Wigan Athletic has been in the ownership of the Phoenix 2021 group for four weeks, we have already witnessed on the pitch a turnaround of form that has come with the stability of having come out of administration and the prospect of a bright future ahead.
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| Art work by Kieran Dowd @KieDowd |
Following a very dark period in the club’s history we now have a new chapter to look forward to with Phoenix 2021 at the helm, there will be a period of rebuild both on and off the field due to the ravages of the past nine months, that is inevitable, but there is a sense of real optimism around the place with both fans and staff excited about what lies ahead.
Phoenix 2021 consist of Mr Al Jasmi, the owner, new club chairman Talal Al-Hammad, CEO Mal Brannigan and directors Tom Markham, Oliver Gottmann and Richard Bramwell.
The club’s new chairman, Talal Al-Hammad, it is fair to say, is very popular amongst the Latics supporters, his enthusiasm has shone through and via the activity on his twitter feed he’s revealed his real excitement about the Latics and the fan base have connected with him and taken Talal to heart.
So, who is Talal Al-Hammad? What has drawn him to the Latics, what are his plans for the club, who are his favourite football players and what does he think about the Latics fans?
PWU were privileged to be able to communicate with Talal over the weekend and managed to ask our chairman a few questions:
PWU - Ali Al Habsi is possibly the most famous 'Gulf' player, are there any emerging stars from the region that we could bring to the club?
Talal - Ali Al Habsi is a legend and a professional at a high level and of course he is considered the best representative of the Arabian Gulf in the English Premier League, and there are many players from our region who have the same unique qualities.
I have complete confidence in the club's management to select the best players who will represent the club on and off the field.
PWU - Who is responsible for what at the club and what is a breakdown of your role.
Talal - We work as a team at Phoenix 2021, putting together the right strategies and vision for the benefit of the club. It is carried out by Mr. Mal Brannigan on the ground as the CEO of the club and my role is to make sure the club is heading in the right direction.
PWU - When did you first become aware of the football club Wigan Athletic?
Talal - I first came to know about Wigan Athletic when Amr Zaki represented the club extraordinarily, the club's popularity increased in our Arab region. At this point, I started to watch some matches and became more familiar with Wigan Athletic.
PWU - Did you get approached to become involved in the group to buy the club or did you see the opportunity yourself and put together the group?
Talal - Investing in the sports and the social sector has always been a part of our company's strategy. When we decided to go forward with the acquisition of Wigan Athletic, we put together a professional team to complete this process from day one, and in the end our attempt was successful.
PWU - Whose idea was it to buy the Latics?
Talal - I came forward with the idea to Mr. Al Jasmi and after assessing all the particulars, he gave me his approval to go ahead with the process.
The idea of investing in this field was my suggestion and was settled with the help of several professional individuals.
PWU - I can see that you are already embracing the songs, culture and even Uncle Joe's mint balls of Wigan, can you see a way that we as fans can embrace Bahrain history and culture in some way?
Talal - Wigan Athletic fans have already raised the Bahraini flag, and my country's name and native language were both mentioned in chants the fans created. I think we succeeded in connecting two different cultures.
PWU - Three key priorities to be achieved in the next 3 years?
Talal - To be more realistic, the next three years will be a tough period as we need to rebuild the club again.
Therefore, we will work to create stability, create new job opportunities, ensure the continuity and development of the club, develop the youth sector and integrate it with the community and after achieving all of that, the desired outcome will definitely take place.
As I said in a previous interview, Rome wasn't built in a day.
PWU - How long do you envisage the ownership of the club ?
Talal - We will remain as its owner for as long as we can keep adding value to it and contribute to making it one of the finest.
PWU - What is the business structure, as in are there assets that the club relies upon which are owned by other companies in the group still?
Talal - We will support the club so that it relies on its own resources. This is a strategy that makes any investment successful.
However, I do not expect this to happen in one day but by successful implementation of the strategy in place, we can ensure that the club will depend on its income to continue for many years with or without Phoenix 2021.
This is the most important element we are focusing on right now, to ensure the club is stable enough to remain for future generations.
PWU - Who is your favourite player? Would you like him at Wigan?
Talal - All my favourite football players are retired, amongst them Aimar, Riquelme, Del Piero, Brazil's Ronaldo and Zidane. But among the players out there today, I think I enjoy watching Mbappé.
PWU - Wigan is looking forward to welcoming you, what are you most looking forward to when you come to Wigan?
Talal - The thing I look forward to most is being present in the DW stadium and, to be honest, everything the fans are excited about.
PWU - Did you watch Wigan win the FA Cup vs Man City?
Talal - Yes, I watched the game and as usual that night, Wigan Athletic went against all odds and won the FA Cup.
PWU - Finally, what is your message to the Wigan fans?
Talal - What the fans accomplished for this club to get through the hardship it faced is remarkable.
I am proud to say that I am not only the Chairman of this club but also a member of its fan base.
You are a perfect example of devoted football fans and your loyalty to the club is exceptional. Up The Tics!
Talal Al-Hammad
Just like to comment here on how grateful we are that Mr Al-Hammad gave his time to us for this interview, but more importantly how much he has our eternal gratitude for saving our club, that is impossible to put into words, but thank you one million times.
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