Wigan Athletic The Perennial Overachievers.
Come back in time to February 1995, lowly Wigan Athletic were languishing at the bottom of England’s lowest league and struggling to find money to pay their own staff and players. With little over 2000 home fans attending most games also, things were looking very, very bleak. However, over the next ten years, Wigan have undertaken a unique journey to the summit of England’s top league, in which nobody outside of the small town in Lancashire would have ever predicted.
Fast forward 17 years, 10 managers and a stadium move from Springfield Park to the DW Stadium, and you’ll find Wigan in the Barclays’ Premier League, regarded as the world’s best competition. So how has a club with little money, a small fan base and no trophies/history been able to reach and sustain in the Barclays Premier League for so long? 2 words, Dave Whelan.
In 1995, when he gained control of the club, Whelan stated “We're going to move into a new ground and in 10 years' time we're going to be in the Premier League.” He was laughed at and ridiculed by the media at the press conference that day. But the man stuck to his word, and low and behold, in his 10th season as Chairman, they were promoted to the ‘Promised Land’ as runners up of the Coca-Cola Championship in May 2005. A journey Whelan himself has labelled as being “Beyond his wildest dreams.”
When you talk about Wigan’s miraculous ascent through the Football League’s, you cannot forget a man that was the catalyst for their success, who goes by the name of Paul Jewell. When he took over the reigns in June 2001, Jewell had stated that his ambitions met those of the Chairman and that the club was seen to be ‘going places’. And from their, the rest as they say, is history. Wigan were shrewd in the transfer market, and after purchasing the likes of Jimmy Bullard, Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington for low cut prices, Wigan achieved 2 promotions in the space of 4 years, acclaiming many plaudits along the way.
Upon reaching the Premier League, many people in the media suggested their stay at the top would be “short and in no way sweet” and already considered to be the Premier League’s ‘whipping boys’ before a ball had been kicked. This prediction was strengthened by two consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Charlton in their opening two games of the season. But after a hard fought 1-0 win over Sunderland, their first ever victory in the top flight, Wigan undertook an unbeaten streak in which nobody, even those at the club itself, could ever of imagined. Over the next 10 games, Wigan won 9 games and drew 1, resulting in them sitting in the Champions League spots for most of the season, before a late slump resulted in a very creditable 10th place finish.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that this little club, living on the outskirts of the big cities of Manchester and Liverpool made it to their first ever major cup final in the same season? Yes, upsetting all odds, Wigan would play Manchester United in the Carling Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 26,000 ‘Wiganers’ made the trip across the Welsh border to watch their team on the biggest stage. The day ended on a slightly bum note however, with them losing 4-0, but the day will forever stay as one of the club’s greatest ever moments.
Despite the success that the Latics’ have achieved in recent years, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. The financial restraints that the club has over the bigger and richer clubs in the Premier League has meant that Wigan have a constant flirtation with relegation back to the Championship year after year. This therefore will always make survival the first objective in any Wigan manager’s To Do list, which is exactly what Jewell did in 2007. Only a win at Sheffield United on the final day of the season would be enough to keep them up. As it turned out, despite Lee McCulloch being sent off for most of the game, a David Unsworth penalty in front of the travelling support from Wigan was enough to keep them up for another year.
The years after this have been mainly a struggle for the Latics, under the management of the likes of Chris Hutchings and Steve Bruce. The latter conjuring up a team which many Latics’ fans consider to be their greatest ever team, with players such as Emile Heskey, Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia in the side. This team spent one season pushing for a European spot in 2008/09 but unfortunately missed out come the end of the year.
However, the end of that year brought about a new start for the Latics, with Bruce and many of Wigan’s stars leaving the club. Step forward Wigan legend, Roberto Martinez. The Spanish midfielder, affectionately known as Bobby to Wigan fans, spent 6 years as a player at the club between 1995 and 2001. Whelan had decided that it was now Martinez’s turn to steer the club, that still remain close to his heart, into a new era.
