Super League

Wigan fans rage at football club following renaming rights

by
Callum Walker
October 16, 2021

The DW Stadium’s East Stand will no longer be known as the ‘Billy Boston’ stand.

Instead, the East Stand will be renamed the Kingdom Group East Stand for Wigan Athletic fixtures in the 2021/22 football season.

Terry Barton, Chief Executive Officer of Kingdom Group Services, said: “I have been a Latics supporter for many years and remember our non-League days, going to places like Lancaster, Great Harwood and Buxton!

“Times have moved on and Latics have certainly moved on – FA Cup winners, Premier League, Europa League and now this exciting new era.

“I am delighted to be closely associated with the Club and to witness the start of another chapter in its wonderful history.

“For the East Stand to now be named the Kingdom Group East Stand, is a big honour.”

However, what remains of the legend Billy Boston’s name remains unclear.

Whatever the outcome, however, it exacerbates the dividing tensions between the rugby league and football side of the town.

Related Topics

13 Comments

frank

October 16, 2021 at 1:25 pm

shameful if wigan rugby league allow this and just shows the low regard these invisible owners have for rugby league.

Reply
- Allan Fisher
  
  October 17, 2021 at 1:20 am
  
  Vote for the comment and it knocks one off. Must be football orientated.
  
  Reply
- Andy
  
  October 18, 2021 at 11:46 am
  
  Wigan RL haven’t got a choice.
  Wigan RL are lodgers, and lodgers don’t get a say in the matter.
  
  Reply
Allan Fisher

October 17, 2021 at 1:23 am

Kingdom group east. Ffs, fly by night shit stirrers.

Reply
- Andy
  
  October 18, 2021 at 11:48 am
  
  You are lodgers Allan, you don’t get the choose what you want at the DW.
  It’s like it or lump it.
  
  Reply
Gordon Platt Allen

October 17, 2021 at 9:53 am

Who is Terry Barton? Never heard of him. How can he mention Billy Bostons name remains unclear. What does he mean? Does he remember spouting off about what Latics have achieved, does he remember when Latics could not fulfil there fixtures and were thrown out of the FA. I thought it was a shared ground, is he trying to make trouble. BIlly B.

Reply
Forsh

October 17, 2021 at 3:23 pm

If rugby and football hadn’t come together with a shared stadium then Wigan RL would still be in a run down Central Park and Latics at a bleak Springfeild park – Mutual respect is what’s required
The stand renaming is disrespectful and unproductive for RL / football relationship when the town should pull together and be stronger as one

Reply
- Andy
  
  October 18, 2021 at 11:37 am
  
  Incorrect. Wigan RL’s precious owners (Jack Robinson and Tom Rathbone) sold Central Park to Tesco before Dave Whelan had the chance to buy the club.
  If it wasn’t for Dave Whelan, Wigan RL would’ve been homeless.
  
  Reply
  - Forsh
    
    October 18, 2021 at 7:19 pm
    
    Semantics – they needed to get together to warrant all the funding from various places – Whelan was a figurehead more than a financer for the stadium, he may have put his hand in his pocket for the running of the stadium (and good on him!) but the build cost of the “JJB” stadium didn’t all come out of his pocket – Whelan was a businessman and a good at it!
    Traditionally the rugby and Whelan funding Latics to the Prem and ultimately The FA Cup has Put Wigan on the map.
    Both are great for the town
    
    Reply
    - Andy
      
      October 18, 2021 at 9:46 pm
      
      Again incorrect.
      There were already 2 teams due to play at the JJB.
      Wigan Athletic and Orrell RU.
      Whelan started the ball rolling on the JJB after finding out that Robinson and Rathbone had sold Central Park.to Tesco. The money came from the sale of Springfield Park, his own pocket and National Lottery / Sport England funding.
      Wigan RL haemorrhaged a lot of money in the 1990s. They spent millions building the Whitbread Stand which would only last 8 years before being demolished. They bought Martin Offiah on tick (I know this for a fact because I’m a Widnes supporter, and the very late final payment – due in 1996, paid after Central Park was sold in 1997 – almost sent Widnes into liquidation). They also sold Sean Long for nothing in a bizarre player swap deal with Widnes that saw Lee Hansen move the other way – Widnes then sold Long to St.Helens for £150k and 12 months later Lee Hansen was back at Widnes on a free transfer – And all that was because Wigan wouldn’t sell Long directly to St.Helens. Wigan RL was a basket case club back then, and Robinson and Rathbone sold the ground without securing a new home. It was only when they were both forcibly removed from the board did they start to talk to Whelan …Whelan eventually bought the club in 1999, thus securing Wigan RL’s immediate future.
      The £12m they got from the sale of Central Park went to pay off their sizable debt (at the time – believed to be around the £5m mark). Where the rest of it went is anyone’s guess …One thing is for certain, Whelan didn’t get a penny of it…
      
      Reply
- Andy
  
  October 18, 2021 at 11:50 am
  
  The JJB wasn’t even meant for Wigan RL.
  It was Wigan Athletic and Orrell Rugby Union.
  If Jack Robinson and Tom Rathbone had their way, Wigan RL would’ve moved to the Reebok Stadium in Horwich.
  
  Reply
David Fowler

October 18, 2021 at 8:53 am

It will still be know as the billy boston stand when the rugby play. Latics are making money on sponsorship.
Nothing wrong with that.

Reply
Geoff

October 19, 2021 at 11:02 am

Just to be clear, the stand will still be the Boston Stand for WWRL games. It will only be the Kingdom Group East Stand for WAFC games.

Reply