Latics count the cost of big freeze

FROZEN ASSETS: scenes like this may have cost Athletic up to £100,000.

ATHLETIC managing director Simon Corney has described how the recent postponements have had a severe impact on the club’s financial position.

The game against Leyton Orient, down to take place on Saturday, was called off last week due to ice and snow covering the Boundary Park playing surface and surrounding areas of the ground — the second home fixture in succession to have hit the skids.

Corney has estimated that the no-go against Orient, coupled with the loss of the Boxing Day home match against Tranmere Rovers, may have lost Athletic up to £100,000 due to a lack of paying fans coming through the gates and other costs, including wasted food.

Athletic haven’t played a home game since the visit of Exeter City to Boundary Park on Saturday, December 12.

And in terms of cash flow, the situation is made worse by the fact that admission to the Exeter game was set at just £2 for adults and £1 for concessions as part of a drive to boost the crowd figure.

The last time the club benefited from a full-price gate for a home game was against Leeds United on Tuesday, December 1.

Athletic are by no means alone in suffering badly from the recent freezing conditions.

Rotherham United, managed by former Athletic boss Ronnie Moore, haven’t played at all in League Two since winning 4-2 at Bradford City on Saturday, December 12 and as a result have lost ground to leaders Rochdale in the title race.

Their game at home to Bournemouth on Saturday was postponed due to safety reasons, along with every other fixture in the same division and all but two in League One.

Meanwhile, Athletic’s hopes of a cash boost from the sale of Micah Richards appear to be shrinking, with new Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini indicating the youngster is in his plans for the future.

Tottenham were said to be interested in signing the England right-back, with any transfer involving handing over 20-per-cent of the deal’s value to Athletic as part of the agreement which saw Richards leave the club to join City as a 14-year-old.


TONIGHT’S reserves game away at Carlisle has been postponed.