With a new manager came a new philosophy of total football, which mainly associates with the successful Spanish national side of today’s age. However, this style of play has had it’s critics, with the Wigan supporters initially split 50/50 down the middle on whether it was the right option. They may have had a point, if it hadn’t of been for Charles N’Zogbia and a late Hugo Rodallega winner at Stoke on the final day of the 2010/11 season, Wigan would be a Championship side. But the manager stuck to his guns, and has proved successful. Better late than never, eh?
Martinez and the Latics somehow went one better in 2011/12. Following 8 successive defeats in the early season, Wigan were languishing at the bottom of the league and after a 2-0 defeat to Swansea at home in March, many thought Bobby’s time was up. They were staring relegation right in the face, but the drama was yet to come. A change in formation from his usual 4-5-1 to a free flowing 3-4-3 formation caused a sudden resurgence of form, which was ignited by a Gary Caldwell inspired away win at Liverpool. Come the end of the season and Wigan survived the drop with a game to spare. A stunning first victory against Manchester United at home and a memorable first win away at Arsenal were a massive help to Wigan’s survival. Remarkably, Martinez had pulled off another ‘Great Escape’!
So where do Wigan go from here? Well, unless football changes financially, escaping relegation in the Premier League is as good as it will get for them. But, 7 consecutive years in the world’s best league is nothing short of remarkable for a club of Wigan’s size, with the minimal fan base and income that they get. The one thing I can tell you though, nobody can match little Wigan’s achievements over the past 15 years, and maybe no other team ever will.
Wigan Athletic can be seen as the modern day example to all the clubs in the lower leagues that miracles can happen, and with a shrewd Chairman cracking the whip, anything is possible.
By Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte1)
Fast forward 17 years, 10 managers and a stadium move from Springfield Park to the DW Stadium, and you’ll find Wigan in the Barclays’ Premier League, regarded as the world’s best competition. So how has a club with little money, a small fan base and no trophies/history been able to reach and sustain in the Barclays Premier League for so long? 2 words, Dave Whelan.
In 1995, when he gained control of the club, Whelan stated “We're going to move into a new ground and in 10 years' time we're going to be in the Premier League.” He was laughed at and ridiculed by the media at the press conference that day. But the man stuck to his word, and low and behold, in his 10th season as Chairman, they were promoted to the ‘Promised Land’ as runners up of the Coca-Cola Championship in May 2005. A journey Whelan himself has labelled as being “Beyond his wildest dreams.”
When you talk about Wigan’s miraculous ascent through the Football League’s, you cannot forget a man that was the catalyst for their success, who goes by the name of Paul Jewell. When he took over the reigns in June 2001, Jewell had stated that his ambitions met those of the Chairman and that the club was seen to be ‘going places’. And from their, the rest as they say, is history. Wigan were shrewd in the transfer market, and after purchasing the likes of Jimmy Bullard, Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington for low cut prices, Wigan achieved 2 promotions in the space of 4 years, acclaiming many plaudits along the way.
Upon reaching the Premier League, many people in the media suggested their stay at the top would be “short and in no way sweet” and already considered to be the Premier League’s ‘whipping boys’ before a ball had been kicked. This prediction was strengthened by two consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Charlton in their opening two games of the season. But after a hard fought 1-0 win over Sunderland, their first ever victory in the top flight, Wigan undertook an unbeaten streak in which nobody, even those at the club itself, could ever of imagined. Over the next 10 games, Wigan won 9 games and drew 1, resulting in them sitting in the Champions League spots for most of the season, before a late slump resulted in a very creditable 10th place finish.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that this little club, living on the outskirts of the big cities of Manchester and Liverpool made it to their first ever major cup final in the same season? Yes, upsetting all odds, Wigan would play Manchester United in the Carling Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 26,000 ‘Wiganers’ made the trip across the Welsh border to watch their team on the biggest stage. The day ended on a slightly bum note however, with them losing 4-0, but the day will forever stay as one of the club’s greatest ever moments.
