Wigan Athletic F.C.

Infobox Football club
clubname = Wigan Athletic F.C
current = Wigan Athletic 2008


fullname = Wigan Athletic Football Club
nickname = Latics
founded = 1932
ground = JJB Stadium Wigan Greater Manchester England, United Kingdom
capacity = 25,138 [cite web |url=http://www.wiganwarriors.com/MidContent.asp?cid=21 |title=JJB Stadium - Facts & Figures |accessdate=2006-12-29 |publisher=Wigan Warriors ]
chairman = flagicon|ENG Dave Whelan
mgrtitle = Team Manager
manager = flagicon|ENG Steve Bruce
league = Premier League
season = 2007–08
position = Premier League, 14th|

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leftarm2=D4FF00|body2=D4FF00|rightarm2=D4FF00|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000

Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. They compete in the Premier League, the highest division of football in England, in which they have been playing since their promotion from the Football League in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history. They play at the JJB Stadium, which they share with the rugby league club Wigan Warriors. The club is the youngest in its division, being only 76 years old.

History

Life in the local leagues

Wigan Athletic F.C. was formed in 1932 following the demise of Wigan Borough the previous year. Wigan Athletic was the fifth attempt to stabilise a football club in the town following the demise of Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town Wigan Rovers and the aforementioned Wigan Borough. Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough, was purchased by the club and they were elected to the Cheshire County League.

In the early history of Wigan Athletic, the most notable exploits came in the FA Cup. In the 1934-35 season, Wigan beat Carlisle United 6-1 in the first round, setting a cup record for the biggest victory by a non-league club over a league club, a record which still stands today; although it was equalled in 1955 by Boston United, and in 1957 by Hereford United.

In 1945, Wigan were elected to a different league, the Lancashire Combination, and in 1950 came close to election to the Football League, narrowly losing out to Scunthorpe United on a vote. In the 1953-54 season, Wigan played an FA Cup match against Hereford United in front of a crowd of 27,526, a Wigan Athletic record and also a record for a match between two non-league teams at a non-league ground. In 1961, the club moved back to the Cheshire County League.

Early league years

Football kit box
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title = Wigan's original League kit.In 1968, Wigan were founder members of the Northern Premier League. After 34 failed election attempts, including one controversial but headline-making application in 1972 to join the Scottish League Second Division, Wigan were elected to the Football League in 1978 in place of Southport, who had finished next to bottom of the Fourth Division. Boston United were the Northern Premier League leaders, therefore Wigan, as runners-up were put forward for election. In the club's first season of League football, Wigan finished sixth, and gained their first promotion two years later, prompting a ten year spell in the third tier of English football. The club won its first silverware as a League club in 1985, winning the Freight Rover Trophy. They were beaten in the Northern Final the following season by Bolton Wanderers.

Wigan were relegated from the new Division Two in 1993, and a year later finished 19th - fourth from bottom - in Division Three to complete their worst-ever league season. The following season, 1994-95, brought a secure mid-table finish.

Rising through the league

In 1995, local millionaire David Whelan purchased the club, which was then playing in the Third Division (fourth tier), and stated his ambition to take the club to the Premiership, a statement which was widely ridiculed at the time. 10 years later Wigan were playing Premiership football.

The first step towards Whelan's dream came true in 1997 when they won the Division Three title under the management of John Deehan. Deehan's successor Ray Mathias took Wigan to the Division Two playoffs in 1999, losing 2-1 on aggregate to neighbours Manchester City after an extremely dubious goal. This ultimately cost Mathias his job as he fell victim to Whelan's relentless drive for Premiership football. His replacement John Benson led the squad he inherited from Mathias to a commanding position at the top of Division Two in his first six months, including the demolition of local rivals Preston North End 4-1 away, only to collapse in the second half of the season and once again fail in the play-offs. This was largely attributed to the dropping of leading goalscorer Stuart Barlow who was responsible for much of the side's early success, which coupled with a series of poor quality signings of ageing, and reputedly highly paid players and a run of poor performances led to strong disapproval of the management among fans. The season ended on a depressing note with Wigan losing 3-2 to Gillingham in extra time at the last ever Division Two play-off final to be played at the old Wembley Stadium.

