can anybody with a BWFC memory back to the early 80s help?

 

a claim I made to a fan of Wigan has been dismissed out of hand but I'm sure my memory is not playing tricks.

 

First time we ever played Wigan was on Boxing Day in 83'. My recollection is that we had the vast majority of the 10000 gate and Bolton fans pretty much populated three sides of Springfield Park. This is being denied as never having happened.

 

Was anybody else there? Can you remember?

when double checking when they actually got in the league, read this on Wiki - sounded like they were a bit jammy to get in the league in the first place:

 

"Wigan Athletic finished in second place in the Northern Premier League in the 1977–78 season, behind winners Boston United. But as Boston's ground and facilities did not meet the Football League criteria for a League club, whereas Springfield Park did, Wigan Athletic were put forward for election to the league. There was no automatic promotion to the Football League until 1987, and at that time a club had to be 'voted out' of the League to allow a non-league team to be promoted in their place. At the end of the 1977–78 season, Southport finished next to bottom of the old Fourth Division, and faced off with Wigan Athletic for their place in the League. The first round of voting was tied, with both clubs receiving 26 votes. After a tense re-vote which Wigan controversially won 29–20, Southport lost their place in the Fourth Division and Wigan Athletic became an English League club on 2 June 1978."

when double checking when they actually got in the league, read this on Wiki - sounded like they were a bit jammy to get in the league in the first place:

 

"Wigan Athletic finished in second place in the Northern Premier League in the 1977–78 season, behind winners Boston United. But as Boston's ground and facilities did not meet the Football League criteria for a League club, whereas Springfield Park did, Wigan Athletic were put forward for election to the league. There was no automatic promotion to the Football League until 1987, and at that time a club had to be 'voted out' of the League to allow a non-league team to be promoted in their place. At the end of the 1977–78 season, Southport finished next to bottom of the old Fourth Division, and faced off with Wigan Athletic for their place in the League. The first round of voting was tied, with both clubs receiving 26 votes. After a tense re-vote which Wigan controversially won 29–20, Southport lost their place in the Fourth Division and Wigan Athletic became an English League club on 2 June 1978."

 

how bad must Boston's ground have been

I remember a bloke at work, from Wigan area, taking his missus to her first and only game that day. He said that there was battling all over the place caused by the Bolton ruffians and he admitted that Bolton had more fans there than Wigan.

how bad must Boston's ground have been

 

The away end is pretty ostentatious!

 

 

I don't think your wigan lad ever went to any match we played them at springfield road, their ground was always a home game for us.....it affected them so much much, their "boys" to this day never turn up when we are in town

My gaffer has just been talking about this game, can't believe the déjà vu of it. Said the same as I did, they cocked up big time not selling ale from the doors of the off licences. I had to pour my tins away outside, I was getting nicked if I tried again

Sticks in my mind that Wigan missed a pen in this game as well.

Checked earlier and Chandler scored for Bolton.

Don't remember when in the game either of those happened.

I think it was an early kick off game as well.

In the late 70's, if Bolton hadn't got a game, a few Bolton yoofs would sometimes go to other games , mainly to torment the locals - often Bury.

 

. One trip was when about 30 of us went to Wigan v Mansfield in the cup while Wigan were still non-league. When the Mansfield fans came in, Bolton took them on in a very brief brawl, while the Wigan fans hid behind us & then after the game , the Wigan lot walked back to the station with us trying to make friends & even tried a soppy " Wigan and Bolton" chant.

 

As it happened, Mansfield were at Bury in the next round so we turned up there, but the older & bigger Bury munichs & City fans were there & we got chased out of the Bury end, so we went round to the Mansfield end where unfortunately some of them recognised us from Wigan. In the space of about 10 minutes , we had munichs, city, bury & Mansfield fans all trying to attack us.

Happy days.

What everyone else has said really; never been there when it wasn't rammed wi bolton!!

What everyone else has said really; never been there when it wasn't rammed wi bolton!!

this

Going in the home end, cos you didnt get enough tickets ??? Sad bastards!!

He's got a point, although Wigan had a members only shed and openly sold tickets to us as long as you could be arsed to go over to Springfield Park. I always had the "I'm a Stockport fan, we're playing Friday" story up my sleeve.

Bit of topic but speaking of Wigan folk . . . My Dad told me yesterday that he was giving some electrical quote to a farmer in Wigan whilst out in his fields and in mid conversation he proceeded to pull his knob out and started having a piss whilst carrying on the conversation. My owd mon was also out with a new engineer at the time.

 

De ne ner ner ner ner ner ner ner

'83,we probably had 60/40 of the crowd. i was in their end along with 3 coachloads and 3 vanloads from our convoy along with many other Whites,the pie munchers weren't keen to say hello before during and after.

'84 went in a convoy of vans,does anyone bizarrely remember the hearse that came along from Horwich filled with about 8 half alive Horwich lads ? Same routine for the match,in their end,taking it and running the show totally. I went with a couple of van loads to the Blackburn/Leeds game as mentioned earlier.

 

Wigan fans - total pricks and total liars HTH

I remember seeing a big "Wigan Whites" flag at Springfield Park at the early kick off, and seeing a big "Wigan Whites" flag in the Leeds end at Ewood Park, was that the same flag or what ?