FanZone Moments – Wigan

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The day the winner took it all…

When trying to decide the moment of the decade I hadn’t envisaged the task been as difficult as this.

The Latics have been promoted twice over the last 10 years, winning one Championship and playing in the final of the Carling Cup in our debut season in the Premiership. With so many great achievements my choice is very personal but I’m sure you will still connect with this epic day of drama!

The scene was set for the last day of the season… two teams… one day… 90 minutes of football separating you and the threat of relegation out of England’s top flight. One win and you are safe. The only problem is your team can’t score, their leaking goals and form is something that has not been discussed or even whispered around the JJB Stadium.

After losing against West Ham 3-0 and then at home to Middlesbrough 1-0 the thought of travelling to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United challenged the most optimistic of football fans.

All that said I had my ticket and I was going to try shout and scream the lads home. The atmosphere that day was electric despite the bad weather. We met on the outskirts of Sheffield to fuel up with some much needed Dutch courage as reality hit home… this is it, everything has boiled down to winning this game.

Sheffield United needed only a draw to secure their place but West Ham would have to get something at Man Utd and we all remember the Carlos Tevez saga and the scandalous decision by Trevor Brooking sorry I mean the F.A. to not penalise West Ham with a point’s deduction.

Ecstatic

We got to the ground and the away end was full with the Latics getting soaking wet, well the lads at the front were but this didn’t matter… What did was the 90 minutes of adrenaline filled football we were about to witness.

Wigan started well and Scharner cracked a beauty from 20 yards and when it hit the net the travelling Wigan boys went mental. Seating arrangements went out the window, it was everyman for himself as stranger after stranger was cueing up to hug and slap each other on the back!!!

Sadly we were all brought back down to earth after 30 mins when John Stead equalised. The Blades fans enjoyed that and I can assure you us travelling Wigan fans knew we needed to lift the lads and we sang our hearts out in doing so.

On the stroke of half time Jagielka handled in the box and the cry went up… HANDBALL!!! The referee agreed and dually pointed to the spot. Who would take it? None other than the ex Sheffield United player David Unsworth. He took the ball and smashed it home sending the Wiganers crazy. Could we hold on to secure our Premiership status?

The answer was yes and I have never experienced emotions like I did on that day. We all went from ecstasy to agony only for Unsworth to inject us all with a further dose of ecstasy by slotting home the penalty.

The only sad part of the day was Sheffield United were relegated and a team that cheated their way to safety retained their status (West Ham). How ironic Tevez was to score the goal at Old Trafford a real disgrace to the Premier League that this tragedy was to go relatively unpunished. Thank god we won and haven’t been left with this scar on our history.

What’s your Latics moment of the decade? Join the FanZone debate by filling in the feedback form below

FanZone Moments – Wigan

admin

The day the winner took it all…

When trying to decide the moment of the decade I hadn’t envisaged the task been as difficult as this.

The Latics have been promoted twice over the last 10 years, winning one Championship and playing in the final of the Carling Cup in our debut season in the Premiership. With so many great achievements my choice is very personal but I’m sure you will still connect with this epic day of drama!

The scene was set for the last day of the season… two teams… one day… 90 minutes of football separating you and the threat of relegation out of England’s top flight. One win and you are safe. The only problem is your team can’t score, their leaking goals and form is something that has not been discussed or even whispered around the JJB Stadium.

After losing against West Ham 3-0 and then at home to Middlesbrough 1-0 the thought of travelling to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United challenged the most optimistic of football fans.

All that said I had my ticket and I was going to try shout and scream the lads home. The atmosphere that day was electric despite the bad weather. We met on the outskirts of Sheffield to fuel up with some much needed Dutch courage as reality hit home… this is it, everything has boiled down to winning this game.

Sheffield United needed only a draw to secure their place but West Ham would have to get something at Man Utd and we all remember the Carlos Tevez saga and the scandalous decision by Trevor Brooking sorry I mean the F.A. to not penalise West Ham with a point’s deduction.

Ecstatic

We got to the ground and the away end was full with the Latics getting soaking wet, well the lads at the front were but this didn’t matter… What did was the 90 minutes of adrenaline filled football we were about to witness.

