So well, that was a week!
Even last night Wildheart was dispatched from the TNS office to go & report from outside the DW ground, as we’d heard an ITV News Crew was there.
Excited at what could be massive breaking story, he returned a little miffed, drenched from the rain to find out the story was Dave Sending an email. I did throw him a towel, shame the media don’t do the same.
Yesterday, Jimmy was also asked to go on Radio 5 to provide an Independent Fans view, but he’s too wise to be at the mercy of the Bandwagon media.
So to recap, Wigan appointed Malky Mackay last week, the football world was divided. It even divided the extremely busy TNS office. Now we’re not talking setting up the demilitarized zone, but let’s just say the debate has been healthy!
Of course with Malky returning to football after an 11 month sabbatical since leaving Cardiff, he’s done this before the FA rule on his investigation. This is what all the frenzy in the media is about, has he returned too soon versus there’s been no charge yet, let him work, have you seen the Employment Rights Act of 1996?
This was then further complicated by Big Dave’s interview with the Guardian newspaper, where he may have said some disparaging stereotypical comments. This of course again sent the Media into a frenzy; with everything being thrown at Wigan Athletic from the club being burned at the stake to some calming perspective.
Dave has since sent his responses to the FA as per his deadline & basically that’s where we are right now.
Of course there are multiple views on all of this; with the expected spectrum.
From, Malky being Sacked, Dave stepping down as Chairman, to Wigan Athletic & a town full of racists, thanks for that Vincent Tan, strange how the FA missed that slanderous comment! To, a ‘few words’ don’t make someone an ‘ist’, foolish maybe! But let’s have some perspective on how the football world tarnishes its transgressors! Do you know there’s a captain currently in English football that killed 2 children & put their father in a wheelchair whilst drink driving, he’s playing football.
Of course the above are not the views of TNS, we are just reporting the facts of the press frenzy of the last week. We just want the full legal process for both Dave & Malky to be completed, the punishment (if relevant) to be issued & then we can all take the next steps.
Breaking News – as this was published Dave Whelan has since been charged by the FA & has until 6pm on the 5th December to respond.
So to football & apologies Sheffield Wednesday fans, that was some introduction, but I’m sure you can understand. It’s the 19th game in the Sky Bet Championship. Wigan Athletic will be playing Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough Stadium, kick off will be at 3:00pm on Saturday the 29th of November.
Wigan will start the match in the relegation zone, in fact 23rd place, with 17 points, with only Blackpool below us (hence the new Manager). Sheffield Wednesday are 13th in the league with 22 pts from their 18 games. Top of the table are Derby with 35 pts.
Wigan’s last match was at the DW, with Malky’s first game in charge it saw Wigan take the lead against Middlesbrough, only to be pegged back and the game run out 1-1. Why not have a read of Wildheart’s cracking match report.
This season getting the goals, Wigan’s top scorer this season is McManaman with 5 goals and Sheffield Wednesday its Nihiu, also with 5 goals.
Looking at recent form coming into this game, it’s not good reading for either team, the last 6 games, Wigan are 18th & Sheffield Wednesday 22nd in the form table:
- Wigan P 6 W 1 D 3 L 2 (Winning against Derby & Draws with Millwall, Fulham & Middlesbrough)
- Sheffield Wednesday P 6 W 0 D 5 L 1 (Draws with Brentford, Norwich, Charlton, Rotherham & Huddersfield) in fact it’s been 10 games since their last win.
Previous Games between the 2, there has actually only been a handful. In fact when Wigan played Sheffield Wednesday in the league last season, it was the first league game between the 2! This of course chalked off another team on Wigan’s small list of teams we’ve not yet played.
So there have been just 7 games, 2 in league last season, Wigan wining both. February saw Wigan win 3-0 at Hillsborough with goals from Maynard (2) & Fortune and the following month at the DW, Jordi Gomez scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot.
Other games have seen 3 Friendly meetings, in 1981, 1994 & 2008, Wigan winning 2 and drawing the match in August 1994.
The remaining games are both 2nd Round FA Cup Ties played in December 1975 & 1977 respectively.
The FA Cup in 1975/76 saw Wigan still a Non League team in the Northern Premier League beat Matlock Town 4-1 in the First Round. Sheffield Wednesday a 3rd Division Team had beaten Macclesfield Town 3-1.
The Second Round tie played at Hillsborough; saw Wednesday win 2-0 in front of a crowd of 12,436, not a bad result for Wigan at the time. Sheffield Wednesday then went on to be beaten in the 3rd Round, 2-1 by Charlton Athletic.
Ironically enough 2 years later the same 2 teams were pitted against each other again in the 2nd Round. Wigan still a Non League Team, though about to be promoted to the football league the following summer. Sheffield Wednesday then a mid Table 3rd Division team.
Wigan had beaten York City 1-0 in the 1st Round; Wednesday had beaten Bury 1-0. But the 2nd Round result was somewhat different than 2 years earlier. A Springfield Park crowd of 13,871 saw Maurice Whittle score the only goal of the game to send Wigan into the 3rd Round. Wigan of course then went on to play 1st Division Birmingham City at St Andrews, losing 4-0, but hey Wigan had beaten 2 league teams along the way.
Overall form the 7 games, Wigan have won 5, Sheffield Wednesday 1 and 1 draw, once again thanks to Cockney Latic for the Head to Head info.
Referee for the Game will be Christopher Kavanagh, his persons along the white lines will be Simon Clayton and Richard Wigglesworth, finally the 4th official person will be Oliver Langford.
Looking at Christopher’s stats, shall we call him Chris? He’s never took charge of a match where Wigan or Sheffield Wednesday have figured, but Chris has been making his way through the football pyramid in the last 3 seasons. This will be his first Championship game he’s looked after, so all we can do is give you some of his stats when dishing out Cards.
Season Games Yellow Red League
2012/13 24 62 8 Blue Square Premier
2013/14 22 74 7 Football Conference
2014/15 12 28 0 League One & Two
As you can see he’s calmed down in the number of Red Cards issued this season, let’s just hope the occasion doesn’t go to Chris’ head come Saturday at 3pm!
Team News for Wigan will at last be positive with Boyce, Watson & McClean now all available for Malky. Of course this may change as we close in on the weekend, as for Sheffield Wednesday; it looks like Stuart Gray’s team didn’t pick any injuries from the Huddersfield Town game.
How the Bookies see the game, well working with ‘K%ckoff’, 44% of them see Sheffield Wednesday taking all 3 points, with the remaining 56% split evenly. So 28% believe Wigan will take 3 points back across the Pennines & the other 28% believe this will result in a draw. If you look back at the form, a draw may be the obvious result, with 8 of the last 12 games these 2 teams have played resulting in Draws. You can get 21/10 at William Hill for the draw.
My thoughts on the game, I just want to see a good game of football played and the media report on the football. Let’s just see?
Andy
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