Wigan Athletic F.C.
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| Wigan Athletic crest | |||
| Full name | Wigan Athletic Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Latics | ||
| Founded | 1932 | ||
| Ground | JJB Stadium, Wigan | ||
| Capacity | 24,826 (all-seater) | ||
| Chairman | David Whelan | ||
| Manager | Paul Jewell | ||
| League | FA Premier League | ||
| 2004-05 | The Championship, 2nd | ||
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Wigan Athletic Football Club is a football team based in Wigan, England and nicknamed "the Latics". In 2003, Wigan were promoted to the Football League Championship for the first time, and in 2005 came second in the Coca Cola Championship to gain promotion to the Premiership.
History
Wigan Athletic were 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 A.F.C. and the aforementioned Wigan Borough.
Wigan were elected to the Football League as Northern League champions in 1978 in place of Southport, who had finished bottom of the Fourth Division. The club spent the next 25 years bouncing between the bottom two divisions of the Football League before winning the Division Two championship under Paul Jewell in 2002-03. Wigan finished seventh in the 2003-04 Division One campaign - just one place short of the promotion playoffs. In the following season the Latics earned promotion to the Premiership by finishing second in the Coca Cola Championship, behind Sunderland. The club's success has to a large extent been made possible by the financial support of chairman Dave Whelan, the owner of the sporting goods store chain JJB Sports.
In recent times, Wigan's top players have been Nathan Ellington (the leading scorer in The Championship in 2004-05, now at West Bromwich Albion), Jason Roberts, Andrew Liddell (now at Sheffield United), Roy Carroll (West Ham United), Lee McCulloch and Leighton Baines (Wigan's first player to earn an Under-21 England cap). The 2005-06 season is the first time top division football has ever been played in Wigan.
Stadium
Main article: JJB Stadium
Wigan Athletic's stadium is the 25,000 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 Big Days (8 May and 27 August 2005)
May 8, 2005 is now regarded by most fans as the biggest day in the history of Wigan Athletic. On the final day of the 2004-05 Coca-Cola Football League Championship campaign, the Latics beat Reading 3-1 at home to secure runners-up spot in the final table and a place in the Premiership for 2005-06. It will be the first time that top flight football has ever been played in Wigan. After opening with losses at home to Chelsea at home and at Charlton Athletic, they defeated Sunderland for their first top flight victory by a score of 1-0 on August 27 of that same year as Jason Roberts' penalty kick netted the first Premiership goal in the Latics' history in the second minute of their match.
Current squad
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Honours
- 2004-05 - Coca-Cola Football League Championship runners-up
- 2002-03 - Second Division Champions
- 2002-03 - Football League Cup Best Performance: 5th Round
- 1998-99 - Auto Windscreens Shield Winners
- 1996-97 - Third Division Champions
- 1986-87 - FA Cup Best Performance: 6th Round
- 1984-85 - Freight Rover Trophy Winners
- 1981-82 - Promoted to Third Division
- 1978 - Elected to Football League
- 1975-76 - Northern Premier Shield Winners
- 1974-75 - Northern Premier League Champions
- 1973-74 - Northern Premier Shield Winners
- 1972-73 - Northern Premier Shield Winners
- 1971-72 - Northern Premier Cup Winners
- 1970-71 - Northern Premier League Champions
- 1964-65 - Cheshire League Champions
- 1953-54 - Lancashire Combination Champions
- 1952-53 - Lancashire Combination Champions
- 1950-51 - Lancashire Combination Champions
- 1947-48 - Lancashire Combination Champions
- 1935-36 - Cheshire League Champions
- 1934-35 - Cheshire League Champions
- 1933-34 - Cheshire League Champions
