By @LaticsOfficial

BEN GOODBURN HAS PROVIDED THE OWNERSHIP GROUP’S JANUARY MONTHLY ‘BOARD BULLETIN’.

  • Second monthly ‘Board Bulletin’ issued to aid communication with supporters
  • Update covers three key areas: Club, Community, and Performance.
  • Latest update includes new Director Appointments.

The Board has issued its second Board Bulletin for January which supporters can read below.

As suggested by Latics supporters in a recent Fan Advisory Board meeting, the Board will now issue monthly ‘Board Bulletins’ to aid communication between supporters, stakeholders and the owners.

This will be broken down into three key areas: Club, Community, and Performance. The second Board Bulletin can be read below.

CLUB

I would like to thank the Board, our management team and all our staff for the diligent work they have carried out over the last 20 months in helping us steer the Club onto solid foundations. We are now in a position where we have much greater control of our costs, our contractual supplier and partner relationships and our playing assets. I would also like to thank our loyal fans for their patience as we have carried out this critical work that will underpin growing the Club in a sensible manner that future-proofs it from the very serious challenges and stresses the Club has faced under previous ownership.

This now enables us to accelerate into the next phase of our custodianship of the Football Club and I am excited to share with you the new leadership team and Board additions that we have entrusted in growing the Club for the long term.

Director Appointments:
  • Non Executive Chair - Brenda Spencer - I’m delighted that Brenda Spencer will take up the newly created board position of Non-Executive Chair. Brenda is no stranger to this Club and brings decades of experience across the football pyramid, including at the pinnacle of our success both in the Premier League and as FA Cup Winners. In the two years I have been overseeing the Club as Chairman and Interim CEO, Brenda has been wise counsel to me and the Ownership Group. She is hugely passionate about the Club, our future and its place at the heart of our community.

    Brenda, as Non Exec Chair, will take on the responsibility of managing the Board and working with Sarah, our new Managing Director, to focus on the Club’s strategic and operational delivery. I will take up the new position of Senior Non-Executive Director and will continue to support and work closely with all our Board members and the Ownership Group in enabling us to make the best possible decisions that are in the long term interest of the Club.
  • Football Club Managing Director - Sarah Guilfoyle - Brenda is joined on the board by Sarah Guilfoyle who we have promoted to Club Managing Director. Sarah has served the Club for the last six years as Head of Football Administration playing a key role in safeguarding the interest of the Club in extremely difficult times under a number of previous ownerships. Last year, Sarah, who holds a Masters in Sports Law, was identified by the EFL as a leading talent and now forms part of its Women in Football Leadership cohort. Sarah has impressed me, the Ownership Group and colleagues alike with her tenacity, commitment and dedication to serving the Club’s long-term interests and we wish her the best of success in this new role.

    Sarah will have overall responsibility for managing the operations of the Club with an immediate focus on growing our commercial revenues, improving our financial performance and strengthening our connection with our supporters. Our Sporting Director, Gregor Rioch, will continue to be responsible for the Club’s football strategy and performance. Gregor, Sarah and Neil (our new Stadium Managing Director) will work very closely together on a daily basis to ensure we are laser-focused on delivering across all areas of the Club in a joined-up way. 
  • Stadium Managing Director - Neil Russell - Following the restructuring of the Stadium and Football Club into two distinct entities, I'm also pleased to announce the appointment of Neil Russell to the newly created position of Stadium Managing Director. Neil joins us with a wealth of experience in Stadium and venue management, having held senior management roles over the past decade at both Everton and previously at Manchester City. With expertise spanning commercial areas such as catering, hospitality, general admission ticketing, concerts, and stadium tours, Neil will play a pivotal role in ensuring that our guest and fan experience reaches new heights with the long-term ambition of being best in class.

    We are aware there is a lot of work to do in this area and Neil will work closely with the leadership teams of Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors to drive growth and innovation for our unity arena, the Brick Community Stadium. Plans have already been drawn up on enhancements to the Stadium and hospitality areas and we will share these exciting plans at the appropriate time.

The Wigan Athletic Board now comprises of:

Ben Goodburn: Senior Non-Executive Director
Lucas Danson: Non-Executive Director
Brenda Spencer: Non-Executive Chair
Sarah Guilfoyle: Managing Director

Images from left to right: Brenda Spencer, Sarah Guilfoyle, Neil Russell.

