Wigan’s Massey getting into optimum position to provoke and incite Leeds United fans
Dear FA/FL
Our observations on the incident at Elland Road in which recklessly cavorting Wigan players appeared to have coins and other missiles hurled at them are as follows:
1.) This is going to happen while ever the relevant football authorities turn a blind eye to players celebrating as if they’d won the Champions League, right in front of the disappointed opposition fans. It’s not big, it’s not clever, and the results should be foreseeable by anyone of even low to average intelligence.
2.) When such celebrations amount, as they did on this occasion, to actual provocation and incitement, then the players involved have only themselves to blame for any crowd reaction thus provoked and incited.
3.) Your request for observations and comments are welcome, but we would respectfully suggest that you might address these also to Wigan Athletic Football Club, as they arguably have a case to answer for failing to control their players.
4.) Leeds United will vigorously contest any sanctions applied to the club in respect of an incident arising out of what is demonstrably negligent conduct on the part of the relevant football authorities and Wigan Athletic Football Club.
5.) We trust that you will find these comments helpful and instructive.
Yours in sport
Leeds United AFC
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Once again, well said Rob, spot on
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Perfectly worded, Rob. They’ll probably make us play the home leg of the play-off semi final behind closed doors, and with eight players.
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They were time wasting from the off!
In the second half, the combination of falling over, and walking in slow motion wasted at least 15 minutes.
The ref added 5 minutes and this included the many 2nd half substitutes.
It was observed by us, and SKY TV, that the wigan manager was telling his player to walk even slower as they were substituted!
Where is the fair play and honour in that form of cheating?
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Spot on Rob, also do the authorities turn a blind eye to the Millwall game and the action of some of there supporters still doing the throat cutting gestures. Absolutely disgusting, but I’m sure they’ll be looking at the young lad in the East Stand who threw a scrunched up bit of cardboard at a Millwall player.
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What a load of Tosh. Those so called fans who threw coins at the Wigan team want stringing up. Sore losers indeed.. I have been a season ticket holder at Wigan for fifteen years and never have I seen so much as a wet sponge thrown at opposing players. To say that celebration after a goal should not be allowed is absolute rubbish. That is the whole point of a goal. good grief, won’t you be celebrating when you get promoted? sort your fans out.
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You’ve either deliberately misread it, or you’re simply too thick to see the difference between celebration and incitement.
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At no point in this ridiculous article do you suggest that the Leeds fans should not have thrown anything at opposition players. I think your article describes perfectly why there is a problem in Leeds.
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I never suggested that they should either. It’s a given that throwing missiles isn’t nice, and most people wouldn’t need this to be stated explicitly. Perhaps though you fall below the intelligence threshold mentioned in the piece.y
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No, but you imply it is somehow the fault of the Wigan Athletic players. That, I am afraid is just not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination.
I have just watched the highlights, the goal celebrations are actually quite mild all things considered. Then after the match the whole Wigan squad are quite rightly absolutely delighted with this most unlikely result that went a considerable way to securing their safety in the division. You are clearly trying to make excuses for the, as you say, “unintelligent” ones who cannot deal with adversity very well.
May I ask if the Leeds players had missiles thrown at them following the nasty act of card gesticulation at the ref for the blatant chesting of the ball in the 14th minute? No need to answer, as of course they didn’t.
I would usually suggest that when an argument is lost, it is often the case that the loser resorts to insults. I won’t bother in this case as there clearly is no argument, just a display of petulance as your team once more gives great hilarity to everyone else as you balls it up again lol
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I didn’t imply it was “somehow the fault of the Wigan Athletic players”. I stated explicitly and as a matter of fact that it was their fault, and I’m right. If there’s no unprofessional display of incitement by them, then there’s no problem. They let their club and the game down, and for anyone to condone that is ridiculous and disgraceful.
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No one can ever condone missiles being thrown.
It was a day of frustration for the fans, because of Wigan’s deplorable tactics of time wasting and feigning injury.
The players were not at fault as they were ‘following orders’.
Win at ANY costs, is not Football, as it should be played Steve.
When Zidane Zinedine did his famous head it was not the right thing to do.
However when it was revealed that the headbutee, had said vile things about his Mother and Sister, you could maybe understand?
Wigan have a responsibility to play the game with respect, and sportsmanship don’t they?
If you provoke incidents that result in retaliation, it is your fault!!
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At no point have you apologised for the disgraceful antics of Wigan, Steve.
It was disgusting to watch the time wasting and feigning injury.
The FL fined Leeds for going against the spirit of the game,
respect for rivals etc.
Wigan tried to destroy the game from the off, with no respect for Leeds United.
This was orchestrated by the Manager and his team.
I know you were desperate for points, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Your team would have made the Pope angry!!
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Quite so.
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With you on this Rob in all the points you have raised. This game must rank as the most disruptive match in all leagues from Premiership down this season. Wigan should be ashamed of themselves not justify it.
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Some of their fans are getting pretty defensive 😆
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Have you seen League Managers Association Performance of the week…
I am gob smacked, it beggars belief. Mind you Alex Ferguson is on the panel that determined this award. link pasted below.
http://www.leaguemanagers.com/news/lg-performance-week/lg-performance-week-cooks-latics-stun-elland-road/
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Yes, they were a credit to the art of diving and time-wasting, qualities Fergie is bound to applaud.
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FA take note and agree with said statement. Two weeks later Leeds are ejected from the play-offs after their players overcelebrate a goal in the away leg.
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…and then you wake up and find it was only a wet dream 🙄
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Rob. You are dead right. Unfortunately the word “mitigation” does not exist in the EFL vocabulary. The Wigan fans will back their players to the hilt, so will the coach and the club. It’s like expecting Millwall to apologise for their obnoxious thugs. NOBODY condones throwing objects at anyone, Wigan fans know this. Let the EFL do what they see fit to punish Leeds, however you can guarantee it will be the most severe they can justifiably get away with depending how the season turns out. They will relish making our season as miserable as possible
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All too likely true, I’m afraid.
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It’s the football authorities that should be on trial: they do nothing about racial abuse and when it comes to players abusing fans they are likely to blame the victims. For as long as football’s governing bodies remain in the hands of private companies, controlled by reactionary dinosaurs, the sport will never be fair.
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PS: I note that Siaz has come on for Getafe v Real Madrid – by way of nothing other than not much has gone Leeds’ way this term.
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Spot on Rob this celebrating in front of the opponents fans is clear incitement looking to provoke verbal abuse and hand gestures at the very least. It has absolutely no part in the modern day game in the same way as racist abuse and the authorities should be stamping it out by making it a bookable offence as far worse than a player taking his shirt off in front of his own fans.
The club has already condemned the throwing of misiles and advised that any fans identified will be banned but it is up to the players of all teams to set an example in the first place and not incite opposition fans. Noticed Maupay was at it again on Monday to!!
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