The 2005–06 Wigan Athletic season was the club's 28th season in the Football League and their first ever season in the top division of English football, following their promotion from the Championship the season before.
Despite starting the season as one of the favourites for relegation, Wigan managed to exceed expectations with a nine-match unbeaten run early in the season, occupying second place behind runaway leaders Chelsea at one stage. The club eventually finished the season in tenth place.
Wigan also reached the final of the League Cup, the club's first ever appearance in a major cup final. They lost the match 4–0 to Manchester United.
Background
Prior to the club's promotion to the Premier League, Wigan were a team that had spent 25 years in the third and fourth tier of English football since the club's election into the Football League in 1978. In 1995, when the club was playing football in Division Three and struggling due to financial difficulties and declining attendances, Wigan was taken over by local businessman Dave Whelan, who ambitiously proclaimed that Wigan would be playing Premier League football within ten years. He also built a new stadium for the club, the JJB Stadium, which was opened in 1999 and replaced the dilapidated Springfield Park ground which had been inherited from the town's previous league club, Wigan Borough, on its formation in 1932.
With the help of Whelan's financial backing, the club rapidly rose through the divisions, gaining promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in 2003, and culminating with their promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the 2004–05 Championship season. Despite this success, the club was predicted by many to be relegated straight back down to the Championship, including The Times, who suggested Wigan "will need a miracle if they are to survive".
Pre-season On 7 July, Greater Manchester Police issued the club with a court summons over an unpaid bill of approximately £270,000 for policing the club's football matches. The police had also threatened to withdraw their services if the club failed to settle the debt before 1 August. Chairman Dave Whelan later agreed to pay the bill to prevent the cancellation of fixtures in the club's first Premier League season, but would continue to resolve the matter in court.
The squad began their pre-season preparations with a training camp in Denmark. They played two friendlies against local opposition behind closed doors, and won both games 5–0. Midfielder Jimmy Bullard also agreed a new three-year contract with the club, ending speculation that he would leave before the end of the transfer window.
Date Opponent Result Venue Scorers Attendance Match Report 19 July 2005 Elite 3000 Helsingør 0–5 Away Mahon 45', Thome 47', Teale 57', Bullard 70', Teale 82' 330 Report 21 July 2005 Herlev IF 0–5 Away ? 621 27 July 2005 Preston North End 1–1 Away McCulloch 9' 3,124 30 July 2005 Macclesfield Town 0–4 Away Johansson 39', Bullard 57', Teale 81', Mahon 87' 1,024 2 August 2005 Morecambe 0–1 Away Ellington 77' 1,262 3 August 2005 Accrington Stanley 1–1 Away McCulloch 74' 983 6 August 2005 Boavista 1–0 Home Ellington 21' (pen) 5,837
Premier League
August Wigan's opening league game was at home against reigning Premier League champions Chelsea. The home side played well and despite missing opportunities to score themselves, it looked as though they would manage an impressive draw, but were denied by a spectacular injury time winner from Hernán Crespo. After losing 1–0 to Charlton Athletic on 20 August, Wigan's next game was a crucial home match against relegation rivals Sunderland. Wigan won the match 1–0, their first ever Premier League win, with Jason Roberts scoring the goal – a penalty which had been awarded within the first 15 seconds of the game.
September On 10 September, Wigan came from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2–1, claiming their first Premier League win away from home, and scoring their first Premier League goals from open play. Following a draw in the next game against Middlesbrough, Wigan played their first cup game of the season against AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup, winning the match 1–0. On 24 September, Wigan extended their unbeaten run with a 1–0 away against Everton. As a result of the club's impressive form, manager Paul Jewell received the September Manager of the Month award.
Date Opponent Result Venue Scorers Attendance Match Report 14 August 2005 Chelsea 0–1 Home 23,575 Report 20 August 2005 Charlton Athletic 1–0 Away 23,453 Report 27 August 2005 Sunderland 1–0 Home Roberts 2' (pen) 17,223 Report 10 September 2005 West Bromwich Albion 1–2 Away Connolly 40', Bullard 90+2' 25,617 Report 18 September 2005 Middlesbrough 1–1 Home Camara 68' 16,641 Report 24 September 2005 Everton 0–1 Away Francis 47' 37,189 Report 2 October 2005 Bolton Wanderers 2–1 Home Camara 48', McCulloch 63' 20,553 Report 15 October 2005 Newcastle United 1–0 Home Roberts 40' 22,374 Report 22 October 2005 Aston Villa 0–2 Away Hughes 32' (og), Mahon 82' 32,294 Report 29 October 2005 Fulham 1–0 Home Chimbonda 90+2' 17,266 Report 5 November 2005 Portsmouth 0–2 Away Chimbonda 48', Roberts 79' 19,102 Report 19 November 2005 Arsenal 2–3 Home Camara 28', Bullard 45' 25,004 Report 26 November 2005 Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Home McCulloch 88' 22,611 Report 3 December 2005 Liverpool 3–0 Away 44,098 Report 10 December 2005 Chelsea 1–0 Away 42,060 Report 14 December 2005 Manchester United 4–0 Away 67,793 Report 17 December 2005 Charlton