Wigan Warriors

On 21 November 1872, Wigan Football Club was founded by members of Wigan Cricket Club following a meeting at the Royal Hotel, Standishgate. The meeting saw around 50 members enroll into the club most of whom were members of the cricket club. The following committee was selected: T.R. Ellis, H.V. Kyrke, J. Sayers, E.R. Walker, J. Smith, J. Souter, H. Wall and R. Procter. The recently re-elected Mayor of Wigan Mr Nathan Eckersley was made club President. Many of the club's founding members were well-to-do some owned businesses or were solicitors, magistrates and suchlike. Wigan F.C. played on Folly Field, near Upper Dicconson Street and used the nearby Dicconson Arms Hotel as a HQ.

The first match took place on 30 November when members played against each other in a practice match at Folly Field the match attracted around 2,000 spectators. After a series of trial and practice matches, they travelled to Warrington to play their first competitive match on 18 January 1873. The game ended in a draw. The club played six games in its first season finishing with a record of three wins and three draws.[8]

An inability to recruit enough regular and quality players led to many members of Upholland Football Club joining the club in 1876. This was a significant boost to the playing ranks. The club changed its name on 20th October 1876 and became Wigan & District Football Club to represent the new influx of players which had joined from the outskirts of town. The club moved and played its home games at the Wigan Cricket Club at Prescott Street just off Frog Lane. The first game at Prescott Street was played against St. Helens on November 25, 1876 which Wigan won comfortably.[9] The club did not fulfil all its fixtures in the 1877/78 season. The club played its last match that season against Liverpool Wanderers on the 17th November 1877. There are no current records of the club after 23rd November 1877 that year as the club disbanded.

On 22 September 1879, the club was re-formed as Wigan Wasps Football Club by new members at a meeting in the Dicconson Arms. The main instigators of the re-formation of the club anew were W.L. Baldwin, J. Slevin, J. Underwood, Joe Wardle and others. Mr. Underwood was secretary and Mr. Alfred Hodgkinson was named as the treasurer. Many of the new members involved in the re-establishment of the club had also been involved with the Hare & Hounds running club and were of a more working class background than the cricketers who had originally founded the club. The club moved back to Folly Field and used the Dicconson Arms Hotel as a HQ again before using the Legs of Man Hotel in the town centre as a HQ a few years later.

In 1881 the club reverted back to its original name of Wigan Football Club. It had been suggested that the club should do so but this was finally decided when Club Secretary William Marsden wrote to Wigan Cricket Club to see if they would be forming another football club in the near future as they had done when originally creating Wigan. The cricketers weren't involved with the club anymore but Mr Marsden felt it would be courtesy to ask what their intentions were in relation to football. The secretary of the cricket club wrote back saying it was completely justified for Wigan Wasps to become Wigan Football Club again as the cricketers had no intention of forming another football club with that name or being involved with football at all and as such the club remained the only rugby football club in town at that time.

In 1883, Wigan won its first trophy, the Wigan Union Charity Cup. The club won the West Lancashire and Border Towns Union Cup in 1884 and the Wigan Union Charity Cup again in 1885. The club played in cherry and white jerseys for the first time on 26 September 1885.[10]

In 1888 they hosted the touring New Zealand Maoris.

The team of Wigan Football Club in 1885 with the Wigan Union Charity Cup

During this era Wigan were represented by some iconic players. James 'Jim' Slevin, Ned Bullough, William 'Billy' Atkinson and John 'Jack' Anderton. Jim Slevin arguably being the most important player for Wigan during this era. He made a total of 290 appearances, scoring 131 tries and was involved in the club winning 8 trophies.[11]

Jim Slevin of Wigan Football Club pictured with the Wigan Union Charity Cup and the West Lancashire and Border Towns Union trophy

Wigan, Leigh and Salford were suspended by the RFU for breaking the strict amateur code despite their argument that broken-time payments were necessary to avoid undue hardship for their working class players. The clubs were placed joint bottom of the Lancashire league. With automatic promotion and relegation, they faced dropping down a division, and potential financial ruin. In 1895 Wigan joined with other clubs from Yorkshire and Lancashire to found the Northern Union which led eventually to the sport of rugby league. This was a result of the breakaway from the Rugby Football Union.

The County Championship was introduced in October 1895 with Cheshire entertaining Lancashire. The Red Rose side contained three players from Wigan: Winstanley (full back) and Unsworth and Brown (forwards).

