Yesterday afternoon results elsewhere conspired to ensure that Roberto Martinez’s under achievers were in the lowest possible league position available.
So what can we possibly do to rectify this sorry state of affairs?
For a start we can stop bleating about the apparent lack of interest of the Wigan Athletic chairman. I know I am often perceived as a ‘Whelan lover’, but this is not the case. I do though appreciate the fact that if it wasn’t for him, my home town team would now be patrolling the lower leagues, or worse, in a ramshackle stadium called Springfield Park. And make no mistake, without Whelan’s input and ‘clout’ the ground would now almost certainly be falling into disrepair with the local council continuing vigorously to cut the capacity even further than the 6,500 that it stood at in 1994/95.
Instead, he has ensured that Springfield Park will live on forever in our hearts as our ancestral home, one of which we are justifiably proud.
Mr Whelan then went on to produce most of the finances needed to build the DW (then JJB) Stadium, a home in which new memories and feats were to be performed by the team he saved from destruction. If anybody still reading this can not appreciate it then I feel really sorry for them.
Those feats of footballing magic were also duly completed with Wigan Athletic actually sitting at the top of the Premier League on 18th August 2007, just over two years after Morecambe played against Latics in the first ever game at the new stadium.
Understandably perhaps, Mr Whelan is now reportedly ready to retire from both business life and football and after what he has achieved personally in his lifetime, can you really blame him? Given the fact that the Premier League is now merely a toy for billionaire playboys and Sky Sports, can Mr Whelan be blamed for actively seeking to offload the club to somebody who wants to try to compete against those parasites?
Can we as supporters really be mean spirited enough to blame the man for wanting to leave the club in a debt free situation, with the prospect of somebody else, whoever they may be, starting again with a clean slate? Let’s face it, this is what the current aims are and there are certainly lower aims than those available in the great game of football aren’t there?
Instead of putting all our efforts into moaning about lack of transfer funds, let’s just stand up and be counted as we strive to start moving this team onwards and upwards.
Instead of moaning and bellyaching about our league position, let’s take a closer look at ourselves shall we? Here we are in the best league in the world and all we can do is bitch and complain among ourselves, mostly over Roberto Martinez and his tactics, it must be admitted.
But there is nothing we can do about this except cause further fractures among ourselves. Martinez will not resign, Mr Whelan will not sack him, and so as supporters we need to accept this fact and help the team to progress.
Let’s start on Monday evening shall we?
When the Wigan Athletic supporters are united in a common belief we are almost unstoppable. The atmosphere that we are capable of producing is among the best in the Premier League, make no mistake about that. Mr Martinez has commented on it numerous times, stating that a fully wound up crowd can have a positive effect on the team gaining a positive result in any given game. Recent events prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Manchester City will arrive confident. They will hopefully go back to their big council house and massive debts requiring another crisis loan to try to become something that they do not deserve to be.
But we mustn’t rest there. A positive result against Mancini’s playboys will ensure that Wigan Athletic will be clear of the relegation zone. The real work then begins in earnest for the remainder of the season. Divided we and the team will crumble, but united we can all achieve what we really want can’t we?
Our aims are simple. We don’t want to run up massive debts and become a plaything for bored billionaires. We want a team, a proper one made up of players and supporters who stick together.
We were here long before Mr Whelan and Mr Martinez, and we will be here long after they are gone. But surely for what both men have done for this club they deserve our utmost support? We can worry or anticipate better things, when they are gone. But let’s appreciate them whilst they are here.
Accentuate the Positive!
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