In what is undoubtedly one of the most unique job vacancies out there at the moment, Wigan Athletic is on the lookout for someone to take on the role of its iconic pie mascot.
We all know that the Wigan is famous for its pies, so much so that it’s practically synonymous with the filled pastry cuisine at this point, so it makes perfect sense that the Greater Manchester town’s football team, Wigan Athletic, would have a cartoon pie as its mascot.
There’s some pretty well-known sporting mascots across the UK, but Crusty the Pie is arguably one of the most recognisable to football fans.
And now, there’s “an opportunity for you to be Crusty”.
The Championship team took to Twitter yesterday to advertise the coveted job vacancy, and is calling on “bubbly, enthusiastic, and fun individuals” to get in touch and apply for the opportunity like no other.
ADVERTISEMENT
The job description on the Wigan Athletic website reads: “Do you want to be part of our Wigan Athletic journey? Are you a bubbly, enthusiastic and a fun individual?
“If yes, we have an opportunity for you.
ADVERTISEMENT
📋 Vacancy | Club Mascot
Are you a bubbly, enthusiastic & a fun individual? If yes, we have an opportunity for you to be Crusty! 🙌🏼🥧
“Crusty the Pie’ is our Club Mascot and the purpose of Crusty is to proactively engage with supporters whilst making people smile with positive energy and passion. Ensuring supporters leave remembering a remarkable day and to help promote the Wigan Athletic Junior supporters club, by engaging with our younger fans at various events located across Wigan and Leigh.”
When it comes to working hours, Wigan Athletic says the role is flexible and will require you to work four-six hours per matchday working home matches – including evening, weekend and bank holidays – as well as some other events that require Crusty’s help.
The role is Fixed Term for the duration of the football season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wigan says the ideal candidates for the role will have experience of working with and managing large groups of children, are confident in performing to a public audience, and are good at engaging with supporters of all ages and backgrounds positively and proactively whilst wearing a costume.
They will also be reliable and committed/able to working all home fixtures, and have the ability to work unsupervised using their own initiative.
Wigan Athletic is on the lookout for someone to take on the role of its iconic mascot Crusty the Pie / Credit: Wigan Athletic
If the bragging rights of being Crusty itself aren’t enough, then some of the other perks that come with the role inlcude:
A competitive salary
Complimentary tickets to all home league fixtures
Career development opportunities
Free onsite parking
Discounts at the Wigan Athletic club shop
Fancy it then? You can find out more about the vacancy and stick an application in for the role of Crusty the Pie on the Wigan Athletic website here.
Featured Image – Wigan Athletic
Trending
Manchester’s popular board game festival returns this month with hundreds of games to play
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s popular board came festival is set to return later this month, with hundreds of games free to play.
Manchester Board Game Festival is set to kick off 2026 in style, returning for the first festival of the year with a full weekend of board games, role-playing games, indie traders, and community-led fun in the heart of the city.
The festival features a huge board game library, giving fans access to hundreds of games to try out across the weekend – with ‘Library Bees’ on-hand to help people find games, learn the rules, or jump into sessions with other players.
There’ll also be bookable sessions, like RPGs and Blood on The Clocktower, and seminars to take part in over the three-day event.
Manchester’s popular board game festival returns this month with hundreds of games to play / Credit: MBGF (via Facebook)
As well as gaming, visitors can browse the festival’s popular Geek Fayre too, open on the Saturday and Sunday of the event, which showcases indie traders, artists, and tabletop creators from across the UK. From games and accessories, to artwork and geeky gifts, it’s a chance to support small businesses all while discovering something new.
Running from Friday 27 February through to Sunday 1 March, this opening weekend festival marks the start of five events planned throughout 2026.
Events are designed to bring together players of all experience levels for three days of tabletop gaming and social play.
“There’s something really special about the first festival of the year,” commented festival organiser, James Oxley.
“People are excited, they’re ready to play, and there’s a real buzz in the room. Manchester Board Game Festival has always been about bringing people together through games, and we can’t wait to see everyone back in the halls enjoying themselves.
“Whether attendees come for a single afternoon or the full weekend, the focus is on playing at your own pace, meeting new people, and enjoying games in a relaxed and friendly setting.”
Further festivals will follow throughout 2026, including themed Halloween and Christmas editions later in the year, so keep your eyes peeled, but until then, February’s event marks the first chance for players to roll some dice, discover new favourites, and start the year with a table full of games.
Manchester Board Game Festival takes place from Friday 27 February through to Sunday 1 March at Sachas Hotel in the Northern Quarter, with tickets starting from just £13.
Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Emily Sergeant -
30th June 2022 
