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The fifth club to play football at Springfield Park following the building of the ground in 1897, Wigan Athletic were formed in 1932 following the demise of Wigan Borough. The old club were forced to resign from the Third Division North of the Football League on the 26th October 1931, when the directors expressed their inability to meet their present and future commitments to the club.

Even with the voluntary liquidation of Wigan Borough the town's die-hard football enthusiasts were planning the rebirth of a town team.

A public meeting was held at the Queen's Hall presided over by the then Mayor of Wigan, Councillor W A Hipwood, who called on the town to keep up the reputation of producing the finest sportsmen by keeping intact an Association Football team as well as the Rugby League team.

A committee was elected and a new club was formed to be called Wigan Athletic. Springfield Park was purchased for the sum of £2,850 from the owners of the Woodhouse Lane dog track, with the club gaining election to the Cheshire League.

The 1934-35 season besides collecting their second Cheshire League championship saw the first of what became many incredible F.A. Cup runs. Carlisle United were beaten 6-1 in the first round at Brunton Park, a record victory that still stands for a non-league side over football League opposition.

With the end of the war in 1945, Wigan Athletic were elected into the Lancashire Combination, with the Latics proving themselves to be formidable opponents, this consistency almost rewarded in 1950 with Football League status, losing out on a third poll vote to Scunthorpe United.

Despite this bitter disappointment, Latics continued to knock on the League's door, backing their demands by holding almost a monopolistic grip on the Lancashire Combination Championship title.

 

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The 1953-54 season will be remembered as one of the most remarkable in the club's sixty five year history, retaining the championship,(their third in four years), winning the Lancashire Junior Cup and competing a unique treble by lifting the Lancashire Combination Cup. Not content with cleaning up every non-league title open to them, Wigan claimed national fame, again with a strong F.A. Cup run. A second round victory over Hereford United was watched by a crowd of 27,526 spectators, a record to this day, as the largest attendance ever recorded between two non-league clubs excluding Wembley Finals. The reward was an away tie against the mighty Newcastle United, then at the height of its footballing prowess, with a side containing several legendary names. A crowd of 52,222 saw Latics return with a 3-3 draw, only to narrowly lose out in the reply 2-3. Sadly the success of this memorable season could not open the door to league status.

The 1960's saw Latics rejoin the Cheshire League to provide stronger competition with the 1964-65 season providing another record as the club's answer to the "Roy of the Rovers" Harry Lyon amassed an amazing total of sixty six goals in a season - over half the teams total, scoring six in one match for another club record.

Joining the new Northern Premier League Latics continued to tower above other non-league sides, claiming the scalps of league clubs in the F.A. Cup.

Finally after 34 rejections, it was a case of the league at last, gaining Football League election at the end of the 1977-78 season in place of Southport.

The first season saw Latics finish in a creditable sixth place. Two seasons later promotion was secured in second position under player manager Larry Lloyd.

In 1985, Latics made it a town double emulating the town's rugby club winning a Wembley Final, 3-1 over Brentford with goals from Mike Newell, Tony Kelly and David Lowe.

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An excellent youth policy saw the sale of many promising youngsters, which include two former captains of Premier League sides, Steve Walsh at Leicester City and Peter Atherton at Sheffield Wednesday.

In February 1995, local millionaire businessman David Whelan took control of the club. A former professional with Blackburn Rovers whose football career was cut short following a broken leg sustained in the 1960 F.A. Cup Final, his aim is to take Wigan Athletic into the Premiership. In 1997 the club secured the Third Division Championship under John Deehan, whilst in 1999 the AutoWindscreens Shield was added to the trophy cabinet, after Paul Rogers solitary goal defeated Millwall at Wembley.

