On Wednesday 5th May came an event for Wigan Athletic fans and players to come together and celebrate in the team’s success. A packed out South Stand Suite wined and dined til the early hours while they found out who had made an impression on fans, players and the media over the course of the season.
All who attended were greeted with a lovely set up with blue and white as far as the eye could see, there were even representatives from the Wigan Athletic New York and Norwegian Branches such is our appeal these days. With tables full and players seated the evening got under way with the first set of awards.
The Golden Boot award was the first to be given out. This went to a striker who had grown in confidence this season and shipped in with many vital goals over the season. There was only one man to fit this description – Hugo Rodallega.
Next was the Young Player of the Year award. With many contenders it was a difficult choice but there was one young man who came to the Latics and made a massive impression not only on his fans and team mates but also caught the attention of his international manager. James McCarthy picked up the award to put the icing on a magnificent season for the young Scot.
A special award followed to players within the lower reaches of the team. This award recognised a players potential and how the player had progressed. The Michael Millett award went to goalkeeper Lee Nicholls for his outstanding work in goal for the reserves.
The final presentation of the evening’s first section was the Away Player of The Year award which was sponsored by the Wigan Athletic Supporters Club. This award is decided by fans casting votes on the coaches after an away fixture and went to Latics’ defensive rock Titus Bramble.
The interval brought a lovely 3 course meal and a chance for fans to mingle with players and staff. Many fans snapped up autographs and had photos taken to take a lasting memory away from the evening. The auction preceded this with many items going for as much as £1,500.
Presentations recommenced and were started with the Media Player of The Year. This can be seen as a massive award as this is voted by pundits all over the country. Chris Kirkland was rewarded for his hard work all season between the Latics posts and his continued development as a player.
A special award came next. Performance of The Year. This was in recognition of a fantastic result that Wigan achieved through the season. There had been many great results such as the 1-0 win against Liverpool, the 3-1 win against Chelsea and the 3-2 comeback win against Arsenal. The award went to the Wigan Athletic 1 – 0 Liverpool result. Words cannot describe the feelings that fans had when the Latics finally beat teams in the so called ‘big four’.
The next award was a special one for players as it was voted for by their fellow players. The winner was Charles N’Zogbia for his contribution to the team.
Outstanding Contribution was the next award to be presented. Mike Pollitt picked up this award for his services to the club and he was recognised by fellow players, staff and even an appearance from ex-Latics goalkeeping coach Nigel Spink.
There was no real contest in the Latics goal of the season award. Maynor Figueroa’s sublime effort from inside his own half against Stoke at the Britannia picked up the award. It was a truly fantastic effort from Figueroa with skill and precision to give Latics a lead against a tough opponent.
Finally it was the award that everyone was waiting for, The Wigan Athletic Player of The Year, as voted for by fans. In 3rd place was James McCarthy and as stated earlier it was a truly fantastic start to the young Scot’s career. In 2nd place was Latics ace Titus Bramble. His excellent performances this season had not gone unnoticed by the fans. Finally in 1st place was French ace Charles N’Zogbia. N’Zogbia had a fantastic season providing excellent support for the Latics attack and proved his worth with vital goals throughout the season.
As the presentations ended the players, staff and Chairman all mixed with the guests and spoke about the fantastic achievements and how the club was going to progress over the coming seasons.
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