Wigan Athletic

The team currently participates in the EFL League One, the third tier of English football. Established in 1932, Wigan Athletic has called the 25,138-seat DW Stadium home since 1999, having previously played at Springfield Park. The team's traditional colors are blue and white stripes, although they have also sported all-blue kits throughout their history. Bolton Wanderers is considered their main rival in local derbies. Initially part of the Cheshire County League, Wigan Athletic won three league titles in their first nine seasons before moving to the Lancashire Combination in 1947. During their 14-year tenure in the Lancashire Combination, the club secured four league titles. Returning briefly to the Cheshire County League from 1961 to 1968, they added another league title in the 1964-65 season. Joining the Northern Premier League in 1968, Wigan Athletic clinched two league titles and reached the FA Trophy final in 1973. In 1978, Wigan Athletic was elected to the Football League and progressed out of the Fourth Division in the 1981-82 season. Notable achievements include winning the Associate Members' Cup in 1985, the Third Division title in 1996-97, the Football League Trophy in 1999, and the Second Division title in 2002-03, leading to promotion from the Championship in 2004-05. While reaching the League Cup final in 2006 and claiming victory in the FA Cup in 2013 - defeating Manchester City in the final - Wigan Athletic faced relegation later that same year, marking the end of an eight-season stint in the Premier League. Despite this setback, their FA Cup triumph earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League group stages the following season. After being relegated from the Championship in 2015, Wigan Athletic secured the League One title in 2015-16 and repeated this success in 2017-18 after another relegation. Unfortunately, the club faced financial challenges in July 2020, resulting in administration and subsequent relegation from the Championship due to points deductions. Despite narrowly avoiding League Two relegation in the 2020-21 season under new ownership, Wigan Athletic claimed their fourth League One title in 2021-22. However, they were relegated from the Championship once again the following year following points deductions. Further deductions were imposed in May 2023, meaning the club would start the 2023-24 League One season with a minus eight points deficit.