Opinion: Politics and football don't mix

Last updated : 23 November 2014 By Paul Farrington

There have been astonishing articles bemoaning the quality of our chairman and his credentials to lead a football club. Many of these articles have been written by attention hoarding journalists keen to destroy a fine football man in the chase for a headline.

There is no doubt that Mr Whelan is not racist, he is not ani semetic, nor is he sexist or any of the accuations that have been thrown at him this week.

Our club were wrong to appoint Malky Mackay as manager whilst he is the subject of an onging FA investigation into such serious allegations as racial and sexist conduct, but this is no excuse for the witch hunt in the media that has taken place this week against our football club.

On Tuesday evening we won the community club of the year award as recognition for the excellent work that the club has performed in the local community over the last year and beyond.

On Wednesday we appointed Malky Mackay as manager and a storm of media attention has abound at our football club.

It is a sad state of affairs that a man such as David Whelan who has played a huge part in building our excellent football club, at the age of 77, has been targetted by the national press and is now the subject of an FA investigation.

There was a great amount of pride shown at Saturday's game as Mr Whelan took his seat. The entire Springfield Stand rose to their feet an applauded their chairman. This was recognition of all the fine work he has done for the football club and an out-pouring of support from supporters who are safe in the knowlege that Mr Whelan is not a racist.

The very fact that the FA have chosen to launch an invetigation into our chairman is disappointing and the finger needs pointing at the media men who write the back pages and jumped on the openness of our chairman, born in a different generation.

If Mr Whelan is found guiltiy by the FA and steps down as chairman of Wigan Athletic it will be a very sad day for football.

Politics and football have never, and will never, mix. Like oil and water the two substances cannot be forged together.

There is no doubt that our chairman Mr Whelan is not racist, not sexist, nor anti-semetic. He is a terrific football man who has led a wonderful football story at his hometown club.

The journalists who have led the witch hunt this week and vilified such a great man need to look in the mirror and question the very reasons they becoame journalists in the first place.

If the events of the last week typify the world we live in today then it is a sad state of affairs and one that needs addressing.