PERFORMANCE

First Team
  • Transfer Window: Work on the January window started immediately following the end of the summer window. Gregor Rioch and Stephen Gormal have done a good job to bring in six new faces - four of which join us on permanent deals which helps us in this window and for the future. In conjunction with Shaun and the Board our investment to improve the squad will hopefully pay off as we progress through until the end of the season. We were obviously disappointed to lose Thelo Aasgaard during this window, but with his development under Shaun and his team this season and the stipulations of his contract, it was inevitable a Club in a higher division would come calling. We received a significant fee that met our valuation and a percentage of his transfer fee will be reinvested into the playing budget for season 2025/2026. We wish Thelo the best of luck in his future career. 
  • Results: Our away form would actually see us sit 9th in the division as things stand. Clearly our home form needs improvement and this is a key priority for Shaun and his team. We are confident that once the new signings settle in, our consistency, especially at home, will improve.
  • Emirates FA Cup: The opportunity to host another Premier League club here at our home is a great opportunity for us. We hope the reduced ticket pricing will help encourage a large crowd and the team behind the scenes are working hard on ensuring the day is one to remember.
Heatable Academy - Future Fund
  • New recruits: We were delighted to add Tobias Brenan and Matteo Spinelli to our U21 group until end of season following successful trials. This coupled with the return of some young players from longer term injuries means the group are looking somewhat healthier in terms of depth and quality going into second half of season.
  • Fixture vs Everton: Our U18s will also have the privilege to take part in Everton FC's first ever 'test game' at their new stadium in front of an expected 10,000 Everton fans in mid-February.
  • Experiences: Recent trips to Glasgow took place for our U10s as part of Future Fund with a mix of U13s/U14s also set to travel to Barcelona in late February. The Future Fund continues to be a vital part of our provision for young players with over 580 supporters signed up to Future Fund. Thank you for your continued support.
Wigan Athletic Women
  • Results: Our Women’s team are still undefeated in all competitions. They are through to the Semi Final of the Challenge Cup competition and this continues to be a success story for the whole Football Club. Ellie Cleary is also the highest goal scorer in the league with a staggering 33 goals.
  • Appointments: Eight qualified members of staff have been employed to support Manager, Emmerson Boyce and help develop the squad.
  • Sponsorships: Secured sponsorship deals with Calisen and Plug Me In. The Wigan Athletic Official Supporters Club sponsor the Player of the Match award. We have also secured player sponsorship with numerous local businesses.
  • Community visits: Our Women's players have attended over 10 player appearances supporting club and community events.
  • Edge Hall Road: Progress is being made on our Women & Girls elite training centre at the Edge Hall Road Stadium in Orrell. The installation of 900 seats in the main stand is now complete. Artwork has also been printed on the inside of the stand, showcasing both our Wigan Athletic Women and Wigan Warriors Women. Work continues on the terracing and internal spaces.

COMMUNITY

  • Activity ahead of Fulham clash: Ahead of our Emirates FA Cup fixture against Fulham as well as Warriors' local derby with Leigh Leopards, all three Club’s have been working hard to celebrate the incredible communities in and around the borough of Wigan with over 60 school and event visits planned leading and after both games. We are also working with a number of schools to offer all pupils the opportunity to attend the Fulham fixture and in-turn secure a free ticket to our home fixture against Reading in Marchas we aim to grow attendances through the local community. All three clubs and its sponsors are also aiming to raise over £1m for local charities including The Brick.
  • Disability Forum: The Football Club is working to set up a Disability group in partnership with A Level Playing Field. Keep an eye out for further communication on this project. 
  • Iftar: Wigan Athletic Community Trust are working with Wigan Mosque and the Muslim community to host an Iftar event at The Brick Community Stadium in early March. Last year, we hosted our first-ever Iftar event, with over 200 practicing Muslims in attendance. As part of their personal development, the U14s Academy team, along with Trust staff and Trustees, participated in the event. This year, we’re looking to build on that success.
  • Heritage Museum: The programme goes from strength to strength with more and more heritage items being donated to the museum whilst the website documenting every previous Wigan Athletic fixture and player continues to take shape. The volunteers running this project will soon be joined by two paid members of staff thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
  • EFL Utilita: Our Community Trust hosted EFL Utilita Football Girls Cup Area finals, with nine other clubs competing for a place at the Northern finals. 
  • Health programme: 'Off the Bench' launched to help men and women improve their fitness, health and wellbeing.
  • Wigan Club Connect: Wigan Athletic Community Trust and Wigan Warriors Foundation working together to give local businesses the chance to learn more about and partner with the two charities. 
  • February Holiday Camps: Camps are running to help young people stay active over the school holidays. Bookings can be made here. 

Thank you for your unwavering support.

Ben Goodburn
Senior Non-Executive Director
For and on behalf of the Board