Benson then moved 'upstairs' to the new post of Director of Football, under new manager Bruce Rioch. Rioch was hampered by severe injury problems and after a difficult and often unimpressive first half of the season left the club in February 2001. He was temporarily replaced by club stalwart Colin Greenall, before the surprise appointment of Steve Bruce in the closing games of the season. His arrival brought renewed vigour to Wigan performances, with the club ultimately falling foul once again of the play-offs, this time with Reading. Following this blow, Bruce left for Crystal Palace after repeatedly pledging his future to Wigan, leaving behind a club both grateful for his help in getting so close to promotion and also angry and bitter at his betrayal.

In 2001, former player Paul Jewell took over as manager, and after a mixed first season, won the Division Two championship in 2002-03 with a points total of 100. Wigan finished seventh in the 2003-04 Division One campaign - a last minute goal by West Ham's Brian Deane in the final game of the season saw Latics drop out of the play off picture in favour of eventual play off winners Crystal Palace.

In the following season the Latics earned promotion to the Premiership by finishing second in the Coca-Cola Championship, behind Sunderland. Promotion was secured on May 8, 2005, the Latics beat Reading 3-1 at home to secure runners-up spot in the final table.

Wigan in the Premier League

Wigan's preparations for their first season in the top-flight required the recruitment of a number of new players, but they were not able to retain striker Nathan Ellington. The club's first game in the top flight was a home match against Champions Chelsea, a game they lost courtesy of a 92nd minute winner by Hernán Crespo. A successful run followed, and by November Wigan were second in the league. The good league form was coupled with an equally strong performance in the Football League Cup, with the Latics reaching their first ever major cup final after defeating Arsenal on away goals in the semi-final. In the final Wigan were defeated 4-0 by near neighbours Manchester United. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/4727118.stm|title=Man Utd ease to Carling Cup glory|publisher=BBC Sport Online|date=2006-02-26|accessdate=2008-06-23]

Wigan are only the fourth English team in the last 20 years to win promotion to the top division for the first time. The most successful debut by any of these teams was that of Wimbledon, who achieved a sixth-place finish in 1987. Millwall debuted at 10th place in 1989 before going down the following year, while Swindon Town and Barnsley were both relegated after just one season among the elite.

Wigan failed in their bid for European football and opted not to take part in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, yet retained a top ten finish in the Premiership. They brought in Paul Scharner in January to strengthen the side, and he quickly became a fan favourite with his heroic performances. Also, Wigan right-back Pascal Chimbonda was included in the PFA Team of the Season 2005-06 and was included in France's World Cup 2006 squad. However, this was overshadowed by his transfer request minutes after the last game of the season. He was subsequently sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £5.5 million on August 31, 2006.

During the close season, Wigan sold experienced players such as Jimmy Bullard (to Fulham), Graham Kavanagh (to Sunderland) and Jason Roberts (to Blackburn Rovers), and let Damien Francis and David Connolly leave after a season of disappointing performances and an injury-plagued season respectively. Stephane Henchoz also left after his year-long contract expired. In turn, Wigan brought in Emile Heskey, Denny Landzaat, Chris Kirkland, Antonio Valencia, Kevin Kilbane, David Cotterill, Fitz Hall and Emmerson Boyce.

After a slow start to the 2006-07 season, Wigan's fortunes picked up with four successive victories against Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Fulham and Charlton Athletic. However, the club's form dipped dramatically with eight consecutive losses beginning with a close 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal on December 13. The lengthy injury to Henri Camara, along with fellow absentee Paul Scharner further hampered their winter period.

