I was lucky enough to attend the recent Wigan Warriors Pre-Season Dinner and shirt presentation night at the DW Stadium. It came about as me missus won a pair of tickets at Riversiders, Wigan Warriors official supporters club, not the amateur rugby league team.
I wouldn’t spend the 50 notes, each I hesitate to add, to attend an dinner like this but as it was gratis I thought why not. I even had to get the moth balls out of me suit.
We stumbled into the south stand bar of the DW and found our names listed on the table plan. We were on table 21 which was at the back of the venue but still gave a good view of the stand and large screens that had been set up to show videos. I was a bit disappointed to find out that champagne wasn’t being served on arrival but I suppose you don’t become a successful businessman like Mr. Lenagan by giving away freebies.
Riversiders sponsors the under 19s academy players Ryan Hampshire, George Williams, Lewis Tierney and their under 19s coach Matty Peet so they were all on our table as were other Riversiders members who had won tickets also and their partners. Once everybody had found their seats our chairman, Mr. Lenagan, gave a few words including thanking the sponsors, a bit of back ground on the money side and provided a few soundbites that everybody at these dinners wants to hear including “We’ve got everything to play for. We’ve had a few distractions but our pre-season has been the best that I can recall.” To be fair to him though I think he’s done a cracking job here since he become chairman, turning a profit the last 3 years isn’t bad in this day and age.
Then it was the shirt presentations for the academy players in descending numerical order. Everybody who had sponsored a player went up on stage in turn to present the player with his playing shirt for the season and had their photo taken. Me misses had the pleasure of presenting Matty Peet with his (polo) shirt for the upcoming season.
After the academy lads had been presented with their shirts it was time for the jackbit to be served and I was clempt by this time, it was after eight o’clock!!! On the menu was winter vegetable soup to start, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and carrots for the main and then chocolate truffle cheese cake for afters. To finish was coffee and mints. By this time it was 9:30pm and if they thought I was going to be drinking coffee at that time of night then they were very much mistaken, my names Billy, not silly. But the biggest shock of all was where were the pies, they don’t call us pie eaters for nothing. I’m not so sure that Ian is from Scholes if he OK’d the menu!
When we were all well and truly stuffed it was time for the first team players to be presented with their playing shirts for the season, the same script as before. A few of them got interviewed on stage including Sam who said, referring to the players that have departed the club “The media have written us off, I thought I was playing for Widnes.” Never one to pull any punches is Sam, good luck when you play at the Stobart if the Widnes fans catch hold of your comments. Sean O’Loughlin was a little more dignified and said that Wigan are “raring to go.” Shane Wane also said a few words.
Finally there was a raffle where if you choose to you could put 5 quid into an envelope to win one of a number of prizes including signed shirts, various different vouchers and a cuddly toy (I kid you not). Where I go raffles are normally a pound a strip, I’ve never won anything but luckily the raffle sellers haven’t stripped off either ..... think about it!
And after a few closing words from our chairman that was it. It was a good night, my wallet was a little bit lighter afterwards, pints at the DW aren’t cheap I think you’ll agree. We need these types of events to survive as rugby league clubs can’t continue without them.
***This article first appeared in issue 1 of Cherry & White (a Wigan Warriors Fanzine). You can follow Cherry & White on twitter @CherryWhiteZine and purchase the fanzine here :- cherrywhite.bigcartel.com ***
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