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Wigan Athletic chief executive Brenda Spencer says the club's hands were tied over 'unfair' police charges which left the club with a £293,000 bill. The club is locked in a High Court battle with Greater Manchester Police over charges for match day services during the 2003/4 and 2004/5 seasons. The club handed over £293,085, but now wants the money back. Wigan's lawyers argue the actual cost of policing games at the JJB Stadium should be far lower than claimed but it effectively tripled to £225,184.94 in 2003/04. In 2004/05 the charge was £282,082. GMP says the charges reflected the deployment of extra police at the ground which were requested by Wigan. Ms Spencer told the court GMP could charge what they wanted for match day policing, as the club had to accept their advice on officer levels. Wigan face particular problems as their attendances are low compared with most Premiership clubs, reflecting their recent rise to top flight status and the fact that they are located in area with a strong rugby leage tradition. Nevertheless, the issue is one that affects all clubs and sometimes it would seem that there is an over large police presence at clubs with little record of trouble.
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