Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'I’m not so naïve to say all our fans agree with his beliefs - many will not. But we understand and respect them and, beyond that, we see a football player who is giving his all for the shirt...'

Mudhutter:

‘That’s more than they get at home!' 'It’s only down the road!' 'They must have thought the rugby was on!’ If, like me, you are sad enough to click on the comments below any of these away day fan account photos, you will be painfully aware of what the above is in relation to. Now, probably the first and biggest - or indeed perhaps the only - question that needs answering is 'why do we even bite?' But bite we do and I completely understand why. What gives some buffoon, usually sitting in his bedroom in his underpants, the right to constantly mock our support? Slagging off fans who spend their hard-earned money to travel up and down the country to support their team. In the past week, I’ve seen clubs like Fleetwood and Morecambe also get ‘the treatment’, but we are still the holy grail of the 'no fans banter merchants'. Why is that? It’s simple, they are jealous of what we have achieved, and criticising our support is all they have got left. If we were rubbish, nobody would care. It’s because we have had the audacity to win trophies, while their massive clubs have trailed in our wake, that really gets up their nose. We can’t win with them, though. Suppose we suddenly got a million fans overnight, that would make us glory hunters, surely? And you know what else? People in this town who support Wigan Athletic deserve a lot more credit than those who don’t support Wigan Athletic, because they didn’t take the easy option of glory hunting and hanging on to the coat-tails of the many trophy-winning top-flights from nearby cities. I’ve done the arguments to death: how high the proportion of our away support is in comparison to our home crowds, how our average attendances are high compared to the size of our town, with a limited catchment area; how our crowds have grown exponentially over the past 20 years. They don’t want to know that though do they? They just want to sit there, on the internet and make a joke at our expense that a million people have made before, because it gives a bit of meaning to their sad little existence. Let them crack on, and we’ll keep defying the odds and irritating the life out of them. James McClean aha! Aha indeed, and another national media/fan-led talking point inevitably reared its head at Huddersfield, and certain outlets couldn’t wait to whip up a bit of hysteria. Again, the phrase 'rent free' has been done to death in recent months, but this young man from Derry has occupied more heads than...erm nope there’s no way an analogy about British soldiers will get past the editors here. But yes, people are indeed OBSESSED with Jimmy Mac. There’s also an air of incredulity from rival fans opining that Wigan fans are hypocrites for supporting him because of his stance and actions, whatever that means. I would love to tell you that we Wiganers are a special breed, capable of transcending all religious and political divides in honour of the greater good. It’s perhaps only half true though: we are a special breed. Wiganers don’t like being told what to do, or what their opinion should be, and Latics fans, as mentioned above, tend to not follow the herd, when it comes to choice of football club or indeed anything else. We’re unique because we’re different. The bottom line is it takes five minutes or less for anyone with a modicum of intelligence to look beyond the narrative and understand the story of James and his upbringing and the reason he feels the way he does about certain things. Now, I’m not so naïve to say all our fans agree with his beliefs - many will not. But we understand and respect them and, beyond that, we see a football player who is giving his all for the shirt and genuinely loves the club as much as the fans do. A Huddersfield fan on Twitter seemed to claim Latics fans were hypocritical for supporting McClean, and by proxy supporting his views. Meanwhile, back in the mature grown-up world, we can recognise it is possible to have different views on religion and/or politics than someone else, while still respecting their right to have their views. In any case, McClean was very dignified during the minute’s silence, and of course, added his own subtly different approach. By full-time, everyone was talking about his cross that led to the winning goal, as he let his football do the talking. Another storm in a teacup. Finally, back on the fans' piece, and it is interesting to note Huddersfield have now taken to covering over half the home end with advertising. Dare I say it’s time we start looking at doing this in the South Stand? I am comfortable with our size and crowds. I wish they were larger but I also understand the reasons why they aren’t. I can’t help feeling the club missed a trick by not heavily discounting the South Stand for families, as it looks desperately empty on a Saturday afternoon, let alone a midweek night. There can barely be 1,000 people in most games, and I don’t really want to concede defeat by closing a whole stand, so surely the option of sectioning parts off and reducing it to, say a 2,000-seater stand would make it more compact and less sparse. There might be an issue with our tenants. They are the polar opposite to us (in every sense), and the South Stand is the only stand they get more than a few hundred in, judging by the actual people who seem to be in the ground. But like I say, we are the landlords and we should do what’s best for us. I’d still prefer a discounting option of really cheap kids season tickets for that stand only, a quid a game or under £50 for a season, with family tickets priced accordingly too. You don’t need me to repeat the benefits of getting new fans in for next to nothing, they get the bug, they spend on food and drink and they learn to love the club the way we all do. Until we typically pull off a Sunderland at home performance in their first outing and they never darken the DW doors again. Of course, I’m showing here I am bothered by the constant 'no fans/empty seats' retorts but I’m also suggesting how we could use it positively as fuel to grow the wonderful Wigan Athletic brand and take this marvellous football club to new heights in the future.

