The
DW Stadium (known as the
JJB Stadium before August 2009) is a dual-purpose sports stadium located within the Robin Park retail complex in
WiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south of Preston, west-northwest of Manchester, and east-northeast of Liverpool. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, opened and built in 1999. The stadium was named after its principal sponsor, the sporting goods retailer
JJB SportsJJB Sports plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading sports retailers. Since early 2009 JJB has been in financial difficulties in talks with banks to secure its future.- History :...
—whose former chairman Dave Whelan owns the
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. They compete in the Premier League, in which they have been playing since their promotion from the Football League in 2005...
football club. Currently named after the stadium's main sponsor, DW Sports Fitness, The stadium is managed by independent company, Wigan Football Company Limited, and is owned by Wigan Athletic.
Its current capacity is 25,138—seated in four single-tier stands—although its record attendance was in 2008 when 25,133 people witnessed
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
play Wigan Athletic in the title-deciding match of the
2007–08 Premier League seasonThe 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...
. Both
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
and
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
matches are played on its grass pitch, and the stadium is home to a team from each sport; Wigan Athletic and
Wigan WarriorsWigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The first team competes in Europe's engage Super League competition, playing its home matches at the DW Stadium, Wigan....
respectively.
Rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
was also once played at the stadium in the outfit of
Orrell RUFCOrrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986-1997 despite their small fan base and the much stronger presence of rugby...
, but the club failed to achieve the success demanded of them and as a result moved out of the stadium in 2003.
Historically, the stadium was first involved in a dispute when it was revealed Dave Whelan had not paid
Greater Manchester PoliceGreater Manchester Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England....
costs for policing football matches. The dispute was settled when the Wigan Athletic club agreed to pay the
GB£The pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
300,000 owed, although the club later won back damages from the police on appeal. Another dispute emerged when Wigan Warriors had to move their home
Super League XIIIEngage Super League XIII was the official name, due to sponsorship, for the 2008 Super League season by Engage Mutual. Twelve teams competed for the Minor Premiership over 27 rounds after which, the top 6 finishing teams entered the play-offs where they competed for a place in the Grand Final and...
play-off match against
Bradford BullsBradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It has been one of the major success stories of the Super League era, with the 2003 season being its best where the club successfully won all of the major rugby league honours,...
to the near town of
WidnesWidnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
, after Whelan refused to allow the match to be played due to a scheduled football match at the stadium involving Wigan Athletic the following day.
The stadium has hosted international rugby league games, particularly during the
Tri NationsThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
series. Its several lounges and suites also play host to minor musical acts.
History
The stadium was built by
Alfred McAlpineAlfred McAlpine plc was a British construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll...
and completed in August 1999. Wigan Athletic had spent the previous 67 years playing at
Springfield ParkSpringfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F.C. until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium after the 1999 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000...
, and their first match at the stadium was a friendly against
MorecambeMorecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in Football League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to The Football League....
, just before the stadium's official opening.
The stadium's inauguration was marked with a friendly between Wigan Athletic and neighbours
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
, who were then reigning
European ChampionsThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
, with
Sir Alex FergusonSir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE, popularly known as Sir Alex or Fergie is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986.Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren, before a highly successful...
officially opening the stadium. The first competitive football match there took place on 7 August 1999, with Wigan Athletic facing
Scunthorpe UnitedScunthorpe United Football Club are an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.Nicknamed The Iron, they play in the Football League Championship...
in a Division Two match.
Simon HaworthSimon Owen Haworth is a retired Welsh football forward. He won five caps for the Wales national football team during his career.-Club career:...
scored twice, including the first competitive goal at the new stadium, as Athletic triumphed 3–0.
The first away team to win a competitive football match at the stadium was Wigan Athletic. A first round
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
tie against non-league
Cambridge CityCambridge City Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:The club was founded in 1908 as Cambridge Town F.C., as Cambridge had not been granted city status at that point, and were committed to amateur sport...
was played there due to City's ground being deemed unsuitable to host the tie. Wigan played in their changed strip and used the away dressing room since it was technically a 'home' game for Cambridge City. A
Stuart BarlowStuart Barlow is a retired English football forward. He is best remembered for scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup fifth round replay win against Premiership Southampton in the 2000-01 season...
brace secured the win for Wigan.