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The 1998/99 season was the club's final season at the now demolished Springfield Park with the last ever game being a 1-1 draw in the Second Division play-off first leg against Manchester City, eventually losing 2-1 on aggregate. Manchester United were the visitors for the opening game at the Latics new home, the 25,000 capacity J.J.B. Stadium in August 1999. The Club went on a 24 league match unbeaten run and topped the Second Division as we entered the new millennium. However it was to be the play offs again that season and after beating Millwall over two legs, Gillingham won the play off Final 3-2 in extra time at Wembley. Latics would have to wait another three years until promotion.

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During the 2000/01 season, the club had three different managers. Former Middlesbrough and Bolton boss Bruce Rioch took over in the summer of 2000, and oversaw an impressive start to the campaign as the club battled for promotion but left the club in February 2001 after mutual consent. Former coach and defender Colin Greenall took charge of the team for six matches before former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce took over, who had previously cut management teeth with Huddersfield Town. Bruce took the club to the play-offs for the third consecutive season, but Latics lost 2-1 to Reading on aggregate in the semi-finals with Nicky Forster scoring a late winner for the Royals to break Wigan hearts.

Steve Bruce was only on a short-term contract, and left the JJB Stadium to become the manager of Crystal Palace in the summer of 2001. Chairman Dave Whelan sought his eighth manager since taking over the club and appointed former Bradford and Sheffield Wednesday manager Paul Jewell, who of course, had also spent part of his playing career with Latics in the 1980's. This important decision by our chairman to appoint Jewell as our manager was the start of our rapid journey to the Premiership.

The new Latics boss had a simple instruction from his new chairman. He was allowed to build up the squad he wanted in the first year, and then ensure the club were in the top six at Christmas the season after.

By the end of October, the club were second bottom of the Second Division (now League One), and just a few weeks later were to be humiliated in the FA Cup by non-league Canvey Island who won 1-0 at the JJB Stadium. But Dave Whelan backed Jewell with a spending spree throughout the season that would shape the squad to take us to the Premiership. Even though the club were struggling, Jewell brought in goalkeeper John Filan, defender Matt Jackson, midfielders Gary Teale and Jason Jarrett and also striker Nathan Ellington for a then club record fee of £1.2million on transfer deadline day in 2002. These players took Latics all the way to the Premiership in the remarkably short time of three years.

From being second bottom, Latics finished the 2001/02 season in 10th after a decent run of just five defeats since the New Year, which was a huge improvement. By the end of the season, Jewell had built a squad he thought was capable of challenging for one last promotion push for the club to take Latics out of the lower leagues.

In the summer of 2002, defender Ian Breckin was the only addition brought into the club with the later purchases of Nicky Eaden and Jimmy Bullard coming during the season. The club walked to the 2003 Division Two title and finished with 100 points, creating a run of ten consecutive victories along the way and losing just four times for the whole campaign. Wigan Athletic had at last achieved promotion for the first time in six years.

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The same season saw Latics go on incredible run in the Carling League Cup, reaching the quarter-finals. Latics disposed of Northampton before facing four Premiership teams in a row. Jewell's men defeated West Brom, Manchester City, Fulham before finally being halted by Blackburn Rovers, who were holders of the trophy at the time.

After being favourites for relegation from the First Division (now called the Championship) in the 2003/04 season, Latics went on to surprise many more sceptical pundits. Despite losing their first game 2-0 at Millwall on the first day of the campaign, and being labelled "a pub team", Jewell's men did not lose for another 17 games and were actually top of the First Division at the beginning of November beating 18th placed Crystal Palace 5-0 at the JJB Stadium.

How ironic it would be that it was Palace who won promotion to the top flight, and Latics who failed to qualify for the play-offs later that season. Just three wins in the last ten games saw Latics run out of steam and needed to beat West Ham on the last day of the season to have a chance of clinching sixth place. But Latics could only draw 1-1, and they would have to settle for seventh place.

After defying all the odds, everyone knew Wigan would be in the promotion shake-up in the 2004/05 season, but did not realise how strong the club were going to challenge for promotion to the Premiership.

Latics started the campaign with an unbeaten run of 17 league games, which were ended by a 2-0 defeat by Plymouth in November. Despite just winning twice in the next nine games, Latics remained in the top three and were challenging strong along with Sunderland and Ipswich who were neck and neck for most of the campaign.

