I’ve been keeping quiet on this topic, or at least mentioning it only in hushed tones to those close to me who are in the know. But I can’t stay silent any longer. My home town soccer team – Wigan Athletic – which only became a real professional team when I was ten or so, are currently second in the Premier League and less than two games behind leaders Chelsea.
As described on premierleague.com
Wigan Athletic are in the Premiership for the first time in their history, having made a remarkable rise in the last decade under owner and chairman Dave Whelan. While Manchester United were winning the inaugural competition in 1993, Wigan were being relegated to the new Third Division, and the following year they finished 19th, their lowest ever league position. But everything changed when JJB Sports supremo Whelan took over in 1995. The former Blackburn Rovers player immediately signalled his intent by signing the so-called ‘Three Amigos’ – Isidro Diaz, Jesus Seba and Roberto Martinez. Under former Norwich City manager John Deehan they won promotion to the Second Division in 1997, clinching the title on goals scored from Fulham, and in 1999 they left Springfield Park for their impressive new home, the JJB Stadium. A dramatic play-off final defeat followed the next season, as Gillingham scored twice in the final seven minutes to snatch a 3-2 win. In 2001, goalkeeper Roy Carroll signed for Manchester United and manager Steve Bruce left to join Crystal Palace after just six weeks in charge. Former player Paul Jewell was installed as his replacement. Nathan Ellington joined from Bristol Rovers for a club record fee in 2002, and Wigan stormed to the Second Division title in 2003 by 14 points, amassing 100 points in the process. After just missing out on the play-offs in 2004, Wigan completed their astonishing climb to the top flight in 2005, securing promotion from the Championship with a 3-1 win over Reading in the final game. Strike duo Ellington and Jason Roberts, who were both named in the Championship Team of the Season, scored 45 goals between them as the Latics finished second behind Sunderland.
You don’t have to take my word about their recent success. Here’s the current league table.
I must say; I’m truly amazed by this start to the season. I thought I’d comment now, since upcoming fixtures are against Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United, and could lead to something of a correction to the above table. I grew up as a Liverpool fan, but went to watch Wigan play several times after they made it into the fourth division. I have no option but to support them now though, even when they play Liverpool at Anfield on December 3rd.
November 6th, 2005 at 10:44 pm
Indeed! As my own team Liverpool blows hot and cold this season, I am amazed by Wigan’s unbelievable rise. The whole league is spoilt by the money of CSKA Chelski, sadly, because on Wigan’s current form they will be top of the league in any other season.
But, unlike you Mark, I am still a loyal Red!
November 6th, 2005 at 11:29 pm
Mark, that table is awfully small, not that I am suspicious or anything…
November 7th, 2005 at 6:39 am
Moshe: the BBC Sport site has pages for all the Premiership teams, including Wigan, showing their place in the league table.
It’s been a pretty amazing rise; I’m not really much of a football supporter, but lately I’ve been leafing through the Guardian’s sport pages with more interest than usual, tracking Wigan’s progress. They’ve been providing a nice bit of upset to an otherwise rather predictable competition.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:49 am
Congratulations to the Wigan supporters out there. I’ve been keeping an eye on them since Canadian National Team captain Jason De Vos used to anchor their back line before he moved on to Ipswich Town.
The promoted sides seem to be the story of the Premiership this season. Both Wigan and West Ham are playing exciting football.
November 7th, 2005 at 11:00 am
Ok, again I was not really suspicious…I used to listen to BBC world service growing up, and there was quite a bit of projected excitement about football (you can imagine what happened years later when I actually watched a game). I recall such a success story referred to as “Cinderella” story, which I found charming as a young boy, especially when applied to Nottingham Forest (one may have suspected Robin Hood had to be somehow involved).
November 7th, 2005 at 11:57 am
Wigan are second in the Premiership? Wigan? Christ, I’ve been living in the United States for too long.