In 1896–97, due to the increased number of Northern Union teams the Northern League was abandoned in favour of two County Senior leagues. The second half of the season saw the introduction of the Northern Union Cup (later known as the Rugby League Cup). Wigan reached the third round before being knocked out by St. Helens.

In 1904, fourteen clubs resigned from the two county leagues to form a new Northern Rugby League for season 1901–02. Wigan however remained in the Lancashire Senior Competition.

Wigan became sub-tenants of Springfield Park, which they shared with Wigan United AFC, playing their first game there on 14 September 1901. A crowd of 4,000 saw them beat Morecambe 12–0. During this season Wigan won the Lancashire Senior Competition.

Wigan's record crowd at Springfield was 10,000 when they beat Widnes on 19 March 1902. The last game was on 28 April 1902 when Wigan beat the Rest of Lancashire Senior Competition. Two meetings were held by Wigan members during the season to discuss the possibility of turning the club into a Limited Company but the idea did not take off.

Team of Wigan FC, c. 1900

On 6 September 1902, Wigan played at Central Park for the first time in the opening match of the newly formed First Division. An estimated crowd of 9,000 spectators saw Wigan beat Batley 14–8.

In the 1905–06 season they won their first cup, in rugby league, the Lancashire County Cup. Between 1906 and 1923 Wigan won the Lancashire League another seven times and the Lancashire Cup another four times. Wigan were the first winners of the Lancashire cup.

Wigan played New Zealand on 9 November 1907 and ran out winners by 12 points to 8 in front of a crowd of around 30,000. Great Britain, then known as the Northern Union, played their first ever test against New Zealand on 25 January 1908. James "Jim" Leytham, Bert Jenkins, and John "Johnny" Thomas of Wigan were in the home side and James "Jim" Leytham scored a try. Bert Jenkins, and John "Johnny" Thomas had previously played in the first Welsh game against New Zealand on 1 January 1908.

On Saturday 28 October 1911, Wigan played a match against the Australasian team which visited England on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and won.

On 12 May 1921, Wigan became a limited company.

In June 1922 Jim Sullivan joined Wigan from Cardiff RFC when he was only 17. His cash value was put at £750, which was a staggering signing-on fee for an adolescent who had not yet played 13-a-side rugby (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £137,700 in 2015).[12] His first game was at home against Widnes on 27 August 1921, and he scored ten points in a 21–0 win. Almost inevitably, Jim Sullivan scored the first points in the first Challenge Cup Final to be played at Wembley Stadium, kicking a penalty after only three minutes of the inaugural Challenge Cup Final against Dewsbury in 1929 in which he led Wigan to a 13–2 victory. Sullivan became player-coach in 1932.

Wigan won their first Challenge Cup in the 1923–24 season when they beat Oldham 21–4 in Rochdale.

In 1933 the Prince of Wales attended Central Park, becoming the first royal to watch a rugby league match.

On 25 October 1938 Australian Harry Sunderland arrived in Wigan to take up the duties of Secretary-Manager at Central Park. On 28 September the following year, Sunderland's contract was terminated and he and the club parted company.

The outbreak of World War II disrupted the Rugby Football League Championship but Wigan continued to play in the Lancashire War League and the Emergency War League.

During the war years the club went through the 1940–41 season unbeaten although they lost the Championship final. They lost the 1944 Challenge Cup Final over two games to Bradford Northern 8–3 but made up for it beating Dewsbury in the Championship Final.

Jim Sullivan's last game, as a player, for Wigan was at Mount Pleasant, Batley, on 23 February 1946. He remained at Central Park for another six seasons as coach.

In 1948 Wigan took part in the first televised rugby league match when their 8–3 Challenge Cup Final victory over Bradford Northern was broadcast to the Midlands. In another first this was the first rugby league match to be attended by the reigning monarch, King George VI, who presented the trophy.

On Saturday 27 October 1951, 33,230 spectators saw Wigan beat Leigh 14–6 in the final of the Lancashire Cup at Station Road, Swinton. In 1952 Wigan won their sixth consecutive Lancashire Cup.

Wigan were also featured in the first league match to be broadcast, a clash with Wakefield Trinity at Central Park on 12 January 1952.

In 1953 Wigan signed Billy Boston for £150. 8,000 fans saw Billy Boston début for Wigan in the 'A' team. He later became one of the most successful and famous Wigan players of all time. Eric Ashton signed for Wigan for £150 in 1955. Wigan went to Wembley six times in the Boston / Ashton era and won three times.

