Burnley v Wigan Athletic - Peter White's big match preview

WHISPER it quietly, especially in Chris Waddle's presence, but Wigan Athletic manager John Deehan readily admits he has money to spend in the transfer market.

It seems a little ironic but the fact is that while Wigan will look enviously at tomorrow's Turf Moor attendance figure, the Latics boss is in a far happier financial position than his Burnley counterpart.

Waddle has no money available to spend on more new players, yet he has been able to count on an average crowd of more than 10,000 flocking to home games.

At Wigan, even though they are celebrating another year-on-year rise, crowds have only increased from an average of 3,899 in last season's Third Division championship campaign to around 4,200.

It doesn't even begin to compare with the sort of backing Burnley enjoy.

But the bottom line is that Wigan have the benevolence of chairman and owner David Whelan who signs the cheques.

And Whelan's millions have enabled Deehan to go out and break the club's transfer record on a number of occasions - and still have money to spare.

It helped give Wigan a first-ever championship in League football and they have ambitions of climbing higher, much higher.

If it is any consolation to Waddle, however, as he contemplates steering Burnley out of their present predicament with the players he has already gathered at Turf Moor, having money does bring extra pressures. There had apparently been so much public debate about what Deehan had spent, compared to the club's relatively disappointing position in the table, that the manager felt obliged to put the fans in the picture.

He used his own column in Wigan's programme for last week's game against Bristol Rovers to say: "Recently in the Press, you will have seen a lot of varying figures of what I have spent on players since my arrival at Wigan.

"To put matters straight, I have in fact spent £1.7 million and received £200,000 for transfers out.

"This means that our current squad has been built on £1.5 million. This, in fact, brought us promotion as champions to Division Two.

"Also it leaves us with a squad of players that now needs to be built on with two or three more players.

"Whilst there is money to spend this must be spent wisely."

Deehan's 'dilemma' seems to concern just who he should or should not buy - in stark contrast to Waddle who has no such problems. He just cannot afford to buy at all.

Yet when the two sides clash at Turf Moor tomorrow, the Second Division table will show that there is little between them.

Burnley striker Paul Barnes recognises that Wigan have spent a lot and sees similarities as both clubs have had to bed in new players.

"Wigan have certainly got a hell of a lot of experience in there," said Barnes.

"And they are probably just trying to gell at the moment. "But it's a little bit like ourselves, it takes time."

That is an ingredient not even money can buy and, with Latics only two points ahead of Burnley in the table, a change of positions could have a big effect on both clubs.

"If you can beat teams and, at the same time, put them below you it can give you a big lift," added Barnes who is the man in form for Burnley at the moment with four goals from his last seven League games.

To claim that much-needed victory, Burnley will have to overcome a side which could include some familiar faces.

Eighteen months ago, the Latics tempted defender Charlie Bishop to join them from Barnsley when Burnley were doing all they could to sign him after a successful loan spell.

One of several major signings made by Deehan in the last close-season was Brendan O'Connell, another Turf Moor old boy.

And two big buys, defender Scott Green and winger David Lee, made the short trip from Bolton to Wigan at a joint cost of more than half a million pounds.

Deehan also handed Manchester United £250,000 for Pat McGibbon to go with £350,000 keeper Roy Carroll, signed from Hull in April.

For all their financial muscle, however, Wigan have struggled this season, especially away from home where their miserable record - a win, a draw and eight defeats - compares with Burnley's experiences.

So Waddle can hope to cash in - metaphorically speaking, of course.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.