Wigan Athletic
2005–06 season
ChairmanDave Whelan
ManagerPaul Jewell
Premier League10th
FA CupFourth round
League CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague:
Henri Camara (12)
All:
Jason Roberts (14)
Highest home attendance25,023 (vs. Liverpool, Premier League, 11 February)
Lowest home attendance3,346 (vs. AFC Bournemouth, League Cup, 20 September)

The 2005–06 Wigan Athletic season was the club's 28th season in the Football League and their first ever season in the top division of English football, following their promotion from the Championship the season before.

Despite starting the season as one of the favourites for relegation,[1][2] Wigan managed to exceed expectations with a nine-match unbeaten run early in the season, occupying second place behind runaway leaders Chelsea at one stage. The club eventually finished the season in tenth place.

Wigan also reached the final of the League Cup, the club's first ever appearance in a major cup final. They lost the match 4–0 to Manchester United.

Background

Prior to the club's promotion to the Premier League, Wigan were a team that had spent 25 years in the third and fourth tier of English football since the club's election into the Football League in 1978. In 1995, when the club was playing football in Division Three and struggling due to financial difficulties and declining attendances, Wigan was taken over by local businessman Dave Whelan, who ambitiously proclaimed that Wigan would be playing Premier League football within ten years. He also built a new stadium for the club, the JJB Stadium, which was opened in 1999 and replaced the dilapidated Springfield Park ground which had been inherited from the town's previous league club, Wigan Borough, on its formation in 1932.

With the help of Whelan's financial backing, the club rapidly rose through the divisions, gaining promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in 2003, and culminating with their promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the 2004–05 Championship season. Despite this success, the club was predicted by many to be relegated straight back down to the Championship, including The Times, who suggested Wigan "will need a miracle if they are to survive".[3]

Pre-season

On 7 July, Greater Manchester Police issued the club with a court summons over an unpaid bill of approximately £270,000 for policing the club's football matches. The police had also threatened to withdraw their services if the club failed to settle the debt before 1 August.[4] Chairman Dave Whelan later agreed to pay the bill to prevent the cancellation of fixtures in the club's first Premier League season, but would continue to resolve the matter in court.[5]

The squad began their pre-season preparations with a training camp in Denmark. They played two friendlies against local opposition behind closed doors, and won both games 5–0.[6] Midfielder Jimmy Bullard also agreed a new three-year contract with the club, ending speculation that he would leave before the end of the transfer window.[7]

DateOpponentResultVenueScorersAttendanceMatch Report
19 July 2005Elite 3000 Helsingør0–5AwayMahon 45', Thome 47', Teale 57', Bullard 70', Teale 82'330Report Archived 11 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
21 July 2005Herlev IF0–5Away ?621[8]
27 July 2005Preston North End1–1AwayMcCulloch 9'3,124 (642 away)
30 July 2005Macclesfield Town0–4AwayJohansson 39', Bullard 57', Teale 81', Mahon 87'1,024 (406 away)
2 August 2005Morecambe0–1AwayEllington 77'1,262 (573 away)
3 August 2005Accrington Stanley1–1AwayMcCulloch 74'983 (307 away)
6 August 2005Boavista1–0HomeEllington 21' (pen)5,837

Premier League

August

Wigan's opening league game was at home against reigning Premier League champions Chelsea. The home side played well and despite missing opportunities to score themselves, it looked as though they would manage an impressive draw, but were denied by a spectacular injury time winner from Hernán Crespo. After losing 1–0 to Charlton Athletic on 20 August, Wigan's next game was a crucial home match against relegation rivals Sunderland. Wigan won the match 1–0, their first ever Premier League win, with Jason Roberts scoring the goal – a penalty which had been awarded within the first 15 seconds of the game.

September

On 10 September, Wigan came from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2–1, claiming their first Premier League win away from home, and scoring their first Premier League goals from open play. Following a draw in the next game against Middlesbrough, Wigan played their first cup game of the season against AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup, winning the match 1–0. On 24 September, Wigan extended their unbeaten run with a 1–0 away against Everton. As a result of the club's impressive form, manager Paul Jewell received the September Manager of the Month award.[9]