Wigan started well and Scharner cracked a beauty from 20 yards and when it hit the net the travelling Wigan boys went mental. Seating arrangements went out the window, it was everyman for himself as stranger after stranger was cueing up to hug and slap each other on the back!!!

Sadly we were all brought back down to earth after 30 mins when John Stead equalised. The Blades fans enjoyed that and I can assure you us travelling Wigan fans knew we needed to lift the lads and we sang our hearts out in doing so.

On the stroke of half time Jagielka handled in the box and the cry went up… HANDBALL!!! The referee agreed and dually pointed to the spot. Who would take it? None other than the ex Sheffield United player David Unsworth. He took the ball and smashed it home sending the Wiganers crazy. Could we hold on to secure our Premiership status?

The answer was yes and I have never experienced emotions like I did on that day. We all went from ecstasy to agony only for Unsworth to inject us all with a further dose of ecstasy by slotting home the penalty.

The only sad part of the day was Sheffield United were relegated and a team that cheated their way to safety retained their status (West Ham). How ironic Tevez was to score the goal at Old Trafford a real disgrace to the Premier League that this tragedy was to go relatively unpunished. Thank god we won and haven’t been left with this scar on our history.

What’s your Latics moment of the decade? Join the FanZone debate by filling in the feedback form below

FanZone Moments – Wigan

admin

The day the winner took it all…

When trying to decide the moment of the decade I hadn’t envisaged the task been as difficult as this.

The Latics have been promoted twice over the last 10 years, winning one Championship and playing in the final of the Carling Cup in our debut season in the Premiership. With so many great achievements my choice is very personal but I’m sure you will still connect with this epic day of drama!

The scene was set for the last day of the season… two teams… one day… 90 minutes of football separating you and the threat of relegation out of England’s top flight. One win and you are safe. The only problem is your team can’t score, their leaking goals and form is something that has not been discussed or even whispered around the JJB Stadium.

After losing against West Ham 3-0 and then at home to Middlesbrough 1-0 the thought of travelling to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United challenged the most optimistic of football fans.

All that said I had my ticket and I was going to try shout and scream the lads home. The atmosphere that day was electric despite the bad weather. We met on the outskirts of Sheffield to fuel up with some much needed Dutch courage as reality hit home… this is it, everything has boiled down to winning this game.

Sheffield United needed only a draw to secure their place but West Ham would have to get something at Man Utd and we all remember the Carlos Tevez saga and the scandalous decision by Trevor Brooking sorry I mean the F.A. to not penalise West Ham with a point’s deduction.

Ecstatic

We got to the ground and the away end was full with the Latics getting soaking wet, well the lads at the front were but this didn’t matter… What did was the 90 minutes of adrenaline filled football we were about to witness.

Wigan started well and Scharner cracked a beauty from 20 yards and when it hit the net the travelling Wigan boys went mental. Seating arrangements went out the window, it was everyman for himself as stranger after stranger was cueing up to hug and slap each other on the back!!!

Sadly we were all brought back down to earth after 30 mins when John Stead equalised. The Blades fans enjoyed that and I can assure you us travelling Wigan fans knew we needed to lift the lads and we sang our hearts out in doing so.

On the stroke of half time Jagielka handled in the box and the cry went up… HANDBALL!!! The referee agreed and dually pointed to the spot. Who would take it? None other than the ex Sheffield United player David Unsworth. He took the ball and smashed it home sending the Wiganers crazy. Could we hold on to secure our Premiership status?

The answer was yes and I have never experienced emotions like I did on that day. We all went from ecstasy to agony only for Unsworth to inject us all with a further dose of ecstasy by slotting home the penalty.

The only sad part of the day was Sheffield United were relegated and a team that cheated their way to safety retained their status (West Ham). How ironic Tevez was to score the goal at Old Trafford a real disgrace to the Premier League that this tragedy was to go relatively unpunished. Thank god we won and haven’t been left with this scar on our history.

What’s your Latics moment of the decade? Join the FanZone debate by filling in the feedback form below