Finally, their slump ended with a 1-0 home victory against Portsmouth, on February 3. This tied in with their January transfer window signings of Caleb Folan, Julius Aghahowa and David Unsworth to help to stabilise the club's Premiership status. On March 4, 2007, Wigan stood 15th in the Premiership and were in a more comfortable position than in previous weeks, moving eight points clear of Charlton Athletic after key victories over Newcastle United & Manchester City. The club finally seemed to be moving away from the relegation mire at the right time with inspired performances from new front man Caleb Folan and stand-in goalkeeper John Filan. Nevertheless, Wigan remained in serious danger of relegation after defeats at the hands of Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and perhaps more pivotally at home against West Ham United. Coupled with the resurgence of rival strugglers Fulham and Sheffield United, Wigan went into the last game of the season needing to beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

On May 13, the final day of the 2006-07 season, a 10 man Wigan team battled and beat their Sheffield opponents 2-1 and thus guaranteeing Premiership status for another year and in doing so relegated Sheffield United to the Championship. After a dominant, fast paced and confident opening, Paul Scharner rifled home Kevin Kilbane's low cross of 14 minutes to put the Latics 1-0 up. However, a recurrence of Arjan De Zeeuw's calf injury forced him off after 30 minutes, and a re-shaped Wigan were pegged back on 38 minutes through a Jon Stead header. Yet Wigan forced their way back in front in first half injury time. Phil Jagielka handled the ball inside the area while defending a free-kick, and former Blades defender David Unsworth belted home the resulting penalty. McCulloch was sent off in the 74th minute for his second booking which put Wigan under immense pressure. However, Wigan held on for one of the biggest wins in the club's history. On May 14, 2007 Paul Jewell resigned as the manager; his assistant Chris Hutchings was appointed as the new manager later that day.

Football kit box
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title = Wigan's third kit for the 07/08 season.Hutchings wasted no time in bringing in experienced, well-known players, such as former Newcastle footballers Titus Bramble and Antoine Sibierski, former Rennes player Mario Melchiot, Preston North End keeper Carlo Nash, the much sought after Jason Koumas, Fulham's Michael Brown, while Andreas Granqvist signed on permanently and Antonio Valencia extended his loan for another season. This poured water over Paul Jewell's argument that such players would not consider Wigan.Fact|date=July 2007. However, to allow more players into the squad, some players had to leave. This included Arjan De Zeeuw, who joined Coventry City, Matt Jackson, who signed for Watford, David Unsworth (released), John Filan (released) and former favourite, Lee McCulloch, who finally sealed his dream move to Rangers. Another fan favourite, Leighton Baines, who had already turned down a move to newly promoted Sunderland, rejected a new contract at the club, and eventually signed for his boyhood team Everton. Melchiot was installed as the new club captain following the wholesale changes.

For the 2007/08 season, Wigan's home shirt returned to blue and white stripes, having been blue with white sleeves in 2006/07. The away shirt became white with a black trim, incorporating black shorts and black socks. They also introduced a third kit; a slate grey with royal blue trim.

Final changes to the squad took place before the Transfer Deadline. This saw Wigan sign much travelled striker Marcus Bent on loan and winger Rachid Bouaouzan for £300,000. At the same time, Henri Camara left to go on loan to West Ham United, while Caleb Folan signed for Hull City for £1 million. Cameroonian left-back Salomon Olembé was brought in as a free agent on September 4.

The season began with a spirited, yet disappointing 2-1 defeat away at Everton, but this was followed by consecutive home victories: 1-0 against Middlesbrough and 3-0 against Sunderland. This led to Wigan topping the Premier League for the first time in their history. Wigan's start had seen their new signings gel quickly, with Andreas Granqvist and Titus Bramble forming a sold partnership in the defence, captain Mario Melchiot leading by example, Jason Koumas adding a new creative dimension to the midfield and Antoine Sibierski scoring in each of the first 3 games. Wigan drew 1-1 away at West Ham before losing 1-0 away at Newcastle in their next game. Wanting to emulate their successful Football League Cup run from 2006, Chris Hutchings aimed to win the trophy this time around, only to see Wigan fail at the first hurdle, losing 1-0 at home to Hull City.

