Wigan’s team spirit shines through – Southampton 0 Wigan Athletic 2

Posted on August 26, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Arouna Kone

Arouna Kone scored on his full debut. Photo by Action Images/ Lee Smith

Wigan produced an impressive team performance to overcome newly promoted Southampton at St Mary’s. The Latics had Arouna Kone making his full debut replacing the newly departed Victor Moses who had completed his £9m move to Chelsea on Friday.

It was the Saints first home match since their 27 year reign in the top flight was ended in May 2005.

In a dour and relatively unremarkable first half it was Southampton who went closest to scoring when Adam Lallana hit a rasping 25 yarder but his effort was excellently turned onto the bar by Ali Al Habsi.

The teams went into the interval evenly matched. But early in the second half the match sprung into life.

Rickie Lambert – who scored 27 goals in the Championship for Southampton last season – forced Al Habsi into a good save from a header before Franco Di Santo opened the scoring for Wigan a minute later.

The Argentine striker ran onto an incisive through-ball by the diminutive Shaun Maloney and powered his shot into the roof of the Saints net from an acute angle.

Wigan then had another good opportunity when Maynor Figueroa put in a good low cross but Kone was unable to make contact.

Southampton counter attacked and Lambert had another good attempt from 25 yards saved by Al Habsi. Later Jos Hooiveld headed onto bar but Wigan had by then established a grip on the game and were dominating possession.

The pre season hard work was paying dividends as they went on a passing spree, moving the ball from side to side and in neat training ground interchanges.

For long periods the Saints just couldn’t get near the ball.

Kone had a great chance to double the lead when he slid in on goal but his side footed effort went just inches wide of the right hand post.

Jordi Gomez on for Di Santo had a good shot from the edge of the box well saved by Davis.

However, the result was sealed in the 89th minute when Jose Fonte was dispossessed by Kone on the half way line and the Ivorian raced in on goal before coolly slotting past Kelvin Davis.

At the end the game the Latics fans sang “Welcome to the Premier League” to the Saints fans. The result provided a harsh warning to Southampton about the realities of Premier League football.

It was an accomplished team performance by Roberto Martinez’s men and an indicator of the good things to come for Wigan this season.

Posted in Arouna Kone, Franco Di Santo, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Six minutes of madness prove costly for the Latics – Wigan Athletic 0 Chelsea 2

Posted on August 19, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Ivan Ramis

Ivan Ramis had a difficult debut

Wigan returned to the kamikaze defending of early last season when they conceded two goals within the first six minutes against the European Champions Chelsea.

Ivan Ramis making his debut from Real Mallorca had an unfortunate start to his career at the DW stadium. In the second minute Franco Di Santo gave the ball away needlessly and Ramis allowed Eden Hazard to turn too easily and play the ball through to Branislav Ivanovic who finished comfortably.

Soon afterwards Ramis recklessly challenged Hazard in the box and the Belgian midfielder went to ground giving referee Mike Jones little alternative than to give a penalty. Frank Lampard stepped up and his low drive beat Ali Al Habsi from the spot.

It was a torrid start for the Latics and many of the Wigan fans in the stadium feared that a rampant Chelsea would go on to score many more.

But Wigan rallied and to his credit Ramis did not allow his indiscretions to disrupt the rest of his performance.

James McArthur and James McCarthy were gaining a greater level of possession than their illustrious counterparts and Wigan created some good chances before the break. Franco Di Santo had a one on one with Petr Cech but although his shot beat the keeper the ball was cleared off the line by David Luiz. Shaun Maloney worked tirelessly to create opportunities before he had to be withdrawn with an injury and Victor Moses, a transfer target for Chelsea, was a constant threat on the right hand side.

In the second half substitute Jordi Gomez had two great opportunities to score, when his first shot curled wide of the post then with his second effort he acrobatically volleyed over the bar.

Chelsea created relatively little considering the wealth of talent on display, although Fernando Torres did have a rare chance when he got the ball past Al Habsi but Ramis made some amends for his earlier misdemeanours by clearing off the line.

New signing Arouna Kone replaced Di Santo and showed some good touches and had an opportunity to open his account in the 84th minute but his powerful header went wide of the goal.

Some Latics supporters will point to the cliché of needing to get ‘points in the bag, early doors’ but beating the European Champions in the first game of the season was always going to be a tall order.