Home defeats to West Ham and Sunderland looked to have severely dented Wigan's promotion hopes, but Ipswich Town also suffered from inconsistency as the season drew to a conclusion. The Suffolk based club lost their game in hand to Wolves and could only manage to win one out their four remaining games.

The form of Latics was only marginally better, but the superior goal difference, thanks to the steady defence, gave an advantage to Latics. Sunderland had already won the Championship, and so the last remaining play-off place was up for grabs. On the last day of the campaign, Latics could be level points with Ipswich, and therefore only needed to draw with Reading. Ipswich had to beat Brighton at the Withdean Stadium. But there was another twist; Reading had to win to have any chance of making the play-offs themselves.

Ipswich had taken the early lead, and so they were in line for automatic promotion, until Brighton had equalised just six minutes later. But that was all the agony Latics fans had to endure as they saw Latics cruise to victory over Reading at the JJB Stadium. Lee McCulloch, Jason Roberts, and Nathan Ellington all scored before Steve Sidwell's consolation goal to give Latics a 3-1 win, and a place in the top flight for the first time ever!

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THE PREMIERSHIP YEARS

2005-06

Latics were many bookmakers' favourites for an immediate relegation in the 2005/06 season, and even our own fans admitted they would have been happy at ending that season in 17th position.

But no one was prepared for the fact that Latics were going to spend their debut season in the Premiership in the top ten - and that's exactly what happened!

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Fate dealt Latics a tough start to the Premiership campaign with a home game against Champions Chelsea. Some people feared the worst for Paul Jewell's men, but the club won a lot of friends that afternoon as we went on to dominate the match and were very close to earning a draw. But Argentine international Hernan Crespo threw a sucker punch in the last minute as he scored a last minute screamer from twenty-five yards to earn Chelsea a slender win. Although Latics lost on that day, it was the start of a fantastic season that saw Latics with a challenge amongst the best.

Three months into the season, wins against Everton, Bolton, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham and Portsmouth helped Latics into second spot in the Premiership. Although defeats to Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United, all challenging for Champions League spots soon sent Latics down the table, it seemed qualification for the UEFA Cup was more realistic than relegation.

Not only did Latics fare well in the league, but we also battled all the way to the Carling Cup final to face Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium at the end of February.

It wasn't the easiest of journeys to the final either. After Latics disposed of Bournemouth and Watford in the early rounds, Jewell's men had to face Newcastle, Bolton and also a two-legged semi-final against Arsenal.

Paul Scharner scored on his debut to give Latics a 1-0 lead in the first leg of the semi-final, but Thierry Henry scored in the second leg at Highbury to level matters. Dutch international Robin Van Persie scored a sublime free-kick in extra time and it looked like it was enough to guide the Gunners into the final.

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But Wigan fought on and Jason Roberts forced the ball past Manuel Almunia in the last few minutes of extra time, and it meant that Jewell's men had won on the away goals rule!

The Carling Cup final was an overwhelming experience for most Wiganers who a decade earlier were much more used to the Auto-Windscreens Shield. Manchester United comprehensively won 4-0 on the day, but for Wigan to be in a cup final at all showed progress.

Latics met Manchester United a week later in the Premiership at the JJB Stadium, and it was an altogether different affair. Paul Sharner broke the deadlock against a below par United to give Latics a 1-0 lead. And it was a very much deserved lead at that as Sir Alex Ferguson's men appeared to be rattled by Wigan's determination to get a result. But Portuguese winger Christiano Ronaldo managed to equalise before the most unfortunate Pascal Chimbonda couldn't prevent Louis Saha's shot going over the line in the last minute. Although it was another loss against the Old Trafford club, Latics very nearly got their biggest ever result.

Wigan's form in the Premiership became more inconsistent as the season drew to a close and it didn't get much harder than on the last day of the season when Latics travelled to Arsenal.