The visit of St. Helens on 27 March 1959 produced Central Park's all-time record attendance of 47,747 which is still a record for any rugby league game in Lancashire. Wigan went on to win the game 19–14 after holding off a Saints comeback. Mick Sullivan moved to Wigan for a then record £9,500 fee in 1957.[13]

Joe Egan returned to coach Wigan and during his time they won the Championship play-off final in 1960 defeating Wakefield Trinity 21–5, the Challenge Cup in 1958, 1959, 13–9 against Workington Town and 30–13 against Hull F.C. respectively before losing in 12–6 to St. Helens in 1961 which was to be his last game in charge.

Wigan continued to have regular success in both league and cup competitions until 1974 when Wigan went 8 seasons without winning any leagues or cups.

Eric Ashton coached Wigan from 1963 to 1973. In 1966, Wigan locked television cameras out of their ground in the belief that they affected attendances. They were fined £500 by the Rugby Football League. Wigan beat Oldham 16–13 in the 1966 Lancashire Cup Final. Billy Boston played his last match in the cherry and white, against Wakefield Trinity at the end of April 1968.

Wigan celebrated the centenary year of the club in November 1972, with a match against Australia at Central Park, on Saturday 17 November, the result finished as an 18–18 draw.

Wigan pulled off a surprise victory 19–9 over Salford in the Lancashire Cup Final which was played at Wilderspool, Warrington on Saturday 13 October 1973. Cup holders Salford had lost only one match prior to the final, against the touring Australians.

Ted Toohey became coach of Wigan in May 1974 before being sacked in January 1975, this would set the pattern of coaches lasting one or two seasons before being replaced. Star coach, Joe Coan then took control until he resigned in September 1976, the board accepted his decision "with reluctance". Vince Karalius then took over but was sacked in September 1979, he was replaced by Kel Coslett.

In 1980, Wigan were relegated from the top flight for the first time in their history and Coslett was replaced by George Fairbairn as player-coach. During the second division season they recorded a record average attendance for the division of 8,198. Wigan won promotion back to the top flight the following season but Fairbairn lasted no longer than May 1981 before moving to Hull Kingston Rovers. Maurice Bamford took over as coach of Wigan before being sacked in May 1982 and was replaced by Alex Murphy.

Maurice Lindsay came to Wigan in the early 1980s to join directors Jack Robinson, Tom Rathbone and ex-player Jack Hilton. Wigan became one of the first teams to go full-time professional in the league, this led to an upsurge in the fortunes of the club.

Between February and October 1987, under new coach, former New Zealand coach Graham Lowe, Wigan won a record 29 games in a row as follows: 20 Division One matches, 3 Premiership Trophy matches, 4 Lancashire Cup matches, 1 Charity Shield final, 1 World Club Challenge Final. Wigan defeated Australian club Manly-Warringah 8–2 in front of a crowd of 36,895 at Central Park for an unofficial World Club Championship (though many who were at Central Park still claim the attendance was closer to 50,000).[14] It was the first time an English club side had beaten a team of Australians at rugby league since the 1978 Kangaroo tour. After Lowe left in 1989, Australian John Monie, a former premiership winning coach with the Parramatta Eels, continued the success at Central Park. From 1988 to 1995 Wigan won the Challenge Cup 8 seasons in a row including their 27–0 win over St Helens in 1989, the first time any team had been held scoreless in a Cup Final at Wembley; this period was Wigan's most successful period to date. They also won the Championship seven times, League Cup four times, Premiership Trophy three times, Charity Shield twice and three World Club Championships.

In February 1990, Wigan announced a record £280,000 profit but by 1993 this had become a loss of £300,000 on a turnover of £3 million, in no small way to the cost of the Whitbread Stand that had been built at the clubhouse end of Central Park in 1991–92 at an estimated cost of £1.3 million. By March 1994 Wigan's wage bill topped £2 million a year.

John Dorahy became coach for the 1993 season. Despite supervising Wigan through to the Challenge Cup and the Rugby Football League Championship, Dorahy was dismissed in May 1994, only days after the club's return from Wembley. In a statement by the club, Dorahy was said to have been sacked for "gross misconduct".[15] Graeme West was appointed as coach, after fans petitioned for him to get the job.

In his first month as coach, at the end of the 1993–94 Rugby Football League season West secured the First Division Premiership Trophy against Castleford, and then traveled with the team to Brisbane, guiding them in their 1994 World Club Challenge victory over Australian premiers, the Brisbane Broncos in front of a WCC record attendance of 54,220.[16] At the end of his first full season, he and the team won the League Championship, Challenge Cup, Regal Trophy, and Premiership - the 'Grand Slam' of all 4 trophies. Even though Wigan dominated rugby league from 1985 to 1995, it was the only season the club achieved this feat.