Despite the defeat the fans should not be too despondent as after the early setbacks the team acquitted themselves very well against top class opposition.

Even without the injured Jean Beausejour, there were positive signs that they can build on the form they showed at the end of the last campaign. Some typical tiki taka passing was in evidence and they created enough chances to have at least drawn the game.

Posted in Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea, Frank Lampard, Ivan Ramis, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What are the fans thinking? Wigan Athletic season preview 2012/13

Posted on August 15, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Roberto Martinez with the fans

Roberto Martinez with the Wigan fans

Zoo magazine recently asked me to answer some questions about Wigan for their team by team pre-season guide and my responses have now been published in this week’s magazine.

Given that these responses are just from one fan’s perspective I thought it would be interesting to ask some Latics season ticket holders the same questions and get their views as well.

The responses are published below:

Jamie sits in the Springfield (West) Stand and lives near Warwick.

Player to watch? Shaun Maloney – Hope he can continue his exciting form from the end of last season.

New signing you’re most excited about? Ivan Ramis – We need a strong start from our defence this season, unlike previous years.

Player you’d happily drive out of your club? Adrian Lopez – I would drive him to somewhere on loan as he needs more experience.

Prem team you secretly admire? Everton – Consistently achieved with very few resources.

Worst away day? QPR (from last season) – My first visit and not a nice feel to the place… possibly due to their new-found wealth.

Best away day? Norwich (from last season) – Sun was shining, great day out and friendly atmosphere.

Best away fans? Newcastle – Was nice to keep their large support quiet last season!

Best place for a pre-match pint? Berkeley Square in Wigan Town.

Final Prem place prediction? 11th – Top of the bottom half would do me.

Stuart sits in the East Stand and lives near Coventry.

Player to watch? Victor Moses (if he stays …..)

New signing you’re most excited about?
Ivan Ramis, spending 4 million on a defender for Wigan is a big deal.

Player you’d happily drive out of your club? Lopez, I’d pay for his train ticket out as I can’t drive!

Prem team you secretly admire? Spurs, they play the game the right way, although they don’t half spend some money!

Worst away day? Villa, apart from last season we hadn’t lost at their gaff, but they really don’t look after you. £35 to get in, appalling view, no beer at half time and the stewards always ask you to sit down whilst you watch 20 odd thousand villa fans stand up all game, seriously considering missing it this time even though I only live 20 miles away.

Best away day? Arsenal, comfy seats and plenty of leg room, like getting an upgrade to business class on a plane! Also having a day out in the big smoke helps!

Best away fans? Spurs, they always fill their allocation. I would have said Newcastle but I don’t like the arrogance or the way they attempt to sing “you should have stuck to the roobey” instead of rugby, if you wanna mock get it right guys!

Best place for a pre-match pint? Berkeley Square, always shows the early kick off on the big screen and is close to the station.

Final Prem place prediction? 13th but showing promise, better against the teams around us but don’t expect the heroics against the big 4 like last time. I would like a decent cup run as well this season.

Joseph sits in the East Stand and lives near Leeds.

Player to watch? Boselli could come good given faith this season.

New signing you’re most excited about? Ivan Ramis could shore up the defence and make it more solid.

Player you’d happily drive out of your club? Di Santo is not good enough for a championship side never mind our club.

Prem team you secretly admire? Arsenal play great football just like us 😉

Worst away day? QPR stewards make you sit down or eject you.

Best away day? Bolton our arch rivals and great local derby –  unfortunately we won’t be playing them this season 😉

Best away fans? Newcastle have a big following and make a lot of racket.

Best place for a pre-match pint? The Orwell or Champs bar.

Final Prem place prediction? 12th or 10th if we buy a decent striker.

I sit in the Springfield (West) Stand and live near Huddersfield.

Player to watch? Shaun Maloney – had a slow start to last season but is likely to be a major player this time around.

New signing you’re most excited about? Ivan Ramis should be a great addition to our defence.

Player you’d happily drive out of your club? No one on particular – we have a good squad.

Prem team you secretly admire? Quite like what Norwich have achieved with limited resources.

Worst away day? The atmosphere at Old Trafford is often disappointing.

Best away day? Aston Villa because we usually do quite well down there.

Best away fans? Everton always have a good following and they aren’t Big time Charlies.

Best place for a pre-match pint? Berkeley Square in Wigan town centre.

