Wigan/Salford date change

[L Bow]

I think you watched a Star Wars video, you certainly didn't watch the Lenigan one 

 

No I watched the interview.  I watched the one Lenagan gave.  I don't know who Lenigan is.  Maybe he was in the Star Wars video you were watching.  

[Chris22]

Can't blame the RFL for this one. We can't schedule a whole season because Wigan aren't allowed to play 24 hours before a football game. If they can't fulfil a fixture on a certain week, that is their problem!

[Padge]

Can't blame the RFL for this one. We can't schedule a whole season because Wigan aren't allowed to play 24 hours before a football game. If they can't fulfil a fixture on a certain week, that is their problem!

 

All clubs submit the same form pre-fixture compilation form, all clubs will have dates not suitable, the fixtures aren't just sucked out of Nigel Woods thumb on a wet Tuesday when the office is quite.

 

Isn't it weird how the "luck of the draw" always has Hull FC and Hull KR at home on different days.

 

Wigan can play the day before a soccer game, the decision not to play is based on the damage to the pitch that would occur with no time for remedial repairs considering it has just had to have a large section re-laid.

[LeeF]

The RFL were warned months ago that the date was an issue, before the fixtures were compiled. Its an RFL issue, they picked a date that had been declared a problem date.

So Wigan should have announced that there was an issue and sorted it out earlier

[LeeF]

All clubs submit the same form pre-fixture compilation form, all clubs will have dates not suitable, the fixtures aren't just sucked out of Nigel Woods thumb on a wet Tuesday when the office is quite.

 

Isn't it weird how the "luck of the draw" always has Hull FC and Hull KR at home on different days.

 

Wigan can play the day before a soccer game, the decision not to play is based on the damage to the pitch that would occur with no time for remedial repairs considering it has just had to have a large section re-laid.

So Wigan chose not to play?

BTW was the relaid pitch planned for the last week or was it a last minute decision?

[stevereed100]

Hull and Rovers frequently play/played on the same date at home,much to my annoyance.

Wigan had 7 games that didn't suit....more than 50%!....and the RFL sorted 5 for them......preferential treatment perhaps? I am not knocking that but take exception at their high horse and fannying over Salford added to still not knowing where Wigan want to play Rovers on Easter Monday, a prime day for me to travel from South Wales to catch a game. And why suggest this was interfering with their prep for the Aus challenge game? It's not rocket science.

[Cake Tiger]

Leigh was out because the Sports Village had 4 games already scheduled that week. Leigh is not an artificial surface.

 

Wigan brought up the option of playing a vacant cup weekend, the RFL said no as they thought it likely Wigan could be involved in the final.

 

If the RFL wanted the game on another ground then they should pick up the £75,000 bill for it.

 

Why should the RFL (effectively the other clubs in the game) pay because Wigan are the junior tenants in their stadium? Wigan requested 7 specific dates to avoid for this year's fixtures and the RFL were able to accommodate 5 of them. Why should Wigan get to choose when their fixtures are set instead of clubs that own their own ground?

 

The issue was known about weeks ago, Wigan didn't solve it and are now trying to blame the RFL. 

[Bleep1673]

The date in the future (June) was not available for the DW to host a fixture as major renovations are taking place on the pitch

 

Is this reseeding/relaying the pitch for the football team to play in the 4th tier in 2016/17?

[Spidey]

Is this reseeding/relaying the pitch for the football team to play in the 4th tier in 2016/17?

IL alluded to more extensive work - the stadium recognises the issues with drainage at the ground that requires a more long term solution than just relaying turf

[Old Frightful]

A couple of years ago IIRC, Hull FC had to play 6 consecutive games away from home over a period of 7 weeks whilst they were "fannying"  around with the KC pitch.

 

http://www.hullfc.com/first-team/matches/2014

 

Not great but, as tenants, this is summat we had to accept for the long term good of the pitch I suppose.

 

And there was no grumbling from other clubs as it was all arranged pre season.

[M j M]

Wigan claiming "oh, we TOLD the RFL that the DW wasn't available" isn't the entire story. The reality is that Wigan are unique in the league with their lack of influence at the stadium they play at.

 

Hull, for all their issues with the SMC, are able to play Fridays with the football the day after. Hudds seem to do OK, Salford have had one or two issues but nothing about not playing the day before their co-tenants. Leeds share with two other teams but have a very strong working relationship with YCCC and as the owners of the RL stadium have been known to move RU games to free it up for their use.

 

During the fixture preparation process, all of the above teams give the RFL a list of dates when they can't play home games each season - it will typically be one day on a weekend here and there, a few specific dates when there is already an event on a particular day.

 

Wigan on the other hand send the RFL a long list of entire weekends when they can't play at home because they want to play Fridays, but not Fridays on the same weekend as their landlords play on Saturdays. This is then followed by weeks on end when the stadium is unavailable due to pitch relaying. The window of opportunity for scheduling RL games at the DW is therefore much smaller than any other ground in the league. And on this occasion the RFL just couldn't shoe-horn these requirements into the fixture list.

