Pearce hits out at Latics disgraceful price hikes
By Oscar Wilde
October 20 2006
Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce has voiced his sympathy with supporters facing Latics’ ridiculous admittance prices ahead of the Lancashire derby tomorrow (Saturday).
With the price for the same fixture having been increased by ten pounds in under 12 months, and the fixture being televised by Sky, many City supporters have decided to boycott the fixture, meaning just 1,800 of the 5,000 away allocation have been taken up.
Pearce said “I’ve a lot of sympathy over the money being charged. Sometimes the clubs push up the price of tickets for away fans and, in some ways, it is cheating the public”.
Latics are set to name an unchanged side with David Cotterill, Ryan Taylor and Steve McMillan still sidelined.
Centre-back Andy Webster is close to full fitness and may be in the squad.
Sylvain Distin, Claudio Reyna and Hatem Trabelsi should prove their fitness but Darius Vassell and DaMarcus Beasley are injured and Ishmael Miller is a doubt.
Latics (from): Kirkland, Boyce, Hall, de Zeeuw, Baines, Teale, Valencia, Landzaat, Scharner, Kilbane, Todorov, Camara, McCulloch, Heskey, Pollitt, Jackson, Webster.
Manchester City (from): Weaver, Hart, Schmeichel, Distin, Dunne, Jordan, M Mills, Richards, Trabelsi, Barton, Dabo, Hamann, Johnson, Ireland, Reyna, Miller, Sinclair, Corradi, Dickov, Samaras.
Referee: Phil Dowd (
Paul Jewell:
"I'm not happy that we've only got five points, but it's not sackcloth and ashes yet.
"People outside the football club might be thinking that, but this is Wigan Athletic, it isn't Real Madrid.
"I knew it would be more difficult this season, that's what happens. Last year everything was a novelty and Wigan Athletic were a story.
"We're fourth bottom of the Premiership here, what a disaster that is! Let's have a sense of realism here. I want them to be better than that, but in the cold light of day, you've got to look at what we're up against."