OSG Championship: Whelan Charged By FA Over Racist Comments

((HT: SkySports/Beanyman Sports))

Not that this is a surprise...

But ever since Wigan chairman Dave Whelan hired Malky Mackay as his new manager to stop the hemorrhaging of the Latics. Currently, they're next-to-last in the table with only 18 points on the season so far- clearly, nine points above Blackpool but in the logjam in the relegation zone.

So, Whelan hires Mackay who is under investigation for sending racist and anti-Semitic text messages in his time as manager at Cardiff City last season. Then, Whelan says on the record to The Guardian newspaper: "I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else."

Whelan also said he did not view the word 'chink' as offensive. It was the term by which Mackay allegedly referred to Cardiff owner Vincent Tan in one of the text messages under review.

From the Guardian newspaper and David Conn at the time:

Asked whether he did not think what Mackay said was offensive, because the claim Jews “love money” has been used as a negative stereotype, Whelan said: “Do you think Jewish people chase money a little bit more than we do? I think they are very shrewd people.”

Asked if he himself believed that, Whelan, the 77-year-old multimillionaire and former owner of JJB Sports, said: “I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else. I don’t think that’s offensive at all.”

He then apologized...


The FA said in response: "It is alleged the Wigan Athletic chairman breached FA Rule E3[1] in that his comments were abusive and/or insulting and/or constitute improper conduct and/or bring the game into disrepute.

"It is further alleged that this is an 'Aggravated Breach' as defined by FA Rule E3[2] as it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality and/or religion or belief."

Whelan said he will quit if found guilty by the FA. He has until December 5th to respond to the charge.

The HQ didn't think the season could have gotten any worse for the Latics, but we think it will.

OSG Prem: Jol Out At Fulham... Seems Shocked... Plus Others Are Gone...

And, he's not the only one...

After fading at the end of last year, barely staying in the Premier League, and losing five in a row this season Fulham owner Shahid Khan sacked manager Martin Jol...

“Our poor form and results this season are undeniable, and Fulham supporters deserve better,” said Khan in a statement. “With more than half the season still ahead, an immediate change was necessary.”

Rene Meulensteen had been brought in as the number two just recently and now, he has the gig- whether it's temporary or permanent. Odds are, it's the latter unless results change drastically...

Which the HQ doesn't anticipate any time soon...

Here's the interview Meulensteen did with Sky Sports...
((HT: NBCSN))


Not to be outdone, Wigan sacked Owen Coyle after three losses in a nine-day period- all of them at home.

And the next manager on the block could Spurs' Andre Villas-Boas...

A lack of offense and a stagnant squad is causing the vultures to circle...

The players are behind their manager, but they need to improve their results instead of smacking the gums...

FA Cup: Wigan Knocks Off Man City (VIDEO)

And you can go ahead and start the talk about Roberto Mancini not even getting on the team bus and going back to the Etihad and just leaving now...

A Ben Watson header in extra time gives Wigan their first title in the 81-year history of the club and reinforces that Roberto Martinez is an absolute magician with the resources he's given (about 53-million versus the 300-plus-million Manchester City gets to play with)...


It all started with the sending off of Man City's Pablo Zabaleta- his second yellow...


Now, Wigan faces the first relegation who was an FA Cup champ... they're three points back with two games to play...

And, according to the Guardian newspaper's Jamie Jackson, Mancini is already gone...

Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini has apparently already told his players he's heading to England and midfielder Isco may be joining him.

As an addendum, here's Gus calling the game winner...
Ian Wright is clearly pleased that Man City took it in the chops...
((HT: Fox Sports))

OSG Prem: Wigan Fights Another Day, So Does Villa...

((HT: Fox Soccer))

These late season heroics for the Latics of Wigan are nothing new and solidify why manager Roberto Martinez deserves a fate better than going prematurely gray every year befoer surviving at the end...

This week, in another must-win situation on the road at West Brom, Callum McManaman (who has been known more for his tackling than his goal striking this season), puts it in the back of the net in the 80th minute for another late game win and another vitally vital three points.

Evidence below...


Wigan are now only two points from escaping relegation (again) at 35 points. Sunderland is next up at 37. Newcastle and Norwich (who lost at home to Aston Villa) are at 38. Southhampton are at 39. Everyone else is at the 40 point plateau- the number long thought of as being safety in Premier League competition.

OSG Prem: Millwall Loses In FA Cup To Wigan, Fights Themselves...