Wigan RLFC (also known as the Wigan Warriors) moved to the stadium a month after it opened, once they had played their final home game of the 1999 regular season at
Central ParkCentral Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, one of the most famous stadiums in rugby league. It was the home of Wigan RLFC prior to their move to the JJB Stadium in 1999, and it was used mostly for rugby league matches...
. After their former ground was sold, the possibility of ground sharing with
Bolton Wanderers F.C.Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....
at the modern
Reebok StadiumThe Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
was presented, however, the new stadium in Wigan was chosen instead. Their first game at the stadium was a play-off match against
Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas' 'Cas Tigers' or 'Classy Cas'...
, which they lost, on 19 September. Wigan did not lose a competitive match at the stadium in 2001.
Whilst the Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic flourished in the new stadium (Wigan Athletic in particular would achieve significant success, rising up the English
football pyramidThe English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England...
to the Premier League by 2005), the fortunes of
Orrell R.U.F.C.Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986-1997 despite their small fan base and the much stronger presence of rugby...
could not have been more different. Dave Whelan and
Maurice LindsayMaurice Lindsay CBE was a Scottish broadcaster, writer and poet. He was born in Glasgow.After serving in World War II he became a radio broadcaster, also editing the 1946 anthology Modern Scottish Poetry , and writing music criticism...
decided to invest heavily in the club, with the aim of having the club play in rugby union's
Guinness PremiershipThe English Premiership is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are, at present, twelve clubs in the Premiership...
at the then-JJB Stadium. After failing to win 2004's
National Division TwoNational Division Two, to be known from September 2009 as National League 1, is the third level of domestic rugby union competition in England.This is the lowest level of the English rugby union league system which is nationwide...
, Whelan pulled a large amount of investment from the club, to a more modest
GB£The pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
30,000 a year. This was the beginning of Orrell's demise, as players left during the summer of that year and the club were consequently relegated the season after. Ownership eventually passed from Lindsay back to the club's members, but by this point, Orrell had sold their former
Edge Hall RoadThe Co-operative Community Stadium is the home ground of the Wigan Warriors Senior Academy and Junior Academy teams and the former home ground of Orrell R.U.F.C.. The ground is located in the Orrell district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester...
ground to Wigan Warriors and therefore had no assets apart from their rebuilt clubhouse following a fire in 2002. Orrell never settled at the JJB Stadium, and were eventually de-professionalised at the end of the 2006–07 season.
On 7 March 2005
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
police announced that they would stop policing Wigan Athletic matches at the stadium from 2 April. This move would almost certainly have resulted in the stadium's safety certificate being revoked, effectively forcing the team to play behind closed doors. The move was part of an ongoing dispute between the police force and Dave Whelan surrounding GB£300,000 in unpaid policing costs. The police's decision would not have affected Wigan RLFC, whose games are stewarded instead of policed. The situation was temporarily resolved on 8 March with both sides reaching an agreement that would allow Athletic to play at the ground until the end of the season. Four months later, Wigan Athletic, facing the prospect of playing their home games in the
FA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
in an empty stadium, grudgingly paid the money they owed to the police. The club successfully appealed against the payments in court and won damages from the police.
On 7 September 2008, Wigan RLFC revealed plans to take their
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition of Europe. As a result of sponsorship from Engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the Engage Super League...
Play-Off against
Bradford BullsBradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It has been one of the major success stories of the Super League era, with the 2003 season being its best where the club successfully won all of the major rugby league honours,...
to a neutral venue. The controversial relocation was forced due to a fixture clash, with a match between football clubs Wigan Athletic and Sunderland to take place less than 24 hours after the Super League match. Whelan, who controlled Wigan Athletic, refused permission for the Warriors to stage their elimination at the stadium, citing concerns over the playing surface. The game was relocated to
Widnes VikingsWidnes Vikings RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They play in the Co-Operative Championship, which is the second tier of European Rugby League...
home ground, the
Stobart StadiumThe Stobart Stadium Halton is a rugby league stadium in Widnes, England. The Widnes Vikings play their home games there as do Everton F.C.'s reserves.The stadium is all seater and has a total capacity of 13,350....
