Ultimate Wigan Athletic Website

Programmes Part 1 - The Major Matches

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Latics' first trip to Wembley on Saturday 28 April 1973 for the FA Challenge Trophy Final against Scarborough. Latics lost the game 2-1 to a winning goal four minutes from the end of extra time. The programme measures 6" x 9" (153mm x 230mm) and cost on the day 10p. There are 16 pages.
Latics' long struggle to get into the League ended in 1978, and the first game was a visit to Hereford United on 19 August 1978. The game ended in a goalless draw. This programme measures 170mm x 240mm, and cost 15p. There are 16 un-numbered pages.
Latics' second Wembley trip was more successful, the Freight Rover Trophy Final against Brentford on Saturday 1 June 1985. Latics won the game 3-1 in front of a crowd of just under 40,000. The programme, measuring 165mm x 247mm, cost 60p on the day and the 32 pages included colour photos of the teams, albeit that the photo of the Latics' team was rather blurred!
By the end of 1986/87 season Latics were at a high point under manager Ray Mathias, and were in the play-offs against Swindon Town. The first leg at Springfield Park ended in a 2-3 defeat, after leading by two goals with only 18 minutes to go (sounds familiar??). In the second leg at the County Ground Latics were held to a goalless draw. The programme for that leg measures 170mm x 240mm and cost 50p for 28 pages, mainly adverts and a very poor-quality black and white photo of the Latics team.

The dark years of the early Nineties, when Latics were in danger of losing their League status lifted with the arrival on the scene of Dave Whelan, and for the last game of the 1996/97 season Latics, already promoted, needed a win at home to Mansfield to win the Division 3 title. A 2-0 win in front of a full (7,106) Springfield Park brought the title home. The programme was printed vertically, as normal, although the front cover was sideways-on. Measuring 160mm x 240mm, and containing a "Nationwide Review", the programme has 40 full-colour pages, and cost £1.50.
The return of Ray Mathias to the club saw a return to Wembley in the 1998/99 season in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final on Sunday 18 April 1999. Although outnumbered 5:1, the 8,000 Latics fans went delirious in the last minute as Paul Rogers scored the only goal against Millwall to lift the trophy. The match programme measures 210mm x 297mm, has 52 full-colour pages, and a Wembley price-tag of £3.50
On 8 May 1999 Latics were due to play the game billed as "The Last at Springfield Park" against Chesterfield. A souvenir programme was produced, measuring 210mm x 297mm, and including 56 colour pages, for a princely £4.00. As it turned out results went our way, and Latics sneaked into the play-offs for one more game against Man City to be played at Springfield Park.
With Ray Mathias in charge, Latics again reached the play-offs, but despite holding Man City to a 1-1 draw at home, they went down on 19 May 1999 to a single, highly dubious goal in the away leg at Maine Road, a goal that ultimately cost Mathias his job. The programme for the tie measured 170mm x 240mm and cost £2.00. Perhaps unsurprisingly its 64 pages reviewed City's "success" through the season.
A new season, and a new start for Latics as we move to the JJB Stadium. The official opening was on 4 August 1999 with a friendly against triple-champions Man United. A strong United team containing David Beckham, Philip Neville, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won 2-0. The 36-page souvenir programme measures 210mm x 297mm, and cost £3.00.
Despite a storming unbeaten run in the first half of the season, Latics faltered towards the end of the 1999/2000 season, having to finally make do with a play off place again. In the semi-final a trip to the New Den against Millwall on 13 May 2000 saw a fine performance and a goalless draw. The match programme measured 170mm x 240mm, and cost £2.50 for 60 pages.
The return leg on 17 May 2000 was a tense affair, with one goal by Darren Sheridan enough to put Latics back at Wembley. The programme followed the lines of the club programme throughout the season, measuring 167mm x 240mm, and costing £2.00 for 48 pages.
The Play-off Final on 28 May 2000 ultimately ended in heartbreak, as Latics took a 2-1 lead over Gillingham in extra time, only to see their opponents net two in the last six minutes. The programme, with a rather distinctive two-tone cover, cost £4.00 and measures 210mm x 297mm, containing 40 pages.
Once again, a poor run-in in the latter part of the 2000/2001 season saw Latics in the play-offs again, this time with a tie against Reading. The first leg at the JJB Stadium on 13 May 2001 ended goalless. The programme again followed the season's design, with 52 pages in the usual full glossy colour, all for £2.00.
For the return leg at the Madejski Stadium on the 16 May 2001 this programme was produced, 64 pages for £2.50. In the match itself Latics took a first-half lead, but two late Reading goals saw Wigan again consigned to Division Two football.
There is of course the programme of one other match that had a significant effect on Latics' history, even though Latics weren't playing in the match. The 1960 FA Cup Final on 7 May 1960 played between Wolves and Blackburn Rovers was the occasion when Blackburn's right back, Dave Whelan, broke his leg. Young Whelan's career was in ruins, and although he did play again he obtained compensation for the injury. With that money the enterprising young Whelan bought a market stall, which grew into a chain of supermarkets, which he ultimately sold to Morrison's for a million pounds. Not content with that, he then invested money into a small sports shop, which has now grown into one of the country's biggest sports chain, JJB. He became Latics' chairman, and the rest is history!!