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Wigan Athletic’s promotion to the EPL in 2005 saw them make the journey from non-league football to the English game’s top-flight in 27 action-packed years. And although the Latics have toyed with relegation since, most notably when they had a last-day escape in 2007 (see “History” below), they are gradually becoming a fixture in World football’s richest league.

Manager Roberto Martinez has, like Latics managers before him, had to deal with key squad departures during the summer, most notably midfielder Paul Scharner and central defender Titus Bramble, who has followed a number of Wigan colleagues, on and off the field, in joining Martinez’s immediate predecessor Steve Bruce at Sunderland.

 The key players will be largely those who pulled Wigan away from relegation worries with home wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega looks set to fulfil the considerable promise he showed in flashes last season. Big things are also expected up front from young Victor Moses, the highly-rated 20-year-old England under-21 international picked up on the cheap from cash-strapped Crystal Palace in January’s transfer window.

It is hoped that the experienced French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia will overcome any temperamental problems and produced his best form. And the experience of Scottish international Gary Caldwell allied to the youthful ambition of new Republic of Ireland international James McCarthy will hopefully provide the necessary defensive stability for EPL survival.

Home form remains key to Wigan’s success or otherwise this season. They have a hard act to follow, after the afore-mentioned famous wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal last season, which ended a long run of failures against the EPL’s “big four.” And they beat Manchester City at the DW Stadium too. 

Early season hammerings at home to Blackpool and Chelsea suggest a stark contrast in fortunes. But so did their 1-0 against Champions League-bound Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, a fixture they lost 9-1 last season.

The only predictable thing about this Wigan season, then, looks likely to be its unpredictability. And every minutes of this potential white-knuckle, roller-coaster ride is yours to see on the Live Sports Network. (122)

Wigan Athletic was officially formed in 1932 after Wigan Borough was closed down in the previous year. The club's application for the football league was repeatedly voted down, though it had one great achievement in 1934 when it defeated Carlisle United 6-1 in the first round of the FA Cup, a record win by a non-league club over a league club.

In 1978, the football league decided that the Northern Premier League champions, Boston United did not have suitable ground and facilities needed for a football league club and instead invited Wigan Athletic to join the league.

Three years after it gained acceptance in the football league, Wigan got its first promotion when it was promoted to the third division after finishing third.

The 1995-96 season was a turning point for the club following the takeover by millionaire David Whelan who promised the fans that Wigan Athletic would soon be playing in the Premier League.

The Latics finished as champions of Division three the following year before losing out to Manchester City in the Division Two play-off final in 1999 under Roy Mathias.

Mathias was sacked from his position and was replaced by John Benson who was later appointed as the Director of Football with Bruce Rioch taking over the managerial affairs. However injuries and poor form saw Rioch resigning from his position. Steve Bruce was then appointed as the permanent manager and the former Manchester United player quickly guided them to the play-offs though the club once again failed to gain promotion.

Bruce then jumped ship to take over the managerial reigns at Crystal Palace just two months after being appointed as the Wigan manager. With the fans angry over Bruce's decision to quit the club, Whelan then appointed former Latics player Paul Jewell as the new manager.

In his first season in charge, Jewell managed to guide the team to 10th position but really came into form in the second season which saw Wigan finish as the champions of Division Two, collection a total of 100 points of a possible 138.

The club nearly was promoted in its first season in the Championship (Division One), but a last minute goal by West Ham's Brian Deane on the final day of the season condemned the club to seventh position and out of the playoffs picture.

Wigan started the next season strongly and on May 8, 2005, the final day of the 2004-05 Coca-Cola Championship, defeated Reading 3-1 to confirm the second spot behind Sunderland and the automatic promotion spot to the Premiership.

Wigan Athletic was the surprise package of the Premier League during the 2005-06 season with the club's excellent start to life in top flight football taking them to as high as second in the league table and reach the finals of the League Cup. However a poor second half of the season saw them ultimately finish 10th in the league while suffer a heavy defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup final.

The Latics made wholesale changes to the squad in the summer with the aim to build on their 10th place finish from the last season and though the club was sitting in a midtable position by Christmas, a poor run of eight defeats in a row saw the Latics staring at relegation. A narrow 2-1 win over Sheffield United on the final day of the season saw Wigan secure their Premier League status for another year after David Unsworth slotted home the penalty against his former club.

Paul Jewell resigned from his position a day after securing Wigan's safety and his assistant Chris Hutchings was appointed as the new manager. The Latics had an excellent start under Hutchings, winning their first four games but things began to unravel for the club and a run of six straight defeats saw them drop down into the relegation zone.

Hutchings was sacked from his position and Steve Bruce was reappointed as the manager, a move that steadied the ship with Wigan ending the season in 14th place.

Bruce made a number of changes to the squad in the summer including brining Egyptian striker Amr Zaki on loan. Zaki had an excellent start to his debut season in the Premier League, scoring 10 goals in his first six months and leading Wigan to seventh in the league table.

However Wigan lost influential striker Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios in the January transfer window and a subsequent dip in form saw Wigan fall out of the top half of the table though they ultimately finished 11th in the league table.

Bruce then departed for his native North-East to take over at Sunderland. His replacement, Spaniard Roberto Martinez was, and is, regarded as one of English club football management’s bright young things after a good spell at second-tier Swansea City. The Latics finished 16^th, six points clear of relegation, thanks to their afore-mentioned high-profile home wins against the current EPL “big four.” (61)

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