Wigan played in a special 2 match challenge series against Bath RFC in 1996, with one game played under league rules, and the other under union rules. Wigan won the league game 82–6 at Maine Road, but lost the return union game 44–19 at Twickenham.

In July 1996 Andy Farrell was named the Wigan club's captain.[17]

Eric Hughes became coach of Wigan Warriors, replacing Graeme West in February 1997 following an early exit from the Challenge Cup in 2 consecutive years. In 1997, the club was renamed Wigan Warriors. Wigan's dominance came under threat with the new league now fully professional and the introduction of the salary cap and the 20/20 rule. After going out of the Challenge Cup to Salford in 1996 and St Helens in 1997, they returned to Wembley for the final time in 1998. Still undefeated in the league and the fact coach John Monie - in his second spell at Wigan - had never lost a cup tie meant Wigan were huge favourites against the unfancied Sheffield Eagles. But on 2 May 1998 the Eagles would go down in rugby league history causing the biggest upset in the competition's history with a 17–8 win.

Wigan won the Minor Premiership and the first Super League Grand Final in 1998 with a 10–4 victory over Leeds at Old Trafford, Manchester.

In November 1999, coach Andy Goodway was sacked by Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay after the Warriors' failure to win a trophy for the first time in 15 years. After a buy-out by Dave Whelan, both the Warriors and the town's football team, Wigan Athletic, moved to the JJB Stadium. As part of the rugby league's "on the road" scheme Wigan Warriors met Gateshead Thunder at Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Maurice Lindsay also returned as director. On an emotional day of high drama Wigan's final game at Central Park was against arch rivals St Helens on Sunday 5 September 1999. Wigan legend Ellery Hanley returned as St Helens coach but a Jason Robinson virtuoso try meant the game was won by Wigan 28–20. The first game at the new stadium was a defeat in a Super League play-off match against Castleford on 19 September 1999.

Frank Endacott joined Wigan Warriors as head coach after the 1999 season and in 2000 Wigan finished top of the Super League and reached the Grand Final for the second time but this time lost to St Helens 29–16. Wigan reached the Grand Final again the year after but lost to Bradford Bulls 37–4 which is still the biggest winning margin in a Super League Grand Final. That year Andy Farrell also set a new club record for points in a season with 429.

In 2001 Endacott was sacked. In 2002 Wigan won their 17th Challenge Cup when they beat St Helens 21–12 at Murrayfield Stadium, 8 years after previously lifting the cup.

He was replaced by assistant coach Mike Gregory and the team improved and reached the Grand Final only to lose to Bradford Bulls 25–12. In 2004 Gregory guided Wigan to the Challenge Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but Wigan lost to St Helens 32–16. It was Mike Gregory's last match as head coach of Wigan, he travelled to the United States of America to get treatment for an illness that he contracted after an insect bite while in Australia.[18] It was revealed that Mike had motor neurone disease and he did not return as Wigan coach. Denis Betts took over as Wigan Head Coach before being replaced by Ian Millward.

2006 was a tough year for Wigan and Ian Millward was replaced by Brian Noble early in the season. The club finished in 8th position just outside the play-offs.

In 2007 and 2009 Wigan made the Challenge Cup Semi-Finals but were defeated on both occasions.

Wigan ended the decade by finishing Suoer League in 6th position in 2007, 4th in 2008 and 6th in 2009.

2007, 2008 and 2009 saw Wigan reach the Final Eliminator in the play-offs in each of those seasons but were beaten in those games which meant they did not make the Grand Final.

Brian Noble's tenure as Wigan Head Coach came to an end at the close of the 2009 Super League Season. Michael Maguire was appointed as the new Head Coach ahead of the 2010 season.

Wigan started the new season with a 38 to 6 win over the Crusaders. Wigan won their opening 4 games to take them to the top of the Super League table. Wigan remained top of the league throughout the season.

During 2010 the Wigan club won 3 pieces of silverware. The Carnegie 9s, the League Leaders Shield and the Super League Grand Final. This was the club's first Grand Final win for twelve year beating St. Helens 22–10.[19]

The club also swept the boards at the annual Man of Steel Award, with Sam Tomkins winning young player of the year, Micharl Maguire won the coach of the year award, Pat Richards won the Man of Steel award and the club won the club of the year award. On 6 August 2011, Wigan made it to the Challenge Cup final after beating St. Helens 18–12.