. In the same season, JJB Sports announced they would not continue to sponsor the Wigan Warriors, leaving them without a main shirt sponsor.
The stadium's average attendance has increased significantly since its opening in 1999. The Wigan Warriors' average attendance has increased by 32.5% from its first full season at the stadium in 2000, and Wigan Athletic's average attendance has increased by 181.2% from the 2000–01 season. The highest recorded attendance for a rugby league match is shared between three fixtures; the Wigan Warriors' fixture against St Helens RLFC on 25 March 2005; Game 4 of the 2005 Tri-Nations series between
Great BritainThe Great Britain national rugby league team is the national team of the United Kingdom in rugby league. The team is administered by the Rugby Football League , and is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"...
and Australia on 6 November; and Game 5 of the 2004 Tri-Nations series between Great Britain and Australia on 13 November at 25,004 each. The highest recorded football attendance at the stadium was Wigan Athletic's home fixture against
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
on 11 May 2008—the final day of the
2007–08 Premier League seasonThe 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...
—with 25,133 fans attending. This is the stadium's highest recorded overall attendance to date, and was the match where Manchester United were crowned Premier League champions for that season.
In March 2009, Dave Whelan acquired a chain of fitness clubs from
JJB SportsJJB Sports plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading sports retailers. Since early 2009 JJB has been in financial difficulties in talks with banks to secure its future.- History :...
. In the process, Whelan used the business to set up a new venture, DWSportsfitness and announced that the stadium name would change to the
DW Stadium in August. Whelan also announced that at the same time the stadium was renamed, its ownership would pass from himself to Wigan Athletic. Concerns about the future of the Wigan Warriors were arrested in the same announcement, as Whelan extended the lease on the stadium by 50 years for the rugby league team. Before Wigan Warriors' match against
Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or The Rhinos, are an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are the current European Super League champions. Leeds introduced the Rhinos nickname and logo in 1997...
in July 2009, both clubs were given the opportunity to rename one stand, with the intention of renaming them in honour to a recognised player from each club's history. The rugby league club were granted the East Stand, which they renamed 'The Boston Stand' in tribute to the Welsh winger
Billy BostonWilliam John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain rugby league player. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan RLFC Hall Of Fame...
. The lack of any internationally recognised players from Wigan Athletic's history meant that the West Stand was renamed 'The Springfield Stand', in reference to the club's former ground before moving in 1999.
Structure and facilities
Stand capacities
| Stand |
Capacity |
North Stand
Nameless |
5,418 |
East Stand
The Boston Stand |
8,238 |
South Stand
Nameless |
5,412 |
West Stand
The Springfield Stand |
6,100 |
| Total |
25,168 |
The stadium design is based on cantilevered, prefabricated steel roof and terrace structuring. It is an all-seater arena with a
seating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the physical space available, or in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that...
of 24,826. The stands are rectangular and both the northern and southern stands have supporting steel girders suspended from beneath the roof. The four stands are of approximately the same height, however the stadium is not totally enclosed, leaving four exposed corners.
At both Wigan Athletic and Wigan RLFC matches, away supporters are situated in the North Stand behind the goal. Occasionally, during games which attract low away support, the 5,418 capacity North Stand is closed altogether, and the away fans who attend are put into an alternative stand. The eastern stand, known as 'The Boston Stand', and the western 'Springfield Stand' run across the longer sides of the pitch. The Boston Stand is the largest, capable of seating up to 8,238 fans and holding an electronic scoreboard. The Springfield Stand contains the stadium's vital facilities; four dressing rooms, benches, a doping control room and a treatment room for the players, as well as four executive boxes, ten radio commentary points and a designated TV studio, in addition to holding 6,100 fans. The North Stand and South Stand have a seating capacity of 5,418 and 5,412 respectively. The stadium also has facilities and access for up to 278 fans with disabilities, with facilities for partially-sighted fans. The seats are a mixture of both resident teams' main colours—red and blue. The stadium is fully compliant with safety guidelines for a sports ground.
The pitch is large enough to conform with both
FIFAThe International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...
and the standard rugby league requirements, at . This leaves an in-goal area just deep for rugby matches. It is mostly made of natural grass, with 2% of the pitch composed of synthetics to provide stability. The ground has irrigation, and an under-heating system to resist icy weather.
