The entertainment value is down this season that is excepted by most but the Sky Thursday night is killing attendances stone dead. The crowd on Thursday was quoted as just under 12k but how many non attending season ticket holders are included in that figure a fair few i would imagine . While we will always renew our season tickets these Thursday nights are killing the game as a social night out and spectacle . (but Sky pay the money and advertising / viewing figures are better than bums on seats to them) .

Regards , EW

After much deliberation at the end of last season we decided not to renew our season tickets. A round trip of 90 miles on a Thursday night was the deciding factor. Games used to kick off at 8pm on the dot and were usually over by 9.45 ish. With the televised games the constant checking if it's a try quite often the games aren't finishing by 10. Couple that with the two way traffic leaving the stadium (Thursday's) and we weren't getting home until 11.30. Getting up for work on Friday morning at 6am was a pain in the proverbial. The loss of both Harris and Deacon has taken its toll, neither of those have been replaced. It's become so boring to watch. I like Shaun Wane but he needs help.

I was always excited before any Wigan game not that long ago but afraid that emotion has left me and I hope it is just a phase. It's very strange looking round the stands at the DW and seeing so many empty seats but it's not just us either. Wembley looked to have way too many empty seats and I'm not including the Club Wembley ones which are opposite tv cameras. Wire are doing well this year and have a stadium getting on for half the size of the DW but that looks half empty as well for the televised games of theirs that I've seen. Combination of super league being poor in general this year and Sky (whose cash we wouldn't survive without) dictating when we play - first was super league Monday which fortunately didn't last long and then they decided to dump us on to Thursday nights which does seem to have had a huge negative impact. The RFL haven't put much/any thought into Friday night games either as there have been plenty involving teams from either side of the Pennines which are damn near impossible to get to for so many fans who are working etc.
It's the best game in the world and it's being slowly strangled to death by the various factions in charge of it. Just hope they don't leave it too long to fix it.

BTW does anyone know what the figures are over recent years for season ticket holders? I can't find any info on the numbers but would think they are around somewhere

The games have certainly been poor in terms of entertainment. I know that the team has struggled with injuries but so have Castleford and they've been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the competition. At the moment I go to games expecting them to be a slog. I'm anticipating a lot of errors, missed opportunities, no real flair or exciting moments unless they come from the opposition. The rugby on display is not entertaining. I'm more than happy to watch a tight game with little flair as long as it's a tough contest. What we usually get is a game where both teams seem to be below par, making error after error.

I also think the atmosphere has become more and more disappointing. There seems to be a real sense of apathy. There isn't a section of the ground that is vocal like there are at most other grounds. The games are generally played in an atmosphere where you can hear a pin drop. But also the club don't seem to put much effort in pre-match or at half time to entertain the ground, except for bringing in bands and to be honest no one seems to pay that much attention to them anyway. Home games are a dull affair which will do very little to convince younger fans that they are worth attending, and it's younger fans that the club needs to attract and keep interested because the fan base is ageing. RL faces a struggle to keep itself relevant at the moment.

2014 - 9000/9500 approx.
2015/16 - 8000/8500 approx.

If we don't win anything this year, it will be interesting to see if they dip again. I don't think they dipped below 8000 during my time working at the stadium.

Difficult to disagree with any of this.

The atmosphere at the DW is non-existent these days.

The thing is the apathy amongst fans extends beyond further than just bums on seats on match day. This forum is dying a slow death and the chatter on social media is nowhere near what it was a few years ago. The club announced a monstrosity of a special shirt for the Catalans game earlier today and it hasn't even been mentioned on here yet. 5 years ago there'd have been a 20 page thread by now!

The annoying thing is attendances have been on the slide consistently for 4 years now and the club have done nothing either on or off the field to combat it.

When the club itself demonstrates so much apathy, is it any wonder it has spread to the fans.

We have been dross for months and they announce 'The Big One' against Catalans, get f***ing real. If ever something was set up to fall flat on its face it's that. Poorly timed garbage.

All the small details have eroded away - the prematch and half time entertainment is boring and stale, the soundtrack is cheesy and bears no identity to Wigan, the billboards and advertising isn't as prominent, engagement with fans has been forgotten, even things like the podium flags they had on the walk up to the stadium and fireworks, smoke machines, etc.

Seems like matchdays aren't built up to be anticipated events like they used to be - or whoever is doing it is doing a cack job. No originality, coupled with a crap onfield product = massive failure.

