Wigan Pies for Wigan People

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Here at the Pie At Night we believe in attending a football match (or indeed rugby) involves more than just watching the game. A pie, a pint, a chat with your mates are all part of the matchday experience.

We have had numerous conversations about the standard of match day catering at the DW Stadium over the past few years and it seems that there is a window of opportunity upon us to try and influence this over the next few months.

With this in mind, we thought we would direct your attention to the following petition:

https://www.change.org/p/we-want-galloways-pies-at-the-dw-stadium-wigan-on-matchdays

We, the undersigned, demand that the DW Stadium provides an authentic Wigan pie on matchdays for home and visiting supporters

Not convinced yet? Then please read on. Because PIES MATTER….

Wigan as a town is famous for many things: Uncle Joes mintballs, Northern Soul, Football AND Rugby League (*see below). Sir Bradley Wiggins (sort of). George Formby. Kym Marsh. Limahl. June Croft. Orrell RUFC. The Verve. Hacker T Dogg.

However, the town of Wigan is also famous for PIES. Whereas the origins of the nickname “pie eaters” is of somewhat dubious origins, which we’re not going to worry about or go into too much detail right now, the fact of the matter is that we love PIES.

(*whereas football and rugby fans in Wigan don’t always get on, I think we can all agree that this is a matter where any petty differences can be put firmly aside by ALL Sports fans in the town for the greater good)

We like eating pies and we have many, many good bakers who make great pies within the town of Wigan for the locals to devour.

I could just tell you this without research but I HAVE researched it in my book, Life of Pies (http://www.lifeofpies.co.uk) and having travelled the country in search of the perfect pie, I can tell you that the best meat and potato pies in the country can be found within the fine old borough of Wigan (and also Barrow, but again, let’s not worry about that right now….)

We also have immense pride in our town and always want it to feel welcoming to visitors. We love to show them that we live in a place where the locals like their food and drink and know how to have a good time.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of sport. Every year, Wigan is visited by tens of thousands of sports fans from across the country who come to watch a football or rugby match.

They arrive in our town and sample our fine ales and our fine fayre. Yet, upon entering the sporting amphitheatre that is the DW Stadium, they suddenly find their options severely restricted.

Ever since the demise of Pooles’ Pies two years ago, home and visiting football fans have been forced to “enjoy” Hollands Pies of Baxenden on a matchday at a premium price.

Now, there is nothing wrong with Hollands’ Pies. Far from it, they are a staple feature of many a freezer section or chip shop counter across the North of England.

But as we have established, the town of Wigan is famous for pies, and this uniqueness should be embraced within the confines of the local football stadium.

We are known for our hospitality in our town and our respective football and rugby clubs should be serving up a PROPER WIGAN PIE on a matchday to sports fans, NOT a generic Hollands meat and potato, which you can buy from your local supermarket.

The town’s reputation is at stake here!

It has become apparent from activity on social media that Wigan’s biggest and finest pie makers, Galloways have approached the DW to supply the pies on match days but were sadly rebuffed.

We also understand that the club(s) current catering deal is up for renewal and they are considering (yet again) going outside of the town of Wigan for the matchday catering facilities.

We hereby URGE the powers that be at the DW Stadium, Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors to consider supplying pies on matchdays made by an AUTHENTIC WIGAN PIE MAKER.

Galloways have already expressed an interest, and imagine the glee which would result from both Wiganers and travelling sports fans if fantastic, Wigan baked, glorious, Galloways meat and potato pies were served up on matchdays instead of the ubiquitous Hollands.

Or as an alternative, the Muffin Man or Bowens of nearby Adlington also make a smashing meat and potato pie and could quite possibly scale up to meet the needs of thousands of football and rugby fans.

Nearly half a million people watch sport at the DW Stadium during the course of a year. If each of them got a pie each, this could represent close to a million pounds going directly into a local Wigan business rather than to some mass producers of frozen pies from elsewhere.

So this petition is about saving jobs as much as winning hearts and minds. If clubs like Morecambe, Tottenham, Brighton and Fulham can provide personalised pies, then surely Wigan should follow suit in order to retain its reputation at the top of the sporting “pie tree”.

We, the undersigned, demand that the DW Stadium provides an authentic Wigan pie on matchdays for home and visiting supporters

Please click the following link to sign the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/we-want-galloways-pies-at-the-dw-stadium-wigan-on-matchdays

We don’t don’t talk pies on the latest episode of the Pie at Night podcast, but we talk about plenty of other stuff you’re probably interested in.  Try us out by searching for us on your favourite podcast app or by listening on the player below.  Have fun…

https://soundcloud.com/thepieatnight/ep18

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