Caddy from the 5:

Looking at the table after Tuesday's win and, without going overboard, it's gonna be a straight shoot-out between us and Sheffield Utd for the title this season. It's just a pity we don't play them on the last day in the pouring rain, or am I thinking of something else there? After the events of Her Majesty's passing, we were robbed of the chance to see what we were wearing in 1995 with the Blackburn game getting postponed, and had to wait until Tuesday to see the Tics juggernaut fire up again. Another tremendous effort by the fans getting over to Yorkshire on a school night in great numbers, a thing our lodgers couldn't manage a while back, saw them rewarded with a deserved three points courtesy of a winner from Tom Daley, who managed to wrap his flipper round the ball and fire it past Sue Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal. The first half was a stroll for us and, again without going overboard, Shinnie and Aasgard showed that being compared to Iniesta and Messi by Pele this week wasn't an exaggeration. In the second half, Huddersfield woke up and we rode our luck a tad, before up swam Greg Louganis with the winner. This weekend, all being well, sees Tarquin, Horatio and Miles - along with the other 140 Reading fans - visit the (hey, it's called the ‘DW Stadium’, won't tell you again -Ed) and I hope they're not expecting Quails eggs and couscous washed down with Veuve Clicquot champagne from the concourse...I can't even get a 'Bow nowadays! Get the home form sorted and you never know where we really we'll end up, but as usual it'll be a great ride watching us and, as Peter Kay once said - when he was funny - 'Reach for the stars, Jerry!' Finally, I wish Her Majesty a great send off on Monday. Rest in Peace, Ma'am, you've earned a rest and God Save The King. I'll definitely be raising a few 'Bows for her.

Statto:

Well what an extraordinary week for the country, RIP Your Majesty. I could see both sides of the argument for the cancellation of football, but it's gone now so let's put it behind us. Onto Huddersfield in midweek, and I don't know what some of the national press and other fans were expecting of James McClean during the minute's silence...an Irish jig in the centre circle? Unfortunately for them, a man with his head bowed in silent thought, wearing a black armband, didn't fit their narrative and hounding of him. As for the game itself, we were cruising and should have been more than one goal to the good, but we seemed to sit back and let Huddersfield back in. Credit to the spirit for going on to win. Anyway, I shall be keeping an eye on the Reading game from Trent Bridge, watching Lancashire in their 50-over one day final. Stay safe.

Matt Auffrey:

If there was ever a time where Latics’ naysayers didn’t get their way, Tuesday evening had to be towards the top of the list. Minute of silence? No issues. National anthem? No theatrics. 90 minutes against last season’s play-off finalists? Three points in the bag. Four away matches and a 10-point return? It’s the new Latics way. The inclusion of Graham Shinnie and Thelo Aasgaard in Tuesday’s starting XI offered great reason for optimism. Both had a positive impact on the match from the onset and allowed Latics to have the better of the first half for one of the first times this season. The second half created more clear-cut chances for both teams and, after Latics went so long without putting the match away with a second goal, Huddersfield took advantage by snatching an equaliser. Unfortunately for our opponents, there was just enough time left for some late Latics magic. Callum Lang’s 82nd-minute goal marked three consecutive away matches with a Latics winner coming after the 80th minute. It’s a feat that will be very hard to replicate over our remaining 19 away fixtures. However, it still stands as a great testament to not only the will of our squad, but Leam’s ability to put out a team late in the match that is more likely to score a late goal than to concede one. We had become all too accustomed to dropping points from winning positions over our last few stints in this division. While we have already dropped four points from winning positions through our first eight matches, we’ve balanced that number out by gaining four points from losing positions in return. As much as we’ve defied expectations to reach the top third of the league table ahead of Saturday, the strong form of our next opponents may come as an even bigger surprise. Reading will come to the DW this weekend having won four of their last five matches under the newly-appointed Paul Ince. They were projected by many to finish lower in the final league table than Latics and were favorites for relegation. They sit several spots above us at this moment in time. With the international break immediately to follow our next match, a positive result on Saturday will hold us over for the remainder of this month as we prepare for a busy October. After last weekend’s postponement, we will also get another shot at securing our first home victory of this season before the two-week break. Not only would three points at home give the players a big shot of confidence, but it would reward the fans who have been nothing short of exceptional while supporting the lads. Two months ago the prospect of ending September in the play-off places seemed like a pipedream. Lucky for us, the 'Believe Bus' just passed its maintenance check and is well equipped for the ride ahead.