DateOpponentResultVenueScorersAttendanceMatch Report
14 August 2005Chelsea0–1Home23,575Report
20 August 2005Charlton Athletic1–0Away23,453Report
27 August 2005Sunderland1–0HomeRoberts 2' (pen)17,223Report
10 September 2005West Bromwich Albion1–2AwayConnolly 40', Bullard 90+2'25,617Report
18 September 2005Middlesbrough1–1HomeCamara 68'16,641Report
24 September 2005Everton0–1AwayFrancis 47'37,189Report
2 October 2005Bolton Wanderers2–1HomeCamara 48', McCulloch 63'20,553Report
15 October 2005Newcastle United1–0HomeRoberts 40'22,374Report
22 October 2005Aston Villa0–2AwayHughes 32' (og), Mahon 82'32,294Report
29 October 2005Fulham1–0HomeChimbonda 90+2'17,266Report
5 November 2005Portsmouth0–2AwayChimbonda 48', Roberts 79'19,102Report
19 November 2005Arsenal2–3HomeCamara 28', Bullard 45'25,004Report
26 November 2005Tottenham Hotspur1–2HomeMcCulloch 88'22,611Report
3 December 2005Liverpool3–0Away44,098Report
10 December 2005Chelsea1–0Away42,060Report
14 December 2005Manchester United4–0Away67,793Report
17 December 2005Charlton Athletic3–0HomeCamara 9', 51', 63'17,074Report
26 December 2005Manchester City4–3HomeRoberts 11', 45', McCulloch 23', Camara 71'25,017Report
28 December 2005West Ham United0–2AwayRoberts 43', Camara 45'34,131Report
31 December 2005Blackburn Rovers0–3Home20,639Report
2 January 2006Birmingham City2–0Away29,189Report
15 January 2006West Bromwich Albion0–1Home17,421Report
21 January 2006Middlesbrough2–3AwayRoberts 2', Thompson 29', Mellor 90+3'27,208Report
31 January 2006Everton1–1HomeScharner 45'21,731Report
4 February 2006Bolton Wanderers1–1AwayJohansson 77'25,854Report
11 February 2006Liverpool0–1Home25,023Report
19 February 2006Tottenham Hotspur2–2AwayJohansson 10', 67'35,676Report
6 March 2006Manchester United1–2HomeScharner 60'23,574Report
11 March 2006Sunderland0–1AwayCamara 8'31,194Report
18 March 2006Manchester City0–1AwayMcCulloch 55'42,444Report
25 March 2006West Ham United1–2HomeMcCulloch 45+1'18,736Report
3 April 2006Blackburn Rovers1–1AwayRoberts 53'20,410Report
8 April 2006Birmingham City1–1HomeJohansson 49'18,669Report
15 April 2006Newcastle United3–1AwayBullard 5'52,302Report
18 April 2006Aston Villa3–2HomeBullard 25', Camara 56', 60'17,330Report
24 April 2006Fulham1–0Away17,149Report
29 April 2006Portsmouth1–2HomeCamara 34'21,126Report
7 May 2006Arsenal4–2AwayScharner 10', Thompson 33'38,359Report
Matchday1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHAHAHHAHAHHAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA
ResultLLWWDWWWWWWLLLLLWWWLLLWDDLDLWWLDDLWLLL
Position15181711109965223589966556776799108888810891010
Source: WorldFootball.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

DateRoundOpponentResultVenueScorersAttendanceMatch Report
7 January 2006Third roundLeeds United1–1HomeConnolly 47'10,980[ Report]
17 January 2006Third round (replay)Leeds United3–3 (aet)AwayJohansson 24', Roberts 50', 103'15,243 (785 away)[ Report]
(Wigan Athletic win 4–2 on penalties)
28 January 2006Fourth roundManchester City1–0Away30,811[ Report]

League Cup

Jason Roberts scored a late goal against Arsenal to take Wigan to their first ever major cup final.

Wigan entered the League Cup in the second round and were drawn against AFC Bournemouth. Manager Paul Jewell made 11 changes to the side, with several players making their debuts. Bournemouth, suffering from an injury crisis, could only name four substitutes, but held Wigan until Jason Roberts broke the deadlock four minutes from time to send his team into the next round.[10] Wigan played Watford in the third round, and the game was taken to extra time with neither side able to score after 90 minutes. Ryan Taylor scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in the 98th minute before Andreas Johansson sealed the victory with two goals late in the second half of extra time. In the fourth round, Wigan were drawn at home against Newcastle United, but despite being drawn against stronger opposition, Jewell reiterated that he would continue to use his fringe players in the cup, as Premier League survival was still the main priority for the club.[11] Wigan beat their opponents 1–0 through a penalty from David Connolly late in the game, with Newcastle manager Graeme Souness conceding that Wigan were "totally dominant".[12] The club then met local rivals Bolton Wanderers in the quarter-final, where Roberts' two goals late in the first half were enough to take Wigan to their first ever major cup semi-final.[13]

