Why should the Council get involved using taxpayers money to prop up a commercial enterprise? How would they square that with the many people in the borough who have no interest in sport and particularly those in the east of the borough who have little love of Wigan RL or Latics. Ten years of Tory cuts has seen their budget cut by over 40% and it struggles to provide essential services as a result. You want the Council to lash a few million quid around it hasn't got at the expense of Children's Services or Care Homes. Typical lazy attack on a Labour controlled Council. You want to direct your ire at Westminster pal.

Non-gameday use is a huge income generator at Leeds - it's basically an events business with a Rugby League club bolted on to it. Not quite the same in St Helens and Warrington as they don't have the same local business markets but they will make tidy amounts that help to pay for the stadia and support the club. Certainly the grounds aren't money pits.

Obviously right now that's not a good place to be, but in the long run having supporting income streams like this is the best way to support the RL club's own core finances.

you also have to remember cost, Warrington didnt pay for thier stadium, it was part of the deal with tesco, stains got the land free and help to build again from tesco

if the DW costs 2.5 million to buy its a bargian, but as has been stated by people with much better knowlegde of the club than me it needs upwards of £4m spending on it, 6.5-7m is a huge whole to fill with weddings and other events

It's business meetings and conferences that generate the real money rather than weddings. But you also have the saved rent and full operational control of your future.

I'm not sure it's a great meeting or conference venue either though. Not that near a motorway junction or train station and competing with Manchester and Liverpool.

One thing that has come to the fore during covid is the use of the likes of Zoom and Teams, this will have a big effect on the conferencing industry and will probably become "the norm"

What about the £12m Tesco paid for Central Park? Which rather irritated Whelan.

but in that time its getting older, the infastructure will need upgarding, its a 20 year old structure, the concourses arent really fit for purpose anymore, spending all half time queing to get a coffee or a beer isnt really a 21st century experience. it needs new scoreboards, the seats and steps are getting worn, its not that accesible for a 21st century ground but generally iits been a bit neglected and needs bringing upto date, its all expense, and with a bill of £6m before you start it takes some finding. it would be lovely to own it, from a prestige point of view as its one of the better ground in the league. But with wigans location its not goig to draw the conferences etc that headingly would in a city centre with a cricket ground attached. it would be interesting to see the accouts for saints and how much in reality comes in from the ground.

In reality the DW its too big, its nice to have the capacity, but we didnt sell it out for a world club match, so investing in a stadium that needs work and is too big is a financial gamble, and in the current climate not a very apealing one. if it was bought for next to nothing from liquidators thats another issue, but at the pric quoted it doesnt make sense,

the other issue and its a large one, is will the fans return in the numbers they did? attending the match is a habit, and once your out of that habit you quickly fill the time with other hobbies etc. i hope that fans return in huge numbers but i have my doubts, the sport itself as at a crossroads, some clubs may not survive unless fans can be at matches soon.

All in all i can see why the deal we have is suddenly looking very appealing to the club.

that went to the club, to cover the debts of the whitbread stand and some strange decisions in the early nineties that was then bought by whelan, so in a round about way helped pay for the stadium

the warrington deal was different they were given the stadium rather than cash, as the council wrote it into the planning consent which with hinsight was a deal we should have pursued, there was talk at the time of a ground at marus bridge by wheatlea park, but that never materialised

That paid the debts. We didn't pay a single penny for the stadium but then again neither did Latics.

The stadium was signed off and work was underway before we even knew where we were playing

Indeed the deals were not the same, but nevertheless neither would have happened without Tesco funding.

Did I say anything about using more the Council giving any more Council Tax in addition to the £4.9 million they owned in the Stadium. As for budget cuts, not all is to do with Central Government as some are led to believe as some of the shortfall is due to the money wasted by Councils on things like the shambles on the Saddle and Marus Bridge Junctions. Many Labour controlled Councils do a good job in providing new and better facilities and new roads as illustrated in other nearby towns.

If things are so bad as a result of budget cutbacks in the Wigan Council area, why not sell the 14% share of the Council in the Stadium,.

Noticed that you have said nothing about my comments about the financial rewards of Councillors which also come out of Council Taxpayers money which might give away the reason why!

p.s. Councils no longer run Care Homes etc for the disabled as they are now francised out to the private sector of private landlords and care companies who operate on low pay and zero hour contracts which Labour Councils support!