Final Prem place prediction? If we can start well and finish like last season, I think an optimistic 10th is not out of the question for us.

So to summarise: Shaun Maloney could be the player to watch; New signing we’re most excited about is Ivan Ramis; Player you’d drive out of the club is Adrian Lopez; Club you secretly admire – all different answers for this one; Best away fans are Newcastle; Best away day – all different answers; Worst away day is QPR; Best place
for a pre-match drink is Berkeley Square; Final Prem place prediction is anywhere between 10th & 13th place – which surely makes us all optimists!

Though one thing is for sure, if Wigan secure a ninth successive season in the top flight we will all be very happy.

We’d welcome your views as well, so please have your say below.

Posted in Adrian Lopez, Ivan Ramis, Newcastle United, QPR, Shaun Maloney, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is Ivan Ramis on his way to Wigan?

Posted on July 25, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Ivan Ramis

Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis

Wigan have increased their offer for Real Mallorca’s Spanish defender Ivan Ramis. They are believed to be offering around €4.5million, near to the asking price of €5m, so it seems a deal may not be far away.

Although Everton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Celtic have all been linked with the centre-half, Wigan are favourites to land the 27-year-old Spaniard.

Ramis has made over 200 appearances for Real Mallorca in La Liga. It is thought that Ramis would relish the opportunity to play in the English Premier League and link up with Wigan’s highly rated manager Roberto Martinez.

Sources close to the player told Sky Sports: “We are convinced he will end up at Wigan.”

Roberto Martinez is renowned for unearthing footballing gems for relatively small transfer fees. Recent examples have been James McArthur and James McArthur from Hamilton Academicals, Jean Beausejour from Birmingham City and Shaun Maloney from Celtic.

Wigan currently lack defensive strength in-depth and Ramis would be an ideal addition to the squad providing excellent defensive cover for Gary Caldwell, Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa. If he is able to settle quickly into the demands of the EPL he could soon be challenging for a starting place in the line up.

Ramis can be seen in action for Real Mallorca below.

http://youtu.be/7WWEsV2aR1A

Posted in Birmingham City, Celtic, Hamilton Academicals, Ivan Ramis, James McArthur, James McCarthy, Jean Beausejour, Shaun Maloney, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How football dominates our culture

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Pat Nevin

Pat Nevin – cultured footballer and commentator

I recently attended an entertaining discussion at the Latitude Festival about how football obsesses and structures our culture with ex-footballer and broadcaster Pat Nevin and authors Rodge Glass and Alan Bissett.

Nevin expertly chaired the discussion with the two writers who have recently published novels about how football dominates our culture.

Nevin says that he is constantly surprised about how dominant football has become in modern-day society. He played at the top-level for Chelsea, Everton and Scotland but in a period before the ubiquity of 24 hour Sky Sports coverage, endless social media chatter and celebrity culture. Football is no longer the sole domain of the working classes, it is firmly entrenched throughout all strata of our society.

Not only are we obsessed with the on the pitch matters but also the transfer gossip, the managerial changes, the mega-rich owners, the agents, the minutiae of the players lives, the wives and girlfriends, the scandals, the court cases, and the list just goes on…

Many of us can see that these mega-rich footballing prima donnas are only the equivalent of mercenaries who make their fortunes moving from one club to another in search of a higher wage packet and inflated signing on fee. Yet despite all this we still show a blinding allegiance to our clubs. Many of us follow them home and away, we buy the shirts, the merchandise and all the other paraphernalia that go with modern-day game.

On the pitch the standards of fair play have diminished and the level of ‘cheating’ has increased. Nevin gave an example of a recent argument with ex-player and media pundit Robbie Savage about whether diving was acceptable, Savage thought it was very much in the acceptable category but Nevin was very much against it and thought it should be stamped out for the good of the game.

Some of the recent scandals with the Ryan Giggs affair, Ched Evans prison sentence and the John Terry court case have further damaged the good image of the game but bizarrely these events only seem to have generated further levels of interest from the public.

Both Rodge Glass and Alan Bissett read extracts from their novels and provided illuminating insights into how football has permeated all areas of our lives.

Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs by Rodge Glass

Rodge Glass’s novel Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs narrates the life story of Mikey ‘Little Giggs’ Wilson, a talented former Manchester United footballer who disintegrates and becomes obsessed with his idol.

