Tag: FA Cup
-
Man United 4 Wigan 0: We’re watching you
It’s true – we do act differently when we know we’re being observed. Sociology has named this phenomenon the Hawthorne effect. Okay, so Mr Cadbury Q. Hawthorne (otherwise known as Henry A. Landsberger) probably wasn’t referring to a footballing cup tie when he coined that term. But every supporter knows that as soon as those […]
-
Wigan 2 Nottingham Forest 0: Edge of Tomorrow
Please welcome Warren Garton Joyce, Wigan Athletic’s newest and foremost ‘edgelord’. The sort of guy who, like a dog, watches you eat for fifteen minutes before snatching that precious final morsel of tuna casserole from your plate. A man who catches all his perch two minutes before packing up his tackle in a Ryan Giggs […]
-
From the DW Stadium to Stamford Bridge: The Magic of the FA (Youth) Cup
Oooh, don’t they grow up so fast? One month they’re turning out against Wigan Athletic in the FA Youth Cup, the next they’re facing Chelsea’s first team in the actual FA Ben Watson Memorial Cup. On BBC HD TV at prime time Sunday afternoon, no less. Without wanting to take undue credit, I like to […]
-
Bury 4-0 Wigan: Rose tinted asses
Wait, really? The FA Cu- er, that competition again? Gah, I bet my sub editor £20 I wouldn’t explicitly mention the events of 2013 for the duration of this calendar month… Gnnngh, and it’s only the seventh. Those sneaky swines, how dare they fool us all by leaving that weekend of the fixture list blank […]
-
Bolton 1-0 Wigan: Jumbo Sideshow
Ordinarily, one looks to FA Cup Third Round Day as a rare chance to relax and enjoy a break from the ‘day job’ of the Football League, a sideshow, if you will. ..Ooh, I’m only fooling myself with that nonsense. Was the 2013 FA Cup Final a dodgy juggling act with cream-filled water balloons? Can […]
-
Wigan 1-1 Arsenal AET (2-4 on pens): Reality check?
“You see that FA Cup and you want to get hold of it, you want to kiss it. There’s something about it that’s magical.” — Dave Whelan on the little tin drinking vessel. There’s little doubting just how much yesterday’s game meant to Wigan Athletic fan, player and chairman alike. The bodies that took to […]
-
Manchester City 1-2 Wigan: The Spirit of Sir Ben
I write this article wearing my exclusive Wigan Evening Post cut-out-and-keep Ben Watson mask. I’m not the only one to embrace this curious custom – of all the bizarre things to happen in Manchester City centre, locals had never cast eyes upon as strange a sight as 3,500 Ben Watsons of all shapes and sizes […]
-
Cardiff 1-2 Wigan: Slaying the Dragons of Cardiff Castle Keep
Latics may be out of the UEFA Cup, but the opportunity to play abroad still exists in the form of the good ol’ FA Cup. If you don’t count Wales as ‘abroad’, consider this: why was I approached by a Passport Inspector when travelling through Wrexham last year? I’m still waiting for that nice chap […]
-
Wigan 2-1 Crystal Palace: Mini-giant killing
Cancel everything this instant – Wigan Athletic have already been presented with the FA Cup! Yes, I know it’s only a three-quarter replica to replace the real McCoy (McClean? McManaman? McArth…) next to those oversized whisky bottles in the DW’s pleasingly populated cabinet. But few if any other clubs can claim they have witnessed their […]
-
MK Dons 1-3 Wigan: Don Uwe Forget About Me
It was with great disappointment I learned that Sir Ben Watson had been harshly overlooked for the much-vaunted Ballon D’or (literal French: ‘accurate ball-kicking’) award. It is understandable that he could not attend the ceremony in person due to 10 hour-long negotiations for a new 45-year contract including a lifetime’s supply of Uncle Joe’s pie […]