Wigan Warriors
Wigan RLFCWigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The first team competes in Europe's engage Super League competition, playing its home matches at the DW Stadium, Wigan....
moved from
Central ParkCentral Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, one of the most famous stadiums in rugby league. It was the home of Wigan RLFC prior to their move to the JJB Stadium in 1999, and it was used mostly for rugby league matches...
to the stadium in 1999 after the end of
Super League IVJJB Sports Super League IV was the official name for the year 1999's Super League championship season, the 105th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the fourth championship run by Super League...
's regular season. Since moving to the new stadium, Wigan Warriors' success in
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
has dropped significantly. Despite being one of the most successful rugby league clubs in England, Wigan have not won a
Super League Grand FinalThe Super League Grand Final is the last game of the European Super League's domestic season. The game is played between two teams who have qualified via a play-off structure, the teams who compete in these play-offs having been decided by the league positions after the end of the regular season's...
since moving to the stadium, and have only won the
Challenge CupThe Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs in Europe, organised by the Rugby Football League...
once in that time.
| Year |
Attendance |
| Average |
Highest |
| 1999 [SL] |
13,374 |
13,374 (vs. Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas' 'Cas Tigers' or 'Classy Cas'...
) |
| 2000 [SL] |
11,329 |
19,186 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2001 [SL] |
11,803 |
21,073 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2002 [SL] |
10,480 |
18,789 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2003 [SL] |
11,217 |
21,790 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2004 [SL] |
13,333 |
20,052 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2005 [SL] |
13,894 |
25,004 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2006 [SL] |
14,464 |
18,358 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2007 [SL] |
16,040 |
24,028 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2008 [SL] |
13,955 |
19,958 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
| 2009 [SL] |
14,080 |
22,232 (vs. St Helens RLFC) |
SL = Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition of Europe. As a result of sponsorship from Engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the Engage Super League...
|
Attendances have generally risen for the Wigan Warriors since the start of the 2002 season, averaging around 15,000 over the three seasons from 2006 to 2008. Aside from Grand Finals, the largest Super League attendance was recorded at the stadium in 2005 when Wigan Warriors played their local rivals, St Helens RLFC.
This match is also the highest home attendance in the Wigan Warriors' history at the stadium. The twenty thousand mark has been broken ten times since moving to the new stadium in 1999—eight times against St Helens RLFC, once against local rivals
Warrington WolvesThe Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club in the town of Warrington, Cheshire in England. They compete in Super League, Europe's top-level rugby league competition. Their colours are primrose and blue, though white has often featured on the home shirt...
in the opening round of the 2008 Super League season, and once in July 2009 against the
Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or The Rhinos, are an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are the current European Super League champions. Leeds introduced the Rhinos nickname and logo in 1997...
following a campaign advertising the game as the 'Big One'.
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic's Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. They compete in the Premier League, in which they have been playing since their promotion from the Football League in 2005...
success has improved considerably since their move to the stadium from
Springfield ParkSpringfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F.C. until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium after the 1999 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000...
in 1999. Since 2000, Wigan Athletic have climbed up two divisions and currently play in the
FA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
.
| Year |
Attendance |
| Average |
Highest |
| 2000–01 [L2] |
6,861 |
10,048 (vs. Bristol City F.C.Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England, . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-western portion of the City. Gary Johnson has been the team's manager since 23 September 2005, succeeding Brian Tinnion...
) |
| 2001–02 [L2] |
5,771 |
7,783 (vs. Tranmere Rovers F.C.Tranmere Rovers Football Club is an English football club located in the Prenton area of Birkenhead. The nicknames of the club are The Rovers or Super Whites....
) |
| 2002–03 [L2] |
7,288 |
12,783 (vs. Oldham Athletic F.C.) |
| 2003–04 [L1] |
9,526 |
20,669 (vs. West Ham United F.C.West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London. They have played their home matches at the Boleyn Ground stadium since 1904....
) |
| 2004–05 [C] |
11,155 |
20,745 (vs. Sunderland F.C.) |
| 2005–06 [PL] |
20,610 |
25,023 (vs. Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
) |
| 2006–07 [PL] |
18,159 |
24,726 (vs. West Ham United F.C.) |
| 2007–08 [PL] |
19,046 |
25,113 (vs. Manchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
) |
| 2008–09 [PL] |
18,413 |
22,954 (vs. Arsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
) |
| PL = Premier League, C = Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League.The Football League Championship was introduced for the 2004–05 season,...