For the club to get any goodwill back from the fans and prevent another big drop in ST sales, they will need to smash Hull and Wire away, win the semi and the GF in classy fashion.

Spot on this mate. Been saying it for a while, lack of interest, no talk about the club, no vibe/atmosphere/excitement. Everything is stalemate and boring.

Tried to down load the photo but could not manage it.

Cheers for that - always thought there were around 12k season ticket holders so was surprised it is less than 10. Makes it all the more important to liven things up and turn matchday into something we can't wait for again but don't think I'll hold my breath!

its because the product (Wigan, and to a wider extent, SL) in general is cr@p at the moment

Incredibly dull to watch.

It's not just the array of slowing the play down tactics that Wigan employ very effectively in defence, which turns games into borefests, but the one-dimensional attacking structure too.

It shouldn't be like that either. Wigan have some extremely talented players. The likes of Gelling, Manfredi, Tomkins, O'Loughlin, Williams & Bateman (yeah, I know some are injured at the moment), are top class & have bags of skill and should be great to watch, but all their flair is slowly being coached out of them.

watched the retro game first 10 mins. Wigan v leeds 1992. saw more entertainment and attacking lines in the first 10 mins from wigan than we have seen all year.

if I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor

Im relieved to see for the first time at least a little acknowledgement of our terrible attack.

[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2016-09-09-wane-frustrated[/url

In Wane''s latest interview on Wigan TV he says that Wigan''s attack relies on being well drilled and practiced many times. When it works it is very effective. However with injuries disrupting the continuity this season I can understand why it has been difficult to get the attack purring. That said, what I don't understand is why then didn't he employ a different style that was more tolerant of key players missing?

Despite everyone''s frustration with the attack the remainder of the season is mainly about defence where Wigan have generally been strong. Wigan can still salvage something from this season but on balance I feel that they will come up just short again. Tonight will be a very good litmus test.

I still don't buy the injuries line to be honest. Yes it's going to have some affect but the problem is that the attacking structures are non-existent rather than the personnel who are there trying to implement them. A few years ago everyone was blowing smoke up our backsides about how our 19s played to the same structures as the first team and if someone needed to step up it made the transition much easier. Why isn't that the case anymore?

We don't play with anywhere near as much fluidity as we did 3/4 years ago. The option runners are non-existent and the attacking line is so flat that it makes it very easy for defences to read. This is the fundamental reason why we're struggling to score points IMO.

I've thought, and said the same all year. It's not like we are running elaborate plays and mis-timing runs/passes, we aren't running anything and still dropping the ball, even if we don't it's just catch and pass along the line and the winger gets tackled. It's borderline clueless, and no matter how much Wane and Tomkins come out on the press saying it's this and that, something is clearly not working, it's either the methods or the players.

If the injuries arguement has any validity then surely Wigan should have been much better at the start of the season before injuries started taking their toll........................

Exactly. And improving towards the end of the season, as players have come back.

Let's face it. It's not good enough irrespective of the injuries. FFS Lenaghan do SOMETHING next season to keep us interested.

Two moments of brilliance from T. Stolen a win, for the love of God, please do something better next week.

As a neutral, who is finding myself more and more turning live RL games off because the product on the field is now so poor, i have to say that Wigan are the worst, there just doesn't seem to be any excitement in games involving Wigan, and games are usually slow, penalty and error ridden slogs.

As for the atmosphere at your place, it doesn't help when the club insist on blasting extremely loud techno music from the speakers which drown out any attempt anyone has of trying to get an atmosphere going, that's a common thing at most ground these days, but the DW is terrible, it's almost as if they want people to not enjoy themselves.

The only thing I have enjoyed this season is Wigan's determination to slog out a win when in previous seasons they didn't look bothered. However other than winning the rugby entertainment is low. They and many teams are frustrating to watch. I used to watch every TV game as a neutral exept when i was at a live Wigan game but now i am so bored that i just watch on catch-up and speed through to the trys. Last night I watched Corrie instead of the first part of the second half before rejoining the game on the recording with fast forward.

For me it is the skill level and lack of attacking flair right across SL which is turning me off and I am a life long RL supporter (age 5icon_cool.gif. There have been moments such as Williams try last night which are a delight to watch but general standard's have dropped. I can't believe that Wigan and Saints both have a chance of becoming Champions and I think one of them will.

It is sheer determination from a few of the players, last night Gelling gave about everything he has, as did Williams, but I can't work out why Wane continues to carry Tierney on the wing, Hampshire on loan is much better all round.