For Gunners fans, it was a historic day as it was the last ever match to be played at Highbury. Arsenal had to win and hopes Spurs would slip up against West Ham to ensure they qualified for the Champions League.

Latics nearly spoiled the party as goals from Paul Scharner and David Thompson silenced the Highbury crowd, but the Gunners eventually ran out 4-2 winners whilst Spurs lost at West Ham to join Europe's premier competition next season.

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Although the spotlight wasn't on Latics that day, a 10th placed finish represented a huge achievement for a club that wasn't even professional 28 years ago.


2006-07

As expected, Wigan's second season in the Premiership was not as smooth as the debut campaign in the top flight. The season started with a difficult trip at Newcastle where Scott Parkers' header was cancelled out by Lee McCulloch, but a Shola Ameobi goal won the match 2-1 for the Magpies.

Wigan's first win of the season happened the weekend after the trip to St. James' with the visit of Reading who had a great start to life in the top flight after they won the Championship. £5.5million signing Emile Heskey netted his first goal in Latics colours to secure a 1-0 win.

Latics picked up their first away point at Everton where despite going down twice, Latics came back with two brilliant goals from Paul Scharner, one of which was a brilliant long-range header.

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Latics had to wait a while longer for their first win on their travels, although they had a great start at Blackburn when Heskey volleyed in Emmerson Boyce's in the opening minutes, although it proved to be a false dawn as the Ewood Park club fought back to win 2-1.

After a seemingly slow start to the 06/07 season, Latics started to pick up momentum after the visit of Manchester City in October. Once again, Heskey gave Latics a perfect lead from Boyce's cross, and this was quickly followed up with a Richard Dunne own goal. Further strikes from Henri Camara and Antonio Valencia inflicted a humiliating 4-0 defeat on City, and that became Wigan's biggest ever Premiership win.

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Latics then won three on the trot, when Henri Camara's late strike gave Latics their first away win of the season at Fulham to the tune of 1-0. Lee McCulloch repeated the feat a week later at local rivals Bolton whilst a 3-2 victory over Charlton saw their boss Iain Dowie sacked after just 12 games.

The second Premiership season looked comfortable in early December when Latics won at Upton Park for the third time in a row. David Cotterill's first goal and a Jonathan Spector own goal contributed to 2-0 win.

But then Latics fortunes took a nosedive as they went without a win in 9 league matches, a new record. Latics lost to newly promoted Sheffield United at home, whilst a trip to Watford was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. Blackburn and Everton easily won at the JJB Stadium during that run, although Latics were robbed of a vital point from Arsenal as Emmanuel Adebayor netted a winner two minutes from for a 1-0 win. The same happened with Chelsea when Arjen Robben nicked a cruel winner to give the Stamford Bridge club a 3-2 victory.

The dreadful run finally ended in early February when a McCulloch strike defeated a high flying Portsmouth 1-0 at a foggy JJB Stadium.

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But ecstasy turned to despair a week later when Latics visited Arsenal at their spanking new Emirates Stadium. Denny Landzaat scored a screamer from 35-yards but referee Phil Dowd incurred the wrath of Paul Jewell when Heskey was denied a clear penalty in the box, and to the amazement of everyone, no penalty was given. Cue late goals from Pavel Rosicky and an unfortnate own goal which gifted the Gunners a totally undeserved 2-1 win.

A valuable point was earned at the rescheduled fixture at Watford when new signing Caleb Folan, from Chesterfield, netted the all important goal.

Latics got back on track the following week, when Ryan Taylor scored his first Latics league goal with a brilliant free-kick at home to Newcastle for a 1-0 win. The win was all the sweeter after John Filan pulled off an amazing save from a Nolberto Solano penalty.

Latics continued their good form when they travelled to Manchester City, and Folan's far post header meant that they won 1-0 for the second season in a row. Jewell's men managed to get a point against a stubborn Fulham team with a goaless draw.

