Glasgowsaint. Would you come down if it was at Preston,their season finishes this Saturday.
I bet thats something that the powers that be hav'nt thought of.

Absolutely spot on.
The article with the headline "Whelan happy for Warriors to play at DW Stadium " is very misleading. He is happy for the Friday, but not the Saturday.

Also,there is no rule about 24 hours. It doesn't exist. The only rule is that if the fixtures clash on the same day,football gets priority. This 24 hour rule has been created in the media to take the attention off Whelan. Wouldn't surprise me if he's had a word with a mate at the paper and asked them to throw that line in to get him off the hook.

So he's categorically stated that Wigan RLFC cannot use his stadium on the Saturday?

No, but it's called reading between the lines. He has said that he is happy for them to play on the Friday, but did not mention the Saturday at all. It doesn't take a genius to work out that if he was happy with the game being played on the Saturday then that would have been announced already and 10,000 tickets would have been snapped up by 10am this morning.
The one and only thing that is stopping the game being played on the Saturday at DW is Whelan. Not the RFL, BBC or the Premier League.

Then shame on the journalist for not asking DW if he was happy for them to play on Saturday too.

It was a simple question to his statement: "But the game is on Saturday Dave, so is there an issue with that as far as you are concerned?"

That way, we all know where we stand with regard to hating him or not.

I agree entirely mate. However, you can't help but think that Whelan had a massive influence on what was printed in that article. The whole thing is enginnered towards good PR for him and shifting responsibilty to the Premier League. He is as good as telling lies. As I've said above, he is the only thing preventing the game going ahead on the Saturday afternoon.

But by saying that Wigan should fight the BBC to play it on Friday pretty much says that he isn't.

The media have plugged this rule since Latics got in the PL. The only rule as you say is that the fixtures of the football team must take priority (against ANY other event at the stadium) which is why Latics don't change games to Sunday, so that Wigan can play Friday.

Nail on the head. I've been saying exactly the same all through this thread. Whelan isn't man enough to admit he is the one stopping the game being played on the Saturday, coming up with some smoke and mirrors line about the Friday being acceptable but knowing full well that won't happen. He gets his own way in keeping the RL game off his pitch without looking like the culprit. As for anyone claiming the journalist should have asked if he was OK with the saturday - I very much doubt they have spoken to whelan direct as this will be a carefully worded press release. Even if they have, they've probably been told what questions are acceptable and would be out on their ear if they crossed the line.

Exactly. This is purely Whelan either being petty in some peoples eyes, or in Latics fans eyes he is protecting their pitch before a potentially decisive game.

I'm not here to question his decision, like it or not it is his prerogative. What annoys me is that he wont admit that it his decision and take responsibility.

Then the press office should have contacted whoever released it to "clarify whether there was an issue". If the reply was "no comment", then they should have reported that DW or his official mouthpiece refused to answer that question, instead of printing half-truths and subtle implications.

The press have a duty to report facts, not hints & innuendos.

Makes you wonder if Whelan has "friends" at that particular paper.

Surely we will find out today? There are arrangements to make and tickets to sell.

Every day this is up in the air costs both clubs money and whilst it is of Wigan's own making, Saints should not suffer (I know that will garner very little support on the Wigan board, but the principle is there

)

That 'duty' went out of the window a long long time ago. the press will do whatever suits them, especially where football is concerned and will meekly roll over and print whatever Whelan tells them to print. They won't run the risk of being barred access to information because this is their lifeblood and if they upset Whelan and he throws his toys out of the pram they will be finished.

All Whelan needs to do is state that he is OK with saturday but he won't and everyone is too scared to ask him because they have been told not to. Whelan knows full well the BBC aren't backing down (and rightly so), and is taking the moral high ground. If anyone challenges it they will be banned from the DW stadium and effectively out of a job.

Surely it is the job of your chairman to come clean on this, or is he terrified of Whelan too? Apologies if I've missed it, but I haven't heard a peep from him since the draw was made.

You're right. It surely has to be sorted today, for everyone concerned. You'd think a time would come when Lenagan gives up trying to convince Whelan (assuming that is what is happening) and finalise an alternative venue. Financially it would make sense to plat it at our place but I can't see Wigan wanting to do that.

Spot on mate.

It would appear that IL is working behind the scenes but is probably as frustrated as we are. The problem is his hands are tied because Whelan is not to be trusted and can probably make life very hard for anyone who challenges him. Sometimes a diplomatic silence is the only option.

Whilst I don't necessarily disagree, I doubt a diplomatic silence will change this situation any time soon. If this is a Whelan rule, the pressure needs to be put on Whelan - in public if needs be.

I think that's just his style really. The press must have got that sick of hearing 'no comment' from him on anything that wasn't already a fait accompli that they may have just given up asking.

The problem is that you don't put pressure on tyrants like David Whelan.

He's been so used to having his own way for so long, that try to force his hand and he becomes more petulant, more sulky, more erratic, more vengeful.

It's far too easy for those who stand to lose nothing from Whelan's wrath to come out with comments like yours.

I have asked the club through Josie Andrews if the fans can help to get the stadium ready on the Saturday for the Latics game on the Sunday. I will let you know if and when I get a response. Is anyone up for helping?

How can he make a statement, if there is nothing to state? Uncle Dave will be doing his best to come out of this smelling of roses, he will not want to risk spoiling relations with his major paymaster, and will leave it for others to squabble.

He could just say yes, issue over. But he has not. There is no reason this game cannot be played on Saturday, at the DW, other than for Uncle Dave.

Fair enough, enjoy your club bending over for him forevermore then.

Out of interest, what does IL have to lose? He already can't play games at home and he seems happy enough to bang on about how fabulous the lease he has is - so what can DW actually do?