Wigan Warriors at Wembley ahead of the 2011 Challenge Cup Final

On 27 August 2011, Wigan won the Challenge Cup final against Leeds at Wembley Stadium.[20] The final score was Wigan 28–18 Leeds. The match was the first visit to Wembley for Wigan in 13 years.[21]

Michael Maguire left to return to Australia and Shaun Wane, the former Wigan forward was given the role of first team coach for the 2012 season. Wigan won the League Leaders Shield in his first season. In 2013, Wigan did the League and Cup Double. Firstly by winning the Challenge Cup Final in beating Hull 16–0 at Wembley. This saw Wigan extend their record to 30 Challenge Cup Finals, winning 19 of them. Wane then guided the team to the Grand Final by defeating Warrington 30–16 in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. After Grand Final losses to St Helens in 2014 and Leeds Rhinos in 2015, Wigan reached the Grand Final again in 2016 despite injury problems ruling out several star players throughout the season. Wigan defeated the Warrington Wolves 12-6 in a hard fought rematch of their 2013 contest to win their fourth Super League championship.

Wigan became World Champions for a record fourth time in 2017 as they defeated NRL champions Cronulla Sharks 22-6. Wigan lost at Wembley to Hull FC extending the club's record to 31 Challenge Cup Final appearances.

2018 was a bright year for Wigan. The year began with a trip to Australia in week 2 to play Hull F.C. in the first-ever Super League game to be played outside of Europe. Wigan were victorious at St George-Illawarra Dragons WIN Stadium, defeating Hull FC 24-10.

The Super 8s stage of the season, Wigan won an unprecedented 7 out of 7 matches including revenge for the Good Friday defeat by soundly beating arch rivals St Helens 30-10 at the Totally Wicked Stadium. Wigan and Warrington contested the 2018 Grand Final which was the third time the clubs had met in the Grand Final in six seasons. Wigan prevailing 12-4 on the night. This was the club's fifth Grand Final win taking the overall total of League Championships the club has won to 22.

The current kit is made by Hummel. The main shirt sponsor is Iqoniq and their logo appears on the front of the home and away jerseys.

Wigan Football Club played on Folly Field, Upper Dicconson Street. The club played its first match at Folly Field on 30 November 1872 and remained at the ground for four years. Wigan Football Club went on to become Wigan & District Football Club, the newly named Wigan & District Football Club played its matches at Prescott Street (The West End Grounds). The club played at Prescott Street until the club disbanded. With the re-formation of the Club as Wigan Wasps Football Club, the club returned to Folly Field from 1879 to 1886 when it moved its matches back to Prescott Street.

Wigan played their home games at Wigan Cricket Club on Prescott Street until 1901 when they moved to Springfield Park which they shared with the town's association soccer club Wigan United A.F.C. The first rugby match at Springfield Park was played on 14 September 1901 and was between Wigan and Morecambe in front of 4,000 spectators. The record rugby attendance for the ground was 10,000 achieved on 19 March 1902 when Wigan beat Widnes. Forty days later Wigan played their last game at Springfield Park when they defeated the Rest of Lancashire Senior Competition.

Central Park

In 1902 Wigan moved to their purpose-built rugby ground called Central Park. Wigan played their first game at Central Park against Batley on 6 September 1902, which Wigan won 14–8. Central Park would be the home of Wigan Rugby League until 1999, when they moved to the newly built JJB Stadium. The last match at Central Park was against St Helens on 5 September 1999, a game which Wigan won 28–20 in front of 18,179 supporters. As Wigan developed into one of the most famous rugby league clubs in the world, Central Park also became one of the most famous grounds.

Wigan won the 1987 World Club Challenge match against 1987 Sydney (New South Wales Rugby League) Premiers Manly-Warringah at Central Park played on 7 October. The try-less game, won 8–2, was played in front of a reported crowd of 36,895, though many of those in attendance believed the attendance was actually closer to 50,000.[25][26]

The record attendance for a game at Central Park was 47,747 set on 27 March 1959 against St Helens.

DW Stadium before the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Quarter-final between England and France

Towards the end of the 2000 season Wigan Warriors moved to the newly built DW Stadium which they currently share with the Wigan football club Wigan Athletic. The stadium is owned by the football club who gave Warriors a 50-year lease on the Stadium.[27] Warriors first game at the then JJB Stadium was a Super League play-off match against Castleford Tigers which Wigan lost 14–10.

