Wigan claim that Blake deal is off

Last updated : 24 December 2004 By Tony Scholes

The behaviour of Wigan Athletic, and in particular their manager Paul Jewell, over the last few weeks has been little short of a disgrace. He’s constantly gone on about Blake wanting to join him, he even said that on television last week, and has even tried to joke about rushing the transfer through this week to enable Blake to play against us.

Now apparently the sports shop cannot raise the necessary money to complete a deal although this is not the first time Jewell has said the deal is dead, those words usually precede another offer.


Blake must now be in turmoil, he’s said he wants to go to Wigan and has today been accused of betrayal by his former team mate Andy Payton.

Some Burnley fans will have little sympathy for him but there is no doubt he has been used by his former manager Jewell and Wigan and even he must realise now that they are a club you really wouldn’t want to play for.

The situation appears to be that Burnley want £1.5 million for a player who has eighteen months left on his contract and we have a club who are prepared to pay less for him than that which currently means no deal.

He’s certainly going to be a Burnley player on Boxing Day so will he play at Crewe or will Steve Cotterill leave him out? For what it is worth I think he should play and I think he should go out there and give us everything he has, that’s the least we deserve.

But any criticism we do feel should go Blake’s way should be nothing compared to that which Jewell deserves. What a despicable way to run a football club.