Despite the success that the Latics’ have achieved in recent years, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. The financial restraints that the club has over the bigger and richer clubs in the Premier League has meant that Wigan have a constant flirtation with relegation back to the Championship year after year. This therefore will always make survival the first objective in any Wigan manager’s To Do list, which is exactly what Jewell did in 2007. Only a win at Sheffield United on the final day of the season would be enough to keep them up. As it turned out, despite Lee McCulloch being sent off for most of the game, a David Unsworth penalty in front of the travelling support from Wigan was enough to keep them up for another year.
The years after this have been mainly a struggle for the Latics, under the management of the likes of Chris Hutchings and Steve Bruce. The latter conjuring up a team which many Latics’ fans consider to be their greatest ever team, with players such as Emile Heskey, Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia in the side. This team spent one season pushing for a European spot in 2008/09 but unfortunately missed out come the end of the year.
However, the end of that year brought about a new start for the Latics, with Bruce and many of Wigan’s stars leaving the club. Step forward Wigan legend, Roberto Martinez. The Spanish midfielder, affectionately known as Bobby to Wigan fans, spent 6 years as a player at the club between 1995 and 2001. Whelan had decided that it was now Martinez’s turn to steer the club, that still remain close to his heart, into a new era.
With a new manager came a new philosophy of total football, which mainly associates with the successful Spanish national side of today’s age. However, this style of play has had it’s critics, with the Wigan supporters initially split 50/50 down the middle on whether it was the right option. They may have had a point, if it hadn’t of been for Charles N’Zogbia and a late Hugo Rodallega winner at Stoke on the final day of the 2010/11 season, Wigan would be a Championship side. But the manager stuck to his guns, and has proved successful. Better late than never, eh?
Martinez and the Latics somehow went one better in 2011/12. Following 8 successive defeats in the early season, Wigan were languishing at the bottom of the league and after a 2-0 defeat to Swansea at home in March, many thought Bobby’s time was up. They were staring relegation right in the face, but the drama was yet to come. A change in formation from his usual 4-5-1 to a free flowing 3-4-3 formation caused a sudden resurgence of form, which was ignited by a Gary Caldwell inspired away win at Liverpool. Come the end of the season and Wigan survived the drop with a game to spare. A stunning first victory against Manchester United at home and a memorable first win away at Arsenal were a massive help to Wigan’s survival. Remarkably, Martinez had pulled off another ‘Great Escape’!
So where do Wigan go from here? Well, unless football changes financially, escaping relegation in the Premier League is as good as it will get for them. But, 7 consecutive years in the world’s best league is nothing short of remarkable for a club of Wigan’s size, with the minimal fan base and income that they get. The one thing I can tell you though, nobody can match little Wigan’s achievements over the past 15 years, and maybe no other team ever will.
Wigan Athletic can be seen as the modern day example to all the clubs in the lower leagues that miracles can happen, and with a shrewd Chairman cracking the whip, anything is possible.
By Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte1)
The 'Wigan Way'.
Having supported Wigan Athletic from the age of 6, and a season ticket holder of 12 years, I’ve come to realise that my football team doesn’t do things the easy, predictable way. It’s very much the contrary and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Wigan Way’ by some of our supporters.
This way of doing things ignited from our unexpected rise to the Premier League under Paul Jewell, were the team with no history and no fans achieved two promotions in three seasons. This style is continuing as recently as the end to our 2011/12 season, with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal swept aside with consummate ease on our way to an unexpected survival. Fast forward to this week, and the ’Wigan Way’ was in full fruition. One win has come from the two games against Bradford and Spurs, but not in the way many pundits and fans alike predicted. But in fairness it should have been two from two.
