I have two words for you when it comes to owners making their clubs a laughing stock. Hicks and Gillette.
Dave Whelan is clearly the best chairman in the league and here's why; 1. He's the only chairman who knows football as a player at the top level, yes it was 50 years ago, but how many other chairmen have even played semipro football. 2. He is willing to give managers enough time to mould the team in their image 3. He threw money at his local, almost bankrupt club, built us a new stadium and lifted us 2 divisions higher than we'd ever been and over the last few seasons he's even managed to balance the books 4. He loves his club and his town and will promote them both at every opportunity 5. Although most of us agree he should keep his mouth shut more often, he's backed 100% by the fans, because we all know just what Wigan Athletic means to him, he's simply a very rich fan * As for being laughing stocks, try asking fans from all clubs what they think of Wigan Athletic, you'll hear either respect, or obvious envy and this is about a club that's 100% in Mr. Whelans heart, maybe if fans of certain clubs could see things objectively, instead of only through rose tinted specs, they'd notice that we at Wigan are happy with our lot and it's their own clubs that are laughing stocks
He did balance the books but only by converting £30+m of debt into equity. That was very nice of him. And we're probably one of the very few clubs that can go on an away trip and have home supporters - Blackburn's - singing our chairman's name and wanting him to take over their club.