| Full name | Wigan Borough Football Club | |
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| Nickname(s) | The 'Boro | |
| Founded | 1920, as Wigan Association | |
| Dissolved | 1931 | |
| Ground | Springfield Park (Capacity: 30,000 (approx)) |
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| League | Football League North | |
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Wigan Borough Football Club was an English football club from the town of Wigan, Lancashire. It was a fourth attempt at establishing football in Wigan, their forerunners Wigan County, Wigan United and Wigan Town all having fallen into liquidation previously.
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Life in the Football League
Originally known as Wigan Association upon their creation in 1920, they agreed on a name change to avoid confusion with Wigan FC, the town's rugby league club. The newly named Wigan Borough applied for entrance to the football league for the 1921-22 season, despite only finishing 17th of 18 clubs in the Lancashire Combination league. Astonishingly, they were, along with Barrow and Accrington, granted a place for the inaugural season of the competition. [1]
Borough's first match as a league club came against Arsenal in a friendly, which they won 2-1. Their first league match saw them fight back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 against Nelson, but they would go on to finish only 17th of 20 in their début season. [2]
They entered the Football League's new Third Division North for the 1921-22 season as founder members, having previously been part of the Lancashire Combination, and spent ten years at this level before being resigning from the league during the 1931-32 season.
Boro's most successful season came in 1928-29 when they finished fourth in the League. Also that season they reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, the furthest Borough would ever progress in the competition. Though they lost the match against Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, a Springfield Park record 30,443 crowd saw the game.
In 1931, the effects of the Great Depression proved too much and, unable to pay the players' wages any longer, Wigan Borough went out of business. The following year, Wigan's Mayor chaired a public meeting at Queens Hall which resulted in the founding of Wigan Athletic. It would not be until 19 August 1978, however, that Wigan would have a side in the Football League once more.
Noted players
Frank Barson- Bert Freeman
- Jack Moran
Peter Pursell- Sam Currie
- John Burton
Club records
- Highest League Position: 4th, Football League Third Division North
- Largest win: 9–1 vs Lincoln (Football League Third Division North)
- Highest attendance: 30,443 vs Sheffield Wednesday (FA Cup Third Round)
References
- ^ Chilvers - The Wigan Borough story
- ^ Wigan Athletic AFC - An A-Z, Dean Hayes. ISBN 1-874181-16-0
External links
- Wigan Borough at the Football Club History Database
- Ultimate Wigan Athletic Website
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