Building bridges

Building bridges?

Only time will tell, after the most dramatic (and stressful) three weeks that Wigan Athletic have experienced since administration comes to a close finally there was the chance this week to gain answers (of a sort).

After near radio silence from the board for the last month or so the board of directors (minus Mal Brannigan) but including Shaun Maloney gathered along with fans representatives from the various fanzines, podcasts and supporter groups to discuss what had happened over the last few weeks – and try to provide answers to a if not raging lets say sceptical fan base.

I said last week that this had been one of the most damaging spells in the history of Wigan Athletic, self-inflicted harm that has quite probably led to our relegation back to League One.

The good news is from this meeting between supporters and board that the board realise that.

Whether the steps that the board speak about taking to rectify the situation will work or indeed take place – well that’s for us to judge, as Talal Al Hammad has said on numerous occasions – actions speak louder than words and more than ever that phrase needs to be used to hold the ownership group to account.

A lot was revealed to the group present and those present will be able to go in to the finer details of what they were told and whether they took the board at their word.

I think two things that have come out of this whole sorry episode that probably needed to happen regardless is a plan to cut costs, that doesn’t mean we bob about at the bottom of League Two for ever and a day.

It also doesn’t mean that the facilities in the club are cut to the bone.

It means that the ridiculous wage bill that was allowed to balloon after promotion is cut. It means utilising more of our own players from the youth academy and it means we’re a bit more clever about the recruitment side utilising analysis and data to get ahead in the transfer market rather than the haphazard approach we’ve had over the last eighteen months.

The second is the importance of Shaun Maloney to this football club and thankfully that he seems to actually have faith in the ownership group.

If Maloney had walked in the aftermath of the shambles of the last few weeks no one could have blamed him. The fact that he seems committed to the club must be seen as a good thing. If what was said on Tuesday night is to come to fruition then Shaun Maloney is absolutely central to all of that.

This season has been an unmitigated disaster and despite the mistakes (huge mistakes) of the owners over the last twelve months we have no option than to hold them to their words.

There is no queue of people willing to sink their millions in to Wigan Athletic at the present time, it’s not that Phoenix 21 are our best option they are currently our only option.

That doesn’t mean swallowing every sweet word whispered hook, line and sinker but holding them to those promises via the Indie Latics movement, the various supporter groups and every person young and old who puts money in to that football club of ours.

The first big test comes next Thursday when the April salaries are due, once that has been paid we can look to the future with caution but as Talal said the salaries issue simply can’t happen again. Once bitten twice shy for Wigan.

If Talal means what he says he’ll prove it, otherwise there’ll be a few thousand angry Lancastrians wanting a word with him.

Let’s consider this week as an operation in building bridges, building trust will take time. I hope for all of our sakes the owners and board are genuine in what they’ve said to us.

Sean Livesey

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