L1 = Football League First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
, L2 = Football League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992-93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
|
Rising success on the pitch has been met with increased attendances. Promotion into the Premier League meant that in their first season of English top-flight football, Wigan Athletic's average home attendance almost doubled from the season before. Over three times more fans attended matches at the stadium during Wigan's 2007–08 season in the Premier League than had attended in the 2001–02 season when Wigan Athletic were in the Football League Second Division. Wigan Athletic's average home attendance for 2007–08 was the lowest out of all 20 teams in the Premier League, failing to make the top 30 English clubs in terms of attendance. The same season saw the highest ever attendance at the stadium, when 25,133 people witnessed
Manchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
play on the final day of the season.
Wigan Athletic's average attendance was again the lowest in the league for the
Premier League 2008–09The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...
season. Premier League attendances fell on average by around 426 per club during the 2008–09 season. Wigan Athletic's home attendance fell by more than this, with their average attendance for the 2008–09 season falling by 633 from the season before. The highest attendance at the stadium for this season was a match between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal F.C., in which 22,954 people were counted. This attendance was 2,357 fans lower than the highest attendance in the season before.
Other events
The stadium's numerous lounges provide a venue for small musical acts to perform, and the stadium plays host to minor bands and tribute acts. They are also available to book for private parties. During match days, bands may provide pre-match entertainment on the pitch.
As well as the fixtures for the two domestic teams, the stadium is a venue for international rugby league. Since the stadium's construction in 1999, it has been an ever-present venue whenever the
Rugby League Tri-NationsThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
series has been played in England. Its first involvement came during the
2004 seriesThe second Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament was contested between 16 October and 27 November of 2004. The format of the competition differed from the previous event in that the teams played each other twice, rather than once, prior to the final....
, where the home
Great Britain and Ireland national teamThe Great Britain national rugby league team is the national team of the United Kingdom in rugby league. The team is administered by the Rugby Football League , and is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"...
defeated the
AustraliansThe Australia national rugby league team have represented Australia in rugby league football since the establishment of that sport in Australia in 1908. They are the most successful team in Rugby League World Cup history, winning 9 out of 13 tournaments contested, and failing to reach the final...
24–12, with
Terry NewtonTerry Newton is an English rugby league player for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. He previously played for Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos. His height is 178 cm and his weight 100 kg.Born in Wigan, Greater Manchester on 7 November, 1978...
and Andy Farrell both scoring in their home town of Wigan. The venue was again selected for the
2005 seriesThe majority of the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations was played in Great Britain and Australasia. The final was played between Australia and New Zealand at Elland Road on Saturday 26 November...
, and again the match was between Great Britain and Australia—this time the home team lost 6–20—with
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
born
Adrian MorleyAdrian Morley is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves of the European Super League....
scoring Great Britain's solitary try. Both matches were complete sell-outs, each having attendances above 25,000. The match in 2004 was the third highest attendance of the series, coming behind a match at the
City of Manchester StadiumThe City of Manchester Stadium, also known as COMS or Eastlands, is a stadium in Manchester, England. Originally designed as part of Manchester's failed bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games at a cost of £110 million...
between Great Britain and Australia, and the series final between the same two teams at
Elland RoadElland Road is an all-seater football stadium situated in the Beeston area of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Elland Road has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
.
In addition to the Tri-Nations, the stadium has also played host to visiting nations during their European tours. Australia played Great Britain in front of a sell-out crowd during the
2001 Kangaroo TourThe 2001 Kangaroo Tour was almost abandoned due to the events of September 11, 2001. The tour was initially cancelled by the ARL but after strong public opinion in both Great Britain and Australia, it went ahead, though the only games played were the three tests, marking the first Kangaroo Tour to...
, with the home side losing 8–28. Australia narrowly defeated Great Britain again in 2003 at the stadium, winning by a margin of four points during their
2003 European TourThe 2003 Kangaroo Tour was a six match tour of France, Wales and England. The last three matches were all Tests against Great Britain. To date, this has been the last Kangaroo Tour....