 

It is entirely a problem with Wigan and for Wigan to sort, not the RFL. Playing second fiddle in this way in this most famous of Rugby League towns is pitiful.

[stevereed100]

Well explained,thanks. So Wigan could play Sundays when their landlords are at home on Saturday, in fact why not have Sunday as their main day?

Seems as if too many years of being the RFLs jewel has led Wigan to be full of themselves.

How could they expect the RFL to reschedule 7 plus games / dates?

[Cake Tiger]

Well explained,thanks. So Wigan could play Sundays when their landlords are at home on Saturday, in fact why not have Sunday as their main day?

Seems as if too many years of being the RFLs jewel has led Wigan to be full of themselves.

How could they expect the RFL to reschedule 7 plus games / dates?

 

I think the 7 requests relate to a period before the fixtures are released. I think all clubs are entitled to request certain dates are avoided. It's like the old days of Leeds always being at home on Boxing Day. Many of the clubs that share with football clubs can go 5-6 weeks without a home game in the summer if the pitch is being reseeded/relaid - again, requests are presumably made during the fixture negotiations with the SL before the list is released. 

 

I don't have a problem with the requests being made but clubs have to understand that not all requests can be met. If they are not, it's not good enough to just sit around until a week before the game and expect a solution to fall from the sky. 

 

IMO, fixtures should be as close to home-away-home-away as possible. I think the sporting integrity of the competition is at risk when other clubs are forced to host consecutive home games or 3 home games in 4 weeks because other clubs can't secure their home ground for a period. If a club can't play at home on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday and the RFL can't rejig the fixtures in a suitable way, the "home" club should have to take the game on the road. 

[Old Frightful]

Radio 5 Live: Saturday 14 April 2007
Dave Whelan "In Wigan rugby will always be f**ked about by football"

 

(Sorry mate, couldn't resist)

[DoubleD]

I see he's at it again blaming the RFL for his own club's issues........

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/35642585

[M j M]

I see he's at it again blaming the RFL for his own club's issues........

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/35642585

It's laughable. Each club in the league gets one home game over Easter. Wigan and Saints rotate who gets the home Derby on the Friday. This year it's Saints. Therefore Wigan have known they would have a home game on this Easter Monday for about 10 years! And still it's "completely outside" their control to make their ground available for it with a heavy indication that the RFL are somehow at fault!

[Bostik Bailey]

If you think about it the issue with the Easter Monday game is due to Wigan playing Away on Good Friday, why did Saints not agree to switch this fixture, it's not as if their ground would be busy for the return fixture.

so in Reality it's Saints fault

[DoubleD]

It's laughable. Each club in the league gets one home game over Easter. Wigan and Saints rotate who gets the home Derby on the Friday. This year it's Saints. Therefore Wigan have known they would have a home game on this Easter Monday for about 10 years! And still it's "completely outside" their control to make their ground available for it with a heavy indication that the RFL are somehow at fault!

 

I'm rapidly losing respect for Lenegan, the fact he has the cheek to continually criticise the RFL when he can't even get his own club in order is unbelievable

[stevereed100]

Thanks Wigan 8pm on Easter Monday.....why not 6pm?....is hardly a good time to travel away. But more importantly Rovers have Leeds away 4 days later.

Players shattered on Tuesday morning then little recovery before a delegation 4 pointer!

Selfish or what?

[kiyan]

Would a simple solution not be that if the home team cannot provide a venue it is offered to the away team so they had 2 home games. I am sure the reduction in revenue would focus minds more and even encourage them to seek ways to control/own their own ground. In this question, Sale Sharks are not playing at home (not are they are soccer team worried about tripping over a blade of grass) so if Wigan can't provide a venue, fixtures can't be reversed, they should play twice at AJ Bell.

[Barry Badrinath]

 

 

Wigan on the other hand send the RFL a long list of entire weekends when they can't play at home because they want to play Fridays, but not Fridays on the same weekend as their landlords play on Saturdays. This is then followed by weeks on end when the stadium is unavailable due to pitch relaying. The window of opportunity for scheduling RL games at the DW is therefore much smaller than any other ground in the league. And on this occasion the RFL just couldn't shoe-horn these requirements into the fixture list.

 

THIS ^^^^

 

They're incredibly lucky to be allowed to set foot in the bloody place, or so it seems, they really do seem to be latics bitches,

[JohnM]

Wigan and Wigan to play at home on same day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/35642585

[LeeF]

Wigan and Wigan to play at home on same day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/35642585

For thanking Wigan Athletic for cooperating read we haven't got any control over when we can play at home

[Exiled Wiganer]

This is a classic read. We only get the chance to enjoy this level of righteous indignation every few years - it's always a treat. Let it all out. It's good therapy.

[flyingking]

Thanks Wigan 8pm on Easter Monday.....why not 6pm?....is hardly a good time to travel away. But more importantly Rovers have Leeds away 4 days later.

Players shattered on Tuesday morning then little recovery before a delegation 4 pointer!

Selfish or what?

Did not know that HKR had been involved in the negotiations for Cameron's EU deal.