November 7th, 2005 at 1:36 pm
Moshe: yeah, I got that you weren’t serious, but I thought a bit more info might be useful for people who had no idea what we were going on about.
Kieran: what I find so amazing about it is that they were only promoted this season, and everyone was predicting that they were going to drop right back down.
November 7th, 2005 at 1:37 pm
Thanks for pointing this out Mark, I will now follow Wigan’s progress with hope.
Although I still can’t get over the fact that Limahl is from Wigan.
November 7th, 2005 at 2:23 pm
But you’re OK with one of the Bananarama girls being from there? And Rick Astley? All the greats!
November 7th, 2005 at 2:23 pm
.. and Mark Trodden. All the greats!
-cvj
November 7th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
You’re a sweet man Clifford. (When I open my mouth to sing, I strongly suggest you be nowhere in the vicinity.)
November 7th, 2005 at 2:40 pm
You can be the lead singer in the rock band Cosmic Variance….!!
-cvj
November 7th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
You know, I’m not sure you mentioned Rick Astley when this subject came up before. Is Wigan the Mecca of 80’s Britpop?
November 7th, 2005 at 4:11 pm
Congrats to Wigan and its supporters. It’s always great to see a “blue collar” team knock it up with the moneyed sides. I’m way over on the other side of the world in Oregon. Our crew, the Portland Timbers, are somewhat similar. Lots of guys from the region who are hardworking and talented but pretty much unknown with a sprinkling of imported players. We hosted a tour from Sunderland last summer- a good match. Ended nil nil.
Best of luck.
November 7th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
way to go wigan… as i recall, it was 1988 and i was all of 10 years old when i decided to pick what ended up becoming my lifelong football team– out of nowhere, a team that was newly promoted managed to get up to number two on the table in the early days of the 88-89 season… i didn’t want to support any of the obvious teams.. so i thought i’d go with the underdog… that team was chelsea… maybe history can repeat itself with the help of a friendly russian oligarch? lucky for all wigan fans that rick astley doesn’t nearly have the same amount of dough as elton john (who owns the massively successful watford fc) lest he get any ideas…
November 7th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
Almost as surprising, Bolton’s win at home to Spurs tonight now puts them third, one place above my beloved United.
We’re constantly looking for new experimental evidence to drive the next big advance in theory; I suggest we start looking around some of the unfashionable Premiership grounds for this evidence. The universe is behaving very strangely at some of them.
November 7th, 2005 at 10:27 pm
Other Wigan greats: the band The Verve, who have a great album, A Northern Soul, that’s one of my favorites. FavoUrites?
Good for Wigan Athletic, but Everton *gasp* scoring a goal and *gasp* winning against ‘boro on Sunday was the sports news of the weekend for me. Not being in the relegation zone is nice. No further Premiership football until the 19th (internationals this coming weekend).
November 10th, 2005 at 6:53 am
As a Liverpool supporter from the age of 7 in the days before Bill Shankly, I moved with my parents to Wigan in 1965. I soon began to watch both Wigan Rugby (now Wigan Warriors) and non-league Wigan Athletic at Springfield Park with a couple of hundred other supporters.
How times have changed. As unbelievable as it is, Wigan deserve to be where they are, although the acid test will be over the next few weeks with some hard games. But I wouldn’t be suprised if they cause a few more shocks before the end of the season.
Europe look out!!
Bye the way, no one has mentioned Wigans other great attribute – Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls!
November 12th, 2005 at 12:27 pm
Sad to say, I can remember when they were referred to as Wigan Pathetic (early sixties) and talk was not of relegation (let alone promotion) but of re-election. Uncle Joes Mint Balls? They were splendid, and an essential ingredient in my mother’s patent anti flu medicine, which she prepared in great batches every Autumn.
January 7th, 2006 at 10:35 am
I think Wigan have exceeded everyones expectations. In 2005 they were simply fantastic and even as i right this they are still on a nice winning streak. Its great to see.