Wilson’s life has not panned out in the same way as his former team-mates, however much he tries to deny it. Maintaining that he is ‘one of the lads’ and constructing fantasies about being recognised outside Old Trafford or being asked to do media work, Wilson’s existence is actually one of depression and unhappiness. The dichotomy between these two states create the main tension and thrust of the novel.

There are issues about class, family, sexuality, addiction and delusions all play a part as the reader is led through a series of flashbacks, match reports, newspaper articles and increasingly incoherent monologues.

Alan Bissett’s novel, Pack Men, set on the day 150,000 Glasgow Rangers fans invaded Manchester and a riot ensued, examines tribal male behaviour and how this affects friendships.

Pack Men by Alan Bissett

Pack Men by Alan Bissett

Sectarianism is a central theme and it is debated, discussed and in some cases disregarded by each of the characters in the book. Bissett’s fresh approach to discussing this ever thorny subject, prevalent across Glasgow and other areas of Central Scotland, is to be commended. He opens up the debate in a much more honest, open way than others before him have. He is also quick to challenge our preconceptions of some of the supporters we encounter, dispelling the myth that all football supporters are hooligans.

It is however Alvin, struggling to come to terms with his own identity, who is the star of the book. As his story unfolds, with clever flashbacks to his student days interspersing the ever more chaotic scenes from Manchester, it becomes clear he has a secret he wishes to share.

One of the strong themes to emerge from the discussion was the strength of feeling shown by football fans towards their clubs. In our increasingly fragmented and divisive society it is evident that football is now playing the role once played by organised religion.

Most people no longer attend church but many will go to football matches on a regular basis. Football is now providing the social and emotional fabric once provided by religion. Words like faith and belief abound in modern football parlance. For example, most Wigan Athletic fans will be familiar with the words ‘Keep the faith’ and ‘Believe’. For football fans a sense of purpose and belonging are paramount and the camaraderie is an added bonus.

Posted in Alan Bissett, Chelsea, Everton, Glasgow Rangers, Manchester United, Pat Nevin, Rodge Glass, Scotland, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The pursuit of the 92 – the goalposts keep moving

Posted on June 21, 2012 by ianhaspinall
AFC Halifax by Steve Morgan

AFC Halifax now in the Blue Square North

One of the few disadvantages of Wigan’s extended stay in the top flight has been that I’ve not been able to get to as many other football league grounds as I’d have liked. There are always the newly promoted teams to visit but some of these are the teams that yoyo between the Championship and the Premier League. This season the new teams will only provide one new ground at St Mary’s, Southampton and one that I missed last season at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea.

As Wigan had spent many seasons in the lower divisions I enjoyed many years visiting a long list of grounds from Rochdale’s Spotland to Bournemouth’s Dean Court and in the process had some memorable days out.

Having now totted up my list of grounds, it appears I’ve visited 56 of the 92 members of the Football League. Not a bad haul but perhaps slightly short of where I would like to be, given my age and some might say obsession with football.

One of the reasons why I haven’t increased my total has been that many of the teams have now built new stadia and in the process moved locations. Shrewsbury Town have moved to New Meadow, Cardiff City to Cardiff City Stadium, Chesterfield to B2net Stadium, Colchester United to Weston Homes Community Stadium, Coventry City to Ricoh Arena, Crawley Town to Broadfield Stadium, Doncaster Rovers to Keepmoat Stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion to Falmer Stadium, Northampton Town to Sixfields Stadium, Morecambe to Globe Arena and Milton Keynes Dons (Wimbledon) to Stadium MK.

My task as become even more difficult as many of the teams that Wigan faced in 1980’s and 90’s have now passed out of the Football League and are now playing their football in the Conference or even lower down the football hierarchy. Teams like Halifax Town (now AFC Halifax), Wrexham, Mansfield Town, Macclesfield Town, Chester City, Lincoln City, Luton Town, Hereford United, Darlington, Grimsby Town, Stockport County and York City were all regular opponents. Some of these teams are making positive strides to return to the football league but others are floundering.

It is worth reminding some of Wigan’s younger fans that our success is a relatively recent affair and without Dave Whelan’s investment and good management we could have suffered a similar fate to many of the teams that are now struggling.

For those of us who remember the difficult days (Kenny Swain’s era being a particular low point) Wigan starting an eighth season in the Premier League is an almost surreal experience and last season’s wins against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are very special moments in football and ones to be savoured.

