WIGAN BOROUGH – AN ENIGMA. Having seen three Wigan association football clubs go to the wall the public of Wigan, aided by some wealthy businessmen of the Borough, tried to keep the game alive in the town and in November 1919 a fourth local team was formed and was to be known as Wigan United. […]
WIGAN UNITED FC (again!), WIGAN ASSOCIATION FC AND WIGAN BOROUGH FC In November 1919, just over a year after the war had ended, a new club was formed. Wigan United Football Club (no link to the earlier club) played their initial matches at the Honeysuckle Ground in Poolstock, but by the end of the 1919-20 […]
WIGAN COUNTY FC Several weeks prior to a ‘grand athletics and cycling festival’ that opened the new Springfield Park stadium, Wigan County FC announced that they would be playing two practice matches, one would take place on Wednesday 25th August 1897 and the other would take place on the following Sunday, 28th August 1897. The […]
On Wednesday 20th January 1897 work began on a new sports stadium to cater for several sports in the Wigan area. The name of the new ground was to be Springfield Park. At 2.30pm on that date there was a ‘cutting of the first sod’ ceremony and this was performed by Mr Johnson, watched by […]
THE START OF THE DREAM (SEASON 1932/33) … Just two months after Wigan Borough’s demise a band of men met in the Pagefield Hotel on Park Road and discussed the possibility of forming another town association football team. After lengthy discussions it was decided to call a public meeting in the town early in the […]
The years from 1908 to 1920 were dead years with regards to association football being played in the town, although there were still two local teams in the Borough. Both Ashton Town and Bryn Central played in the Lancashire Combination ‘B’ Division, indeed Ashton Town produced two future Manchester United players, Joe Schofield and Wright. […]
Following the demise of Wigan United, the town needed another team and in July 1905 a club called Wigan Town was formed by Edward Sutcliffe, a solicitor from Rawtenstall and Roger Charnley, son of the Chairman of the Football Association. Prior to the club’s formation the promoters of the association football team insisted that they were […]
The town, and Springfield Park was once again crying out for another team after the unfortunate demise of Wigan County and by the start of season (1900/01) another club had been formed called Wigan United. And they were to play in the Lancashire League, the same League as the ill-fated Wigan County. The word doing […]
The first Association Football team to play at Springfield Park was called Wigan County. County played in the Lancashire League and their first football season started in 1897/98. The formation of the club is shrouded in mystery but on July 22nd 1897 a meeting was held in the Ship Hotel, the main purpose of which […]
At the beginning of May 1897, a new association football team was formed. The team was to be the town’s premier association football club and was immediately elected into the Lancashire League. Their reserve side played their games in the Lancashire Alliance League. The club pulled off something of a coup when they signed Robert […]