Wigan's next opponents were Arsenal, with the first match of the two-legged tie to be played at the JJB Stadium. Wigan won the match 1–0 against a weakened Arsenal side, with debutant Paul Scharner scoring the goal. The attendance of 12,181, the lowest figure for a League Cup semi-final for almost ten years,[14] was criticised by several media outlets, but club officials argued that the poor attendance was caused by a busy fixture list – the match was Wigan's fifth home game in the space of three weeks.[15] Arsenal fielded their "strongest available line-up" for the return leg at Highbury,[16] but struggled to beat Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, who made "a string of outstanding saves",[17] including a first-half penalty against José Antonio Reyes. Arsenal made their first breakthrough around the halfway point of the second half, with Thierry Henry scoring the goal to tie the game on aggregate. The game went into extra time, and Arsenal took a 2–1 aggregate lead through a Robin van Persie free kick, before Wigan's Jason Roberts scored in the final two minutes to clinch a place in the cup final on the away goal rule.

The final was played at the Millennium Stadium against Manchester United, with Wigan going into the final as "huge underdogs".[18] Mike Pollitt, a former youth player at Manchester United, picked up an injury early in the first half and was replaced by John Filan. Although Manchester United finished the game as comfortable 4–0 winners, Paul Jewell was "proud" of his players and felt the team "didn't get the breaks" they needed to beat their opponents.[19]

DateRoundOpponentResultVenueScorersAttendanceMatch Report
20 September 2005Second roundAFC Bournemouth1–0HomeRoberts 86'3,346Report
25 October 2005Third roundWatford3–0 (aet)HomeTaylor 98' (pen), Johansson 117', 120+1'4,531Report
30 November 2005Fourth roundNewcastle United1–0HomeConnolly 88' (pen)11,574Report
20 December 2005Quarter-finalBolton Wanderers2–0HomeRoberts 40', 45+3'13,401Report
10 January 2006Semi-final (1st leg)Arsenal1–0HomeScharner 78'12,181Report
24 January 2006Semi-final (2nd leg)Arsenal2–1 (aet)AwayRoberts 119'34,692Report
(2–2 on aggregate – Wigan Athletic go through on away goals.)
26 February 2006FinalManchester United0–4Neutral66,866Report

Squad statistics

[20]

#Pos.PlayerLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDiscipline
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsYellow cardRed card
1GKAustralia John Filan150301 (1)019 (1)000
2DFFrance Pascal Chimbonda372203 (1)042 (1)270
3DFScotland Stephen McMillan0 (2)010405 (2)000
4DFEngland Matt Jackson11 (5)0304018 (5)010
5DFBrazil Emerson Thome0000303000
6DFSwitzerland Stéphane Henchoz2601 (1)03 (1)030 (2)090
7FWSenegal Henri Camara25 (4)12002 (1)027 (5)1200
8MFSweden Andreas Johansson6 (10)4314 (2)213 (12)701
10MFScotland Lee McCulloch27 (3)5103 (1)031 (4)581
11MFRepublic of Ireland Graham Kavanagh32 (3)01 (1)04 (1)037 (5)090
12GKEngland Mike Pollitt23 (1)0006029 (1)000
13GKEngland Gary Walsh0000000000
14MFRepublic of Ireland Alan Mahon5 (1)1205012 (1)110
15DFEngland David Wright1 (1)000203 (1)000
16DFNetherlands Arjan de Zeeuw310103035050
17MFJamaica Damien Francis16 (4)1301020 (4)120
18DFAustria Paul Scharner14 (2)3102 (1)117 (3)460
19DFEngland Ryan Taylor3 (8)010418 (8)120
20MFScotland Gary Teale20 (4)01 (1)06 (1)027 (6)001
21MFEngland Jimmy Bullard35 (1)40 (2)04039 (3)400
22FWRepublic of Ireland David Connolly4 (13)1112 (1)17 (14)300
23MFSwitzerland Reto Ziegler5 (5)0100 (2)06 (7)000
24MFAustralia Josip Skoko3 (2)030309 (2)010
26DFEngland Leighton Baines35 (2)0203 (1)040 (3)030
27MFEngland David Thompson7 (3)200007 (3)240
30FWGrenada Jason Roberts3481 (2)24 (2)439 (4)1441
32MFEngland Luke Joyce000 (1)0000 (1)000
33FWEngland Neil Mellor3110105100
36DFEngland Joey Waterhouse00000 (1)00 (1)000

