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2006 - The Review

Last updated : 04 January 2007 By Greg Farrimond
  • Reaching a cup final
  • Achieving our highest ever league position
  • Making our record transfer buy in Emile Heskey
  • A Wigan Athletic player called up to the England squad
  • Breaking the attendance record at the JJB Stadium

    The list really could go on. It was a year full of pressure. I don't think it was ever going to match 2005 as a great calendar year. We gained promotion to the premiership and made the best start to a season any newly promoted club has but it has still been a year that we, as Latics fans, can look back on and smile.

    January

    We had had a topsy-turvy Christmas, 5 defeats in a row leading to 4 wins in a row, then that BUMP right at the end losing 3-0 to Blackburn at home.
    Scharner Signs: The Austrian would prove a brilliant signing over 2006
    Unfortunately it wasn't the start we had hoped for, losing to Birmingham away with possibly the worst performance I had seen in years by a Latics team wasn't the way to start.

    We welcomed Austrian defender Paul Scharner to the JJB, a relative unknown. Reto Ziegler was also landed on a loan deal. We had various other transfer targets in January, one being the now Portsmouth striker Benjani. Other targets included Pompey's Matty Taylor and also Cardiff's Cameron Jerome, both to no avail.

    January is one of the busiest months for managers what with it being the only time mid-season the transfer window is open. Towards the end of the month Wigan landed two more signings on loan. David Thompson of Blackburn and Neil Mellor of Liverpool.

    All 3 signings started very well. Scharner scoring on his debut against Arsenal in the Carling Cup and both Mellor and Thompson netting in our away win at Boro. We also kept those Evertonians to a 1-1 draw at the JJB, meaning they hadn't beaten us this season, which had given me some bragging rights!

    The game was marred by two sendings off, Everton's Duncan Ferguson for committing GBH on Wigan new boy Paul Scharner and Wigan's Jason Roberts as the referee didn't like the idea that Wigan had a one-man advantage (the ref called it an elbow to the face though).

    Roberts Shoots: Who can forget THAT goal at Highbury
    I think the thing we will all probably most remember about January and probably even the year 2006 is that night at Highbury. Wigan went into the Carling Cup semi final second leg with a 1-0 lead and needed a draw or a win to qualify for the final. We could even afford to lose and go through on the away goal rule. What a night it was.

    I couldn't make it to Highbury myself, so watched it in the pub with some mates. We went down not thinking much of the game and sub consciously expecting to lose I suppose, little did we realise the emotions that night would bring.

    The anger of some of the worst refereeing ever by Phil Dowd, the relief after Mike Pollitt's remarkable penalty save, the annoyance of Arsenals aggregate equaliser,Kerrea Gilbert setting up Henry. The heartbreak after Robin Van Persie's extra time free kick that seemed to have won it for the gunners.

    The joy following Jason Roberts's late winner, the nerves leading to the full time whistle, the relief AT the full time whistle, the confusion as to whether we were through or not and finally the immense joy and pride when we realised we were there. So by the end of January, little Wigan Athletic were in their first ever major Cup Final, not a bad start to the year at all!

    Oh yeah, then a few days later we got knocked out of the FA Cup away at Man City, oh well, can't win ‘em all can you!

    Mon 02 Jan

    Birmingham City

    A

    League

    L 0-2

    29,189

    Sat 07 Jan

    Leeds United

    H

    F.A. Cup

    D 1-1

    10,980

    Tue 10 Jan

    Arsenal

    H

    League Cup

    W 1-0

    12,181

    Sun 15 Jan

    West Bromwich Albion

    H

    League

    L 0-1

    17,421

    Tue 17 Jan

    Leeds United

    A

    F.A. Cup

    D 3-3

    Wigan 4-2

    On pens

    15,243

    Sat 21 Jan

    Middlesbrough

    A

    League

    W 3-2

    27,208

    Tue 24 Jan

    Arsenal

    A

    League Cup

    L 1-2

    Wigan win

    On away goals

    34,692

    Sat 28 Jan

    Manchester City

    A

    F.A. Cup

    L 0-1

    30,811

    Tue 31 Jan

    Everton

    H

    League

    D 1-1

    21,731

    • February

    February saw Wigan take on local rivals Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok stadium. The Latics had beaten the Trotters twice already in the 2006 season and were looking to make it a hat trick but it wasn't to be.

    The injury plagued Latics were forced to play Neil Mellor up front, who very quickly turned from hero to zero by showing how unfit he was by squandering so many chances.

    Camara Clicks: Henri didn't start the year in Jewells good books


    He was substituted in the second half shortly after Bolton had taken the lead, his replacement Andreas “The Swede” Johansson is hardly a fans favourite but proved he was ten times more committed and useful by bagging the equaliser ten minutes after his entrance.

    Ziegler's free kick, the award of which was disputed by Bolton, wasn't held by Jussi Jaaskelainen and Johansson sent in the rebound from six yards. Henri Camara had failed to return to Wigan after being involved in the African Cup of Nations with Senegal, no one knew where he had been.

    He had been expected to return for Latics's home game with Liverpool but had gone AWOL causing a furious Paul Jewell to publicly blast the Senegalese international. Wigan lost the game to Liverpool 1-0 after having no strikers available whatsoever due to injury and suspension, oh and one little fell buggering off without telling us, cheers Henri!

    Camara returned later that week and apparently apologised to Jewell and promised to pay the Wigan fans back. Andreas Johansson made February a great month for him by bagging his 2 more goals in the 2-2 draw at Tottenham, a point that gave us that golden number of 40, as early as February!

    Wigan played Manchester United in the Carling Cup Final on the 26th February, one of the proudest days in the clubs history. The day was amazing, the game, not so amazing. Latics were stuffed 4-0 by United for the second time of the season but the day itself was amazing, Wigan took 27,000 fans to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for the showpiece final.

    The atmosphere was electric and many tears were shed. If only the result had gone our way. Unfortunately it left us without Mike Pollitt for a month, following his very unfortunate hamstring tear.

    Sat 04 Feb

    Bolton Wanderers

    A

    League

    D 1-1

    25,854

    Sat 11 Feb

    Liverpool

    H

    League

    L 0-1

    25,023

    Sun 19 Feb

    Tottenham Hotspur

    A

    League

    D 2-2

    35,676

    Sun 26 Feb

    Manchester United

    A

    League Cup

    L 0-4

    66,866



    Check back tomorrow for Gregs review of the months March and April!