Cheer us on

Last updated : 21 January 2003 By Paul Farrington
The last three home games have seen a drop in attendances with just 5,792 turning out for Saturday's 2-1 win over Colchester.

That has happened despite a superb run of 11 consecutive league wins which has carried them 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Boss Jewell has nothing but praise for the regulars who turn up for games week in, week out.

But he would like to see them joined for home matches by more supporters and believes his side's charge towards the First Division is worthy of a bigger audience.

Jewell said: "We must be the only team in the country that the more points we get, the less people we get watching us.

"I know the Wigan people find it a bit of a prickly issue and it is a bit disappointing really.

"We can't do anymore than what we're doing on the pitch, and while we might not be the best team in the world to watch, do people want us to lose 4-3 and be great to watch?

"The people who come are a little bit embarrassed about it all and when I see the attendance coming up on the scoreboard, I can hear mumblings about it.

"I think we are entitled to a few more on for home matches, although I must stress I'm not having a go at the fans who do come on.

"The chairman has spent an awful lot of money giving them one of the best stadiums outside the Premiership.

"We have got more points than anybody in the country but we can't seem to attract supporters.

"If you look at the last few home games, against Swindon we had something like 6,100 on.

"On New Year's Day when no-one was at work, there were 6,000 people there, then the next home game last Saturday we got 300 less.

"Whether it's because people have seen us in this situation before and are expecting us to fall away, I can't comment.

"But what I do know is that we would like more to come with the right attitude to support us."

Jewell does have grounds for optimism, though, in terms of attendances following his experiences with Bradford City.

He said: "When I was a player at Bradford we were getting gates averaging 3,500.

"Then we went on a bit of a run, ended up getting promoted, and a year later the gates were up to 14,000 or 15,000."

Fixtures

Latics' next two games are on the road, away at Swindon on Saturday and then Mansfield a week tonight.

They then entertain Cheltenham Town on February 1 followed by the derby clash with Blackpool the following week.

For Cheltenham's visit, Latics will be deprived of the services of Lee McCulloch through suspension.

The Scotsman picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign for a first-half foul against Colchester and has been hit by an automatic one-match ban.

Article from the Wigan Evening Post.