[Archived] Ice Skating At Wigan

[PAFELL]

Can see why they did it, but moving the bloody coaches meant I came within a few seconds of not getting back to Blackburn!

You're right that the car/coach park was completely unsafe, mum. Before the game - when it was light - getting down the sloping car park from the coaches to the road was manageable if a complete joke. But then after the game I slipped and scrambled back to where the coaches were, only to find they'd gone! Cue another 5 mins of sliding all over the place to find em on the road. So then walked the length of the convoy and no sign of the coach I'd arrived on, by which time the drivers thought it must be about time to leave.

So motored back and knocked on a couple of coach doors, only to be met by a stream of f words from the driver who at least opened the door, others wouldn't even open the door. Thanks very much. So after giving up any hope, saw one coach hadn't left, wandered up to it and sure enough it was the right coach (and last to leave). Pulled away before I sat down, so if I'd been a few seconds later that would have been that.

So good idea to move the coaches? It very nearly wasn't for me.

I was on coach 6. The reason the coaches were moved was because some of the drivers stated that first they may not be able to get off again if they didn't move when they did. Secondly they thought trying to drive off that ice rink when everybody else was trying to drive off, as well as others who were walking. would be very dangerous.

The wigan car park stewards were not happy about the coach drivers moving the coaches onto the road - I heard the driver say to one of them - "it was too dangerous for his passengers to walk on that in the daylight,let alone the dark."(polite version)

I nearly started to walk to where the coach had parked before the game - but then saw the coach on the road.

It was a good idea in my view to move the coaches, but an announcement should have been made over the tannoy at half time.

It wasn't just the car park that was dangerous - but moving around the concourse at half time was murder.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

but moving around the concourse at half time was murder.

So true my daughter slipped on the steps at full time, luckily she did not hurt herself.

[roversmum]

It was even more dangerous in the concourse after the match for the disabled supporters who were trying to use their toilet and had to get through a large puddle of spilled beer, left by supporters who had congregated outside the toilet and dumped half filled plastic cups of beer there. Try getting through that with a wheelchair or crutches. Nice - not

[John Howarth]

The car park was quite horrendous - surely a bit of grit wouldn't have gone a miss. They'd been on telly last week saying how they'd cleared the surroundings to make it safe for fans - they must've been talking about the 5 metres around the stadium. We stayed behind for a while after the game, not sure how fun it would've been trying to get off the carpark at teh same time as 100s of others!

Having attended the game myself with friends, and parked the car on car park 1, I was also very disappointed to say the least at the lack of gritting that had been done, and the fact that Wigan had the audacity to charge 4 pounds to park on an ice rink. I therefore sent an E-mail to the club secretary at Wigan Athletic, pointing out the state of the dangerous car park, and today received a written reply from Ray Johnston, the DW Stadium Safety Officer.

I quote " Dear Mr Howarth, Re. Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers, 26.12.09

I refer to your e-mail dated Monday 28.12.09, which was subsequently passed to me, as I am responsible for the Stadium Safety Operation.

On saturday 26.12.09, 15 coaches, 5 mini buses and 420 private cars used Car Park 1, which is reserved for the visitors's to the DW Stadium. The car parking charges are some of the lowest in the Country and certainly lower than Blackburn Rovers.

The Stadium has since Sunday 20.12.09 spread in excess of 38 tons of grit around the Stadium and car park entrance/exits. Staff have worked in freezing conditions and some also worked on Christmas Day in an effort to ensure that the game could go ahead.

I can tell you that your correspondence is the only one that I have received to date and considering 20,243 attended the game which included 4,271 from Blackburn, I am satisfied that the majority of supporters were more than satisfied with our considerable efforts"

If he honestly thinks that they did enough to make the car park safe, then he is on a different planet to me. All I can suggest, if anybody feels loke it, is to write personally to Mr Johnston and express your own points.

[Hughesy]

Lets bombard the muppet - whats his email addy?

[John Howarth]

Lets bombard the muppet - whats his email addy?

r.johnston@wiganathletic.com or the Secretary for general enquiries s.hayton@wiganathletic.com

[OJRovers]

To me it looked like Wigan had only bothered clearing the areas within the boundary of the stadium, perhaps 20-30 yards round the outside of stands, probably to avoid any injury compensation claims. Looked like nothing was done about any of the approaches to the ground or the car parks.

[roversmum]

r.johnston@wiganathletic.com or the Secretary for general enquiries s.hayton@wiganathletic.com

communication sent

[jodrell]

It looks like Wigan isn't the only place not to get away safely from, and having troule with fans behviour.

Just walked in now after being on that coach, stuck in the mud until about 5-45 p.m. and then another 15 minute wait until the engine decided to work.

That stadium is supposed to be in the running to host World Cup football, and yet they can't even be bothered to tarmac the car park, and instead leave it caked in deep mud.

NB: If the two gobby little scrotes who eventually got chucked off the bus just short of Birmingham are reading this later, time to grow up boys. I'm 25 years old and the language you used to some of the people who put the time and effort in to organise your transport was disgraceful. I'm glad they got the police involved to eject you from the coach; you’re a disgrace to my football club.

From Claret sad