Wigan's improved start to the season saw Emile Heskey recalled to the England Squad for the first time since 2005. This also made him the first Wigan player to represent England whilst being a current member of the squad. Chris Kirkland having done earlier but he was on loan from Liverpool at the time.

Sadly Emile Heskey, immediately after his England call-up, broke his foot in his next game for his club, September 15, 2007, without touching the ball. He was out injured for 6 weeks. Subsequently the club's league position worsened. After a 1-1 draw at home with Fulham, Wigan lost successive games to Reading, Liverpool, 4-0 away to Manchester United, Portsmouth, Birmingham - after leading twice only to lose 3-2, and Chelsea 2-0.

On 5 November 2007, manager Chris Hutchings was sacked after Wigan slipped into the relegation zone. Frank Barlow, his assistant, was made caretaker manager, but Wigan's fortunes did not get better, losing 4-0 away to Tottenham.

On November 19, it was announced that Steve Bruce, who had just resigned as Birmingham City manager, had accepted a £2m-a-year deal to succeed Hutchings and attempt to keep Wigan in the Premier League. It is reported that Wigan had to pay £3 million in compensation to Birmingham for Bruce's services. His appointment saw Wigan end their losing streak, by drawing 1-1 at home to Man City on December 1. However, they were brought back down to earth after a disappointing 4-1 loss away to local rivals Bolton. But Bruce's and the club's fortunes greatly improved a week later with an enthralling 5-3 [ [http://www.scorespro.com/lives2/goals.php?f=196580 Wigan - Blackburn : 5 -3] Match report from ScoresPro.com] victory at home against another local rival, Blackburn, on December 15 and a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United. After a 1-2 home loss to Aston Villa, Wigan managed an even greater coup, managing to draw 1-1 at Anfield against Liverpool. They followed this up with their first away victory of the season, winning 1-0 away at Derby on January 12, 2008. However, Wigan lost their following match at home to Everton 2-1. This was followed by their elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of Chelsea, in a 1-2 defeat. Their final match in January saw Wigan go down to a disappointing 1-0 defeat away at Middlesbrough.

Wigan won the race to sign Marlon King from Watford on 25 January 2008 after he was poised to join Fulham. The deal with Fulham was held up which prompted Wigan boss Steve Bruce to step in and sign King. [ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_3078321,00.html Sky Sports | Football | Championship | News | Wigan win King chase ] ] Wigan also signed Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa, Erik Edman, Erik Hagen, whilst signing Antonio Valencia on a permanent deal. Conversely, Fitz Hall left to join Queens Park Rangers and Denny Landzaat returned to Holland with Feyenoord.

Wigan virtually guaranteed Premier League survival with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on April 14, 2008. This result also put a big dent in Chelsea's title aspirations with only four games left in the season. Emile Heskey scored in the 90th minute to level the match after Michael Essien had put Chelsea ahead. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7332046.stm "Late equaliser hits Chelsea title hopes"-BBC match report]

Wigan finished 14th in the final table with 40 points - three places and two points higher than their finish the previous season.

The Summer of 2008 was Steve Bruce's first pre-season with the club and there was plenty of activity. In came Lee Cattermole, Olivier Kapo and Daniël de Ridder (both from Bruce's former club Birmingham City), and the highly rated Egyptian striker Amr Zaki on an initial one-year loan. Leaving the JJB Stadium were Julius Aghahowa, Salomon Olembe, Josip Skoko, Andreas Granqvist and Marcus Bent's loan spell ended.

Once more, the team's kits were altered, in part due to the club signing a new contract with Champion (sportswear).