Ed Bazeley:

Latics' victory over Huddersfield saw yet another late winner in the increasingly impressive Leam Richardson era. This team can always find a win even when it seems as though three points could be beyond them. After seeing the net bulge for Huddersfield's equaliser, I can't have been the only Latics fan in that away end who felt as though it would be our hosts who grabbed a winner, if anyone was to go on and get the three points. But no, Wigan's fighting spirit shone through yet again and who would be more appropriate than Callum Lang to fire home and snatch an away win? That lad embodies the special connection between our supporters and players and his cheeky goal celebration epitomises why he is so loved here. The deeper point to be made here, though, is that I genuinely believe Leam has instilled the greatest fighting spirit I have ever seen from the Latics in my lifetime. I can only really remember from Roberto Martinez onwards, albeit I also have faint childhood memories of Steve Bruce's tenure. Martinez was an absolute hero, the FA Cup triumph speaks for itself. But generally speaking under Martinez, if Latics played well they could win, lose or draw. And if they didn't play well, they'd probably lose. I appreciate the calibre of opposition in the Premier League was a deciding factor here. But with Richardson at the helm, the Tics seem to be able to win no matter what. In our administration season, doing the double over Sunderland proved pivotal to our survival. Sunderland, remember, ended up in the play-offs that season. We really had no realistic chance of beating them once, let alone twice that season. But the heart and desire of that make-shift squad pulled through because Leam is a fantastic leader. Then last season, no-one knew where Latics would finish in the table after recruiting over 20 new signings, all of whom were necessary. Yet again, the passion and mentality of the lads saw us through and we were deservedly crowned champions courtesy of multiple comeback victories and last-gasp winners. Now in the Championship, Richardson has a tougher challenge than ever before but, at the moment, we're doing it. Winning consistently when the games seem very much in the balance is a sign of a hard-grafting team, and Wigan have already done that this season. Aasgaard's screamer at Luton and Lang's goal at Huddersfield are two moments of that already this season. Birmingham away, winning a Championship game while down to 10 men for 80 minutes took our fighting spirit to a whole new level. 'Here's to you, Leam Richardson...'

Tony Moon:

We’re what? We’re eighth? Nah, are you sure? We can’t be eighth, we’re s’posed to be poor! Unbeaten away, lost one at wom, (to big bucks Burnley) that’s not reet bad from where we’ve come. On Tuesday, we really looked a team, he must have been reet proud, must Leam. Some say that he’s not good enough, but then, some say a lot o’ guff. He’s been accused of being inept, (I doubt it affects the way he’s slept). And then of course, there’s Jimmy Mac, what would he do? Would he wear the black? He stood quite still, head slightly bowed. His critics' voices far too loud. He made them eat humble pie wi’ cream, their crass assumptions way off beam. He’s one of ours, a decent lad, bleeds blue and white (with some green, just a tad). With Reading up next, who knows what’s in store? But there’s one thing we know, we’re all eager for more. Cos the life of a Tics fan is rarely ever dull, cos our cup runneth over, it’s way, way too full. It’s full of emotion, of love and of dreams. Of nerves and of tension of varying extremes. But drop points this Sat’day, there’s absolutely no doubt, that some will be calling for “Richardson out”. Nah, I don’t get it either…

Sean Livesey:

As Paul McCartney once sang: 'It’s getting better all the time’. Eighth place in the table after Tuesday's result, three wins (consecutive away wins) and four draws with just one defeat. If anyone tells you they wouldn’t have taken that on our return to the Championship, they’re lying. This is arguably the best Championship campaign we’ve had in recent memory, and we’ve not even hit our peak yet. And thanks to Leam’s faith in his players, it’s mainly being achieved with the bulk of the squad from last season. As I said last month, this squad - and indeed this manager - have been written off by pundits, opposition fans and, indeed, some of our own. Just because you don’t sign a whole new squad of players in the transfer window does not mean that you’ll crash and burn. We all said last season we had signed a Championship-level squad. Players like Will Keane, James McClean, Jack Whatmough, Tom Naylor, Josh Magennis and Charlie Wyke are Championship players. The fact they played in League One last season is beside the point. Add in some exciting youngsters, some fresh signings with Championship experience, and a whole barrel-load of team spirit, and you’re going to achieve things. That’s what Leam, Rob Kelly, James Beattie and everyone else is doing right now. It’s an exciting time to watch us. Yes, at times it may not be pretty, but the time to concentrate on the aesthetics of our play will come in time. First of all, the first target has to be Championship consolidation and, although it’s early days, Latics look well placed to achieve that. There were so many stand-out performances on Tuesday night, with Callum Lang working really hard throughout and deserving of a second penalty in the second half. His goal was payback for having that denied. Graeme Shinnie has also been marvellous this season, and is really growing into this team. The fact we got him for comparative peanuts doesn’t go unnoticed. Jamie Jones, who has played more than I imagine he’ll have expected this season, made some fantastic saves again, and Charlie Wyke once again had a hand in the winning goal as he continues his journey back to full fitness. But most of all credit has to go to James McClean. Always a target for the boo-boys, the circumstances of the last week would have meant the focus would always be on him. Despite this, he conducted himself with the utmost professionalism before setting up the winner, and he deserved that for all of the ridiculous abuse he receives from people who don’t have a clue about their history and the history that has deeply affected people like him. So it’s back to home on Saturday, and a game against one of the surprise packages of the season in Reading. Is it too much to hope for a first home win of the season? We've made a fantastic start, but there’s more that we can do, and I’ve no doubt will do this season. Get behind the lads, who knows where they’ll take us.