Wigan’s cartoon mural - when is it too far?

[Desert Skipper]

3 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

If they want to remember it, show Flower with his hands on his head after getting a red.

showing someone whose career was ended prone on the floor with a fun, cartoon KAPOW next to it is ridiculous in anyone’s book and I can’t imagine any other club doing it.

but then the director of rugby there is happy to be on tv proudly goading his players to recklessly endanger opponents so it’s all very Wigan I suppose. 

I’m trying to listen to the other side of the argument here, but it’s starting to sound more and more like an anti-Wigan rant than a morality issue.

It was a moment of sporting madness, that will be remembered by Wigan fans and is referred to on a mural which will be seen by Wigan fans. I’m sure if enough Wigan fans are offended it will be taken down. Opposition fans shouldn’t get so touchy about it, but that’s just my opinion. RL isn’t about being friends and having cream tea on the pitch with everyone getting a medal for taking part. It’s a fast and rough contact sport with the occasional controversial bad boy moments.

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, Derwent said:

Why is Richard Ashcroft on there ?

He's from Wigan 

[Desert Skipper]

4 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Just because a majority is in favour of something doesn't mean you have to agree with it. People will still think it's wrong and be disappointed with the club for creating it. 

I was being a bit facetious of course

There seems to be a lot of ‘it must be done my way’ in society at the moment, even if it’s not the majority view.

If enough people don’t like it, I’m sure it will come down. However, if enough people interpret it differently, I hope it will stay.

[Desert Skipper]

15 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Because Wigan fans may find it acceptable it doesn't mean we all have to.

But it’s not for you, and it hardly inspires anything untoward such as racial hatred etc. Why be offended if you won’t see it? 

[Dave T]

24 minutes ago, Damien said:

Yes because that is why people don't like Wigan. Wigan have done loads of classy things over the last few years that have been roundly applauded by fans of other clubs.

On this I don't like it, its wrong. I think there are a lot of poor things on there that have me thinking that's a bit strange considering what could be on there. I suspect the artist has just got it and the mood badly wrong. I don't think any thuggery really deserves a place in a celebration of the club.

Correct. We all hated Wigan way before this came along!

[Jughead]

Just now, Desert Skipper said:

I’m trying to listen to the other side of the argument here, but it’s starting to sound more and more like an anti-Wigan rant than a morality issue.

It was a moment of sporting madness, that will be remembered by Wigan fans and is referred to on a mural which will be seen by Wigan fans. I’m sure if enough Wigan fans are offended it will be taken down. Opposition fans shouldn’t get so touchy about it, but that’s just my opinion. RL isn’t about being friends and having cream tea on the pitch with everyone getting a medal for taking part. It’s a fast and rough contact sport with the occasional controversial bad boy moments.

I don’t think it’s anti-Wigan to wonder quite why someone thought this was an acceptable part of a mural of the club’s 150th anniversary, why they wanted to include elements that the club wouldn’t be proud of and why, seemingly, somebody at Wigan signed this small part off?

The wider story of that particular cartoon is Wigan went on to lose a Grand Final they really had little right to lose against their biggest rivals, the offending player in question received a six month ban and a fine and the player on the ground ended up retiring barely a year later with that incident cited as a part of that, whilst also suffering from longer term effects of a brain injury. I’m not sure that’s worth including, whether it’s a poke of fun at the expense of their rivals or they’re going with the “we must include low parts of the clubs history” line (though they’ve then missed out on other, arguably, bigger low points in the clubs history). 

[idrewthehaggis]

13 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

He's from Wigan 

Limahl, Kay Burley and James Anderton?

[Damien]

13 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Correct. We all hated Wigan way before this came along!

Well that was my exact thought 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Damien

[The Blues Ox]

Looks smart that.

Would love to see a Halifax version as Im sure there would be plenty that people could be offended by, the begging buckets, Ian Gormley could be on jumping in to the Thrum Hall terracing, a fan confronting Steve Ganson, Mal Reilly punching a fan, Scott Murrell's belly.

