The Wigan Athletic Football Club is a model of hard work and resilience. It was the 5th attempt to establish a lasting club in the borough after all the previous ones have fizzled out.
Things were never easy but this time the goal was achieved with fantastic results to show for it. What began as a modest project in 1932 has become a well-loved team that has stood for more than 80 years. It has experienced plenty of highs and lows throughout the decades.
During the off-seasons, Wigan fans can relive the excitement of these matches through different platforms. They could, for instance, play games at Royal Casino online where they can potentially win big on attractive bonuses and big jackpots.
These massive winnings can then be channelled into their football bets once the season starts for the team. Nothing makes matches more thrilling than betting on your team to win it all. Here we look back at three classic games wherein Wigan beat the odds to get the win and where their fans who bet on the games made a small fortune:
1999 Football League Trophy Final
Wigan reached the finals off an unprecedented run and came head-to-head with the more established Millwall FC. The match was held on April 18, 1999 at the Wembley Stadium in front of over 55,000 fans. It was a tense battle with neither team backing down. Five players were shown the yellow card because of the intensity of the game.
After 90 minutes of play, the score was still tied at nil-nil. People were expecting a penalty shootout. It was during the injury time that Wigan Midfielder Paul Rogers came up big and delivered the winning goal for a dramatic finish.
2013 FA Cup Final
The FA Cup is considered as the oldest football tournament in the world and Wigan Athletic was there at the 132nd edition as a title contender.
It was up against the heavily favoured Manchester City in the final match which was held on May 11, 2013 at the Wembley Stadium
More than 80,000 fans showed up to support the teams and the rain only heightened the tension. Man City dominated possession, shots on target, and corner kicks but the Latics stood their ground.
Ben Watson came in as a substitute in the dying minutes to produce a memorable header during injury time.
1985 Football League Trophy Final
Teams in the Third and Fourth Divisions of English football fight for this trophy every year. On the 1st of June 1985, the final match was contested by Wigan Athletic and Brentford FC. There were almost 40,000 people at Wembley Stadium that sunny day.
Wigan drew first blood when Mike Newell scored a goal at the 27-minute mark. This was closely followed by midfielder Tony Kelly’s goal at 38 minutes.
Despite being down 2-0 during the halftime break, Brentford rallied back and quickly scored through the efforts of striker Robbie Cooke. Alas, Wigan’s David Lowe would put the final nail on the coffin shortly after to give the club a well-deserved title.
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