My pursuit of the 92 will continue this season with the League Cup and FA Cup games hopefully providing some new grounds. Maybe I’ll go to see a game as a neutral, but that’s not likely to be very often as you wouldn’t want to miss following the Latics both home and away.

Posted in Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Cardiff City, Chester, Chesterfield, Coventry City, Crawley Town, Darlington, Doncaster Rovers, Grimsby Town, Halifax Town, Hereford United, Lincoln City, Macclesfield Town, Mansfield Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Morecambe, Northampton Town, Rochdale, Shrewsbury Town, Southampton, Stockport County, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic, Wrexham, York City | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wigan Athletic 2012/13 fixtures announced

Posted on June 18, 2012 by ianhaspinall
DW Stadium

The DW Stadium gets ready for an eighth season in the Premier League

The fixtures for Wigan Athletic’s eighth season in the Barclays Premier League were announced this morning with Latics first game at home to Champions League winners Chelsea on Saturday August 18th. This is followed by a trip to top flight newcomers Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday 25 August, which will be a new ground to visit for many fans.

Wigan’s next home match is against Stoke City on September 1 before a trip to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United on September 15.

Local derby fixtures include the home match with Manchester United on New Year’s Day, champions Manchester City at home on November 27 and away on March 9, Liverpool is at home on November 17 and away on March 2 and finally, Everton is at home on October 6 and away at Goodison Park on Boxing Day.

The question is can Wigan continue the excellent progress they made at the end of last season and move further up the Premier league table. There are exciting times ahead at the DW Stadium and with manager Roberto Martinez currently at Euro 2012 on the look out for new players the future is certainly looking bright.

The full list of fixtures is available to view on the Latics website.

Posted in Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton, Stoke City, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Martinez to stay at Wigan Athletic

Posted on May 30, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Roberto Martinez

The Roberto Martinez era continues

Great news for Latics fans as Roberto Martinez today announced that he has turned down the advances of Liverpool and will be staying at the club.

The on and off saga has now been resolved with Martinez pledging his future to Wigan.

The discussions with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) were terminated on Tuesday when Martinez decided he did not want work under a tier of three directors to take up the duties performed by former director of football Damien Comolli in a plan to make their operations more effective.

Martinez was not willing to work under three men, plus managing director Ian Ayre, and the Latics boss informed Liverpool owners FSG on Tuesday that he would not join the club.

Martinez’s decision means that Brendan Rodgers will take over at Anfield with the Swansea manager prepared to work within Liverpool’s proposed structure.

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has pledged to give the manager a significant transfer fund to boost the team’s chances for next season.

The decision is a fantastic coup for a little Wigan over the once mighty giants Liverpool. The temptation for Roberto to leave must have been huge given Liverpool’s footballing heritage, but his loyalty to Wigan goes much deeper than many expected.

He has built the club according to his own personal beliefs and in the process transformed the club into a forward thinking and attractive footballing outfit.

Ultimately it was Roberto’s desire to run the club according to his own personal beliefs that was the deciding factor in this momentous decision. Wigan fans will be in celebratory mood tonight as the Martinez era continues.

Posted in Aston Villa, Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool, Roberto Martinez, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Boyce double seals a superb end to the season – Wigan Athletic 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

Posted on May 14, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Emmerson Boyce celebrates

Emmerson Boyce celebrates his double

Wigan Athletic fans were in celebratory mood on Sunday afternoon as their team completed an incredible end to the season. Latics ended the season as the form team in the Premier league with a seventh win in nine games and in the process finished fifteenth in the table.

In bright sunshine at the DW stadium they made a confident start with centre back Gary Caldwell marauding forward and then Jean Beausejour’s cross being scrambled away by Christophe Berra.

The club had arranged for the fans to celebrate an eighth season on the top flight with applause on eight minutes, but just as some people had predicted, the applause backfired on the home team when Wolves winger Matt Jarvis incredibly curled the ball into the top corner of the Wigan net.

But Latics were not going to let Wolves spoil the party and pressed for a quick equaliser and on 13 Minutes Franco Di Santo managed to shoot through Stephen Hunt’s legs from eighteen yards out to restore parity.

A great shot from twenty-five yards by Shaun Maloney was turned around the post by Dorus de Vries and from the resulting corner Emmerson Boyce rose majestically at the back post to head home.