Wigan used to have a state-of-the-art training facility at the small stadium Edge Hall Road in Orrell (now named the Co-Operative Community Stadium) where the first team, reserve team & academy team prepared, trained and rehabilitated ahead of and after matches. It is also where the Reserve & Academy sides used to play their home games.

Recently this site has been sold for development after the Warriors moved all team operations to the newly renovated Robin Park Arena next door to the DW Stadium in a deal with Wigan Council. A multi-million pound regeneration has turned this into one of the best training facilities inside of rugby league, whilst also maintaining world class facilities for other local sporting clubs and the general public to use also.[28]

DW Stadium has an official capacity of 25,133.[29]

The Warriors record attendance at DW is 25,004 set against St Helens on 25 March 2005.[30]

In 2005 during the tenth season of the current Super League championship format, the fans of Wigan RLFC voted for their best thirteen players of the 'Nineties' and the 'Noughties', called the Team of the Decade. This is a list of the ballot's resulting thirteen players.[36]

The club also has its own Hall of Fame for players the club recognises as having made a significant contribution to its success, especially during the late 1980s, and early 1990s when the club entered the most successful period in its history trophy-wise. There are currently ten members of the Wigan RLFC Hall of Fame.

Adrian Lam was confirmed as Wigan coach on 8 August 2018, but wasn't named as head coach, until the end of the 2018 campaign, when Shaun Wane left for Scotland. Lam was hired as interim coach, on the basis that Shaun Edwards would be taking over in 2020, after the World Cup, however, Edwards confirmed that he will not be taking over as Wigan head coach, due to "lack of preparations", and is expected to stay on with Wales.[37]

On 8 July 2019, it was confirmed that Lam had signed for an additional year at Wigan, thus turning his role from interim to full time.

The Head of Strength & Conditioning is Mark Bitcon, and Mick Turner will continue as a Strength & Conditioning coach.

Paul Deacon has also been appointed as an assistant coach after his role as a player in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Kris Radlinski is the current Rugby General Manager at the club, as well as being head coach for the women's first team.[38]

Sean O'Loughlin has been confirmed as the Wigan Warriors Assistant Head Coach for the 2021 season.

	Name	Contract started	Contract ended	Reason for leaving	Honours*
	Adrian Lam	October 2018			1 League Leaders Shield
	Shaun Wane	October 2011	October 2018	Left to coach Scotland Rugby Union	3 Championships, 1 World Club Challenge, 1 League Leaders Shield, 1 Challenge Cup
	Michael Maguire	October 2009	October 2011	Left to coach South Sydney Rabbitohs	1 Championship, 1 Challenge Cup, 1 League Leaders' Shield
	Brian Noble	April 2006	October 2009	Contract not renewed
	Ian Millward	May 2005	April 2006	Sacked
	Denis Betts	May 2004	May 2005	Resigned
	Mike Gregory	July 2003	May 2004	Sick leave
	Stuart Raper	May 2001	July 2003	Sacked	1 Challenge Cup
	Frank Endacott	December 1999	May 2001	Sacked
	Andy Goodway	June 1999	December 1999	Sacked
	John Monie	November 1997	June 1999	Sacked	1 Championship
	Eric Hughes	February 1997	November 1997	Sacked
	Graeme West	May 1994	February 1997	Sacked	2 Championships, 1 Challenge Cup, 1 World Club Challenge
	John Dorahy	June 1993	May 1994	Sacked	1 Championship, 1 Challenge Cup
	John Monie	September 1989	May 1993	Resigned	4 Championships, 4 Challenge Cups, 1 World Club Challenge
	Graham Lowe	August 1986	June 1989	Left to coach Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles	1 Championship, 2 Challenge Cups, 1 World Club Challenge
	Colin Clarke/Alan McInnes	August 1984	May 1986	Left – mutual consent	1 Challenge Cup
	Alex Murphy	June 1982	August 1984	Sacked
	Maurice Bamford	May 1981	May 1982	Resigned
	George Fairbairn	April 1980	May 1981	Sold
	Kel Coslett	October 1979	April 1980	Left - wanted to coach St. Helens
	Vince Karalius	September 1976	September 1979	Resigned
	Joe Coan	January 1975	September 1976	Resigned
	Ted Toohey	May 1974	January 1975	Caretaker
	Graham Starkey	June 1973	May 1974	Sacked
	Eric Ashton	September 1963	May 1973	Resigned	1 Challenge Cup
	Griff Jenkins	October 1961	September 1963	Resigned
	John "Johnny" Lawrenson	September 1961	October 1961	Caretaker
	Jim Sullivan	July 1961	September 1961	Ill-Health
	Joe Egan	August 1956	May 1961	Resigned	1 Championship, 2 Challenge Cups
	Edward "Ted" Ward	August 1953	End of 1956	Resigned
	Maurice Hughes	August 1952	End of 1953	Sacked
	Jim Sullivan	October 1932	End of 1952	Resigned	5 Championships, 2 Challenge Cups

Note *only Championship, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge honours shown.

