Manager Paul Jewell has warned the Wigan public that their
failure to back the team at the JJB Stadium is 'dispiriting' and
has a negative effect on morale.
Jewell was unhappy after just 15,000 spectators turned out to watch
the Latics' 1-0 defeat by Arsenal on Wednesday.
"It makes you wonder whether the Wigan public really want
Premiership football. You have to ask that," said Jewell.
"I think for some people, being in the Premiership is wearing off.
They don't come to watch Wigan, they come to watch the
opposition.
"Maybe those who aren't coming now will never come back. Maybe I'm
banging my head against a brick wall
"I'm not slagging off the fans that come, and I can't stress that
enough because the fans that come are really good, but we really
deserve more.
"They will come back and say it is expensive. I know that, and
maybe it's something the club can look at.
"But it is dispiriting, and the players do talk about the lack of
atmosphere at times around the ground.
"It is also making my job more difficult to prove we're a
forward-thinking club, and I know we are because of the way we do
things off the pitch, but we need help from the
supporters."