Whelan's Record of Shame

Dave Whelan's attempts to sue the Premier League and / or West Ham seems to be proving popular in a large section of today's back pages. This is rather surprising as you would imagine that sports journalists would be aware of Whelan's previous underhand attempts to avoid relegation for the sports teams that he owns.

This time last year Wigan Warriors found themselves in a similar situation to where Wigan FC find themselves this year. In short they were facing relegation.

Now I obviously don't won't to be sued for libel, but I think it would be fair to say that at the time there was a widely held belief that a certain chairman was attempting to buy off the National League champions (the promoted side) in order to preserve his club's Super League status. Once this attempt failed (and you have to admit it is at the most ridiculous and the most corrupt attempt to avoid relegation in the history of sport) rumours then began to emerge that the Super League was being pressured by certain quarters to enlarge to 13 teams so that the bottom club, Wigan, would miraculously avoid relegation.

Now this year Wigan FC find themselves staring relegation in the face. So it should be of no great surprise that Whelan again reverts to desperate measures to save his team. It is patently obvious that Dave Whelan has a history of making ridiculous and laughable attempts to try and help his teams avoid relegation. Why certain journalists can't see the man for what he is (a fool) is beyond me.

And just in passing - Dave Whelan is not only the owner of Wigan FC and Wigan Warriors but is also the chairman of JJB Sports. As chairman of JJB Whelan is renowned for paying his workers the bare minimum wage. In fact whilst JJB workers were on strike over their £5.35 per hour wages Whelan sold the best part of a £3 million stake in JJB commenting that the sum was "peanuts". Whelan then argued that his workers' demands to earn a living wage was tantamount to 'communism'. And of course whilst his workers were on strike for a living wage Whelan had no problem in employing scab workers.