I believe Blackpool have asked to swap their opening fixture against latics because their new stand won't be ready. If they reverse the fixture it could affect our game v Huddersfield.

I think you're giving both governing bodies too much credit

Not really. They manage to keep Old Trafford free for 1 weekend of the year, I don't see why that can't be expanded to make sure other grounds don't have fixture clashes. It wouldn't take the greatest minds in the land to come up with a way of avoiding fixture clashes, just a bit of cooperation.

As Sky will be dictating which playoff game is played when, I can see them allocating Wigan v Sunderland for either Sunday afternoon or Monday night. There's only one "stand-out" fixture that weekend (Everton v Man Utd), so Sky could quite easily solve any problem before it ever becomes a problem.

Sky have to announce their first few weeks worth of fixtures by July 2nd.

They also have far more flexibility this year with them showing 115 games instead of the 92 they showed in the last contract. They've in affect taken half the games that Setanta/ESPN used to show.

Apparently we asked for our first couple of games to be away from home so it could be completed, or at least that was the rumour. The stand should be up in time anyway hopefully, think the company building it specialises in stupidly quick contruction.

IF we was to finish top i think DW will kick us out AGAIN, i cant see us playing friday and them playing sat.

Yup, I can't see any other outcome than us being booted out AGAIN with very little protest or argument from us.

As for the FA and RFL "sorting the fixtures" I agree they should do this for games like Good Friday, but they're never going to do it for situations like "we might need the stadium for the play-offs". Regardless of how likely some people think we'll be in the top two they're not going to plan for something that isn't confirmed. I'm not sayin I agree with it, but that's the way it is.

Does anyone think this is the Premier league trying to apply pressure on DW to get rid of us?

No, they just didnt give Rugby League a thought IMO

There is only 1 dual sports team in PL now so i think they are putting some pressure on DW to move us away from the stadium. Wonder when the next Fans Forum will be should be very topical regarding groundsharing as its a big problem.

Next month I'd say, normally July(ish).

Ye i would have thought july hopefully just before the wire game.

I think they'll go after the Wire game so they can talk about the success of it.

Be interesting to see what happens, but if I were DW i'd be looking to move the Sunderland game to Sunday

You'd better get on the phone to him sharpish, or me and you will be having words.

I can't make it on the Sunday though.









Where did I put my phone

The club should make a statement asap to stop fans flapping over this.

I personally think it won't be a problem this time. They will plan ahead and sort it out. Last time their was a weeks notice and that seemed to be Whelan's argument. That argument won't be valid this time (and I'm not saying it was then either).

Also I sense their has been some realisation by Whelan since that event in 2008 that he needs to support the rugby club at the venue. Remember Latics did defend us in the press earlier this year when many pundits were blaming us for the state of the pitch. They've also since allowed the Latics club shop to be used by the rugby on match days. Small gestures ok but they are signs to me that animosity might not be there like it possibly was two years ago. I sense Whelan knows he made an error back then. As MattyB's signature testifies he lost my money back then and he'll never get it back.

I hope your right

The football does not have to be moved, we could just play on the sunday if he gives the go ahead

I think the FA ruling is that another game cant be played 24 hours BEFORE a PL game

Judas

One wise man saw the light, now for your turn.

Dont think the FA/PL will allow them the move the game.

Why not plenty of PL games are now on a Sunday anyway

I don't see why we cannot play Friday and Latics on the Saturday. Last time it happened Whelan said he didn't have enough notice ( ie one week) and they couldn't turn the ground around in time. This time he has got loads of notice and let's face it, it doesn't take much time to turn the ground around. We have done it before on a Friday and Saturday and remember when we went to the KC one year and Hull football had kicked off at 12 noon and they turned the ground around quick enough for us to kick off at 6pm.
I think the real reason that we got turfed out last time was because Steve Bruce was giving Whelan grief about us playing the day before they were due to play Arsenal.Whelan just used the " not enough notice" reason as an excuse when if he had been honest he would have admitted that he was backing his football manager.

We dont know how much notice we can give dw as we are not nailed on to finish top, what happens if we can only give 2/3 weeks notice ?