The League One fixture computer is going to cause Wigan Athletic to suffer a significant financial loss, which Shaun Maloney acknowledges is ‘not ideal’.
Similar to the previous year, Latics home games fall during each of the three international “breaks” in the first half of the season.
Additionally, the matchups against Stevenage on September 7, Northampton on October 12, and Burton on November 16 are probably going to be shifted to midweek due to the rise of players like Sam Tickle, Charlie Hughes, Baba Adeeko, and Thelo Aasgaard in the international arena.
The Latics’ finances would undoubtedly suffer as a result, which is why club secretary Sarah Guilfoyle and chairman Ben Goodburn unsuccessfully requested that the EFL investigate the prospect of extending the international “break” to third-tier clubs.
Undoubtedly, this would have a negative impact on the Latics’ finances, which is why club secretary Sarah Guilfoyle and chairman Ben Goodburn made an unsuccessful request to the EFL to look into the possibility of extending the international “break” to clubs in the third division.
“It’s not just us, it affects the other teams as well, and it’s just a sign of how strong League One is at the moment,” he stated. “It’s inevitable that fixtures will need to be rescheduled given the resources of some of the other clubs, the calibre of young players entering the Under-21 squads, and those in the Irish and Scottish national teams.”
“I am aware that Sarah and Ben discussed an international break with the league, as they did with the leagues mentioned above, but it is patently untrue.
Of course, financially speaking, it’s not ideal for our club, but when you consider players like Sam, Charlie, Thelo, and Baba representing their nations, it’s hard to be too critical.
“Even though we’ll lose out financially, it won’t have an impact on our seasonally-appropriated budget or our planned trip schedule for this year. Therefore, even if it’s not ideal, there isn’t a way to fix it, and many clubs are in the same situation.”
It’s also probably going to influence Saturday, March 22’s trip to Burton.
Maloney was speaking to Wigan Today at the Brick Community Stadium’s fixture release business breakfast, where Charlton will be the visiting team on the opening weekend.
I always look for the opening game of the season first,” the Scot remarked. “Charlton is a comparable size match this time, and last year we had Derby away, which was such a massive game to start with.
“Now that we have that emphasis in black and white, the season begins to feel a little more genuine. I always enjoy playing games throughout that season, especially on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. I also search for the festive games.
“You also think about our secretary, Sarah (Guilfoyle), who is immediately looking into all the travel, getting hotels booked, which obviously entails a lot of work behind the scenes.”
The home match set for Tuesday, April 1 against the nearby Bolton Wanderers was another topic of discussion
on police advice.
Again, Maloney took a pragmatic view of the situation.
“I’ve only seen the fixtures with everyone else, but I also like these big games being played under the lights,” he stated. “The two biggest games for our fans were Manchester United and Bolton under the lights last year.
“And it does create an even more unique atmosphere when you have huge games here beneath the lights. Although I can see how some fans would find it tough, I don’t think the move to Tuesday is a bad thing for the schedule.
