Ian Lenagan (born 1946, Scholes, Wigan) is a business entrepreneur. He was the chairman of Wigan Warriors from 2006 to 2023.
Born in Scholes, Wigan, Lenagan attended St Patrick's Primary School as a child and gained an appreciation for rugby league, playing for the local amateur club also named St Patrick's.
He was educated at West Park Grammar School in St Helens before eventually moving onto university. Lenagan attended both Manchester and Liverpool universities and graduated with a BSc in Mathematics and a MSc in Magnetohydrodynamics respectively. [1]
In 1985 Lenagan set up his own business, Workplace Systems, in Milton Keynes, to develop and supply software products for workforce management. Following a contract with Asda, the business became expanded across Europe, Australasia, the US and the Middle East. Major retailers known to use Workplace Systems include Argos, Focus, Sports Café, Next and Morrisons. With the success of Workplace Systems, the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2000 under the name Telework Systems PLC to incorporate another company founded by Lenagan in 1981, TeleWare, which focused on the telephony software products market.
A decline in the telephone market saw TeleWare sold off to its management in 2003 and the company change its name to WorkPlace Systems International plc, 49% owned by Ian Lenagan. [2]
In December 2011, Workplace Systems was acquired by a Lloyds Banking Group-backed management buyout, and Lenagan stepped down from his role as chairman, receiving £19m from the buyout. [3]
Lenagan is also a successful theatre producer, with over 30 productions to his name. His most recent West End hit is a co-production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Christian Slater.
Lenagan is a rugby league fan. In July 2005 he took over as chairman and majority shareholder of Harlequins RL, buying 65% of the shares and also taking a place on the board of directors. He also became a major shareholder in Oxford United, who were controlled by long-time friend Nick Merry. In July 2012 he replaced Kelvin Thomas as chairman of the League Two club. [4] Lenagan sold his interest in Oxford United and left the board in 2016 when he was appointed Chairman of the Football League. [5]
In 2007 it was announced after months of speculation that Lenagan would become the new owner of Wigan Warriors rugby league club, his boyhood team. Lenagan bought the club from former JJB Sports magnate and Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan. Lenagan also bought the training facilities at Edge Hall Road, the former stadium of Orrell R.U.F.C. as well as a 50-year lease on the JJB Stadium. [6] Lenagan's first signings for Wigan were George Carmont and Richie Mathers, both from the NRL, and Karl Pryce, who returned to rugby league from rugby union club Gloucester. Lenagan also signed Cameron Phelps and Tim Smith during the 2008 season.
On 15 July 2023, it was announced that Lenegan would be resigning as Wigan chairman in November 2023, after 16 years at the club. [7] Professor Chris Brookes (Warriors' club doctor) would take over as the new chairman, with Mike Danson the club's new owner. [8]
Lenagan is also the non-executive chairman and 1% owner of the Sports Café, an expanding chain of sports bars and restaurants. Lenagan has recently started a new business called Animalates, a children's educational exercise club which is expected to be sold as a franchise.[ citation needed ]
London Broncos are a professional rugby league club based in Wimbledon, England. They play their home games at Plough Lane and competes Super League, the top tier of British rugby league
Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club, commonly known as Wigan Warriors, is an English professional rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club competes in the Super League, the top tier of the British rugby league system, and has played its home games at the DW Stadium since 1999. Wigan Warriors are the most successful club in the history of World Rugby League with 125 trophies in total.
The DW Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Robin Park in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is used by Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club. The stadium is owned by The Wigan Football Company.
David Whelan is an English businessman and former footballer. During his football career, he played for Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. Whelan is the former owner of club Wigan Athletic, having also been the chairman of the club for twenty years, before passing the position over to his grandson, David Sharpe, who eventually passed the ownership over to International Entertainment Corporation.
JJB Sports Ltd was a British sports retailer. On 24 September 2012, shares in JJB Sports were suspended, and the firm called in administrators. On 1 October 2012, it was announced that Sports Direct had purchased part of the business, including 20 stores, the brand and trademarks, and its website, for £28.3 million.
Timothy Aiden Smith is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He previously played for Super League clubs Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (twice), and Salford Red Devils, and in Australia for the Parramatta Eels and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby Leaguen the NRL. Smith's usual position was in the halves.
Thomas James Leuluai is a New Zealand professional rugby league coach who is the assistant coach of the Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League and a former professional rugby league footballer who played for New Zealand at international level.
Michael Withers is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played as a fullback, wing and centre in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football in Australia for the Balmain Tigers in the National Rugby League, and in England with the Wigan Warriors and the Bradford Bulls in the Super League.
Stuart Littler is the former head coach of Oldham in RFL League 1. He is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer and a former head coach of Ireland.
Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England, which was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000. The site is now a Tesco supermarket.
Maurice Lindsay was the chairman of Preston North End F.C. and of Wigan Warriors R.L.F.C. and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it dominated the league in the 1980s.
The Edge Hall Road Community Stadium is a rugby union community stadium, located in Orrell, Greater Manchester. Originally built as the permanent ground of the local Orrell rugby union team, but the club departed the stadium in 2007, with the development team of Wigan Warriors beginning to use the ground that same year.
The Wigan Warriors played in the Super League and Challenge Cup in the 2007 season.
The 2008 Wigan Warriors season saw the club compete in Super League XIII as well as the 2008 Challenge Cup tournament.
Sam Tomkins is a professional rugby league analyst for Sky Sports and former professional player. He finished his career as captain of England national team before continuing for a final season with Catalans Dragons in the Super League.
The History of the Wigan Warriors stretches back to the club's foundation in 1872. It was one of the founding members of the Northern Rugby Football Union after the schism from the one code of rugby football in 1895. At the elite competition level, Wigan is the most successful club in the history of British Rugby League, measured by total of trophies won. The club has won 22 Rugby Football League Championships, 20 Challenge Cups and 4 World Club Challenge trophies.
Wigan Warriors played in the Super League XIV and Challenge Cup in the 2009 season.
The 2011 Wigan Warriors season is the club's 16th season in the Super League, since its launch in 1996.
The 2014 World Club Challenge was the 15th consecutive annual World Club Challenge and was contested by Super League XVIII champions, Wigan Warriors and 2013 NRL Premiers, the Sydney Roosters. The 2014 World Club Challenge marked a return to Australia, 20 years after the last Australian based game. It was played on 22 February 2014 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The Roosters won the match 36–14.