• First Division / Super League:

Winners (22): 1908–09, 1921–22, 1925–26, 1933–34, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1959–60, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018

Runners up (17): 1909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1923–24, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2020

• League Leader's Shield:[lower-alpha 4]

Winners (5): 1998, 2000, 2010, 2012, 2020

• League Leader's Trophy:

Winners (1): 1970-71

• Premiership

Winners (6): 1986–87, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996, 1997.

Runners-Up (1): 1992–93

• War Emergency League

Winners (1): 1943–44.

• Second Division / Championship:

Runners up (1): 1980-81

• Lancashire League

Winners (18): 1901–02, 1908–09, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1969–70.

• Lancashire War League

Winners (1): 1940–41.

• Challenge Cup

Winners (19): 1923–24, 1928–29, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1964–65, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2002, 2011, 2013.

Runners-Up (12): 1910–11, 1919–20, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1983–84, 1998, 2004, 2017.

• Lancashire Cup

Winners (21): 1905–06, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1912–13, 1922–23, 1928–29, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1992–93.

Runners-Up (14): 1913–14, 1914–15, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1945–46, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1984–85.

• League Cup

Winners (8): 1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96.

Runners-Up (1): 1993–94.

• Charity Shield

Winners (4): 1985–86, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1995–96.

Runners-Up (4): 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93.

• BBC2 Floodlit Trophy

Winners (1): 1968–69.

Runners-Up (1): 1969–70.

• World Club Challenge

Winners (4): 1987, 1991, 1994, 2017.

Runners-Up (4): 1992, 2011, 2014, 2019.

• World 7s

Winners (1): 1991–92.

• Middlesex 7s

Winners (1): 1996

• Carnegie Floodlit 9s

Winners (1): 2010.

• Wigan Charity Cup

Winners (6): 1883, 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891

Runners-Up (1): 1886

• West Lancashire and Border Towns Cup

Winners (2): 1889, 1890

Runners-Up (1): 1887

• BBC Sports Team of the Year: 1994.

• Most goals in a match: 22 by Jim Sullivan vs Flimby & Fothergill, 14 February 1925
• Most tries in a match: 10 by:
  • Martin Offiah vs Leeds, 10 May 1992
  • Shaun Edwards vs Swinton, 29 September 1992
• Most points in a match: 44 by Jim Sullivan vs Flimby & Fothergill, 14 February 1925
• Most goals in a season: 186 by Frano Botica, 1994–95
• Most tries in a season: 62 by Johnny Ring, 1925–26
• Most tries in a Super League regular season: 31 by Josh Charnley, 2012
• Most points in a season: 462 by Pat Richards 2010
• Most career goals: 2,317 by Jim Sullivan
• Most career tries: 478 by Billy Boston
• Most career points: 4,883 by Jim Sullivan
• Most career appearances: 774 by Jim Sullivan
• Most International Test caps: 36 by Shaun Edwards (Great Britain)
• Most decorated player: Shaun Edwards; 8 Championships, 9 Challenge Cups, 3 World Club Challenges.

• Biggest victory (All Time): 116–0 vs Flimby & Fothergill, 14 February 1925
• Biggest victory (Super League Era): 84–6 vs Hull Kingston Rovers, 1 April 2013 & 84–6 vs Bradford Bulls, 21 April 2014.
• Highest attendance (Central Park): 47,747 vs St. Helens, 27 March 1959
• Highest attendance (DW Stadium): 25,004 (Good Friday 2005 vs St Helens)
• Highest attendance (all-time): 99,801 vs Hull FC, 4 May 1985 (1985 Challenge Cup Final) at Wembley Stadium
• Highest attendance vs an international touring team: 30,622 vs Australia, 12 October 1986 (1986 Kangaroo Tour)
• Heaviest Defeat (Super League): 0–70 vs Leeds Rhinos, 18 June 2005
• Heaviest Defeat (Challenge Cup): 0–75 vs St Helens, 26 June 2005