((HT: FA/ESPNUK))

Clearly, Wigan were the favorites in yesterday's FA Cup semifinal at Wembley against Millwall- and it showed...

Wigan actually controlled the ball for a great deal of the 90 minutes to set up an FA Cup final against either Manchester City or Chelsea- to be decided later today...

But, as is the want sometimes of "bored soccer fan," the Millwall side broke down into your standard, stereotypic battle among fans, more fans, and the local police...

Here's how it broke down late in the loss to the Latics...


Classy, ain't it...???

Especially to the guy who gets to leave with a police souvenir...

“There are always a few idiots,” said John Berylson, the American who owns Millwall. “That’s not our fan-base and we don’t even know who those people are. We will be investigating.”

Idiots... yes... the HQ will agree...

OSG Prem: Wigan Steals Crucial Point At QPR

((HT: Fox Sports/EPL))

What is it about Wigan and the end of the Premier League season...???

And how does manager Roberto Martinez continue to do that voodoo that he do so well...???

For, what seems like, the 458967340896th year in a row, the Latics can make another run toward saving themelves from relegation...

Bobby Zamora picked up a straight red in the 20th minute for QPR- whoch, doing the math, means that they had to play 70 minutes a man down. And, to their credit, they played very well...

QPR even had the lead with five minutes to go after a stunner from Loic Remy. But, much like everything this time of year with Wigan, they never quit. And Shaun Maloney's free kick equalizer deep into stoppage time for Wigan earned a crucial point on the road.

Here's the equalizer...


And what was Taarabt doing turning his head away from the kick when he was in the wall...???
'arry should deserve some answers...

OSG Prem: Wigan Gets 3 Points, But That's Not What We're Talking About...

((HT: SkySports))

It's not the Arouna Kone goal that gave Wigan some space between themselves, Reading, and QPR in the Premier League relegation battle that everyone is discussing... it's the Callum McManaman tackle on Haidara that set off every Newcastle person known to man at the end of the first half...


Referee Mark Halsey didn't see what happened, so McManaman didn't even get a yellow card...

And that upset Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew at the end of things...
((HT: BBC))


HQ still waits on the extent of Haidara's injury... and, maybe, a call from the FA to McManaman

OSG Prem: Relegation Battle Turns Chicken At Blackburn

((HT: SkySports/youtube))

Blackburn needed a win at home at EWood Park over surging Wigan to keep from being relegated to the Championship league...

Didn't happen...

Alcaraz scored on a header late to give the Latics their 6th win in their last 8 games, but not before Rovers fans made their feelings known about how the season has ended up in the dumper...

Someone released fowl on the pitch that really should have been water fowl...


Fans of Rovers threw their season ticket books and kits (that's what we call "jerseys" here) onto the pitch and fans tried to get a piece of manager Steve Kean- who they feel is a part of the team's implosion- when the game went final. Kean, to his credit, didn't leave his post until he shook hands with as many players as he could before security whisked him away.

OSG Prem: Wild Weekend With 2 Games Left...

((HT: FoxSoccer.com))

First and foremost, how long did it take $48-million transfer Fernando Torres to show...??? Too long in the minds of the Blues fans...

Chelsea blows out QPR 6-1 and Torres had three of them...


QPR is in danger of relegation as they're in the fight of their lives...

Not to be outdone... Liverpool's Luis Suarez matched Torres output with some work of his own... the third one was a cracker from 45 yards out...


Wigan is getting closer to getting out of the relegation battle, and at the same time, drawing Aston Villa into the fray with a 4-0 win over Newcastle- a complete surprise, but the Latics have now won 4 of their last 6...

Now, what's left is the Manchester Darby between City and United...
City wins and the League title is theirs to lose with tiebreakers and such... lose and it may be United's after all...

Even if Roberto Mancini says his team doesn't have a chance...

OSG Prem: Wigan Screwed, Relegation Zone Stays The Same

((HT: PremierLeague/youtube))

Let's face it... Wigan Athletic, at the very least, should have gotten out of Stamford Bridge with a point. But, starting with Ivanovic's way-the-hell offsides goal, it was all downhill as the Blues came out of the day with a 2-1 win.

Here's how it went down...


With Stoke beating Wolves, Blackburn's loss, and the anticipation of QPR's loss to ManU, the relegation zone didn't shift much. Aston Villa actually escaped a Liverpool game with a 1-1 tie to go six ahead of all of the five teams that are trying to avoid three spots in next year's nPower Championship League.

Here's Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, normally quick with the one-liner, mincing nothing for the zebras and their flags...