.
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. They are administered by the New Zealand Rugby League. The Kiwis are the current Rugby League world champions.The Kiwis won the...
have also played at the stadium during their tours. In 2002, a try scored in his home town by
Martin GleesonMartin Gleeson is an English professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Wigan Warriors of Super League. His brother, Mark Gleeson, is also a rugby league player who plays for Halifax RLFC....
helped Great Britain to defeat the 'Kiwis' 16–10. The visitors lost again during their 2007 tour, this time 28–22 in a closely fought game in which Wigan-born second-rower
Sean O'LoughlinSean O'Loughlin is an English rugby league player. He is a loose-forward and also the current captain of Wigan Warriors.He comes from a well connected rugby league family, His dad is the ex-Great Britain player Keiron O'Loughlin and his brother in law was the former Wigan captain Andy Farrell...
featured.
The stadium is yet to host a
Rugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league football competition contested by the men's national teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International Federation , the sport's global governing body....
fixture, even though the
event in 2000The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the tournament and was held during October and November in Great Britain, Ireland and France. Building on the previous successful competition, it was decided to expand the format further, with the number of teams rising from 10 to 16...
was hosted by other English venues including
Barrow RaidersBarrow Raiders are a British professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness.Barrow's colours are blue and white.-Early years:Barrow F.C. were formed in 1875. It is thought that Tom H. Baynes, a shipping clerk, was the driving force behind the club's foundation. As well as being a player, he...
'
New Craven ParkCraven Park is a rugby league stadium in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is the home of Barrow Raiders rugby league team.Craven Park was built in 1931, largely as a result of the efforts of supporters of Barrow RLFC, 500 of whom volunteered to construct the ground...
, St Helens RLFC's
Knowsley RoadKnowsley Road, renamed The GPW Recruitment Stadium after a sponsorship deal on May 6th 2008, has been the home of St Helens RLFC since 1890. St Helens Town FC have played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road since 2002...
and
Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or The Rhinos, are an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are the current European Super League champions. Leeds introduced the Rhinos nickname and logo in 1997...
'
Headingley StadiumHeadingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. The stadium has hosted the
World Club ChallengeThe World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
once, in
2000Subscript textThe 2000 World Club Challenge was contested by 1999 NRL premiers, the Melbourne Storm and 1999 Super League premiers, St Helens. The match was played on 22 January at JJB Stadium, Wigan before a crowd of 13,394...
, between St Helens RLFC and the
Melbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Melbourne, Victoria. They have competed in every season of the National Rugby League Premiership since its inception in 1998 and are the first fully-professional rugby league team based in the...
.
Surroundings
The stadium's surroundings are mostly urban, as it is located in the north of Wigan's Robin Park retail complex in the western suburb of Newtown, on the south bank of the
Leeds and Liverpool CanalThe Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
, west of the Miry Lane industrial estate. The stadium's car parks are situated around the canal, and can hold up to 2,500 cars.
Next to the stadium's South Stand lies the Robin Park Arena, which is operated by Wigan Sports Development Unit and is capable of seating 1,000 spectators. The arena is mainly used for athletics, as well as functions for:
North West Counties Football LeagueThe North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2008, the league covers the whole of the North West England region, and part of the West Midlands region, from Stoke-on-Trent, the Peak District in Northern Derbyshire up to the Lake District...
side Wigan Robin Park, and Wigan Athletic Reserves. The arena was formerly used by the Wigan Warriors' junior academy, before they moved to
Edge Hall RoadThe Co-operative Community Stadium is the home ground of the Wigan Warriors Senior Academy and Junior Academy teams and the former home ground of Orrell R.U.F.C.. The ground is located in the Orrell district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester...
to join the reserve side. Robin Park Sports Centre is situated directly opposite the Stadium and Arena.
The main road serving the complex is the A49, running west-bound south of the stadium. Both of Wigan's train stations,
Wigan WallgateWigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The station is on the Manchester-Southport Line and is 29 km north west of Manchester Victoria...
and
Wigan North WesternWigan North Western railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.It is a moderately-sized station on the West Coast Main Line. It is operated by Virgin Trains, and is also served by Northern Rail...
lie east of the stadium.
See also
External links