12/21/24
November 23, 2009
Wigan Offers to Refund Fans After 9-1 Loss: After a historic 9-1 loss at Tottenham Sunday, the players for Wigan are offering a refund to all fans who made the road trip to White Hart Lane. "We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday," Wigan captain Mario Melchiot announced on the club's web site. "This is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their loyalty."
That's a classy move on their part. Rewarding fan loyalty like that generates more fan loyalty. Take notes, American team owners.
posted by Joey Michaels at 08:31 PM on November 23, 2009
In all honesty, a shoeing is not that bad a match to watch, even as an away supporter. When it becomes clear that your side's on the end of a good hiding, the Dunkirk spirit kicks in and you develop a thick skin and "well, just one of those days" attitude. (At least, that's what happened for me.)
Since Wigan-Spurs was a televised match, I'd guess that there weren't that many away fans who came down from the northwest, and that a fair few were "exiles" in London and thereabouts. They're also not refunding the travel costs, which will run to a bit more than the ticket price, even for those who took the club coaches.
That doesn't stop it being a nice gesture.
posted by etagloh at 02:06 AM on November 24, 2009
I think it's a crappy gesture that demonstrates why Wigan are doomed. What fan is assessing his or her fandom according to economic principles? Earlier in the season, they lost to 4-1 to Blackpool in the League Cup - surely that's worse than losing 9-1 to a team in the (current) top four?
This gesture smacks of "winning is the only thing that matters" partisanship that is no good for the game. Only by seeing (and paying to see) rubbish like they produced on Sunday can you then feel the high of beating Chelsea (as they did earlier in the season).
By all means refund tickets if the team just don't try, but they got spanked by a good team on a rampage, so suck it up.
A Spurs fan just sent me this link which probably says all of that a lot better than I just did.
posted by JJ at 05:37 AM on November 24, 2009
I watched this match last night. It was 1-0 at the half. Spurs scored 8 goals in 45 minutes, and I don't think any of them was poor goalkeeper play. He even made a few strong saves.
posted by rcade at 06:49 AM on November 24, 2009
I only saw the goals online this morning, so maybe harsh to judge from that, but you'd think by the fourth or fifth time Defoe did it Kirkland would have worked out he was going to have a shot and not square it.
posted by JJ at 07:50 AM on November 24, 2009
The entire match was played with Wigan on its heels and Spurs putting relentless pressure on the defenders. Spurs had at least five strong scoring chances in the first half too.
posted by rcade at 01:07 PM on November 24, 2009
JJ, i somewhat agree with SOME of your comment... But only about 5%...
I think its a nice, perhaps even classy gesture by a club in any sport.
Every fan assesses their fandom according to economic principals (as you put it). Unless of course you have money to throw away, these days especially many people are assessing many things they didn't used to, i'm sure...
For a club, any club it is almost always about money isn't it? For the owners i mean. Its always the bottom line i would think; money brings in good players, pays their salaries, makes improvements to stadiums, etc...
I'm thinking that the people that made this decision made it to show that they appreciate their fans and feel as badly as they do after such a game. Its a good way, i think to share in the misery that was a 9-1 thrashing.
posted by StarFucker at 03:51 AM on November 29, 2009
You know it's a crappy day when your GK posts an away goal.