Pierrot tickles Columbine to death.
I added the pixellation, just in case you were wondering.

Good evening, podcasters! I hope you aren’t in too foul a mood following the events of Tuesday evening, and have enough energy to enjoy this week’s Progress With Unity. The FA Cup win is no doubt a sweetener, and the thing you will remember until the day you die. Once I recover from the disappointment of relegation (cough, and this virus), I am sure to be jubilant at the simple fact that Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup. I think that’s a point worth repeating a few thousand times.

This edition is a celebration of Saturday, which I have just about come to terms with. It is an emotional time as every man around the table recounts their memories of a day that will live forever. There’s a bit of coach ride banter, exclusive insight into the craziness of the Wembley press box when Latics scored, plus the infamous triangular corner flags myth and Ben Watson Mania! If you only listen to one edition of PWU this year, make it this one. And the one next week.

Contents: Arsenal review (0:00); Wembley (10:00); we did it for Joseph (12:08); coach antics (18:37); press box madness (25:30); more tales from the tour bus (32:00); meet and greet and Villa preview (39:26)

Get involved!

Progress With Unity is currently the only Wigan Athletic fan podcast on the web. If you would like to get involved or have any topics you’d like to be discussed please get in touch with Barry at wigan@vitalfootball.co.uk, marking your email PWU Podcast.

There is one more edition to come this season before we all take a well-deserved break. To be alerted when said episode is published, the PWU iTunes, RSS and app info pages are available as they have been all season. I should return for next week’s review of the campaign, which is sure to be a fun-filled 50 minutes reminiscing upon yet another gripping nine months in the Premier League.

As ever, thanks for listening and thanks for being yourself.

The PWU party bus is ready

Here’s something to get you in the mood while you’re travelling down to London via bus, train or penny farthing, a selection of FA Cup-related comments from the last four months of the Progress With Unity Podcast. Let’s get to Wembley!

YouTube version

Road to the Final

• Third Round: Wigan 1-1 Bournemouth: Just what *is* a penalty these days, anyway?
• Third Round Replay: Bournemouth 0-1 Wigan: Cup romance still on hiatus
• Fourth Round: Macclesfield 0-1 Wigan: Lose ugly, win uglier
• Fifth Round: Huddersfield 1-4 Wigan: Lissome Latics pass screen test
• Quarter Final: Everton 0-3 Wigan: Cry God for Bobby, Wigan and Uncle Dave!
• Semi Final: Millwall 0-2 Wigan: Is this the real life?

The Wigan Athletic sideshow rolls into town

Ladies and gentlemen, it is within sight. In less than two days’ time, Wigan Athletic will be playing their part in English football’s greatest sideshow, the FA Challenge Cup Final. Would you ever have believed that as you trudged back from the DW unhappy with a draw against Bournemouth all those months ago?

Yes, there have been fortunate near-misses and an even luckier run of the draw balls, but the fact remains. It is there in blue and white for all to see, flags and scarves adorning shop windows the length and breadth of the borough. Screw the league, this is where the history is being written, right here this weekend.

Contents

West Brom/Swansea super-review special (0:00); What does the FA Cup mean to you? (14:28); Wembley predictions (40:18); Next week’s number one single (48:03)

Get involved!

Progress With Unity is currently the only Wigan Athletic fan podcast on the web. If you would like to get involved or have any topics you’d like to be discussed please get in touch with Barry at wigan@vitalfootball.co.uk, marking your email PWU Podcast.

I have something special in store for you tomorrow, but if you simply cannot wait until Christmas Day (or 10 May, whatever), you can unwrap your present a day early by checking out the PWU iTunes and RSS pages post haste. There is also a mobile app but I have no clue what you would do with that because I’m a borderline technophobe.

A final word of encouragement for those still down in the dumps. When you’re a kid, you don’t dream of winning the league, you dream of lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, climbing those steps and receiving the trophy from the Queen. Everybody will be watching little Wigan fulfil their wildest dreams this Saturday afternoon.

Whelan: “No holidays until you win three games!”

I don’t normally apologise for my post title puns but in this case I shall make an exception, because that one was bad enough to make you choke on your early evening prawn sandwiches. Much like the first goal on Saturday, then.

As you might expect from a weekly Latics podcast, the Tottenham game is covered in minute detail, from the (non-)impact of Gareth Bale to Callum McManaman’s progression as a Premier League player.

After some of the usual griping, it’s time for the PWU panellists to get on their soapbox and rant because the end of the season draws near! West Brom and Swansea – two gargantuan games that could decide the fate of Wigan Athletic in the 2012-13 Premier League campaign. But then you did not need me or any other wannabe mainstream journalist to tell you that.

Just take a deep breath and keep all your digits crossed, guys.

Contents

Tottenham review (0:00); West Brom preview (28:00); Swansea preview (40:00); Wemb… oh wait, best not mention that until next week.

Get involved!

Progress With Unity is currently the only Wigan Athletic fan podcast on the web. If you would like to get involved or have any topics you’d like to be discussed please get in touch with Barry at wigan@vitalfootball.co.uk, marking your email PWU Podcast.

A friendly word of advice: bookmark the PWU iTunes and RSS pages so you don’t miss next week’s simply unmissable episode. Not that I can see into the future or anything, but there’s going to be heated debate whatever happens in the coming seven days. Will Latics remain in the Premier League this time next week? Ooh, the tension is excruciating.

New!!!!: the Progress With Unity app. Exciting eh? I wouldn’t have included so many exclamation marks otherwise. If you’re interested, there’s more info here.

Yes, made it through this whole post without mentioning the c*p f*nal! Oh, screw it…