Your very right he did get out at the correct time. On the other side tho they are reportedly in £60m pounds worth of debt. Whelan sold up just over a year ago and I’d be very surprised if a large proportion of that debt wasn't already with the company when he sold it. The current owners are in part suffering for Whelan’s miss management. (Same could be said for our club as well)

To simply say Whelan sold at the right time and the blame can’t be pointed at him is very nieve imo.

More fool the people who bought it off him tho.

Although I don’t really want it to go under as I know a few people who work there, I would love nothing more if it did go under for IL to buy the land and build a nice new stadium on part of ‘Whelan’s empire’. There would be some ironic satisfaction in that you must admit.

Brian is the name of his bumchum that he keeps locked under the stairs in a box ala the gimp from pulp fiction

i thought we was changing the stadium name anyway for the start of this season hence why it says "Fortress GB" on the back of the new season ticket cards i thought that was something to do with it i thought the GB was the initials for the new name

JJB have made some terrible policy decisions over the last few years. They are victims of their own mismanagement, sadly though, the executives will probably leave with payoffs prior to administration and the workers will be left in the dole queue.

JD & SportsDirect will probably pick off a few stores each and save some jobs, however that wont help the head office/warehouse workers etc.

The bluechip companies in this country have really been exposed in the last few months.

A company with £60m debt and an asset worth an estimated £100m (Health Clubs) is unlikely to go bust.

I thought they had started to sell off the health clubs?

I know they sold off the soccerdomes to powerleague, but thought the health clubs had started to be broken up as well.

No they still own the Health Clubs in their entirety. A memo was sent out on Friday to around 10 interested parties who have shown an interest in buying them. They could be debt-free if they can complete a sale, not many high street retailers can say that at the moment.

Fair enough. It would be interesting to see though if any company was willing to buy the clubs outright, but that way, or selling them off in bits wouldn't matter to JJB I dont suppose.

JJB wont go bust more downsize until the storm is over. There are areas where JJB have sold to SD.com or closed and SDs takings have gone up 25% so it benefits that company.

JJB will probably close smaller stores like Leigh and focus on their top 50% of shops streamlining their products. They are currently building a partnership with Adidas and Nike to revamp areas of the shop to accomodate new clothing and footwear. Its going to be tough but they will get through it, thats if they have balls and cut losses quickly.

sky reporting that two subsidiaries off jjb to go into administration.

[urlhttp://www.bitterwallet.com/deathwatch-jjb-footwear-spin-off-in-administration/7499[/url

It's not looking good.

Where would that leave Latics sponsorship?

I suppose it depends if they've been paid up front like us. If they haven't then I suppose it means going finding another sponsor ASAP. If they have been paid up front then they're quids in if they decide to find another sponsor.

Next season the Stadium naming and Latics sponsor is up. From what ive been told both will be new.

JJB are announcing a sponsorship of dart player Phil "the power" Taylor in the Observer so can't be so hard up.

darts players are probably cheaper than a stadium or a football team, even if it is Phil 'The Power'

Disco Dave in Corrie last week

My heart bleeds, I suppose they can try XL airlines ....ouch

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7881793.stm www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/JJB ... 4963755.jp

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7881793.stm www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/JJB ... 4963755.jp

They have filed to apply for administrators to act on their loss making divisions, Original Shoe Company and Qube. JJB Sports itself isn't going into administration.

At least someone has read the story.

they have made middle management redundancies on monday at the warehouse - my friend was one of them, they are also asking for voluntary redundancies

nowt wrong with that if your nearing retirement age and the redundancy package is good.

sadly, i fancy the package will be the legal minimum.

and im all for management leaving first, but preferably upper management as they are the ones who have helped to screw up the business, not the shop flor rank and file.

*wpm in shop steward mode*

Latics will just stick VIZWEAR on the shirts until the end of the season.


As someone with a number of good friends within JJB - I hope they're ok