OPPOSITION FOCUS | Wigan Athletic (A)

Written by Patrick Dodge

FA Cup Special: Wigan Athletic Opposition Focus

The date is the 11^th of May 2013, and FA Cup final fever has gripped the people of Wigan. Manchester City were the team that stood in the way, who at that point had five years of Sheik Mansour’s money to bolster their squad.

With superstars like Vincent Kompany at the back, Yaya Toure ready to run the midfield and Sergio Aguero, their future all-time leading goal scorer leading the line. However, in the world’s oldest football cup competition, anything can happen.

Neither team were able to take full control of the final, with the game remaining a stalemate for much of its runtime and nerves began to kick in within both sets of fans. Wigan got themselves a corner in the 91^st minute, Shaun Maloney spotted up the ball and sent an in-swinging corner to the near post and suddenly time stood still.

Enter Wigan’s cult hero, Ben Watson, only on the pitch for ten minutes prior, he rose like a salmon and the angled a wonderful header across goal off his ginger brow, straight past Joe Hart and into the back of the net. A header as delicious as a Wigan kebab, and elation across fans as they were minutes away from glory.

They dug deep, doing all they could to hold on to their slender lead, Joel Robles, the Wigan goalkeeper received a yellow card for timewasting and then… there it was, the final whistle, and they had done it, FA Cup winners, Wigan Athletic.

Fast forward to 2025, and former FA Cup champions Wigan Athletic face a very different, but some may argue a more difficult test, Lee Allinson’s Hemel Hempstead Town FC in the FA Cup First Round.

Wigan Athletic

Founded: 1932

Nickname: The Latics

Stadium: Brick Community Stadium (capacity 25,138)

Being founded in 1932, the club was actually the sixth attempt to bring a stable football club to the area, following the demise of Wigan A.F.C, Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and Wigan Borough, from the ashes of those clubs came Wigan Athletic, and there was so much desire for the club to succeed.

Wigan Athletic remained a non-league club for many years, but this was not for the want of trying, the re-election system of the football league was the only way that a non-league side could enter the football league until direct promotion and relegation was introduced in 1986.

From Wigan’s inception to the time they were elected to the Football League, they had failed in their applications 34 times (including a controversial attempt to join the Scottish League Second Division), finally being elected to the Football League in 1978.

Wigan Athletic found themselves in the Premier League by 2005, gaining automatic promotion after finishing second in the then named Division One in the 2004-2005 season.

They also hit their highest point of securing the FA Cup in 2013, defeating Manchester City and even securing European football, however in the same season, Wigan Athletic were relegated from the Premier League, becoming the first ever team to be relegated and win the FA Cup in the same season.

Financial difficulties have played their part in Wigan Athletic now finding themselves in League One, but following the purchase of the club by Wigan Warriors RLFC co-owner Mike Danson, they will be hoping for some stability to allow them to reach the heights they were once at.

Manager – Ryan Lowe

Wigan Athletics’ current manager is Ryan Lowe, who began his managerial career at Bury in 2017, who he gained promotion to League One with in the 2018-2019 season, during this season they were one of the Football Leagues highest scoring teams.

He also gained promotion to League One with Plymouth Argyle in the 2019-2020 in his second management job.

Lowe joined Preston North End and spent three seasons there before he was appointed manager of Wigan Athletic where he remains today.

Captain – Jason Kerr

Jason Kerr was appointed captain of Wigan Athletic prior to the start of the 2024-2025 season, a solid defender who has been pivotal for the club since he arrived from Scottish club St Johnstone in 2021.

Last 5 results:

Saturday 4 October - League One - Plymouth 1 vs. Wigan 1

Tuesday 7 October - EFL Trophy – Wigan 1 vs. Wolves 2

Saturday 11 October - League One – Wigan 0 vs. Wycombe 1

Saturday 18 October - League One – Wigan 1 vs. Port Vale 0

Saturday 25 October – League One – Mansfield 1 vs. Wigan 1