The build up to the season was brimming with optimism, and despite a poor start to their opening game with West Ham, eventually going down 1-2, chances were aplenty and the team showed great promise, with Zaki netting his first for the club (after a prolific pre-season). This level of performance continued into the first home game of the season, against Chelsea, but again, the result went against the Latics, going down 0-1.

However, they claimed their first 08-09 Premier League victory (after a 4-0 win against Notts. County at home in a Carling Cup round) against new-boys Hull City, resulting in an exciting 5-0 win at the KC Stadium. Amr Zaki scores his first brace in a Wigan shirt, along with Emile Heskey and Luis Antonio Valencia opening their scoring record for the new season. This match also goes down in Wigan's history, being (currently) their biggest win in the Premier League.

On 13 September 2008 Wigan drew 1-1 against Sunderland in a match were Amr Zaki extended his fantastic record in the Premier League to salvage a point at the JJB Stadium. On the 28 September, Wigan beat side Manchester City, 2-1. Luis Antonio Valencia netted a stunner of a goal, and 20 mins later Amr Zaki got a penalty and put it passed Joe Hart.

Wigan Athletic's final league positions in the Premier League so far

tadium

Wigan Athletic's stadium is the 25,138 capacity JJB Stadium, part of the Robin Park complex in Wigan. It has been the club's home since the 1999-00 season. The stadium, which is shared with the Wigan Warriors rugby league team, cost £30 million to construct. Previously, home games were played at Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough.

The record attendance at the JJB Stadium for Wigan Athletic is 25,133 for a match against Manchester United on May 11, 2008.

The modern all-seater stadium was officially opened on August 4, 1999. Its inauguration was marked with a friendly between Wigan Athletic and neighbours Manchester United, who were then reigning European Champions, with Sir Alex Ferguson officially opening the stadium. However, Wigan hosted Morecambe three days earlier on August 1 as a dress rehearsal for the official opening against Manchester United. 4,020 supporters braved a fierce electrical storm and torrential rain but unfortunately, the on-pitch action was less dramatic with the game ending in a goalless draw. The first competitive football match there took place on August 7, 1999, with Wigan Athletic facing Scunthorpe United in a Division 2 match. Simon Haworth scored twice, including the first competitive goal at the new stadium, as Athletic triumphed 3-0.

On March 7, 2005 Greater Manchester police announced that they would stop policing Wigan Athletic matches at the stadium from April 2. This move would almost certainly have resulted in the stadium's safety certificate being revoked, effectively forcing the team to play behind closed doors. The move was part of an ongoing dispute between the police force and David Whelan surrounding £300,000 in unpaid policing costs. The police's decision would not have affected Wigan Warriors, whose games are stewarded instead of policed. The situation was temporarily resolved on March 8 with both sides reaching an agreement that would allow Athletic to play at the ground until the end of the season. Four months later, Wigan, facing the prospect of playing their home games in the Premier League in an empty stadium, grudgingly paid the money they owed to the police. However, following the ordeal the club appealed against the payments in court.

Football / Rugby Feud

Curiously for an English football team, a rivalry exists with fans of the local rugby league team, Wigan Warriors. This is long-standing and predates the club’s formation, as previous football teams within the town are said to have struggled to attract support due to the success of the local rugby league side.

Relative fortunes have also fostered resentment. In the 1989-1990 season, Wigan Athletic, deep in financial trouble, were given a lifeline with a two-leg tie against Liverpool in the Football League Cup. When approached, the Wigan RL board refused to allow the football club use of their Central Park ground, which would have given the home side a greater share of the gate revenue (due to the fact Central Park had a larger capacity of around 32,000) forcing both ties to be played at Anfield. The need to move the game came as Springfield Park had recently had its capacity cut from 20,000 to 10,800 in 1985 by Wigan Council due to safety concerns. Generally, Wigan Warriors rugby league supporters are associated with the eastern areas of town; Wigan Athletic fans are associated with the western areas, which surrounded their old Springfield Park home (although this is not exclusive). It is also argued that Rugby League is more favoured as a sport by followers of the Catholic faith; although the rivalry does not have any sectarian elements. ^{["citation needed"]}

The rivalry has even developed to the extent where fans of the rival sport will support the away team. However, it must also be noted that some fans support both teams and have tried to discourage the animosity.

