Wigan Athletic supporter group issues statement on Manchester United ticket situation

Latics announced on Thursday afternoon that the East Stand would be given to United supporters, as opposed to the usual North Stand, in order to maximise potential revenue.

The decision was met with criticism by a huge number of Latics fans, who expressed their anger on social media and message boards.

Now Indie Latics - a collective formed earlier this year to provide a united fans' voice during the dark days of the previous ownership - have added their own misgivings about the situation.

"Indie Latics has seen the reaction online to the board's decision to make the East Stand the away end for the upcoming Manchester United home game," read the statement, which has the backing of a number of other influential fan groups including 'Mudhutter', 'Pie At Night', 'Progress With Unity', 'Vital Latics' and the Official Supporters Club.

"While we understand the need for the board to make as much financial gain from this match, we take issue with the manner in which the decision was taken, and also the resulting communications that were put out.

"It will clearly stick in the throat of many East Stand season ticket holders that they will be forced to move stands for this game.

"That said, we also appreciate the board has a difficult decision to make in balancing the financial well-being of the club against the emotive wishes of fans at times.

"We at Indie Latics also feel criticism of the pricing structure for the game is in order.

"To ask home fans to vacate their regular seats, and pay the same price for an arguably worse view (behind the goal) is, in our view, a slight on those supporters.

"Also, to ask supporters to pay £30 for a game on a Monday night, which will be live on television, does little to encourage new fans to attend, neither will the pricing strategy for the Derby home game on Boxing Day.

"No matter the opposition, these are tough financial times for people, and long term we would like to see discussions and a strategy from the club, detailing how they intend to grow the fanbase and encourage more families and children to attend matches.

"Evidently the club has to be sustainable, but it also needs to attract a newer generation of supporters.

"On the issue of making the East Stand the away end for the United game, there was an opportunity for the board to consult the Supporters Club and other fan groups before any decision was made or communicated out to the fanbase.

"This would have allowed for other opinions to influence any decision or amend the strategy, even if only slightly.

"While this would not appease some fans, it would have gone a long way to maintaining and building trust with the fanbase, and developing a healthy and cooperative relationship with supporters groups rooted in our local community.

"The lack of consultation will do nothing to allay some of the concerns of the fanbase in the long term, and we would like to see the board build a cohesive and open relationship with the various supporter groups going forwards.

"Recent history tells us Latics fans have been through the ringer far too often and - while we appreciate Mr Danson's takeover in the summer, and don't for one moment think he and his staff have anything other than the club's best interests at heart - trust and good faith can only be reciprocated long term if items of a delicate nature are shared and discussed in an open and transparent fashion.

"Wigan Athletic is a club steeped in struggle and community over the past few decades.

"Prior to the Whelan family taking over, many fans of an older standing saw the club struggle from week to week and month to month to survive at times.

"And we appreciate the long-term stability Mr Danson has afforded the club - something not to be taken for granted in the modern game.

"But those same fans are understandably reluctant to give unconditional backing, especially if they feel the club will ignore them.

"Respect and trust are a two way street and, while we do not want to appear to be ungrateful to Mr Danson (as we certainly are not) we do feel that, almost six months or so since the takeover, we still have no confirmed permanent CEO, and have also seen no detailed plans on how the ownership plan to develop and grow the club.

"We would implore the ownership to take on board the voices of the various fan groups, especially the Official Supporters Club, who played such a vital role in the summer and during past crises at Wigan Athletic.

"This is the only way to run a club with a healthy fan/owner relationship, as a well as a financially sustainable one."