing his class , safe journey home everyone , have a lie in tomorrow ! Well done to the players .

Although I like IL as a chairman and think he's done very well for us, I was very critical of him over this venture.

I'm glad to say I was wrong. So I hold my hands up. A crowd of 8,100 is a big success and probably only a couple of thousand short of what we would have attracted had the game been at Wigan.

The most important thing for me was that we won. I admit that with Saints and the Giants winning I was a bit nervous but well done to Waney and the boys.

I hope that the game has fulfilled IL's other targets, although we won't get to know if it has been successful with the business community for some time.

I missed the game when you guys came to The Hive and was gutted as really wanted to see the quality of Wigan.

Went to this game and loved it. Great fans and great chairman to have the cojones and foresight to do this right next to the corporate area of Canary Wharf.

Imagine what the crowd would be had it not fallen on two England International matches in Footballs and Union.

Cannot wait for the next Wigan game in London. Be it at QPR or Millwall

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/34174726

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/34174726

QPR and Fulham were too expensive. Unless they reduce their price, it's highly unlikely we'll go there.