EFL League One · League One · Wigan, Greater Manchester, England · Brick Community Stadium (DW Stadium)
Wigan Athletic Football Club
FA Cup winners in 2013, relegated on the same day, and subsequently plunged into administration twice, Wigan Athletic's story is one of the most dramatic and heartbreaking in modern English football.
1995–2013
The Dave Whelan Revolution
From the bottom to the Premier League and FA Cup glory
When local businessman Dave Whelan purchased Wigan Athletic in 1995, the club were in the old Third Division and attendances rarely topped 3,000. Whelan, who had broken his leg in the 1960 FA Cup final playing for Blackburn Rovers, poured his fortune into the club with a simple ambition: Premier League football.
The construction of the JJB Stadium (now Brick Community Stadium) in 1999 gave Wigan a modern home, and a series of promotions — from the third tier to the second in 1997, and then via the play-offs to the first in 2003 — built unstoppable momentum. Paul Jewell completed the fairytale by winning the Championship in 2004-05, taking Wigan to the Premier League for the first time.
The Latics survived in the top flight for eight consecutive seasons, an astonishing achievement for a club from a town of 100,000 people in the shadow of Manchester United and Liverpool. Roberto Martinez's appointment in 2009 brought a more attractive style of play, and his team's crowning glory came on 11 May 2013 at Wembley. Ben Watson's 91st-minute header defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final — one of the greatest upsets in the competition's storied history. The cruel irony was that Wigan were relegated from the Premier League three days later, making them the first club to win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season.
Key Facts
- Dave Whelan bought the club in 1995 and funded the rise from the Third Division to the Premier League
- JJB Stadium (now Brick Community Stadium) opened in 1999
- Spent eight consecutive seasons in the Premier League (2005-2013)
- Won the FA Cup in 2013 with Ben Watson's 91st-minute header against Manchester City
2013–2020
Post-Cup Decline
Championship struggles and the end of stability
Roberto Martinez's departure for Everton after the FA Cup triumph robbed Wigan of the manager who had built their most successful side. The club failed to bounce back to the Premier League, and the Whelan family's appetite for continued investment waned. Wigan settled into the Championship initially, but relegation to League One in 2015 was a painful blow.
Promotion back to the Championship was achieved in 2016 and again in 2018 under Paul Cook, whose energetic side won the League One title. But the club's financial model was unsustainable without Premier League revenue, and when the Whelan family sold to Hong Kong-based Next Leader Fund in 2018, the seeds were sown for the crisis to come.
Key Facts
- Martinez left for Everton immediately after the FA Cup win
- Relegated to League One in 2015 before bouncing back
- Paul Cook won the League One title in 2017-18
- The Whelan family sold the club to Next Leader Fund in 2018
2020–Present
Administration and Rebuilding
Financial crisis, points deductions, and the fight for survival
In July 2020, with Wigan sitting in the Championship, the club were placed into administration by their owners. A 12-point deduction condemned the Latics to relegation, and a proud club was brought to its knees. The circumstances were deeply suspicious — the club had been bought by Next Leader Fund just weeks before the pandemic, and the motivations behind the administration remained murky.
The club was eventually sold to a consortium led by Bahrain-based businessman Talal Al Hammad, but financial difficulties continued. Wigan dropped to League One and have struggled to find stability in the years since. Further ownership changes and another period of administration in 2023 tested the patience of even the most devoted supporters. Through it all, the Wigan fanbase has rallied, organising community events, raising funds, and keeping the spirit of the club alive. The dream is to rebuild and one day return to the level where they beat Manchester City in an FA Cup final — but the road back is long.
Key Facts
- Placed into administration in July 2020 while in the Championship
- 12-point deduction caused relegation from the Championship
- Club entered administration again in 2023
- Supporters have played a key role in keeping the club alive through fundraising and community action