The Bradford game was the most one sided game I’ve ever witnessed. Despite Roberto Martinez, affectionately known as Bobby to us, making 9 changes from the side that beat West Ham, we took total control from the first minute. Chance after chance was created but we couldn’t find a breakthrough, even having a goal disallowed from Ivan Ramis. Don’t get me wrong, Bradford came with a plan and executed it superbly, but we had the quality and the chances to win two games, never mind one. As for the Tottenham game, it was a well deserved three points. Spurs came into this game on the back of a defeat to Norwich in the cup just like ourselves, and before the game I expected Bale and co to come out firing. How wrong I could have been! Our system is something that teams still struggle against and this was the case today. The way we can switch from a 5-4-1 when defending to the free flowing 3-4-3 seems so effortless, and credit to that must go to Bob. Did Gareth Bale even take part in the game? He was virtually non-existent and credit must go to our wingbacks, Jean Beausejour and Emmerson Boyce, who were brilliant today in keeping Bale quiet, which in my opinion was key to us getting the three points!
Ben Watson came into the midfield with James McCarthy, as James McArthur was injured. I was concerned, as most of the good things to happen this season has been because of the two James’. I needn’t of worried, both McCarthy and Watson were superb, with the latter coming up with the winner.
Arouna Kone, what a signing. Quick, strong and direct would sum him up in three words. He loves to play on the last defender and he’s scary to look at, never mind to play against. His partnership with now Argentine international Franco Di Santo is blossoming and that can only be a good thing for Wigan Athletic. With their relationship growing by the game, and Shaun Maloney pulling the strings behind them, we actually look like a threat going forward, which we haven’t been for a few years now.
Back to back Premier League wins and with 2 home games against West Brom and Reading in our next 3 fixtures, I really think we should be looking up the table rather than looking over our shoulders. I’m not getting my hopes up too much though, because that just wouldn’t be the ‘Wigan Way’.
By Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte1)
This way of doing things ignited from our unexpected rise to the Premier League under Paul Jewell, were the team with no history and no fans achieved two promotions in three seasons. This style is continuing as recently as the end to our 2011/12 season, with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal swept aside with consummate ease on our way to an unexpected survival. Fast forward to this week, and the ’Wigan Way’ was in full fruition. One win has come from the two games against Bradford and Spurs, but not in the way many pundits and fans alike predicted. But in fairness it should have been two from two.
The Bradford game was the most one sided game I’ve ever witnessed. Despite Roberto Martinez, affectionately known as Bobby to us, making 9 changes from the side that beat West Ham, we took total control from the first minute. Chance after chance was created but we couldn’t find a breakthrough, even having a goal disallowed from Ivan Ramis. Don’t get me wrong, Bradford came with a plan and executed it superbly, but we had the quality and the chances to win two games, never mind one. As for the Tottenham game, it was a well deserved three points. Spurs came into this game on the back of a defeat to Norwich in the cup just like ourselves, and before the game I expected Bale and co to come out firing. How wrong I could have been! Our system is something that teams still struggle against and this was the case today. The way we can switch from a 5-4-1 when defending to the free flowing 3-4-3 seems so effortless, and credit to that must go to Bob. Did Gareth Bale even take part in the game? He was virtually non-existent and credit must go to our wingbacks, Jean Beausejour and Emmerson Boyce, who were brilliant today in keeping Bale quiet, which in my opinion was key to us getting the three points!
Ben Watson came into the midfield with James McCarthy, as James McArthur was injured. I was concerned, as most of the good things to happen this season has been because of the two James’. I needn’t of worried, both McCarthy and Watson were superb, with the latter coming up with the winner.
Arouna Kone, what a signing. Quick, strong and direct would sum him up in three words. He loves to play on the last defender and he’s scary to look at, never mind to play against. His partnership with now Argentine international Franco Di Santo is blossoming and that can only be a good thing for Wigan Athletic. With their relationship growing by the game, and Shaun Maloney pulling the strings behind them, we actually look like a threat going forward, which we haven’t been for a few years now.
Back to back Premier League wins and with 2 home games against West Brom and Reading in our next 3 fixtures, I really think we should be looking up the table rather than looking over our shoulders. I’m not getting my hopes up too much though, because that just wouldn’t be the ‘Wigan Way’.
By Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte1)