Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England, which was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000. The site is now a Tesco supermarket and car park.

History On 6 September 1902, Wigan played at Central Park for the first time in the opening match of the newly formed First Division. An estimated crowd of 9,000 spectators saw Wigan beat Batley 14–8.

The first rugby league international was played between England and Other Nationalities at Central Park on 5 April 1904, Other Nationalities won 9–3 in the experimental -less 12-a-side game, with Wigan players David "Dai" Harris, and Eli Davies in the Other Nationalities team.

The visit of St. Helens on 27 March 1959 produced Central Park's record attendance of 47,747, and set a record for a rugby league regular season league game in Britain. Wigan won the game 19–14, holding off a Saints comeback after having led 14–0.

Floodlights were installed on 120 ft high pylons in summer 1967 so that the club could play in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy.

On 7 October 1987, Central Park was the first English venue used for the World Club Challenge (WCC) between the English champions and the Winfield Cup premiers from Australia. The 1987 World Club Challenge between Wigan and Manly-Warringah saw the home side run out 8–2 winners in a try-less game in front of 36,895, though many who were there believe the attendance was closer to 50,000 (speculation) on the night, far exceeding the 36,000 capacity of the ground at the time. The game was marred by several all-in brawls, while Manly captain Paul Vautin was almost pushed over the fence and into the crowd by a group of Wigan players who had tackled him into touch, the incident sparking another all-in. Second-rower Ron Gibbs became the first player to be sent off in a WCC after hitting Wigan centre Joe Lydon with an elbow to the head after Lydon attempted a field goal, while later in the game Manly fullback Dale Shearer appeared to step on Lydon's head while getting up from a tackle.

Nevertheless, the success of the match and its high attendance saw the World Club Challenge made into an annual event between the English and Australian champions starting in 1989.

A week after the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final (WCF) at Wembley Stadium which saw defeat 10–6, Central Park hosted the 1992 World Club Challenge between Wigan and the Brisbane Broncos. With twelve players who played in the WCF playing the challenge (5 from Wigan, 7 from Brisbane), the Broncos became the first Australian side to win the challenge in England with a 22–8 victory in front of 17,764 fans. Wigan would get their revenge just two years later when they defeated the Broncos 20–14 in the 1994 World Club Challenge played in front of a WCC record attendance of 54,220 at the ANZ Stadium in Brisbane. Several thousand fans travelled to Brisbane to support the team, and the win saw Wigan become the first English team to win the Challenge on Australian soil.

In January 1997 the club's shareholders approved a deal in which the stadium would be sold to Wigan Athletic's owner Dave Whelan and be redeveloped to provide a new home for both the football and rugby teams. Two months later however, the Warriors' chairman Jack Robinson accepted a rival bid from Tesco, pointing out that the supermarket's offer was three times bigger than Whelan's.

The final game at Central Park was on Sunday 5 September 1999. Wigan beat St Helens by 28 points to 20, 96 years and 364 days after the first game against Batley was played. The Central Park site later became a Tesco supermarket and car park.

Rugby League Test Matches List of rugby league test matches played at Central Park. Test# Date Result Attendance Notes1 5 April 1904 Other Nationalities def. 9–3 6,000 2 1 January 1906 drew with Other Nationalities 3–3 8,000 3 7 February 1923 def. 13–2 12,000 4 30 September 1925 def. 18–14 12,000 5 2 October 1926 England def. 28–20 14,500 1926–27 England vs New Zealand series6 11 January 1928 def. 20–12 12,000 7 27 February 1943 def. 15–9 17,000 8 26 February 1944 drew with 9–9 16,028 9 10 March 1945 def. 23–8 23,500 10 20 September 1947 def. 10–8 27,000 1947–48 European Rugby League Championship11 22 September 1948 def. 11–5 12,638 1948–49 European Rugby League Championship12 1 March 1950 def. 11–6 27,500 1949–50 European Rugby League Championship13 11 April 1951 Other Nationalities def. 25–10 17,000 1950–51 European Rugby League Championship14 23 April 1952 def. Other Nationalities 31–18 20,000 1951–52 European Rugby League Championship15 17 September 1952 def. 19–8 13,503 1952–53 European Rugby League Championship16 28 November 1953 def. Other Nationalities 30–22 19,000 1953–54 European Rugby League Championship17 12 September 1955 def. Other Nationalities 33–16 18,234 1955–56 European Rugby League Championship18 17 November 1956 def. 21–10 22,473 1956 Kangaroo tour19 23 November 1957 def. 44–15 19,152 20 12 December 1959 def. 18–12 26,089 1959 Kangaroo tour21 24 September 1960 def. 13–12 20,278 1960 Rugby League World Cup22 8 October 1960 def. 9–0 2,87623 17 February 1962 def. 20–15 17,277 24 3 April 1963 def. 42–4 19,487 25 6 November 1965 drew with 9–9 7,919 1965 Great Britain vs New Zealand series26 5 March 1966 def. 8–4 14,004 27 4 March 1967 def. 23–13 7,448 28 25 October 1969 drew with 11–11 4,568 1969–70 European Rugby League Championship29 21 October 1970 def. 47–11 9,805 1970 Rugby League World Cup30 17 February 1974 def. 29–0 9,108 31 1 November 1975 def. 16–13 9,393 1975 Rugby League World Cup32 21 October 1978 def. 15–9 17,644 1978 Kangaroo tour33 18 October 1980 drew with 14–14 7,031 1980 Great Britain vs New Zealand series34 20 November 1982 def. 27–6 23,126 1982 Kangaroo tour35 2 November 1985 def. 25–8 15,506 1985 Great Britain vs New Zealand series36 1 March 1986 def. 24–10 8,112 37 22 November 1986 def. 24–15 20,169 1986 Kangaroo tour 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup38 24 October 1987 def. 42–0 9,121 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup39 21 January 1989 def. 26–10 8,266 40 11 November 1989 def. 10–6 20,346 1989 Great Britain vs New Zealand series 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup41 9 November 1991 def. 56–4 4,193 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup42 30 October 1993 def. 29–12 16,502 1993 Great Britain vs New Zealand series43 11 October 1995 def. 46–0 26,263 1995 Rugby League World Cup (Group A)