[Desert Skipper]

12 minutes ago, Jughead said:

I don’t think it’s anti-Wigan to wonder quite why someone thought this was an acceptable part of a mural of the club’s 150th anniversary, why they wanted to include elements that the club wouldn’t be proud of and why, seemingly, somebody at Wigan signed this small part off?

I agree it’s not anti-Wigan to question anything you disagree with. It just seems that some people are getting a little too offended at something that won’t really affect them or anyone else who isn’t a Wigan fan, since they won’t have to look at it of course. 

As I said earlier, if enough Wigan fans are offended then it will no doubt come down and we can all stop spitting out our coffee.

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Looks smart that.

Would love to see a Halifax version as Im sure there would be plenty that people could be offended by, the begging buckets, Ian Gormley could be on jumping in to the Thrum Hall terracing, a fan confronting Steve Ganson, Mal Reilly punching a fan, Scott Murrell's belly.

As long a Malc Powell is on it

[Desert Skipper]

3 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Scott Murrell's belly.

Too far. Reported.

[Derwent]

27 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

He's from Wigan 

Well yes but what’s he got to do with the history of Wigan RL ?

[The Blues Ox]

5 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

As long a Malc Powell is on it

Get Hilda and Cov on there as well probably best to leave Ned out though. 

[GUBRATS]

Just now, The Blues Ox said:

Get Hilda and Cov on there as well probably best to leave Ned out though. 

I've no doubt met them , but a while ago , but Malcs a legend ,Jock as well 

[Moove]

Unnecessarily turning an act of career ending violence into celebratory artwork? Yep, that seems like a classy move to me 

No surprise of course to see the usual irony of the most offended person on the thread being the one getting offended by people finding something inappropriate.

[silverback]

Every club should do one...so everyone could be well shocked for a while.

[andyscoot]

Frankly I'm astounded it got to the point of being mounted in a wall. Very very poor taste. 

I feel this season the icy feeling towards Wigan was thawing slightly with Peet in charge but in typical Wigan fashion they have to go and balls it up.

[glossop saint]

I'm not sure anyone is actually being offended here, despite what some people are claiming. It's more a case of questioning if something is a bit crass.

The cartoon graphics could be seen to be trivialising a career ending punch which had longer lasting consequences for the victim. I would imagine that it is only him or his family that will be actually offended by this but that doesn't stop people from thinking it inappropriate. And those that do are not calling for it to be cancelled but merely questioning the taste.

I wonder if the artist has any concept of the incident other than what he has been told by Wigan staff. I suspect not given he has included it, which I think is pretty poor from him. If he has then I think it is even worse. But it is art. It is controversial. And this is a forum. Of course it will be questioned. 

[gingerjon]

I think we're missing the wider point that it's a bit bobbins.

[glossop saint]

8 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think we're missing the wider point that it's a bit bobbins.

Bit offensive that Jon

[Desert Skipper]

I’m just waiting for the Wests Tigers mural featuring the John Hopoate incident.

Edited June 25, 2022 by Desert Skipper

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, glossop saint said:

Bit offensive that Jon

Me, just now

[DavidM]

I like it , its certainly very well done 

[Dave T]

44 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

I'm not sure anyone is actually being offended here, despite what some people are claiming. It's more a case of questioning if something is a bit crass.

The cartoon graphics could be seen to be trivialising a career ending punch which had longer lasting consequences for the victim. I would imagine that it is only him or his family that will be actually offended by this but that doesn't stop people from thinking it inappropriate. And those that do are not calling for it to be cancelled but merely questioning the taste.

I wonder if the artist has any concept of the incident other than what he has been told by Wigan staff. I suspect not given he has included it, which I think is pretty poor from him. If he has then I think it is even worse. But it is art. It is controversial. And this is a forum. Of course it will be questioned. 

It's just the way isn't it. If you have any kind of discussion like this they will try and undermine your argument with claims of being offended, then we move onto virtue signalling, and inevitably cancelling.