http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/23/wigan-athletic-players-refund-fans

First came the humiliation, now for the compensation. The Wigan Athletic players responsible for the worst result in the club’s 31-year league history – the 9-1 rout at Tottenham Hotspur – are to refund every Latics supporter who squirmed through the torment at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

While the manager Roberto Martínez dismissed the result as a freakish occurrence, his players were sufficiently embarrassed by their performance to pledge to compensate the hundreds of Wigan fans who endured their appalling display in the capital.

In a statement released by the players today the club captain, Mario Melchiot, said: “We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday, and this is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty.

“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 is something we feel we owe to the fans. 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.”

Wigan have confirmed that any supporter who purchased a ticket from the DW Stadium is entitled to a refund, although the gesture is unlikely to bankrupt any of their players. Tottenham fans sang “What time’s your mini-bus?” to the small travelling contingent at White Hart Lane – and that was before their side conceded eight second-half goals.

In a separate – though possibly related – incident, Wigan today postponed the planned official opening of their new club store in the town. A spokesman said: “The club apologises for any inconvenience caused to its supporters but stresses that the event will go ahead in the very near future, as soon as a new date can be arranged.”