Athletic 3–0 Home Camara 9', 51', 63' 17,074 Report 26 December 2005 Manchester City 4–3 Home Roberts 11', 45', McCulloch 23', Camara 71' 25,017 Report 28 December 2005 West Ham United 0–2 Away Roberts 43', Camara 45' 34,131 Report 31 December 2005 Blackburn Rovers 0–3 Home 20,639 Report 2 January 2006 Birmingham City 2–0 Away 29,189 Report 15 January 2006 West Bromwich Albion 0–1 Home 17,421 Report 21 January 2006 Middlesbrough 2–3 Away Roberts 2', Thompson 29', Mellor 90+3' 27,208 Report 31 January 2006 Everton 1–1 Home Scharner 45' 21,731 Report 4 February 2006 Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Away Johansson 77' 25,854 Report 11 February 2006 Liverpool 0–1 Home 25,023 Report 19 February 2006 Tottenham Hotspur 2–2 Away Johansson 10', 67' 35,676 Report 6 March 2006 Manchester United 1–2 Home Scharner 60' 23,574 Report 11 March 2006 Sunderland 0–1 Away Camara 8' 31,194 Report 18 March 2006 Manchester City 0–1 Away McCulloch 55' 42,444 Report 25 March 2006 West Ham United 1–2 Home McCulloch 45+1' 18,736 Report 3 April 2006 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 Away Roberts 53' 20,410 Report 8 April 2006 Birmingham City 1–1 Home Johansson 49' 18,669 Report 15 April 2006 Newcastle United 3–1 Away Bullard 5' 52,302 Report 18 April 2006 Aston Villa 3–2 Home Bullard 25', Camara 56', 60' 17,330 Report 24 April 2006 Fulham 1–0 Away 17,149 Report 29 April 2006 Portsmouth 1–2 Home Camara 34' 21,126 Report 7 May 2006 Arsenal 4–2 Away Scharner 10', Thompson 33' 38,359 Report
FA Cup Date Round Opponent Result Venue Scorers Attendance Match Report 7 January 2006 Third round Leeds United 1–1 Home Connolly 47' 10,980 [ Report] 17 January 2006 Third round (replay) Leeds United 3–3 (aet) Away Johansson 24', Roberts 50', 103' 15,243 [ Report](Wigan Athletic win 4–2 on penalties) 28 January 2006 Fourth round Manchester City 1–0 Away 30,811 [ Report]
League Cup
Wigan entered the League Cup in the second round and were drawn against AFC Bournemouth. Manager Paul Jewell made 11 changes to the side, with several players making their debuts. Bournemouth, suffering from an injury crisis, could only name four substitutes, but held Wigan until Jason Roberts broke the deadlock four minutes from time to send his team into the next round. Wigan played Watford in the third round, and the game was taken to extra time with neither side able to score after 90 minutes. Ryan Taylor scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in the 98th minute before Andreas Johansson sealed the victory with two goals late in the second half of extra time. In the fourth round, Wigan were drawn at home against Newcastle United, but despite being drawn against stronger opposition, Jewell reiterated that he would continue to use his fringe players in the cup, as Premier League survival was still the main priority for the club. Wigan beat their opponents 1–0 through a penalty from David Connolly late in the game, with Newcastle manager Graeme Souness conceding that Wigan were "totally dominant". The club then met local rivals Bolton Wanderers in the quarter-final, where Roberts' two goals late in the first half were enough to take Wigan to their first ever major cup semi-final.
Wigan's next opponents were Arsenal, with the first match of the two-legged tie to be played at the JJB Stadium. Wigan won the match 1–0 against a weakened Arsenal side, with debutant Paul Scharner scoring the goal. The attendance of 12,181, the lowest figure for a League Cup semi-final for almost ten years, was criticised by several media outlets, but club officials argued that the poor attendance was caused by a busy fixture list – the match was Wigan's fifth home game in the space of three weeks. Arsenal fielded their "strongest available line-up" for the return leg at Highbury, but struggled to beat Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, who made "a string of outstanding saves", including a first-half penalty against José Antonio Reyes. Arsenal made their first breakthrough around the halfway point of the second half, with Thierry Henry scoring the goal to tie the game on aggregate. The game went into extra time, and Arsenal took a 2–1 aggregate lead through a Robin van Persie free kick, before Wigan's Jason Roberts scored in the final two minutes to clinch a place in the cup final on the away goal rule.
The final was played at the Millennium Stadium against Manchester United, with Wigan going into the final as "huge underdogs". Mike Pollitt, a former youth player at Manchester United, picked up an injury early in the first half and was replaced by John Filan. Although Manchester United finished the game as comfortable 4–0 winners, Paul Jewell was "proud" of his players and felt the team "didn't get the breaks" they needed to beat their opponents.
Date Round Opponent Result Venue Scorers Attendance Match Report 20 September 2005 Second round AFC Bournemouth 1–0 Home Roberts 86' 3,346 Report 25 October 2005 Third round Watford 3–0 (aet) Home Taylor 98' (pen), Johansson 117', 120+1' 4,531 Report 30 November 2005 Fourth round Newcastle United 1–0 Home Connolly 88' (pen) 11,574 Report 20 December 2005 Quarter-final Bolton Wanderers 2–0 Home Roberts 40', 45+3' 13,401 Report 10 January 2006 Semi-final (1st leg) Arsenal 1–0 Home Scharner 78' 12,181 Report 24 January 2006 Semi-final (2nd leg) Arsenal 2–1 (aet) Away Roberts 119' 34,692 Report(2–2 on aggregate – Wigan Athletic go through on away goals.) 26 February 2006 Final Manchester United 0–4 Neutral 66,866 Report
Squad statistics FootballSquads – Wigan Athletic – 2005–06