Far Away Fans Number One

Hello my name is Kent Rabben and I am chair of the Norwegian Wigan Athletic Supporters Club



Kent Rabben alias Norwegian Latic


Why did you decide to support Wigan Athletic and how long have you been a fan?

I began to follow the results 7 seasons ago. But I got more feelings for the club 5 seasons ago when I started watching them on TV and liked them and the feelings gets just bigger and bigger.

Is there a big Premier League following in Norway?

Definitely! Every football supporter in Norway has an English team they are interested in and there are supporter clubs for each one. Liverpool that has 30,000 members and Man Utd that have 38,000 members.

How many members are there in the Latics Norwegian supporters club?

We are about 50-60 people that`s are in the supporters club, and we have our own specially made shirt for the members. We have a internet site www.wigan.no but its in Norwegian so I don`t think you understand much there.

How often to the club come over to Wigan?

The supporters club are traveling to Wigan ones per year, but my self at least 4 times a year. But there is probably one every game that asks the supporters club 4 tickets so it is many Norwegians that is on a Wigan match in a year.

Is it easy to get from Norway to Wigan?

It`s quite easy to get to Wigan. You have flights going to Manchester and Liverpool from almost every airport in Norway. But it`s expensive! £300 just the flights!



Are the games showed over there?

Yes. We in Norway can watch 9 out of 10 games in one league round. Over 300 games per season!


Who is your favourite player?

- It has to be Scharner! He used to play in SK Brann my home team in Norway and my favorite team! I was devastated when he left Brann, but when I saw that he went to Wigan it was brilliant. He`s a special player!

What do you like about Wigan people?

They are so easy to get to know. I have a lots of friends in Wigan already. But they are so friendly over there, much more than here in Norway.

Have you eaten a Wigan pie and what did you think of it?

Yes I have. And it was okay. Not the best I have eaten but alright!

When are the supporters club coming over again?

I have just started to planning a supporters tour, and it looks like most of the members want to see Wigan beat Bolton on the 2nd last home game I think! So its probably then.


Where do you think Wigan will finish this season?

It depends! If we keep Palacios, Valencia and Heskey we may get a top half position, without them I think will get a place like last season.

Where do you think the team needs strengthening and who would you recommend that we sign?

Of course one attacker. I don`t know any players I would recommend, I think Bruce knows it better than me and probably a left winger. I can`t think of any other positions we needs to strengthen than that.

Any players in the Norway league that we should be looking at?

Absolutely not! They are all crap:) or maybe Per Siljan Skjeldbred midfielder from Rosenborg. But there is not many great players from the Norwegian league.

Do you like the vital Wigan site?

Yes I do! I`m quite impressed by all the articles you makes. There is a great number of them each day and I like that its a site friendly for the fans!

Is there anything the club can do to build the club up in Norway?

Yes there is always something they can do. Give the supporters club some tickets that we can share with our members and they will take with some other friends that suddenly like the club and starts following it. Another thing is that they could have a yearly friendly here in Norway. Like that against Rosenborg in 2005 I think it was. Then the interest from Norway could have grown bigger.

Anything else you would like to add.

I just want to thank the whole of Wigan for the incredible times I`ve had there, and I haven`t heard about anybody that doesn`t likes the town and the team!

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.