Transfers

After initially struggling to attract players to the club,[21] Mike Pollitt became the club's first signing of the summer. This was followed by the signing of little-known French right-back Pascal Chimbonda, Ryan Taylor of Tranmere Rovers and experienced defender Stéphane Henchoz. Nicky Eaden and Ian Breckin, who both featured regularly in the previous season's promotion winning side,[22] were sold to Nottingham Forest. On 6 August 2005, Wigan signed Senegalese international Henri Camara for £3 million, smashing the club's previous record transfer fee of £2 million paid for striker Jason Roberts. Former player Arjan de Zeeuw also returned to the club after being signed from Portsmouth, and was made the club's captain. Just before the start of the season, West Bromwich Albion made a £3 million bid for previous season's Championship top goalscorer Nathan Ellington. This met the minimum fee release clause in the player's contract, meaning the bid had to be accepted, and Ellington completed the move a few days later. Wigan signed David Connolly for a fee of £2 million as a replacement for Ellington on transfer deadline day.

Wigan strengthened the side further during the January transfer window with new signings Paul Scharner and David Thompson, as well as bringing in Neil Mellor and Reto Ziegler on loan. In April, Fulham had a £2.5 million bid accepted for Jimmy Bullard after the offer had triggered the player's release clause, and a deal was agreed which would be officially completed after the season had finished. After the final match against Arsenal, Pascal Chimbonda almost immediately handed in a transfer request, resulting in a transfer saga that would last for the entire duration of the summer transfer window. Henchoz and Thompson, whose contracts were due to expire, were both released.

In

Player From Fee Date Notes
England Mike PollittEngland Rotherham United£200,00030 June 2005[23]
France Pascal ChimbondaFrance Bastia£500,0008 July 2005[24]
England Ryan TaylorEngland Tranmere Rovers£750,00013 July 2005[25]
Switzerland Stéphane HenchozUnattachedFree29 July 2005[26]
Jamaica Damien FrancisEngland Norwich City£1,000,0005 August 2005[27]
Senegal Henri CamaraEngland Wolverhampton Wanderers£3,000,0006 August 2005[28]
Netherlands Arjan de ZeeuwEngland PortsmouthUndisclosed12 August 2005[29]
Australia Josip SkokoTurkey GençlerbirliğiUndisclosed23 August 2005[30]
Republic of Ireland David ConnollyEngland Leicester City£2,000,00031 August 2005[31]
Austria Paul ScharnerNorway Brann£2,000,0001 January 2006[32]
England David ThompsonEngland Blackburn RoversFree19 January 2006[33]
  • Total spending: Decrease £9,450,000

Out

Player To Fee Date Notes
England Nicky EadenEngland Nottingham ForestFree1 July 2005[34]
England Ian BreckinEngland Nottingham Forest£350,0005 July 2005[35]
Brazil Magno VieiraUnattachedFree8 July 2005[36]
Scotland David GrahamEngland Sheffield Wednesday£250,00012 August 2005[37]
England Nathan EllingtonEngland West Bromwich Albion£3,000,00015 August 2005[38]
England Phil EdwardsEngland Accrington StanleyFree12 January 2006[39]
Brazil Emerson ThomeUnattachedFree7 February 2006[40]
England Luke JoyceEngland Carlisle UnitedFree4 April 2006[41]
England Jimmy BullardEngland Fulham£2,500,000End of season[42]
Switzerland Stéphane HenchozUnattachedFreeEnd of season[43]
England David ThompsonUnattachedFreeEnd of season[43]
  • Total income: Increase £6,100,000

Loans in

Player From Start date End date Notes
England Neil MellorEngland Liverpool19 January 2006End of season[44]
Switzerland Reto ZieglerEngland Tottenham Hotspur23 January 2006End of season[45]

