Stripey at the unofficial opening of Latics WN1 in the Galleries

Wigan Athletic’s new shop in Wigan town centre, Latics WN1, opened its doors for the first time this afternoon, and our man was there to check it out. Though the official opening ceremony is slated for Monday, when Roberto Martinez will be on hand to cut the ribbon, fans could get their Latics merchandising fix from 4PM today to coincide with the Wigan Christmas lights switch on.

Stripey the Laticat and an official club photographer were on hand to greet the first visitors and snap a few pics for the official website and match programme.

Things are currently looking a bit sparse, with relatively few products in there as yet but we expect the place to fill out on Monday when the place will no doubt be heaving. Perhaps.

As you can see from the pic on the right, there’s a changing room area and some jazzy lighting as well as a couple of plush seats for visitors to take a rest, presumably from perusing the wide range of Latics merchandise. I think that’s supposed to be a Latics Christmas hat on Stripey’s head, but it looks a bit like a rubbish eyepatch or something. Maybe he’s angling for a part in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film?

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