Once again Rugby League has been left with egg on its face after Dave Wheelan chose not to let Wigan RL play their home play off game at the JJB Stadium. Wheelan, the owner of both the JJB Stadium and Wigan FC, decided that because Wigan FC had a home game 24 hours after Wigan RL were due to face Bradford then the rugby game will have to be moved.
However, this would have been an acceptable reason to change the play off venue had the same scenario not happened previuosly when Wigan FC were in the second teir of English football. Neither game was reschedualed back then.
So what has changed since that time? Why are Wigan being forced to play at Widnes tonight? Well, now that Wheelan no longer owns the rugby club he is simply protecting his club. That is despite both Wigan RL and Wigan FC having a 50/50 share in the stadium. Somehow, the rugby club have been given the poor end of the stick.
On a quick but disgusted note, I feel that rugby league has bowed out to football in a manner that is purely unacceptable. How can a club be forced out of a stadium when another club will play there on an entirely different day? Despite what Wheelan has said on TV, radio and newspapers, he does not care about Wigan RL. In fact, I strongly believe the reason he bought the club to begin with was to give the stadium some use during the summer months.
As Wigan RL are being treated as second class citizens at the JJB, I feel they need a stadium of their own to become the respected force they once were.
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