Wigan continued the half as the dominant outfit with Wolves unable to cope with their slick passing and movement. Once again Shaun Maloney was a constant threat and his introduction into the team for the latter part of the season has been the catalyst for the team’s strong revival.

Wolves had an early chance in the second half when Kevin Doyle’s header was well saved by Al-Habsi. But Wigan were soon increasing the pressure with two good attempts of their own with Maloney’s shot saved by substitute keeper Carl Ikeme after a through-ball from substitute Albert Crusat, who also drove a shot into the side-netting having been put through by Di Santo.

Soon afterwards a great diagonal ball by Maynor Figueroa was knocked down by substitute Hugo Rodallega for Emmerson Boyce who triumphantly blasted the ball into the top corner of the Wolves goal.

Boyce is Wigan’s longest-serving player and his two goals were a fitting reward for such an excellent servant. He may even have got a hat trick but typically and unselfishly he crossed for Rodallega but unfortunately the danger was cleared.

Wolves did manage a consolation goal on 86 minutes from substitute Steven Fletcher after sloppy play by Adrian Lopez. But it was not enough for Wolves who now slip into the Championship after a traumatic season.

Wigan march on into an eighth successive season in the top flight, when they were promoted in 2005 few could have dreamed that they would still be in the Premier League in 2012.

Great credit should go to all the Latics managers and players during this period, but particular credit should go to Roberto Martinez who has maintained Wigan’s status while producing some superbly attractive football and magnificent results against the league’s top teams.

Posted in Emmerson Boyce, Franco Di Santo, Matt Jarvis, Steven Fletcher, Wigan Athletic, Wolves | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics secure safety as Rovers are relegated in disarray

Posted on May 8, 2012 by ianhaspinall
Antolin Alcaraz celebrates the Wigan winner

Antolin Alcaraz celebrates the Wigan winner

Wigan Athletic secured an eighth season in the Premier League with a deserved victory and in the process relegated crisis club Blackburn Rovers.

When Rovers Indian owners took over in 2010 they did not appreciate that the club could be relegated but the reality of relegation to the Championship must be all too real this morning.

Antolin Alcaraz headed Wigan’s winner from a Jean Beausejour corner in the 87th minute, but it was only what Wigan deserved as they had wasted a succession of chances to finish off their opponents. In the first half Franco Di Santo had twice gone close and Paul Robinson saved well from Moses before he squandered a gift of a back-post header from Di Santo’s superb deep cross.

In the second half Moses once again missed a couple of good opportunities and Shaun Maloney headed over the bar when he rose too early to meet a cross by Moses.

Blackburn had a penalty appeal denied in the second half, when Emmerson Boyce clipped Junior Hoilett’s heel, and they troubled Ali Al-Habsi in the Wigan goal with a series of high balls into the box but the away team were always the more likely to score and in the process relegate Rovers.

In the strange surroundings of a hostile home crowd chanting for the removal of the Indian owners Venkys and manager Steve Kean, Wigan had to maintain their concentration and focus on the crucial task in hand. The prospect of a mass pitch invasion from the protesters was always a possibility and one Rovers fan did get on the pitch and in a rather futile gesture throw his season ticket towards the beleaguered Kean, but the ticket only ended up near Martinez.

Even the bizarre sight of a chicken dressed in Rovers colours entering the pitch in Ali Al Habsi’s goalmouth could not distract them from achieving this historic result. Al Habsi, of course saved the chicken, not much gets past the Wigan keeper!

Wigan completed the season winning six of their last eight matches, beating Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle in the process. Some of Wigan’s play during this run has been a joy to watch and more in keeping with a top four club than a team fighting against relegation.

Huge credit should go out to Manager Roberto Martinez who has once again preserved their Premier League status while trimming 10% from the wage bill.

Some Wigan fans had been critical of the manager during the early part of the season, but the majority stayed supportive and their faith in him has been vindicated with a historic eighth season in the top flight.

There will be big celebrations at the DW stadium for Wigan’s final game against already relegated Wolves next Sunday. As there should be, as it is a remarkable achievement for a small club with such limited resources to stay at this level for eight seasons.

Posted in Antolin Alcaraz, Blackburn Rovers, Chicken, Roberto Martinez, Steve Kean, Venkys, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment