During the 1999–2000 English football season, Wigan Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

Season summary On 1 June 1999, John Benson was appointed as Wigan's manager. As Wigan settled into their new home at the JJB Stadium, Benson's side went 26 league games undefeated, before losing at home to Oldham Athletic on 7 January 2000, Benson picking up 2 Manager of the Month awards in the process. Towards the end of the season Wigan lost their form and found themselves in the play-off final at Wembley against Gillingham. A few days prior to the game, Benson had announced he was stepping down but remained to lead his team out at Wembley and ultimately a 3–2 defeat after being 2–1 up with only 7 minutes of extra time remaining.

Transfers In No.PlayerPositionFromFeeDateNotes 8 Kevin Nicholls MF Charlton Athletic £600,000 22 June 1999 21 Brian McLaughlin MF Dundee United Free 24 June 1999 6 Arjan De Zeeuw DF Barnsley Free 3 July 1999 22 Darren Sheridan MF Barnsley Free 3 July 1999 13 Derek Stillie GK Aberdeen Free 30 July 1999 25 Mark Bowen DF Charlton Athletic Free 15 August 1999 29 Jeff Peron MF Portsmouth Free 30 November 1999 34 Alan McLoughlin MF Portsmouth £250,000 30 November 1999 12 Neil Roberts FW Wrexham £400,000 18 February 2000 32 Neil Redfearn MF Bradford City £112,500 18 March 2000

Out No.PlayerPositionToFeeDateNotes 12 Graeme Jones FW St Johnstone £100,000 19 November 1999 25 Mark Bowen DF Reading Free 7 December 1999 30 Scott Willis MF Mansfield Town Free 25 March 2000 26 Colin Greenall DF Retired 30 June 2000

Final league table

Results Wigan Athletic's score comes firstSoccerbase: 1999-2000 Wigan Athletic results

Legend WinDrawLoss

Pre-season DateOpponentVenueResultScorersNotes 17 July 1999 St JohnstoneN1–1 (won 5–3 on pens) 18 July 1999 LivingstonA1–4 21 July 1999 Dunfermline AthleticA1–2 24 July 1999 Chester CityA1–1 29 July 1999 Macclesfield TownA2–1 1 August 1999 MorecambeH0–0 4 August 1999 Manchester UnitedH0–2

Football League Second Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersNotes 7 August 1999 Scunthorpe UnitedH3–07,481Haworth (2), Barlow (pen) 14 August 1999 MillwallA3–38,165Liddell, Balmer, Barlow 21 August 1999 Bristol CityH2–17,103Barlow, Haworth 28 August 1999 Preston North EndA4–113,885Barlow (3, 1 pen), Haworth 30 August 1999 Cambridge UnitedH1–15,976McGibbon 11 September 1999 Bristol RoversH3–16,927Sheridan, Barlow, Haworth 18 September 1999 Stoke CityA1–111,195Mohan (own goal) 25 September 1999 Cardiff CityA0–07,679 2 October 1999 Luton TownH1–06,866Barlow 16 October 1999 ReadingA2–07,708Barlow, Bradshaw (pen) 19 October 1999 WrexhamA1–13,392Martínez 23 October 1999 Cardiff CityH2–05,728Martínez, Kilford 26 October 1999 Colchester UnitedA2–22,915Barlow, Liddell 2 November 1999 ChesterfieldH3–04,376Liddell, Barlow (2, 1 pen) 6 November 1999 BlackpoolA2–24,535Jones, Barlow 12 November 1999 Wycombe WanderersH2–15,523Barlow, Balmer 16 November 1999 BournemouthH3–14,338Green, de Zeeuw, Barlow 23 November 1999 BuryA2–24,086Barlow, Haworth 27 November 1999 BurnleyH1–111,986 (6,546 away)Haworth 4 December 1999 Scunthorpe UnitedA2–13,463Liddell, Martínez 18 December 1999 BrentfordH1–05,498de Zeeuw 26 December 1999 Notts CountyA2–08,176O'Neill, Liddell 28 December 1999 GillinghamH2–08,054McLoughlin, Sheridan 3 January 2000 Oxford UnitedA2–15,915Haworth (2) 7 January 2000 Oldham AthleticH0–16,487 15 January 2000 MillwallH1–16,304O'Neill 22 January 2000 Bristol CityA0–010,758 5 February 2000 Cambridge UnitedA1–13,755Barlow 12 February 2000 Colchester UnitedH0–16,022 19 February 2000 BurnleyA0–020,435 26 February 2000 Stoke CityH1–29,429Green 4 March 2000 Bristol RoversA1–111,109Liddell 7 March 2000 BlackpoolH5–16,451Liddell, Griffiths, Haworth, Barlow, Sheridan 11 March 2000 ChesterfieldA1–13,106Cooke 18 March 2000 BuryH1–06,567Liddell 21 March 2000 Wycombe WanderersA2–03,821de Zeeuw, Haworth 25 March 2000 Notts CountyH2–06,094Redfearn (2, 1 pen) 1 April 2000 BrentfordA2–04,479Redfearn (pen), Powell (own goal) 4 April 2000 Preston North EndH0–115,993 8 April 2000 Oxford UnitedH2–04,848Haworth (2) 11 April 2000 Oldham AthleticA1–25,697Redfearn (pen) 15 April 2000 GillinghamA1–27,746Pennock (own goal) 22 April 2000 ReadingH1–05,855Redfearn (pen) 24 April 2000 Luton TownA1–15,010Redfearn (pen) 29 April 2000 WrexhamH0–17,245 6 May 2000 BournemouthA2–26,512McGibbon, Roberts

Second Division play-offs

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersNotesSemi-final (1st leg)13 May 2000 MillwallA0–014,091Semi-final (2nd leg)17 May 2000 MillwallH1–010,642SheridanFinal28 May 2000 GillinghamN2–3 (a.e.t.)53,764Haworth, Barlow (pen)

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersFirst30 October 1999 Cambridge CityA2–04,024 (337 away)Barlow (2)Second20 November 1999 Wycombe WanderersA2–22,992 (294 away)Haworth (2)Second (replay)30 November 1999 Wycombe WanderersH2–13,967Liddell, HaworthThird11 December 1999 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–110,531

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersFirst (1st leg)10 August 1999 York CityA1–01,921 (1,063 away)HaworthFirst (2nd leg)24 August 1999 York CityH2–1 (won 3–1 on agg)3,396Barlow (2, 1 pen)Second (1st leg)14 September 1999 WatfordA0–26,628 (598 away)Second (2nd leg)21 September 1999 WatfordH3–1 (lost on away goals)5,006Haworth (2), Bradshaw (pen)

Football League Trophy

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersFirst (Northern)7 December 1999 BurnleyH2–1 (a.e.t.)2,085Bradshaw (pen), MorrisSecond (Northern)25 January 2000 Carlisle UnitedA1–21,321 (320 away)Martínez

Squad

Left club during season

References