Loans out

Player To Start Date End Date Notes
Brazil Emerson ThomeEngland Derby County27 October 200526 November 2005[46]
England David WrightEngland Norwich City17 November 200516 December 2005[47]
Australia Josip SkokoEngland Stoke City7 February 2006End of season[48]
England Kevin LeeEngland Blackpool23 March 2006End of season[49]
Republic of Ireland Alan MahonEngland Burnley23 March 2006End of season[50]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
8 Bolton Wanderers 38 15 11 12 49 41 +8 56
9 West Ham United 38 16 7 15 52 55 −3 55 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[lower-alpha 1]
10 Wigan Athletic 38 15 6 17 45 52 −7 51
11 Everton 38 14 8 16 34 49 −15 50
12 Fulham 38 14 6 18 48 58 −10 48
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. ↑ Since Liverpool had already qualified for the Champions League, their UEFA Cup berth as the FA Cup winners went to West Ham, who were the FA Cup runners-up.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chelsea favourites to defend title". TVNZ. 6 August 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  2. ↑ "IT'S TOUGH AT THE TOP; Mick fears for Premier newboys". The Mirror. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "Duo prove doubters wrong". FIFA. 16 February 2006. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "Wigan court summons over police fees". The Guardian. 7 July 2005. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "I'll pay policing says Whelan". Wigan Today. Johnston Publishing. 9 July 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "Latics boosted by Danish trip". Wigan Today. Johnston Publishing. 25 July 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  7. ↑ "Jim'll Fix It For Latics". 29 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "Opvisningskampe p Helsing r Stadion". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Jewell Wins Manager of Month Award". 14 October 2005. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Wigan 1–0 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  11. ↑ "Jewell to keep his strength in reserve". Mirror News. 29 November 2005. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  12. ↑ "Wigan 1–0 Newcastle". ESPN Soccernet. 30 November 2005. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Wigan 2-0 Bolton". 20 December 2005.
  14. ↑ "Wigan 1–0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  15. ↑ Johnston, Neil (10 January 2006). "Cup semi-final, Arsenal in town, can't give seats away". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Burt, Jason (25 January 2006). "Arsenal 2 Wigan Athletic 1 (aet; 2–2 on aggregate; Wigan win on away goals rule): Roberts the winning ace puts Wigan in first final". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  17. ↑ Davies, Christopher (25 January 2006). "Roberts' late strike brings Wigan glory". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  18. ↑ "Jewell targets Carling Cup upset". BBC Sport. 26 February 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  19. ↑ "Wigan: Chin up warning from Jewell". Oldham Advertiser. 1 March 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  20. ↑ FootballSquads – Wigan Athletic – 2005–06
  21. ↑ "Jewell pleads for patience". Wigan Today. Johnston Publishing. 2 June 2005. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  22. ↑ "Wigan 2004/2005 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  23. ↑ "Wigan snap up goalkeeper Pollitt". BBC Sport. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  24. ↑ "Pascal just perfect for Latics". Wigan Today. 8 July 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  25. ↑ "Wigan complete swoop for Taylor". BBC Sport. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  26. ↑ "Stephane The Man For Man". 29 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  27. ↑ "Wigan complete deal for Francis". BBC Sport. 5 August 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  28. ↑ "Camara in the Picture For Wigan". 6 August 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  29. ↑ "Arry Completes Latics Switch". 12 August 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  30. ↑ "Skoko Begins Wigan Adventure". 23 August 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  31. ↑ "Wigan secure signing of Connolly". BBC Sport. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  32. ↑ "Wigan complete signing of centre-back Scharner". ESPN. 22 December 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  33. ↑ "New Signing For Latics". 19 January 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  34. ↑ "Eaden Switches To Forest". 1 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  35. ↑ "Breckin Follows Eaden To Forest". 5 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  36. ↑ "Magno Leaves Wigan". 15 July 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  37. ↑ "Graham makes Hillsborough switch". BBC Sport. 12 August 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  38. ↑ "Duke Completes Albion Switch". 15 August 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  39. ↑ Oliver, Pete (12 January 2006). "Stanley strive on". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  40. ↑ "Latics release Thome". ESPN. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  41. ↑ "Joyce Lukes North". 4 April 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  42. ↑ "£2.5m-Bullard to join Fulham at end of season". ESPN. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  43. 1 2 "Jackson's Joy". 10 May 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  44. ↑ "Latics Snap Up 2nd Signing". 19 January 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  45. ↑ "Swiss Rolls into Latics". 23 January 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  46. ↑ "Thome Joins Rams on Loan". 27 October 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  47. ↑ "Wright Joins Canaries on Loan". 17 November 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  48. ↑ "Skoko Accepts Loan Move". 7 February 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  49. ↑ "Lee Is a Seasider". 23 March 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  50. ↑ "Mahon Man Heads For Turf Moor". 23 March 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
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