• Riversiders
• Brigantes

• Millie Bobby Brown, actress best known for her role in the TV series Stranger Things
• Kenny Stills, American footballer for Houston Texans
• Michel Roux Jr, celebrity chef
• Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United defender and England captain.
• Steven Gerrard, former Liverpool F.C. captain and England footballer; now the manager of Rangers Football Club
• Robbie Fowler, former Liverpool F.C. player
• Anthony Crolla, British former professional boxer.
• Owen Farrell, Professional Rugby Union Player for Saracens Football Club and the England national rugby union team
• Andy Farrell, former Wigan Warriors and Saracens Football Club player. Now the Head coach of the Ireland national rugby union team
• Johnny Nelson, Former boxing world champion.
• Sandor Earl, current Rugby League Player in the NRL for Melbourne Storm
• Vernon Kay, is an English television presenter, radio DJ and former model
• Scott Quinnell, Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player.
• Caitlin Foord, Professional Women’s footballer for Arsenal and Australia.
• Elle Mulvaney, actress in Coronation Street.
• Molly McCann-Pearson, Professional UFC fighter.
• Joe Gormley, President of the National Union of Mineworkers 1971–82.[43]
• Will Greenwood MBE, former Rugby Union international[44]
• Andrew Flintoff, former England cricketer[45]
• Kym Marsh, former popstar and now Coronation Street actress.[46]
• Sir Bradley Wiggins, Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medalist
• Kay Burley, Sky News presenter
• Tony Adams, former Arsenal and England football club captain
• Lee Westwood, golfer
• Ryan Giggs, former Manchester United footballer and current Wales manager
• Alex Ferguson, former Manchester United football manager
• Wayne Mardle, PDC darts player
• Ian Botham, former England cricketer
• Robbie Savage, former footballer
• Stephen Parry, Olympic bronze medallist
• Danny Sculthorpe, former professional rugby league footballer.
• John Amaechi former NBA basketball player
• Steffon Armitage, England and Toulon rugby player
• Michael Carrick, Manchester United football club player
• Catherine Tyldesley, Coronation street actress
• Marilyn Okoro, Olympic bronze medalist, runner
• Mike Grundy, commonwealth games medalist, pro fighter
• Cieren Fallon, professional jockey
• Siobhan Chamberlain, former Manchester United, and England Goalkeeper
• Martin Offiah, former rugby league footballer
• Chris Ashton, Rugby Union player for Sale Sharks
• Tommy Fleetwood, golfer
• Jenny Meadows, 800m world and European Medalist.
• Lisa Nandy Wigan Labour MP
• Geoffrey Moorhouse, writer[47]
• Evander Holyfield, former world boxing champion and Olympic medalist confessed to being a fan after contacting the club via Twitter, originally a mistake.
• Gemma Bonner, former Liverpool ladies football player, now playing for Manchester City.
• Jason Robinson, former rugby league and rugby union player.
• Mike Hall, ITV news sports reporter.
• David Sharpe, Wigan Athletic chairman.
• Roy Keane, Former Manchester United and Ireland international football player.
• Dave Whelan, owner of Wigan Athletic.

Wigan playing St Helens during the Super League XIV Semi-finals

The club's strongest and fiercest rivalry is with St. Helens. Matches, between the two teams are played traditionally on Good Friday and in previous seasons on Boxing Day. The clubs are often described as archenemies such is the history of the rivalry. The matches between the two clubs are said to have bragging rights at stake and banter between the fans of both clubs is commonplace. The rivalry is so fierce that matches between the two teams are one of only two sporting events to officially be given the title of The Derby.

Leigh Centurions are traditional rivals of the club and similarly matches between the two clubs are local derbies. The rivalry between these two clubs however has been muted due to the fact that the two clubs compete in different competitions and therefore do not play each other regularly (during the Super League era, Wigan and Leigh have only been together in Super League for two seasons, in 2005 and 2017).

The club has forged a more recent fierce rivalry with Warrington Wolves following a resurgence in the club's success and Warrington's emergence as one of the most competitive teams in the Super League.

A more notable rivalry is one with the Leeds Rhinos because when the 2 teams meet there is usually something at stake as the two teams are labelled as super league giants and have met 11 times in Super League play offs Wigan edging that head to head record 6–5 plus both teams have played each other in Challenge Cup Finals, Semi Finals & Quarter Finals and it is always fiercely competitive when they meet. Leeds and Wigan dominated Super League from the late 2000s and through the 2010s, with either Leeds or Wigan winning Super League every year, aside from 2014, between 2007 and 2018 (strangely enough during this period, Wigan and Leeds have only met in the Grand Final once, in 2015).