At this time, seven years ago, Wigan Athletic were still basking in the bright silver limelight cast by their newly-acquired FA Cup trophy.
Their shock 1-0 victory over the champions of England had been one of the greatest final upsets in the history of the competition – with Ben Watson’s last-gasp header sealing the Latics’ first major accolade in 80 years and plunging the tiny Greater Manchester town into delirium.
The celebrations, quite rightly, went on for weeks.
Locals knew how to throw a football party. By 2013, scenes of intense jubilation among supporters had become something of a semi-common occurrence.
Wigan, traditionally known as a rugby league town, had succumbed to football fever during their epic journey to the top tier in the noughties – and their FA Cup triumph ensured the club would forever hold a place in the history books.
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But today, Wigan fans aren’t dreaming of silverware. They’re not even thinking about winning the next match.
On July 1, news rolled in that the Latics had entered administration – with an imminent 12-point deduction from the EFL all set to send them bottom of the Championship.
A series of financial issues had been pushing the club to the brink for several months, and coronavirus was the final nudge needed to knock them off the cliff.
Wigan’s money woes were well-known, but the announcement still came as something of a shock to many in the footballing world.
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Only last month, Hong Kong businessman Wai Kay Au Yeung, of Next Leader Fund (NLF), took full control of the club – with executive chairman Darren Royal claiming this would “negate some of the immediate” damages caused by the pandemic.
The owners passed the EFL’s test and takeover process – which ascertains whether the buyer can financially support a club.
But within weeks, the survival of Wigan Athletic has been left on a knife edge.
Board members are dealing with administrators at Begbies Traynor as we speak – scrambling to find interested parties to save the side.
David Sharpe, Paul Sharpe and David Whelan holding FA Cup / Wikipedia
Wigan enjoyed a fairytale rise to the golden land of the Premier League under former owner Dave Whelan, with the tactical shrewdness of manager Paul Jewell fuelling the firepower of strikers Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts to propel the Latics into the Premier League.
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Defying expectations to finish 10th in their debut season, Wigan would remain part of British football’s 20 elite clubs for eight seasons – stunning City in 2013 to lift the FA Cup against all odds and competing in Europe the following year as a result.
The Latics have yo-yo’ed between the second and third rung of the EFL in the past decade, with Whelan stepping down as owner in 2015 and handing the reins to his grandson, David Sharpe.
International Entertainment Corporation bought the club in 2018, but sold off their shares to NLF a little over one month ago.
Wigan’s recent past has been remarkable, but for now, their future appears uncertain.
Fans will be under no illusions as to the gravity of the situation, with the tragic plight of not-too-distant neighbours, Bury, still fresh in the minds of football followers across the country.
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Nonetheless, as history has taught us, these next few weeks will see rivalries set aside to provide Wigan with the support they need.
The whole of Greater Manchester – even Manchester City fans who had their hearts broken by the bulge of the net at Wembley in 2013 – will be behind them.
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Jadon Sancho set for return to Manchester United after Chelsea pay to avoid permanent signing
Danny Jones
England winger Jadon Sancho looks like he’s coming back to Manchester United, at least for the time being, following his stint at Chelsea, with the Premier League club opting to pay a penalty in order to avoid signing him full-time.
Sancho was loaned out to the UEFA Conference League winners just over a year ago after falling out with the previous Man United head coach, Erik ten Hag, playing 42 games for the West Londoners.
The naturally gifted winger, who was considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe just a few short years ago, also pulled back on a Borussia Dortmund shirt for a six-month loan spell in January 2024, but his return was never made permanent either.
In the case of Chelsea, despite having an obligation to buy Sancho when they initially signed him last summer, the deal – worth a reported £25 million – included a £5m clause which would allow them to get out of said obligation: a clause that owner Todd Boehly’s club has seemingly to have activated.
BREAKING: Jadon Sancho will return to Manchester United after failing to agree to personal terms with Chelsea 🚨 pic.twitter.com/1F55sXWoT4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 3, 2025
As per the likes of The Athletic, Sancho is set for a return to MUFC and Carrington as he waits to see what the INEOS administration and new manager Ruben Amorim (who is yet to have the 25-year-old among his options since arriving at Old Trafford) do with him.
It remains to be seen whether or not the former Man City youth star will make another appearance at the Theatre of Dreams itself, but with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said to be strapped for cash and yet still looking to bring in new players, they’ll be hoping at least fetch a decent fee for the him.
Sancho registered five goals and 10 assists during his time at Stamford Bridge, and despite perhaps not lighting the world on fire, he proved to be a useful addition to the squad and contributed in some big moments – that recent European final being the standout this season.
Nevertheless, it is believed that Chelsea were unwilling to match the salary paid by his parent club, with the one-time national team starlet said to be on weekly wages of around £300,000, according to reports.
Born in the capital himself, Sancho grew to be favoured by a sizeable portion of the supporters, and while the Man United fan base is pretty divided when it comes to Sancho coming back, there are plenty of Blues that will miss him.
Meanwhile, regardless of his return to United, Sancho being moved on rather quickly looks the most likely outcome now that the summer transfer window is open.
Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshot via YouTube)/Ardfern (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Manchester United tease new collaboration with Manc streetwear brand Drama Call
Danny Jones
Manchester United have revealed their latest fashion collaboration with popular homegrown streetwear designers Drama Call, sharing a new teaser on social media.
The football club may be faltering on the pitch, but commercially it’s still one of the best-known and most successful brands on the planet.
More specifically, they’ve made some big splashes when it comes to merchandising and fashion spin-offs in particular, with reproducing retro kits and other collabs like the Adidas x Stone Roses line, which dropped in February last year.
These releases quickly go on to become collector’s items, and that will almost certainly be the case with Man United’s upcoming Drama Call crossover, which they announced in fine fashion – pardon the pun.
Plenty of Drama Call die-hards will be scrambling for this one.
For those unaware of Drama Call, the local fashion label is hugely popular across the region, regularly worn by the likes of Aitch, Headie One and several other celebrities.
It’s actually not even the first time Drama Call and United have worked either, previously colliding to create a limited edition version of the classic blue 1988 away kit back in 2023.
As for this latest United x Drama Call collab, we have very few details on when the release can be expected; all fans can do is try and glean whatever clues possible from the teaser video above.
We always enjoy footballers trying their hands at acting, no matter the result, to be fair. Who can forget Wayne Rooney meeting Deadpool?…
So, if you’re a fan of the viral streetwear brand, watch this space.