On the 1^st of August 2009 the home of Wigan Athletic will become "The DW Stadium" in partnership with DW Sports Fitness.

The change in name brings about a new era fro the Club after the previous name deal with JJB Sports comes to an end.

The Stadium was built by Alfred McAlpine and completed in August 1999. Wigan Athletic had spent the previous 67 years playing at Springfield Park, and the first football match at the JJB Stadium was a friendly against Morecambe, just before the stadium's official opening.

Chairman Dave Whelan at the Stadium renaming announcement.

The stadium's official inauguration was marked with a friendly between Wigan Athletic and neighbours Manchester United on the 4^th August 1999, who were then reigning European Champions, with Sir Alex Ferguson officially opening the stadium.

The first competitive football match here took place on 7 August 1999, with Wigan Athletic facing Scunthorpe United in a Division Two match.  Simon Haworth scored twice, including the first competitive goal at the new stadium, as Athletic triumphed 3-0.

Latics strangely, were also the first away team to win a competitive football match at the stadium.  A first round FA Cup tie against non-league Cambridge City was played here due to City's ground being deemed unsuitable to host the tie. Latics played in their change strip and used the away dressing room since it was technically a 'home' game for Cambridge City. Stuart Barlow scored twice in the game to secure the win for Wigan.

View from approximately 800ft up, looking from the North of the Stadium

Don't Look Down! From almost directly above.

The magnificent DW Stadium

With thanks to Billy Winston for the use of his Mainair Blade 912s microlight for the pictures.

With thanks to Billy Winston for the use of his plane!

To visit the DW Stadium website, please click here.