Brick Community Stadium: Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic are one of the youngest clubs in the Football League, formed as they were in 1932. For the majority of that time they played their games at Springfield Park, but when it was decided that that old ground was no longer up to task it became clear that the club would either have to move elsewhere or revamp the place. Plans to do just that had actually been mooted as early as 1986, with numerous ideas getting as far as the planning permission stage before being abandoned.

A move to the now demolished Robin Park Stadium was considered until Wigan Council announced that they would be looking to build a new ground with Wigan Warriors, the rugby league team. When Stephen Gage sold the club to Dave Whelan in 1995 it became clear that the most sensible decision would be for the football club to join forces with their rugby counterparts in order to build a state-of-the-art multi-purpose stadium that all of the city could enjoy.

Dave Whelan has since moved on, but the club remain at what is now known as the Brick Community Stadium.

Stats

Brick Community Stadium Stats
Year Opened	1999
Capacity	25138
Average Attendance	10438
Record Attendance	25133 (Wigan v Man United (2008))
Pitch Size	105 x 68 (7140)
Nickname	The DW
Former Name	JJB Stadium, Wigan Athletic Stadium, DW Stadium
Owner	Mike Danson
Sponsor	Brick
Clubs Hosted	Wigan Athletic, Wigan Warriors, Orrell RUFC
First Fixture	Wigan v Morecombe (01/08/1999)

Wigan Athletic Stats
Year Founded	1932
Nickname	The Latics
Club Mascot	Stripey the Laticat
Rivals	Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Bury, Oldham Athletic, Burnley, Blackburn Rovers
Previous Stadiums	Springfield Park
Kit	Blue & White Stripes (Home) / Red & Black (Away)
Training Ground	Euxton Training Ground
Shirt Sponsor	Smurfit Kappa
Team Owner	Mike Danson
Record Goalscorer	Andy Liddell (70)
Record Appearances	Kevin Langley (317)

Brick Community Stadium Photos

Brick Community Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit

The Brick Community Stadium is very much built in the ‘English Style’ of having four distinct stands that run along the sides and ends of the pitch. Here is a little bit of information about each of them:

• The North Stand – This is behind one of the goals and is normally dedicated to the away supporters. It is a single-tiered stand that can house over 5,000 fans.
• The Boston Stand – Named after the former Wigan Warriors winger Billy Boston, this stand runs along the side of the pitch and can house over 8,000 fans in a single-tier, with Athletic fans knowing it as The East Stand.
• The Leam Richardson South Stand – This is where the more vocal Wigan fans tend to sit and is basically an exact replica of the North Stand. It is, rather oddly, named after their ex-manager Leam Richardson, who only worked at the club between 2017 and 2022.
• The Springfield Stand – This is considered to be the main stand at the stadium and it houses the changing rooms as well as executive offices. It’s another single-tier stand with a row of corporate boxes at the back of it and it’s also known as The West Stand.

Wigan Athletic Ticket Prices

Wigan Athletic aren’t exactly selling out their tickets every week, so fans may ask why the club makes it so difficult to understand their ticketing prices. Do they categorise their games? Do they charge more to sit in different parts of the ground? Who knows. They do seem to sit inside some sort of bracket although it is never clearly explained.

Here are the cheapest and most expensive ticket prices for adults and concessions that we have seen:

• Adults: £23 – £28
• Concessions: £18 – £22

Just for your information, prices are sometimes cheaper by as much as £5 if you buy them in advance.

How To Get Wigan Athletic Tickets

As is the case with most clubs in the modern era, the best place to start if you’re looking for tickets to watch Wigan live is the club’s official website. If you’re a bit more old school then you can call the ticket office on the phone or drop by in person.

Where to Buy

• Ticket Compare

Getting To Brick Community Stadium

Wigan is technically in Greater Manchester, though some would argue no part of Manchester is great. Regardless, it’s reasonably easy to get to the ground wherever you’re coming from, so here are some tips depending on your chosen mode of transport:

Train – Wigan, exciting town that it is, has two railways stations for you to aim for. Wigan North Western tends to service passengers from London, Glasgow and the like, whilst Wigan Wallgate is for those of you coming from places like Liverpool and Leeds. They are opposite each other on the main road in the town centre and are just over a mile from the ground. To walk to the stadium should take you about twenty minutes at a nice casual pace.

Bus – The main bus station is located in the heart of the city centre, so any bus from the local region that goes through Wigan will drop you a twenty minute walk from the ground at most. For buses that run from there to the stadium you’re best off checking with the local transport officers.

Car – From the North leave the M6 at Junction 27 and follow the signs from Shevington. Take the B5375 and stay on it for about two miles before following signs. From the South leave the M6 at Junction 25 and follow the A49 until you see the ground. From the East come off the M61 at Junction 6 and get onto the A6. Then you’ll want the B5238 until you see signs for Orrell. Keep following Orrell until you see signs for the stadium.

By Air – You’ve got two choices if you’re looking to fly in to watch a Wigan match. The first is Manchester Airport, the second is Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Manchester is around thirty miles away whilst John Lennon is about 32 miles, though you’ll perhaps find the public transport options better from Manchester as it has its own train station, whereas you’ll need to get a connecting bus from John Lennon.

