Yes, football does exist outside the top four divisions. This is a short history of football in Wigan before we got into the Football League.
Latics’ Pre-League History
The ‘Latics’ are Wigan’s fifth football team.
Wigan County was the first, having 4,000 spectators for their opening match against Southport at Springfield Park in September 1897. After winning 4 FA Cup qualifying rounds they lost 1 – 0 to Manchester City away. They disbanded at the end of the 1899/1900 season immediately followed by Wigan United who, along with Wigan Rugby, played at Springfield Park. However in January 1903 their lease expired, forcing them to play all their remaining games away and into liquidation.
Wigan Town came into being in 1905 but they too folded at the end of the 1907/08 season.
Wigan Borough were founder members of the Third Division (North) in 1921. Their best season was 1928/29 when they finished 4th in the league and won several FA Cup rounds, losing 3 – 1 against Sheffield Wednesday at Springfield Park , watched by 30,443 spectators. Season 31/32 started well but when financial difficulties forced them to sell their best players their gates dropped dramatically and by October 1932 they had folded.
Undaunted Wigan’s soccer enthusiasts met in May 1932, formed Wigan Athletic and immediately bought Springfield Park for £2,850. Their application to join the Cheshire League was rejected but then Manchester Central resigned and the Latics were given their place. Even so they had to appear before the Lancashire FA before being given permission to play. That first season they scored 121 league goals with only 54 against. The next season they were champions as they were more than once until the war started. They also had successes in cup competitions including beating Carlisle 6 – 1 away. Resuming in 1945/46 they finished bottom of the Cheshire League and sensationally failed to gain re-election. However they were admitted to the Lancashire Combination and finished the season as champions, as they did several times before being re-elected to the Cheshire League in the 1961/62 season, their applications to join the Football League being constantly rejected despite on one occasion getting more votes than Scunthorpe who were elected after a fresh draw was held. In cup competitions they won the Lancashire Junior Cup and the Senior Cup many times and had several long FA Cup runs, notably drawing 2 – 2 away to Newcastle, losing 3 – 2 in the replay at Wigan. In both games the Latics felt they had been robbed.
Finally at their 35th attempt the Latics were in 1978 elected to the Football League.
Article written by my father, Ben (1926 – 2003)