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Latics still had not been in the bottom three but were always looking over their shoulders. The end of March signalled the opportunity to make up ground in the league table with a trip to Charlton, but the Addicks won via a penalty.

Latics anticipated the visit of Bolton whom we were unbeaten against since promotion to the Premiership in 2005. But Wanderers' Iranian Andranik scored a brace as Latics went down 3-1.

Emile Heskey opened the scoring at Aston Villa on Easter Monday, but despite Gabriel Agbonlahor's equaliser it was a hard earned point.

Latics then produced a fantastic performance against Spurs, but it all highlighted what the problems had been all season. Latics had squandered so many leads that out of the whole Premiership they had lost around 26 points from winning positions.

Every time Latics took the lead against Spurs, they were pegged shortly afterwards. First Heskey scrambled home a header from close range only to see Dimitar Berbatov equalise minutes later. Then Leighton Baines' stunning volley was then cancelled out a minute later as Robbie Keane scored from the spot. Keane restored parity again when he cancelled out Kevin Kilbane's header after he chipped John Filan off his line.

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It finished 3-3 and although a very entertaining match, it was very frustrating for Latics fans watch their team take the lead three times but only end up with a point.

With Latics just a few points above the drop zone, and goal difference between all the relegation threatened teams just a few goals apart, Jewell opted for a cautious approach for the trip to Anfield. Liverpool rested Steven Gerrard but they still won 2-0 with a Dirk Kuyt brace. Latics only had a Folan header on target all match, but despite the defensive approach, the result eventually made a big difference.

West Ham were in 18th place but were just three points behind Latics with three games left, albeit they had a worse goal difference. The Hammers had just had the news that they were to be fined £5.5million for fielding ineligible Carlos Tevez, but he was still allowed to play. But Latics were not at the races that day and they lost 3-0 with the Argentine playing a starring role.

Things looked grim for Latics after the last home match when Middlesbrough were the visitors. Mark Viduka tucked away Stewart Downings free kick and as a result Latics lost 1-0.

On the same weekend West Ham totally blitzted Bolton at Upton Park, and that dropped Latics into the relegation zone for the first time of the season, with only one match remaining.

Latics were three points behind the Hammers and Sheffield United, and whilst the former had to travel to Manchester United on the last day of the season, Latics actually had to travel to the latter.

With just one goal difference seperating the two teams, it basically meant that Latics just had to win to overtake Sheffield United and haul themselves out of the drop zone. Meanwhile, the Blades could not afford to lose either just in case the Hammers got anything at Old Trafford.

At the start of the day, Latics were clear favourites for the drop given that the Blades only needed a draw. But Latics produced when it mattered most and got off to a brilliant start.

Kevin Kilbane's cross was rifled into the corner from twenty yards by Paul Scharner after a quarter-of-an-hours play. But, as expected, the Blades fought back and on the half-hour Jon Stead connected to Phil Jagielka's header to equalise although he clattered into Mike Pollitt in the process.

The Latics shot stopper continued to play on, although Jagielka proved to be his clubs downfall as he handled in the box on the stroke of half-time. So who else to walk up to the penalty spot and send the past a despairing Paddy Kenny in the Blades' goal?

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It was none other than former Everton defender David Unsworth, who had played for the Blades before signing for Latics in January. The veteran smashed home from the spot, and Latics defended stubbornly for the whole second half, with a starring role from Heskey who seemed to be everywhere on the pitch at once!

Latics won, and the job was done! They would be in the Premiership for a third term. However, news filtered through that Carlos Tevez had scored a winner against a weakened Manchester United, and that meant the Blades were relegated on goal difference! In fact, Unsworth's penalty against his former club was enough for Latics to survive by just a solitary goal!

The drama continued off the pitch as Paul Jewell resigned the following day citing that he needed a break from the game, and so assistant Chris Hutchings was appointed the manager. The first thing he did was release Unsworth on a free transfer, but although he was only with Latics for a few months, the importance of his penalty at Brammall Lane cannot be under estimated.