https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... ngId%7E%7D States that obviously he can't go on forever, he's 76. Either his sons (or one of them) will take over the club or Mike Danson will. Mentions other clubs like Hull KR have brought additional money men in as directors to 'share the load' which he believes is the way to go. Thoughts?

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... ngId%7E%7D States that obviously he can't go on forever, he's 76. Either his sons (or one of them) will take over the club or Mike Danson will. Mentions other clubs like Hull KR have brought additional money men in as directors to 'share the load' which he believes is the way to go. Thoughts?

IL is 76 mate. He has been great for the Club, I am sure he will make the right decision when required.

The only shadow over the future of the club as I see it, and this is not the fault of IL, is the stadium.

We still seem to be joined at the hip to a football club that lurches from one crisis to the next.

Whenever pressed on this, he talks up the contract we've got and how well the cost-share works, and I'm sure that's all true, but it's anyone's guess how long before the Latics' latest owners bail, and then we'll have to go through all that uncertainty about the DW again.

I personally think it's too big for either of us, and even though IL made a valiant effort to secure it last time the football club was facing liquidation, that was obviously out of necessity and not something he'd probably wanted.

I say again that none of this is IL's fault, but it's a damn shame that, despite the guy doing all sorts to put Wigan RL back on the map and onto a very firm financial footing, we're still haunted by this one thing that is beyond his control.

[size=85[/sizeI'd love us to be away from that largely anodyne shed, but where to? Sharing with the Leythers is like asking Workington & Whitehaven to merge (a guy nearly spontaneously combusted last week at the Haven game when I even mentioned the other place

). Without mortgaging the club to the last follicle (Stainer's ground cost them £30+million over som't like 10 or 15 years) we're stuck with the hostile wendyball team's owners or whoever is next (have they fully paid wages to the Latics players & staff yet?). Unless someone with deep pockets arrives who genuinely & passionately supports league, we're going nowhere soon & we'll unfortunately just have to suck it. As off-pi$$ing that is.
IL's tenure won't last forever, but I do have trust in him with Rads et al to get the future properly sorted.

We own the ground next door, surely it wouldn't be as costly to redesign the spot than trying to find somewhere to build a new stadium on and infrastructure is already there, I reckon you could bang a nice lal 18k seater on there if designed properly

that's a good point, i'd forgot we did own that. would we get planning permission tho? also, is there a requirement buy out of the current contract? the Latics can't throw us out without comp., so it must work the other way round too, no?
Moot point, anyway, as neither is likely to happen anytime soon.

That Robin Park development is one of the best things to have happened off-field for quite some time. It seems to have huge potential to me.

Do we own it though?
I thought we rented it off the council.

I don't know but it certainly isn't owned by Latics.

I would love it if we could have a nice red seated stadium at Robin Park, on the sunkissed shores of the Duggie. You wouldn't be able to keep me away, i guarantee it would be nearly full every week. A good stadium with enclosed corners, let the Latics stew in their own pi$$ 'Our stadium, get the rugby out' yada yada yada, i would love nothing more than to grant them their wish. There must be a way of doing it, funding it.

I'm sure IL bought it back in 2018 or 2019, could be wrong, maybe he just made a long term deal with the council, I'm sure somebody in the know will know.

Yes we do rent it, although we still own Orrell.

17,500 seat development on Robin Park, big standing terraces for those who wish to stand.

£30mil is pocket money to Danson! Haha.

Go in DW for Saints on a Good Friday.


On a serious note. The best supporting years of my life have been down to IL, Wigan hall of fame in my mind.

Uncle Maurice for me in the 90s, I was only a kid but what memories. I get the sentiment though. IL has been nothing short of outstanding for the club. A brilliant owner.

Anything in the pipeline for Orrell? Noticed they’re using it as a pit stop for a charity run for Doddie Weir and it’s the first time in a long while that I remembered we actually owned it.

Yes I noticed that. I haven't heard anything, it's prime building land but I believe access is a major problem to getting planning permission.

Quote ="NickyKiss"Anything in the pipeline for Orrell? Noticed they’re using it as a pit stop for a charity run for Doddie Weir and it’s the first time in a long while that I remembered we actually owned it.'" The last time I heard anything about it I'm sure I saw a article saying the club were giving Orrell a limited amount of time to raise an amount in the hope of buying the club back. I get the feeling it was at least twelve months ago though. Will try and find it. EDIT - Nearly two years ago. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... ad-3120918

Quote ="NickyKiss"Anything in the pipeline for Orrell? Noticed they’re using it as a pit stop for a charity run for Doddie Weir and it’s the first time in a long while that I remembered we actually owned it.'" The last time I heard anything about it I'm sure I saw a article saying the club were giving Orrell a limited amount of time to raise an amount in the hope of buying the club back. I get the feeling it was at least twelve months ago though. Will try and find it. EDIT - Nearly two years ago. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... ad-3120918

Quote ="MattyB"The last time I heard anything about it I'm sure I saw a article saying the club were giving Orrell a limited amount of time to raise an amount in the hope of buying the club back. I get the feeling it was at least twelve months ago though. Will try and find it. EDIT - Nearly two years ago. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... ad-3120918'" I spoke to some Orrell lads on Friday and they said there's zero chance of them getting it back.

Quote ="MattyB"The last time I heard anything about it I'm sure I saw a article saying the club were giving Orrell a limited amount of time to raise an amount in the hope of buying the club back. I get the feeling it was at least twelve months ago though. Will try and find it. EDIT - Nearly two years ago. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... ad-3120918'" I spoke to some Orrell lads on Friday and they said there's zero chance of them getting it back.

I recall that issue with the access. A huge blow that considering what the land must be worth (well it could be worth if they could get around it).

when was the last time any council planning committee had any issues with a minor thing like access or congestion or anything else that a large housing estate is going to bring

Bolton council have approved 2 within less than a mile of each other on the way up to chequerbent roundabout. One right on the roundabout and 1 on Platt Lane which joins Park Rd on way up from Westhoughton to the roundabout.
if you travel that daily, you know there is congestion virtually constantly so why approve 2 additional housing estates knowing how bad it is anyway

pretty sure, if a housing developer comes in with the right bid for Orrell that it would get approved with Wigan Metro get something out of it

Regarding any possible development at Robin Park, I would be over the moon to finally divorce ourselves from the football club. Ian Lenagan’s tenure at the club has been remarkable and what a legacy he would leave if, together with Mike Danson, he could bring the Robin Park dream to fruition.

As far as I can see, Mike Danson’s net worth is somewhere approaching £1.2 billion. Without wishing to sound disrespectful, surely this is something he could help with. A sale of Orrell could perhaps buy the freehold to Robin Park from the council. There would be grants to help fund the redevelopment, a manageable portion of the overall cost would have to be mortgaged and the remainder funded by the majority shareholder(s).

Far from being a civil engineer, I would think the River Douglas would have to be diverted from the corner where the astroturf football pitches are and this incorporated into the cost. Would £30-40 million cover everything? Is this a pipe dream or a distinct possibility?