Wigan Athletic

Also written as Wigan.

The club

Wigan Athletic were founded in 1932. They played at Springfield Park until 1999 and have since played at what is now the Brick Community Stadium, capacity 25,138. They are the Latics and play in blue and white stripes.

Recent seasons

The last seven years cover two relegations, one title and two sets of points deductions. Wigan were relegated from the Championship in 2019/20, finishing 23rd with 47 points after a 12-point deduction imposed when the club entered administration in July 2020 having, on the pitch, done enough to stay up. They were 20th in League One in 2020/21 with 48 points, then won the division in 2021/22 with 92 points. The return to the Championship lasted one season: 24th in 2022/23 with 42 points after a three-point deduction for late wage payments. Back in League One they were 12th in 2023/24 with 62 points, which included a further eight-point deduction carried over for the previous season's wage failures, then 15th in 2024/25 with 56 points and 16th in 2025/26 with 56 points from 46 games, 14 wins, 14 draws and 18 defeats, 49 goals scored and 58 conceded. Home form was much the stronger, 11 wins to three away. Ryan Lowe was dismissed on 7 February 2026 after 49 games in charge, and Gary Caldwell was appointed nine days later, on 16 February, from Exeter City. The club also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup and the third round of the EFL Cup that season, and failed to get out of its EFL Trophy group.

Mike Danson bought the club in June 2023, which ended the run of financial crises.

Honours and landmarks

The FA Cup of 2013 is the club's one major trophy, won by beating Manchester City at Wembley. Wigan were relegated from the Premier League three days later, making them the only club to be relegated and win the FA Cup in the same season. They spent eight consecutive seasons in the Premier League, from 2005 to 2013. Their other titles are the Third Division in 1996/97, the Second Division in 2002/03, and League One in 2015/16, 2017/18 and 2021/22, three third-tier titles in six years, each of them a bounce back out of a relegation. They won the Football League Trophy in 1999 and the Associate Members' Cup in 1985.

Record attendance at Springfield Park was 27,526 against Hereford United in an FA Cup tie in 1953. The record at the current ground is 25,133 against Manchester United in the Premier League on 11 May 2008. Kevin Langley holds the league appearance record with 317 games across two spells, 1981 to 1986 and 1990 to 1994. Andy Liddell is the leading league scorer with 70 goals between 1998 and 2004, while Graeme Jones holds the single-season record with 31 in 1996/97. Record fee paid is £7,000,000 to Newcastle United for Charles N'Zogbia in February 2009; record fee received is £16,000,000 from Manchester United for Antonio Valencia in June 2009.

Notable scorelines

Record victory in a competitive match is 8-0 against Hull City on 14 July 2020, in the weeks around the club entering administration; a 14-0 win over Chorley on 1 August 2017 was a pre-season friendly. Record defeat: 1-9 against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in November 2009.

Head-to-head notes

Wigan do not publish accessible all-time head-to-head records and none was established for any 2026/27 opponent. The EFL Cup first round is away at Barnsley, who finished 15th in League One in 2025/26 with 59 points, three above Wigan, so this is a meeting of two mid-table clubs from the same division. The league opens away at Cambridge United, promoted from League Two in third place with 82 points, conceding only 33 goals in 46 games. Wigan have signed from two clubs they will not meet in the league this season: right-back Connor Barrett from Walsall on 15 June and winger Akeel Higgins from West Bromwich Albion on 3 July.

Right now (2026/27)

Gary Caldwell is head coach, appointed on 16 February 2026, and this is his first full season. It is Wigan's fourth consecutive season in League One.

Six permanent signings have arrived. Right-back Connor Barrett came from Walsall on 15 June for an undisclosed fee and midfielder Max Power returned to the club from Bradford City the same day. Right winger Sonny Perkins joined from Leyton Orient on 26 June. Centre-back Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen signed from Dunfermline Athletic on 1 July, left winger Akeel Higgins from West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer on 3 July, and midfielder Ryan Trevitt from Brentford on 21 July. Two loans followed: Hindolo Mustapha from Crystal Palace for the season and Joe Walsh from Queens Park Rangers.

The notable departure is goalkeeper Sam Tickle, sold to Bristol City on 25 June for an undisclosed fee, a first-team regular and academy product. Will Aimson, Jason Kerr and Jack Hunt were among those released at the end of their contracts.

Pre-season was short and inconclusive. Wigan lost 3-1 at Port Vale on 18 July and won 3-0 at AFC Fylde on 25 July; an under-21 side lost 4-0 at Bury on 21 July.

The season starts with the EFL Cup first round away at Barnsley at Oakwell on Saturday 8 August 2026 at 3pm. The League One campaign opens away at Cambridge United at the Cledara Abbey Stadium on Saturday 15 August 2026 at 3pm.

Sources

Researched and written for not4quarters. Where a fact could not be established from the sources read, this page says so rather than guessing.