Rugby League Tour Matches Other than Wigan club games and test matches, Central Park was also a regular host to various international touring teams from 1907 to 1994.

game Date Result Attendance Notes1 9 November 1907 Wigan def. New Zealand 12–8 30,000 1907–08 All Golds tour2 11 January 1908 England XIII def. New Zealand 18–16 12,0003 25 November 1908 def. Lancashire 20–6 4,000 1908–09 Kangaroo tour4 9 January 1909 Wigan def. 10–7 4,0005 20 January 1909 Wigan def. 16–8 9,1006 28 October 1911 Wigan def. Australasia 7–2 25,000 1911–12 Kangaroo tour7 31 January 1912 Australasia def. Northern Union XIII 20–12 2,0008 15 October 1921 Australasia def. Wigan 14–6 24,308 1921–22 Kangaroo tour9 3 December 1929 Northern Union XIII def. 18–5 9,987 1929–30 Kangaroo tour10 28 December 1929 def. Wigan 10–9 8,00011 23 September 1933 def. Wigan 10–4 15,712 1933–34 Kangaroo tour12 6 March 1934 Wigan def. France 30–27 8,000 1934 French rugby league tour13 3 November 1937 def. Wigan 25–23 9,800 1937–38 Kangaroo tour14 22 October 1947 New Zealand def. Wigan 8–10 22,000 1947–48 New Zealand Kiwis tour15 20 October 1948 Wigan def. 16–11 28,554 1948–49 Kangaroo tour16 8 December 1948 Lancashire def. 13–8 11,78817 26 August 1950 Wigan def. Italy 49–28 14,000 1950 Italian rugby league tour18 2 November 1951 New Zealand def. Wigan 15–8 13,538 1951–1952 New Zealand Kiwis tour19 24 September 1952 def. Wigan 23–13 16,223 1952–53 Kangaroo tour20 24 September 1955 Wigan def. New Zealand 17–15 19,386 1955–56 New Zealand Kiwis tour21 8 December 1956 def. Wigan 32–4 15,854 1956–57 Kangaroo tour22 14 November 1959 Wigan def. 16–9 24,466 1959–60 Kangaroo tour23 7 October 1961 Wigan def. New Zealand 28–6 25,483 1961 New Zealand Kiwis tour24 25 September 1963 Lancashire def. 13–11 15,068 1963–64 Kangaroo tour25 18 November 1963 Australia def. Wigan 32–4 11,74626 4 September 1965 New Zealand def. Wigan 17–12 12,853 1965 New Zealand Kiwis tour27 13 October 1967 Wigan def. 12–6 22,770 1967–68 Kangaroo tour28 10 October 1971 New Zealand def. Wigan 24–10 11,987 1971 New Zealand Kiwis tour29 17 November 1972 Wigan drew with 18–18 6,000 1972 Australian Rugby League World Cup tour30 18 November 1978 def. Wigan 28–2 10,645 1978 Kangaroo tour31 13 October 1982 def. Wigan 13–9 12,158 1982 Kangaroo tour32 23 October 1983 Queensland def. Wigan 40–2 9,749 1983 Queensland Maroons tour33 6 October 1985 Wigan def. New Zealand 14–8 15,506 1985 New Zealand Kiwis tour34 12 October 1986 def. Wigan 26–18 30,622 1986 Kangaroo tour35 8 October 1989 Wigan def. New Zealand 24–14 15,083 1989 New Zealand Kiwis tour36 14 October 1990 def. Wigan 34–6 24,814 1990 Kangaroo tour37 10 October 1993 New Zealand def. Wigan 25–18 13,669 1993 New Zealand Kiwis tour38 8 October 1994 def. Wigan 30–20 20,057 1994 Kangaroo tour

World Club Challenge/Championship Central Park hosted five World Club Challenge games between 1987 and 1997.

Game Date Result Attendance Year1 7 October 1987 Wigan def. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8–2 36,895 1987 World Club Challenge2 30 October 1992 Brisbane Broncos def. Wigan 22–8 17,764 1992 World Club Challenge3 20 July 1997 Brisbane Broncos def. Wigan Warriors 30–4 12,816 1997 World Club Championship4 28 July 1997 Wigan Warriors def. Canterbury Bulldogs 31–24 10,2805 3 August 1997 Canberra Raiders def. Wigan Warriors 50–10 12,504

See also English rugby league stadia by capacity

References

External links Wigan Warriors Official Central Park History Page @ Cherry & White.co.uk