Todays SUN running a story on potential new owners
For the latics, and how they could b on collision course with
Football league, wonder were we would come into any
discussions if it turns out to b t

rue

Link?

Papershop 30p sun, page 73, too owd b that clever

THIRTY PENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Too cheap to care

COUPONS

And that tells you all you need to know about that one.

IL to buy Latics. Conflict of interest with him owning Wigan Warriors and being a shareholder in Oxford United.

He's certainly had a lot of private meets with DW of late...

Something seems to be going on.
Time will tell.

Which means he can't buy the Latics until he gives up his holding in Oxford.

If it did happen Wigan RL owning their own ground could lead to the biggest instance of mass suicide ever seen.

To his son?

Is it not now his son who is the director at Oxford? If not he could probably just give it to him and he buy latics himself.

Or maybe he could just put it in his dogs name? A la Harry Redknapp?

Likely to be a problem as well, especially so as it will still be IL money.

Interesting. If I was a Wigan fan I'd rather ownership was kept separate. No real facts to back that up, just a gut feel around independence and financial risk.

Whatever happens, here's hoping its to the RL club's benefit.

They would be two separate "holding" companies, maybe even three.

I appreciate that, but you'd have one bloke funding both clubs regardless of the legal entity status and funding requirements within a Group can impact on distinct limited companies very easily indeed - especially when they share the use of a substantial asset.

If IL bought latics and ran it like the Rugby theyd get relegated again and again it doesnt seem viable to run a football team as a profitable business anymore so i doubt he willtake them on. time will tell.

IL may buy the Latics but would Whelan sell the ground?
He could decide that Whelco will retain ownership of the stadium and ownership of the clubs is entirely separate.

It is definately possible, you just require a top manager. And not to be in the prem. You can easily, easily build a profitable team and club in the championship.

Not on the crowds Latics would pull in the Championship you can't. IMO of course.

I'd love to know how many Championship clubs are "easily, easily" profitable.

IL owning Latics would be a good result for them, the RL club and the town.

I imagine IL would want the stadium (which wouldn't be worth much in isolation anyway).

IL would undoubtedly run the football club on a sustainable basis. Some Latics fans might be disappointed at that outcome, but the reality is that a Whelan-esque UK sugar daddy is unlikely to want Latics, and overseas investors are even less likely to want to buy what is a relatively small football club. At least with IL in charge any relegation scenario would be managed so that the club didn't plunge down the leagues into total obscurity.

As for the rugby club, it would be great to have a proper ground share where equal priority is given to the clubs (although I don't particularly like Latics I would have no desire for revenge, and I don't expect IL would be anything other than scrupulously fair). There's no reason in reality why either club should be disadvantaged at all by groundsharing, fixture lists can be managed to avoid any problems.

No doubt some desperate Saints fans would still attempt to crow about having their small ground all to themselves. Inside though they would be seething with rage and envy at our high quality, 25k stadium.

I agree its possible but its not easy. The guy in your avatar pic is doing it but he has worked a miracle and there isnt many guys like him around.

They'd be wrong then - [urlhttp://www.wix.com/mckiernanj/town-sponsorship#!our-history[/url





While we need to consider what Manchester United do to the pitch, Stains have to worry about what Ramsbottom United will do to their pitch.

I'm unsure about this.

Latics aren't exactly going to make him lots of money so I think the only reason he may want to buy them would be to have a grasp on the stadium, But I'd be surprised if Whelan was going to give that up. It's possible that they could continue in the Championship without making a loss, but with the crowds latics will get in the Championship I hardly see them making massive profits either. However that all depends on how the club is run. It could be profitable but it wouldn't be easy.

If IL where to buy Latics, and he also got the stadium aswell then I could see why It could be worth while. The Warriors wouldn't need to be paying rent anymore and I guess the running costs of the stadium would be shared equally between both clubs. So in that aspect over the long term it could be a worth while investment. Latics being in the championship, and IL's ownership could probably make it more possible to get more occasional international games etc played at the DW too.

But If he bought Latics and Whelan kept the stadium as His own company, then He's only going to charge both clubs rent and I only see there being one winner in that scenario...

I've no idea how much money Whelan has invested over the years In Latics, but we all know he isn't stupid when it comes to things like this.. Whatever he is upto it will be very favourable for him financially.

It all depends if Latics go down. If they do the value of the club will be a lot less than it is now and lets face who else would want to buy them?

I wonder how much Whelan values them at currently?

I doubt that IL will buy Latics and not buy the stadium

I doubt that DW is expecting to do well financially out of Latics. He's sunk a fortune into that club and hasn't done so in the expectation of making a profit. DW, like his counterpart at Bolton Ed Davies, are guys who have burnt a large part of their personal wealth out of love for their football club.