The rivalry sparked again when Wigan Warriors match against Bradford Bulls on 12 September was moved to Widnes due to The Latics playing against Sunderland on 13 September 2008

Controversy, criticism, and the media

Wigan Athletic's rise to the Premiership has been well-documented by the English media, who at times have speculated and criticised the club about poor attendances for home matches. This was compounded by the League Cup semi-final game against Arsenal, where the match attendance was 12,181 (48 percent of ground capacity). The club's management argued that this attendance was because the match was televised, played on a weekday evening and also deep amongst the backlog of games created by the reduction of the football season by a week.

Of course, these reasons exclude the traditional rebuttal that the proximity of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers have an impact on the crowds at the comparatively 'newer' team.

Further, for the 2006-2007 season, chairman Dave Whelan raised ticket prices which angered many fans who didn't agree with the substantial increase in demand in only Wigan's second season in the top flight. Responding to criticism and falling attendances, tickets were reduced to a maximum of £25 from January 2007, with promises that they would remain low for following seasons at a time when ticket prices are driving many away from attending live matches.Fact|date=July 2007

Whelan kept his word and released the 2007-08 season ticket at a cut-price £250 (£13.16 per game) for an adult seat anywhere in the ground with relative concessions for children and senior citizens. This was seen as a positive move when prices continued to spiral at other Premiership clubs. It should be noted that he reneged on a promise that "no seat would be more than £15" for non-season ticket holders, [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/wigan_athletic/s/1003/1003878_whelans_price_promise.html] charging up to £25 per ticket for games against local opposition and high profile opponents [http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchDayTickets/0,,10429,00.html] .

International Support

Wigan Athletic have many fans in Honduras due to the signings of Honduran stars Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa. In Ecuador, Wigan have fans due to the international star Antonio Valencia. There's also recognition of Wigan Athletic in Egypt with their link to Amr Zaki.

Notable former players

*flagicon|England Peter Atherton
*flagicon|England Leighton Baines
*flagicon|England Jimmy Bullard
*flagicon|Northern Ireland Roy Carroll
*flagicon|France Pascal Chimbonda
*flagicon|Ireland Peter Corr
*flagicon|Ireland Alan Mahon
*flagicon|Ireland Graham Kavanagh
*flagicon|Netherlands Arjan de Zeeuw
*flagicon|England Nathan Ellington
*flagicon|England David Fairclough
*flagicon|Australia John Filan
*flagicon|Scotland Archie Gemmill
*flagicon|England Nicky Eaden
*flagicon|Canada Jason de Vos
*flagicon|Sweden Andreas Granqvist
*flagicon|England Colin Greenall
*flagicon|England Matt Jackson
*flagicon|England Paul Jewell
*flagicon|Netherlands Denny Landzaat
*flagicon|Scotland Andy Liddell
*flagicon|England David Lowe
*flagicon|Spain Roberto Martínez
*flagicon|Scotland Stephen McMillan
*flagicon|Scotland Lee McCulloch
*flagicon|Scotland Colin Methven
*flagicon|England Joe Parkinson
*flagicon|England Marcus Bent
*flagicon|England David Wright
*flagicon|Scotland Andy Webster
*flagicon|Australia Josip Skoko
*flagicon|Grenada Jason Roberts
*flagicon|Wales Neil Roberts
*flagicon|England Allen Tankard
*flagicon|England David Unsworth
*flagicon|England Ian Gillibrand
*flagicon|England Alan Kennedy
*flagicon|England Harry Lyon
*flagicon|England Ian Kilford
*flagicon|England Micky Quinn
*flagicon|England Mike Newell
*flagicon|England Neil Redfearn

