Another game, another adopted Wiganer struggling to cling on to their home town and accent. This week it’s Tim McGrath, now of this Parrish but latter of that place that’s on the way to Leeds where loads of people always get on the train, but no one ever seems to get off. He’s nothing to sell you and nothing to plug so I’ll not go on here and get straight on with the questions.
Wigan Athletic, what do you really think of us?
I don’t mind Wigan personally, now I live here I actually want them to stay up and have seen them a few times. However If they went down I would love to see us stuff you twice a year. Most HTAFC fans will have different views. Young fans will probably see you as a prem club that always survives by the skin of your teeth. Older fans who went to Springfield Park will see us as a bigger club than you with a better history and you lot are on borrowed time who don’t deserve to stay up due to your fanbase. Most fans will respect Wigan though for the simple fact is they got up and stayed there, plus everyone loves Martinez. When we sacked Grayson, your coach Jones, was probably the second most popular choice for manager after Adkins, so we obviously respect you.
Latics are down amongst the dead men again his season. Give us five reasons we should look forward to the Championship, if we don’t perform our annual escapology routine this year.
1. The league is very, very equal. You could win or lose every week. The bottom team can beat the top team and nobody bats an eyelid.
2. Your fans will actually see some victories before the end of March
3. It’s a lot cheaper for away games
4. Lots of quality derby games that you might actually win
5. You might be actually able to bring your own players into the first team and not rely on cheap foreigners.
And five reasons we should fight for our lives to avoid it.
1. Games on a Saturday at 3pm (Sounds like a good thing to us, there are only so many 1:30 kick offs you can take)
2. You will lose to some shit teams, people may actually turn on Martinez, no one expects you to beat Man Utd but they will when you play Ipswich
3. You will lose a lot of floating fans who only turn up for the big teams
4. If you don’t get back up you will be f***ed after 3 years.
5. Teams will play up to beat you and will some South American try his best away at Barnsley?
How’s your season going?
Like a firework. Shot off looking amazing, got within 3 points of top, then back down to earth with a bump. Got smashed a few times away, stopped scoring. Sacked Grayson. Youth coach took over and looked better, new manager Robins has taken over. God only knows. Could stay up and could go down. We are the Wigan of the championship. Third smallest budget in the league and maybe that will catch us out in the end.
Who have been your best performers so far, have you anyone that we need to be wary of?
We have quite a few decent players on their day. Vaughan up front can be quality, Scannell on the wing can show premiership skill in flashes. Clayton in the middle is destined for bigger things. Jack Hunt, is a great attacking full back that we turned down a 2 million bid 2 weeks ago. If given freedom he will beat the full back. He has a lot of assists this season.
Should we have bought Jordan Rhodes, how badly are you missing him?
Yes you should, if was Scottish or from South America you may have done. His overall game isn’t amazing but he just gets in the right place and the right time and doesn’t miss. He has continued at Blackburn, and he is great lad. Still watches Town on occasions when Blackburn are not playing. We do miss him, but we have not been creating any chances this season for him to put away.
I have two abiding memories of Huddersfield, the first is standing on a massive Leeds Rd terrace in the eighties and it being freezing, even in summer, the second is Steve Bruce turning up for a pre-season friendly dressed like a middle-class Frenchman off for a day on a yacht, all pastel shades with a jumper casually strewn about his shoulders. Oh, and winning the league at your place back in 2003. Have you got anything to say on those? What are your abiding Latics v Huddersfield memories?
I can remember you bringing a lot over in 2003, you appeared to bring over a large number of “lads” and I thought it was going to kick off after the game. We used to have a fair number of fans who like a “dance”, but I think it passed off with little fuss. I can remember beating you 3-1 at Springfield Park and you were dire and sponsored by HEINZ. Remember you beating us at the JJB in a half empty stadium, we had the entire stand down the side. Coldest game ever, we were down to 10 men in first half and we lost one nil. Shit day had by all. Went in the Red Robin, that was shit too,
You’re married to a local lass, so I’m assuming you’ve been indoctrinated to our ways. What’s your favourite pie filling and how do you tackle the job of eating it? If you don’t eat pies then a) how’ve you avoided it and b) what’s your favourite match day snack?
Always meat and potato, although the Balti pie at the ground isn’t that bad. Don’t like the idea of Kidney, it’s like eating a bladder in my eyes. Best matchday snack is 5 pints of Timothy Taylor Landlord from one of the wonderful town centre pubs. Check out the King’s Head and the Head of Steam in the railway station, or the Sportsman which is only 200 yards away. If you bring a lot and police think you are a risk you will be frogmarched to a pub with no choice!
Thanks for the tip there, I’ll have to try my usual trick of going to the toilet, losing the police escort, but also half the people I’ve gone with as well. That never lands me in trouble, ever. Alternatively I could try a local accent “ere coppur, amt on t’ last push up, ave bin ont train while Tuesday”. No? I’ll stick to hiding in the bogs then.
Cheers Tim, have fun, but only after Sunday.
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