Taxi – A taxi from Wigan North Western Railway Station to the ground will take about 5 minutes and cost in the region of £7. If you get stuck in traffic, mind, it’ll probably take longer and therefore cost more.

Parking Near Brick Community Stadium

There are around 2,000 car parking spaces at the Brick Community Stadium, so the chances are that you’ll find a space if you get there early enough. Car Park 3 is for season ticket holders, whilst Car Parks 1, 4 and 5 are all open to everyone and require payment upon entry. You may well be able to find on-street parking near to the stadium too, though beware any parking restrictions that might be in place.

• See Available Parking Near Brick Community Stadium

Useful Resources

• Parking - Just Park

Brick Community Stadium Hotels

Wigan is an interesting place to stay all on its own, but there’s also the draw of the bright lights of both Liverpool and Manchester, should you prefer somewhere a bit more lively. Here are some of our favourite choices:

Pubs and Bars Near Brick Community Stadium

Wigan’s night life and pub scene is probably best described as ‘characterful’. There’s a good old-fashioned Northern vibe about the place, with numerous watering holes for your pre-match pint. Here are some of our favourites:

Facilities

The stadium isn’t exactly full of stories and excitement like the stadiums of old, but it’s clean and modern and offers all of the facilities you’d expect from a newish ground. There are places to buy a drink and a bite to eat before and during the game as well as programme sellers and kiosks to place a bet. If you want more than that then I’m not sure you understand what football grounds are supposed to offer.

Prices

• Programme: £3
• Pie: £2.8
• Cup of tea: £2.2
• Beer: £4.2

Hospitality

There are a number of good hospitality options open to you at the Brick Community Stadium, with several lounges to choose from. The Chairman’s Lounge is the ultra VIP option, but other than that, here are some details about the other offerings:

• The Phoenix Lounge – With a glass fronted lounge overlooking the pitch, relaxed surroundings, and a 3 course meal this is a very chilled way to spend your day at the Brick. You also get centrally located padded seats in the West stand.
• The Carling Lounge – This is the premium hospitality package available at the Brick Community other than the Chairman’s Lounge, so expect a private table for your party, four-course dining served to you by dedicated waiting staff, and an appearance from a first team player.
• Springfield Lounge – The cheapest and most relaxed option, enjoy buffet food, executive seating in the West stand, guest appearances from players, and even a quiz and a raffle.

Private Hire

The Brick Community Stadium offers twelve flexible meeting rooms that can host anything from 5 to 500 people. Whether you’re looking to host a seminar, a product launch, a conference or an exhibition, there’s little that this venue in the heart of the North-West won’t be able to handle. The ground is even able to host every part of your wedding day, whether that be your wedding breakfast, the evening party or even the ceremony itself.

Stadium Tours & Museum

Despite being the home of both a football and a rugby league club, there are no regular tours of the Brick Community Stadium at the time of writing. That said, they have given tours on special occasions so you might catch one if you are very lucky. Equally there is no museum for either club that you can go and visit, so sorry about that.

About Wigan Athletic

Wigan’s footballing journey is a fascinating one. Not founded until 1932, the club was elected to the Football League in 1978 and spent eight seasons in the country’s top-flight from 2005 until 2013. Their final season in the Premier League was one of mixed emotions for their supporters, with the club winning the FA Cup for the first time in its existence at the same time as it was relegated from the top division. The 2013-2014 season was also a mixed bag, with Wigan competing in the second-tier of English football at the same time as it was embarking on its first ever European campaign in the UEFA Europa League.

Football has long played second fiddle to rugby in the town of Wigan, with part of that perhaps being down to the lack of success of Wigan Athletic on the field. They steadily progressed through the leagues during the 1990s and early part of the new millennium, winning the Third Division in 1997, the Second Division in 2003 and the Championship in 2005. Their first season in the Premier League saw them finish a very respectable 10th place in the top-flight as well as reach the final of the League Cup, only to lose 4-0 to Manchester United at The Millennium Stadium.

Brick Community Stadium History

The Brick Community Stadium was designed by Alfred McAlpine and cost in the region of £30 million to build. Wigan Athletic were earmarked to play in the ground pretty much ever since Dave Whelan bought the club in 1995, but Wigan Warriors, the rugby league club, also moved into the stadium a month after it opened in 1999. They had previously played their home games at Central Park, much as Wigan Athletic used to call Springfield Park their home.

It hasn’t all been plain-sailing for Wigan at the new ground, though, despite their meteoric rise and fall through the leagues. In March of 2005 Greater Manchester police said that they would no longer police Wigan matches; a decision that would almost certainly have resulted in the club’s safety certificate being revoked. It was all down to a dispute between the force and Dave Whelan over £300,000 in unpaid policing costs. The whole thing was eventually resolved with Wigan paying the costs before later winning a court case to claim them back.

Future Developments

There are no plans to develop the Brick Community Stadium in the foreseeable future other than to install a giant screen above the pitch, though obviously if that changes we’ll update this section tout-suite. It probably won’t though, since Wigan don’t even fill half of the stadium at the moment.