2005-06 Season

10th in the Premier League
League Cup: Final, Manchester United 0-4
FA Cup: 4th Round, Manchester City a. 0-1

Highlight:
It was a defeat on the night but Wigan were superb at Arsenal in the 2nd leg of their League Cup semi final and thoroughly deserved to go through 24/1/06

Low Spot:
0-4 defeat to Man U. in the League Cup final, a massive anti-climax 26/2/06

Good:
Pascal Chimbonda
This instinctive, hugely energetic full back was a revelation and a major factor behind Wigan's positive entrance into the Premier League.
The less said about his transfer request on returning to the dressing room after the last game of the season the better, however.
Jason Roberts
Roberts was basically swapped for Geoff Horsfield a couple of seasons back and it is one of the best bits of business ever done.
While not exactly a thoroughbred he certainly makes Horsfield look like a donkey with his pace and eye for goal.
Has really taken the Latics forward and ruffled a few distinguished feathers during the campaign.

Bad:
David Connolly
Scored on his debut but then basically disappeared. The Premier League continues to be a step too far for this outstanding Championship player.
Josip Skoko
Only made a handful of appearances and was later loaned out to Stoke where he could at least get a game.
One of Jewell's signings that did not pay off.

In Brief:
Although they had two tough games to start many would have thought the Latics were gonners after losing them both.
25 points from the next 9 games stunned everyone and although they then lost 5 on the bounce, all real tough ones, Wigan recovered and were never in any danger of slipping into the lower reaches.
Indeed there were two avenues into Europe open to the club until late on in the League Cup and the league but the club ultimately failed to negotiate either.
Losing so heavily to Manchester United in the League Cup final was obviously a huge disappointment and their final league position of 10th looked about right in the end.
They will have to shock people again to repeat such heights again next season, especially as it looks as though several top players might be on their way.

Wigan Athletic FC - Club History

Wigan Athletic Football Club was formed in 1932 and was a consequence of the Wigan Borough club, a member of the Football League, folding.

The ambition of those founding the club was to see it follow in Borough's footsteps as a league club but there was steady opposition to the new clubs' admission.

Indeed it would be 1978 before the Latics would finally be voted into the fourth division at the expense of Southport, by which time the club had applied 34 times.

In only their third year in existence Wigan set their record cup victory and progressed to the 3rd round of the FA Cup. They enjoyed a remarkable 6-0 win at Carlisle United in the 1st round before losing 4-1 at home to Millwall in round three.

Other notable FA Cup ties the club was involved in during their non-league days came in 1954, when they drew at Newcastle in the 3rd round before losing the replay 3-2, and in 1971 when they again reached the 3rd round and were drawn at Manchester City where they lost by the only goal.

Wigan won various league titles in their non-league days. They lifted the Cheshire League in 1934, 35, 36 and 65, the Lancashire Combination in 1948, 51,53 and 54 and the Northern Premier League in 1971 and 75.

The club also reached the final of the FA Challenge Trophy in 1973 only to lose 2-1 to Scarborough.

When Wigan finally achieved their quest for league football they had only finished as runners up in the Northern Premier League behind Boston United but had again reached the FA Cup 3rd round. They knocked out York City and Sheffield Wednesday, in front of a 13,871 crowd at Springfield Park, before losing 4-0 at first division Birmingham City.

Wigan finished 6th in both of their first two seasons in Division Four, remarkably with exactly the same playing record.

In 1979-80 the Latics enjoyed a run to the 4th round of the FA Cup, announcing their arrival as a league club by knocking out two former holders. They defeated Blackpool in the 1st round and then a Tommy Gore goal gave them victory at Chelsea in the 3rd round.

The run ended with a 3-0 defeat at Everton in round four in front of a crowd of over 50,000.

The Latics first promotion came in 1982 when they finished 3rd in Division Four. Under the forthright player manager Larry Lloyd the club showed good ambition by bolstering a big, physical side with the impish Eamon O'Keefe from Everton.

The club also enjoyed another fine victory over Chelsea that season, 4-2 in the League Cup, before losing at home to Aston Villa in the next round.

In 1986 Wigan only missed out on promotion from Division Three by a single point behind Derby County and they finished 4th again the following season which saw them competing in the newly formed play offs.

This ended in disappointment as they lost their semi final on a 3-2 aggregate to Swindon Town.

The 1986-87 season also saw Wigan's best run in the FA Cup as they progressed all the way to the quarter finals. The Latics knocked out Lincoln City, Darlington, Gillingham, Norwich City and Hull City before losing at home to Leeds United in the last eight.

After narrowly missing out on a play off place the following season the clubs' fortunes began to slump, culminating in relegation back into the fourth tier in 1993.

The club then began their remarkable rise through the divisions in 1997 when they pipped Fulham to the Division Three title on goals scored. Morrisons 1 Harrods 0.

The Latics then made the Division Two play offs in 1999 only to lose out in the semi finals to Manchester City in a contentious clash. They were back in the play offs the following season but after edging out Millwall in the semi finals two goals in the second period of extra time saw them lose out 3-2 to Gillingham at Wembley.

Then in 2001 the club made it an unhappy hat trick when two late goals at Reading in the 2nd leg of their play off semi final sent them crashing out.

In 2003 Wigan put those disappointments behind them by storming to the Division Two title with 100 points. They also made it through to the 5th round of the League Cup beating West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City and Fulham along the way before losing at home to Blackburn Rovers.

Wigan finished one place out of the Division One play offs in 2004 but clinched automatic promotion to the Premier League last season, edging out Ipswich Town to finish as runners up behind Sunderland.

Wigan have two successes to their name in the various lower league cups in which they have competed over the years.

They won the Freight Rover Trophy in 1985 beating Brentford 3-1 in the final and in 1999 they took the Auto Windscreens Shield with a 1-0 win over Millwall.

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