Wigan players set to refund fans

Wigan's players are to personally refund Latics fans who bought tickets at the DW Stadium for the 9-1 hammering at Tottenham on Sunday.

Wigan took a large following to White Hart Lane for the defeat, the second heaviest in Premier League history.

"We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday," said Wigan captain Mario Melchiot via the official club website.

"This is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their loyalty."

Wigan are the first team to concede nine goals in a Premier League match since Manchester United beat Ipswich 9-0 at Old Trafford in 1995.

The Latics have conceded 13 goals in their previous two matches and now sit only three places and three points above the relegation zone with a goal difference of -17.

"There is not a lot else to say, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed, we feel it was below our standards and this (the refund) is something we feel we owe to the fans," admitted Melchiot.

"Now we have to draw a line under the game, focus completely on training this week and bounce back on Saturday.

"We are professionals, we will take it on the chin and move on but it's important that we do not take our supporters for granted."

Striker Jermain Defoe did most of the damage for Spurs, scoring five goals in the club's highest top-flight win.

Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon and Niko Krancjar also scored and the unfortunate Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland scored an own goal.

Paul Scharner scored the Latics' goal.

The club has confirmed that every supporter who bought a ticket from the DW Stadium for the game on Saturday should contact the ticket office and a full refund will be offered to them.

Refunds must be claimed on or before Friday 4th December 2009.

"The players have asked me not to release details of the amount [they will be repaying] but they wanted to make the gesture," Wigan's head of media and publications Ed Jones told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Maybe it would have been different if it was a home game," he admitted.

"It was a shock to the system, they're professionals and they've been through a bit of a humiliation.

"The club is a small, family-run institution, we're all in it together and it has not been pleasant."

Wigan return to action when they host Sunderland this weekend.