Why is Wigan game on Friday?

[Ed]

Brentford, Chelsea and QPR not playing at home on Sat, so why are we playing on Friday night, our jinx night.....

[Southdowns White]

Could be the Boat race.

[Holders]

We always used to play on boat-race days.

[westcliff white]

Used to yes but can't think of one we did in the last 15 years or so, so the boat race maybe the reason

[leonffc]

I understood it to be because of the boat race. But in the past, The premier league gave us an away fixture that weekend

[Skatzoffc]

Must be the boat race.

We seem to have played a lot on Fridays this season tho.

[bog]

What a nonsense if it is because of the Boat Race. Is it Health & Safety worried in case a player falls over an oar? Or kicks a rollerk?   :046:

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[Airfix]

What a nonsense if it is because of the Boat Race. Is it Health & Safety worried in case a player falls over an oar? Or kicks a rollerk?   :046:

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Nah, it'll be concerns over the number of people in the area.

[RaySmith]

I remember standing on the Riverside terracing watching a game - it may have been a reserve game, when the boat race went past, and we all went up the back to watch it, before going back to attend to the game.

[Cravenawin]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

[The Equalizer]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

Actually, it's a lot more than just 'Hooray Henrys'. Some of us think that rowing is an excellent sport, and as someone who rowed for 8 years, I tend to agree with that.

[The Equalizer]

What a nonsense if it is because of the Boat Race. Is it Health & Safety worried in case a player falls over an oar? Or kicks a rollerk?   :046:

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Nah, it'll be concerns over the number of people in the area.

Eggs Ackerly. Bishops Park has a big public event and a big ticketed event for The Boat Race, with bars, big screens etc.. Loads of people about, and the large area right by The Cottage is closed off completely.

[LBNo11]

I remember standing on the Riverside terracing watching a game - it may have been a reserve game, when the boat race went past, and we all went up the back to watch it, before going back to attend to the game.

...I was at the friendly against Kilmarnock around 1968, and everyone went up the steps of the Thamesbank to watch the event and then returned to their respective favoured haunts.

A great picture from the master of monochrome, Ken Coton:-

[Neil D]

So who is compensating the club for the reduced attendance, given that very few Wigan supporters will be there and plenty of Fulham fans can't make evening fixtures? 
I also remember watching the race from the terracing of what is now the Riverside stand.

[ffc73]

Why were we playing a friendly in April?

Knocked out of the FA Cup and the team we were due to play in the league were still in the Cup?

No doubt nowadays the tired players would be given the weekend off or taken to the sun in Spain or Portugal

[alfie]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

and a bunch of grown up's kicking a ball and rolling around the ground and screaming when they think they have broken a nail is not, just because you don't like it does not mean that it should not happen, we hear a lot on this site about tradition, and the boat race has been going a lot longer than you have. I like to see it, does that make me a hooray Henry then?

[bog]

Les, I think I was at that game also. Ken's photograph is of Ian Seymour is it not? I recall other times I was there and the oars went past.

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[Fulham1959]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

It's a fix, too.  The top two elite universities always get to the final !

[Twig]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

Oh dear another rant

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Should ban the Boat Race. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of hooray Henrys lining the Thames to see 18 Ruperts in a couple of boats, pathetic.

Should ban football. Most stupid sporting event ever invented. Thousands of Charlie's down by the Thames to see 22 overpaid spotty Herbert's kick an inflated bladder about, pathetic.