Wigan’s football and rugby clubs bury old enmity and launch off-field alliance

Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors have formally moved beyond a decades-long local rivalry, merging parts of their commercial and communications operations and launching joint initiatives designed to boost both clubs and the wider town.

The collaboration — driven by Wigan-born owner Mike Danson and operating under the Wigan Sporting Group — follows a period of community solidarity and practical cooperation. It includes an open‑plan workspace at the Warriors’ training base, cross‑sponsorship of playing and training kits, shared women’s facilities at Orrell, joint training sessions and a trial “Wigan Weekender” ticket scheme that offers Warriors supporters half‑price admission to Athletic’s League One home game the day after a Warriors fixture.

The rapprochement intensified after the March disappearance and subsequent death of Darren Orme, a well‑known Latics fan. Supporters from across the town, including Warriors fans, joined the search; players from both squads held banners and the clubs’ managers used media appearances to appeal for help. At Orme’s funeral in April, players from Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors formed a guard of honour as the cortege passed the shared Brick Community Stadium, an act club officials say helped break down longstanding divides.

"It brought the two clubs closer than some fans told us they have ever felt," Wigan Athletic managing director Sarah Guilfoyle said, reflecting on the community response. Guilfoyle, promoted this year after nine years with the club, said the organisations previously worked in silos and are now combining resources to reach new audiences and drive commercial growth.

The two clubs’ history of suspicion dates back to the 1980s and public remarks by former Warriors chairman Maurice Lindsay that many Athletic supporters found patronising. The rivalry included disputes over ground use and access; Athletic were once prevented from staging a cup tie at the rugby club’s Central Park. Both clubs are now under the ownership of Danson, CEO of GlobalData, who acquired Wigan Athletic more than a year ago after the club experienced financial collapse under previous foreign ownership and suffered several points deductions while in administration.

Warriors, a dominant force in rugby league, present a model Athletic officials hope to learn from. The club were world champions in 2024 and added several domestic honours in recent seasons. Their commercial operation sells out corporate seats, and average attendances have risen to about 17,500, up roughly 2,500 on the previous season. Wigan Athletic’s average is around 10,000.

"We’re just trying to change the narrative gradually," Guilfoyle said. She pointed to practical steps already taken: Warriors’ front‑of‑shirt sponsor now appears on the back of Athletic’s shirts, Athletic’s training kit sponsor featured on Warriors’ shorts last December, and cross‑promotional ticketing initiatives aim to introduce supporters to the other sport without being heavy‑handed.

Athletic have also sought to import aspects of the Warriors’ culture and structure. Head coach Ryan Lowe, appointed in March, has observed Warriors matches and training and invited Warriors staff to share methods, particularly around culture, leadership and player involvement. Lowe said he admired the rugby club’s consistency and standards.

"They’re so good in the culture of what they do and how they go about it and I want to learn," Lowe said. He has watched Warriors head coach Matt Peet and taken ideas from the environment Peet has created.

Warriors chief executive Kris Radlinski, who played for the club in the 1990s and 2000s, cautioned that rugby league and football have different commercial dynamics. He said football is more transactional and player sales are often central to clubs’ business models, while the salary cap in rugby league (about £2.1 million per club) encourages succession planning and contractual stability.

"Football is far more transactional," Radlinski said. "In football, players are far more of ‘an asset’ and loyalty isn’t celebrated as much. With the salary cap in our sport, squads are built on succession and 95 percent of contracts are honoured."

Wigan Athletic, which finished last season among League One’s lowest scorers, has pursued several attacking signings this summer and sought to strengthen recruitment using the FA’s Elite Significant Contribution visa system to identify overseas talent. The club is also recruiting a head of data to capitalise on the analytical resources Danson’s GlobalData can provide.

Officials say the alliance aims both to bolster Athletic’s on‑field prospects and to widen commercial returns across both clubs, helping a town that has faced economic challenges. The clubs have staged joint public training sessions — in July, players swapped tasks, with Latics attempting conversions and Warriors trying penalties — and plan further shared events and knowledge exchange.

Supporters’ groups have largely welcomed the shift. Jason Taylor of the Wigan Athletic Supporters Club, whose organisation raised more than £800,000 during the club’s financial crisis, said historic reasons for dislike had faded and expressed hope that even a small increase in crossover attendance would be beneficial.

Danson’s intervention followed a turbulent post‑Dave Whelan era for Athletic, which saw financial mismanagement and record‑low performance on the pitch. The new approach positions the two clubs as complementary community institutions rather than adversaries, with both sides emphasising mutual benefit and the potential to lift standards, attendance and commercial income.

Officials stressed that the relationship is a work in progress and that cultural differences remain. But the visible community solidarity after Orme’s death and the early commercial and operational integrations have set a new tone in Wigan, one club executive summed up as aiming for a shared sense of pride and practical cooperation that will benefit fans and the town alike.