Wigan Athletic 'delighted' after Appeal Court rules in its favour in Policing costs case

Wigan Athletic are delighted to announce that there has been a positive outcome for the club in their long-running legal battle with Greater Manchester Police over match day policing costs.

The Court of Appeal in London announced today that it has upheld the club's complaint that Greater Manchester Police overcharged for covering home matches during 2003-04 and 2004-05, the two seasons Latics spent in the Championship, or First Division as it was called at the time. .

Appeal judges ruled with a 2-1 majority that the club had been charged for special police services which it had not requested.

High Court Chancellor Sir Andrew Morritt held that the special policing services at issue were not "requested" by the club within the meaning of the 1996 Police Act and the police were therefore not entitled to recover the cost.

Lady Justice Smith agreed, but Lord Justice Maurice Kay said he would have dismissed the club's appeal against the High Court decision.

Latics Chairman Dave Whelan said: "I am thrilled that justice has prevailed.

"I always felt that the charges imposed by Greater Manchester Police were unfair and the first high court ruling obviously did not rectify what we felt was an injustice.

"We decided to appeal and that decision has now been totally vindicated.

"I need to stress that it was never a personal battle between myself or the club and Greater Manchester Police, but simply the fight to prove that an injustice had occurred and to stand up for that belief.

"We have an absolutely first class relationship with Greater Manchester Police at the moment and I am glad to say that the court hearing has not affected the way we work with one another on a match-by-match basis and long may that continue."

Whelan added: "It has been a long drawn out battle but one which has been worth it. The wider implications of this ruling will be felt up and down the country and I am delighted that we have helped in paving the way for fairness being exercised when it comes to setting policing costs across the whole of football."