Wigan Athletic F.C.

Wigan Athletic ( officially: Wigan Athletic Football Club ) - also known as The Latics - is a professional English football club based in Wigan. The club in 2003 rose for the first time in its history in the second highest league in English. Only two years later succeeded as runners-up promotion to the Premier League, in which Wigan could keep up with the decline in 2013. This period coincided with the FA Cup win in 2013 and the biggest success in club history. Since 1999, Wigan Athletic deny the home games at the DW Stadium, which is owned by the association. The stadium is still used by the Wigan Warriors rugby team.

History

Wigan Athletic was founded in 1932 as a successor to the defunct club Wigan Borough the previous year. Wigan Athletic represented the fifth attempt to establish a football club in the city. This was preceded by the failed attempts with Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and the already mentioned club Wigan Borough.

Wigan Athletic completed its home games in the domestic Wigan Borough 's Springfield Park, was completed by 1999, the DW Stadium in the Robin Park, with its nearly 25,000 seats. Wigan was incorporated in 1978 as master of the so-called Northern League in the English league and replaced in the Fourth Division, the then fourth- highest division, the rear of the previous season, FC Southport. In the next 25 years, Wigan always hovered between the third and fourth highest league in England before them in the season 2002/ 03, the rise in the second class Division One succeeded under Paul Jewell. As climbers they reached in the subsequent season in seventh place, thus participating in the play-offs was just missed. A year later they were able to celebrate the direct promotion to the Premier League as runners-up behind the Sunderland. The extraordinary success of recent years is closely linked to the strong financial commitment of the chairman David Whelan, owner of the sporting goods chain JJB Sports.

In the season 2005/ 06 Wigan Athletic celebrated, and at the same time the city Wigan, made ​​its debut in the English top flight, the Premier League. This is a May 8, 2005 In the history of the club. On this day Wigan could definitively the second place in the Football League Championship, thus ensuring the rise with a 3-1 home win against FC Reading. In the first year under coach Paul Jewell was an outstanding 10th place achieved. At times, even the participation in the UEFA Cup seemed possible, but at the end of the season lacked the necessary results. In the following season, however, could not be continued the previous year's performance, so the relegation only on the final day came by a 2-1 at Sheffield United materialize. In the next two years, Wigan could be established under new manager Steve Bruce with placements in the midfield in the Premier League. With the start of the 2009/10 season, Roberto Martinez was, which was previously been active as a player at the Latics, coach. Wigan remained true to his line and could always reach the league at the end of the season despite some enormously worse starting positions. 2009/10 this was achieved by a 3-2 home win over Arsenal in the penultimate round, 2010/11 thanks to a 1-0 away win at Stoke City on the final day, when Hugo Rodallega scored the decisive goal. The biggest comeback succeeded in the 2011/12 season, when they were 27th with 20 points on game day at the bottom of the table and was already considered a safer relegated. Due to unexpected victories over Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United could even secure the league already in the penultimate round with a 1-0 away win at Blackburn Rovers, which descended because of this.

On May 11, 2013 Wigan won against favorite Manchester City in the FA Cup final 132 1-0. The decisive goal by Ben Watson came in the 90th minute and secured the biggest success in club history. As Cup winner to Wigan qualified for the UEFA Europa League 2013 /14 and for the first time for the European Cup. By a 1:4 defeat against Arsenal Wigan's relegation from the Premier League on 14 May 2013 were inevitable with a game to end the season. The club is the first winner of the FA Cup, which was relegated from the top flight at the same time.

Current squad 2013/14

(Updated: September 19, 2013)

Achievements

  • Football League Trophy: 1985, 1999
  • FA Cup: 2013

Wigan Player of the Year

For a complete listing of all players of Wigan Athletic, see list of players from Wigan Athletic.

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