Notable former managers

*flagicon|England Bobby Charlton
*flagicon|Northern Ireland Bryan Hamilton
*flagicon|England Paul Jewell
*flagicon|England Larry Lloyd
*flagicon|England Gordon Milne
*flagicon|Scotland Bruce Rioch
*flagicon|Scotland Ian McNeill
*flagicon|England Harry McNally
*flagicon|England Ray Mathias
*flagicon|England John Deehan
*flagicon|England Chris Hutchings

Players

:"As of 1 September 2008."cite news
title = 1st Team
url = http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10429,00.html
publisher = Wigan Athletic FC
accessdate = 2007-09-03]

Current squad

Out on loan

Management

*Manager: Steve Bruce
*Assistant Manager: Eric Black
*General Manager: John Benson
*First Team Coach: Frank Barlow
*Reserve Team Manager: Keith Bertschin
*Youth Team Coach: Dave Watson
*Goalkeeping Coach: Nigel Spink
*First Team Fitness Coach: Joey Gallanagh
*Head Physio:Dave Galley
*Physio: Alex Cribley
*Youth Team Physio: Neil Fitzhenry
*Kit Manager: Alan Jackson

Honours

Titles and positions

*sport honours|Football League Championship runners-up|1|2004/2005
*sport honours|Football League Second Division champions|1|2002/2003
*sport honours|Football League Third Division champions|1|1996/1997
*sport honours|Football League Trophy winners|2|1984/1985, 1998/1999
*sport honours|Northern Premier League champions|2|1970/1971, 1974/1975
*sport honours|Northern Premier Cup winners|1|1971/1972
*sport honours|Northern Premier Shield winners|3|1972/1973, 1973/1974, 1975/1976
*sport honours|Lancashire Combination champions|4|1947/1948, 1950/1951, 1952/1953, 1953/1954
*sport honours|Cheshire League champions|4|1933/1934, 1934/1935, 1935/1936, 1964/1965
*sport honours|Football League Cup runners-up|1|2005/2006

Other achievements

*Football League Fourth Division: Promoted in 1981/1982
*FA Cup: Best performance: 6th Round 1986/1987
*Elected to Football League 1978
*Record win for a non-league side over a league side, beating Carlisle United 6-1 in the first round of FA Cup at Brunton Park (a record victory that still stands) in the 1934-35 season.

Records

* Record League victory, 7–1 vs. Scarborough, 11 March 1997
* Record League defeat, 0–6 vs. Bristol Rovers, 3 March 1990
* Record attendance, 25,133 v Manchester United, May 11, 2008 (Premier League)
* Most League appearances, 317, Kevin Langley 1981–1986, 1990–1994
* Most League goals scored, total, 70, Andy Liddell 1998–2003
* Most goals scored, season, 31, Graeme Jones 1996-97
* Highest league position, 10th in the Premier League 2006
* Football League Cup best, Finalists 2005/06
* FA Cup best, Quarter Finalists 1986/87
* Record consecutive league appearances, Jimmy Bullard (Jan '03 - Nov '05)
* Record transfer fee paid, Emile Heskey, £5.5 Million, from Birmingham City, July 2006
* Record transfer fee received, Leighton Baines, £6 million, to Everton, August 2007

References

*cite web | title=Brief history of Wigan Athletic| url=http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10429,00.html | accessdate=December 5 | accessyear=2005

Notes

External links

* [http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk Official website]
*dmoz|Sports/Soccer/UEFA/England/Clubs/W/Wigan_Athletic/|Wigan Athletic

succession box
before=Bournemouth
title=Football League Trophy Winners
years=1984-85
after=Bristol Citysuccession box
before=Grimsby Town
title=Football League Trophy Winners
years=1998-99
after=Stoke City