WIGAN SOCCER, RUGBY, TROTTING, CYCLING, ATHLETICS

12th December 1953 Perhaps surprisingly for a club that has played in the Premier League, Wigan Athletic’s highest home attendance was recorded in their pre-League days. On this day in 1953, the all non-league FA Cup 2nd Round match between Wigan and Hereford United, at Wigan’s former Springfield Park(Road) home, attracted a crowd of 27,526. Wigan won 4-1, to earn a 3rd Round tie at Newcastle. (which Wigan lost at home 2-3 (9/1/54) having drawn away 2-2 (13/1/54).

FA Cup Second  Round

Sat	Dec	12		Accrington Stanley		2	-	2		Tranmere Rovers
Wed	Dec	16			Tranmere Rovers	5	-	1			Accrington Stanley
Sat	Dec	12		Barrow		5	-	2		Great Yarmouth Town*
Sat	Dec	12		Cambridge United*		1	-	2		Bradford Park Avenue
Sat	Dec	12		Hastings United*		4	-	1		Swindon Town
Sat	Dec	12		Ipswich Town		2	-	2		Walthamstow Avenue*
Wed	Dec	16			Walthamstow Avenue*	0	-	1			Ipswich Town
Sat	Dec	12		Leyton Orient		4	-	0		Weymouth*
Sat	Dec	12		Millwall		3	-	3		Headington United*
Thu	Dec	17			Headington United*	1	-	0			Millwall
Sat	Dec	12		Northampton Town		1	-	1		Hartlepools United
Wed	Dec	16			Hartlepools United	1	-	0			Northampton Town
Sat	Dec	12		Norwich City		2	-	1		Barnsley
Sat	Dec	12		Peterborough United*		2	-	1		Aldershot
Sat	Dec	12		Queens Park Rangers		1	-	1		Nuneaton Borough*
Thu	Dec	17			Nuneaton Borough*	1	-	2			Queens Park Rangers
Sat	Dec	12		Rhyl*		0	-	3		Bristol City
Sat	Dec	12		Scunthorpe United		1	-	0		Bournemouth
Sat	Dec	12		Southend United		1	-	2		Chesterfield
Sat	Dec	12		Southport		1	-	1		Port Vale
Mon	Dec	14			Port Vale	2	-	0			Southport
Sat	Dec	12		Stockport County		2	-	1		Workington
Sat	Dec	12		Walsall		3	-	0		Crewe Alexandra
Sat	Dec	12		Wigan Athletic*		4	-	1		Hereford United*
Sat	Dec	12		Witton Albion*		1	-	1		Grimsby Town
Tue	Dec	15			Grimsby Town	6	-	1			Witton Albion*
Sat	Dec	12		Wrexham		1	-	1		Brighton & Hove Albion
Wed	Dec	16			Brighton & Hove Albion	1	-	1			Wrexham
Mon	Dec	21			Wrexham	3	-	1			Brighton & Hove Albion
					(the match was played at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace FC)

However, their best attendance at their current DW Stadium is 25,138, in a Premier League match against Manchester United in May 2008. You might look down the list below, to see how many present Football League clubs were not in the League then and vice versa? The club was founded in 1932 and in 2021-22 the club was promoted to the Championship, having topped League One.

Springfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium, the original home ground of Wigan Athletic, until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium (now DW Stadium) after the 1998–99 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000. In its 102-year existence the ground only saw 32 years as a Football League venue, 11 years for Wigan Borough FC and 21 years for Wigan Athletic FC, before it was demolished to make way for a housing estate in 1999.

The stadium had previously been home to four Wigan clubs, as well as two rugby league clubs. as well as Wigan and Springfield Borough rugby league sides. It was also used for horse trotting, a track cycling velodrome, for wrestling and athletics.

Springfield Park was designed by architect Richardson Thomas Johnson and built in 1897 at a cost of £16,000. It was owned by The Wigan Trotting and Athletic Grounds Company Ltd. The first professional football match at the stadium took place in September 1897 when Wigan County FC played Burton Swifts in a friendly match. 

In August 2019, the club announced that a giant pie, called Crusty, would serve as the team's new mascot for the 2019–2020 season. Crusty The Pie was chosen following a competition in which more than 90 primary schools were invited to submit ideas, with over half of the entries opting for a pie. Those kids know their onions.

“Crusty the Pie' is the Club Mascot and the purpose of Crusty is to engage proactively with supporters, whilst making people smile with positive energy and passion. Not a lot at "stake" then.