Thursday, 9 April 2026

Meet The Ref - Latics v Mansfield Town


Latics are back in action on Saturday, an important fixture in the run-in to the end of the current campaign, Mansfield Town are at the Brick Community Stadium, the referee for the game is scheduled to be Staffordshire official, Oliver Yates.




Ollie Yates made it on to the National List of referees back in 2016, his first game coming in the League 2 meeting between Yeovil Town and Notts County on the 6th August, since making his debut he has taken charge of over 300 games.

Previous Games

Yates has been in charge of six Latics games previously, the last of which was our 1:0 home win in the Carabao Cup against Notts County earlier this season, he awarded a penalty which Paul Mullin dispatched to send us through in a one-nil victory.

He has also refereed us in our customary home defeat to Reading in March 2025 and away at Donny in the EFL Trophy back in 2024, a 1:1 draw on the night but going out the competition in a penalty shoot out.

The other three all came in League One, two away, Charlton, Wimbledon and on the 7th November 2023 Yates was at the DW Stadium for our 2:1 win over Peterborough, Sessegnon, Lang and Godo picking up yellows in that game.

Ollie Yates’ Latics Games

Date

Competition

Result

Latics Cards

12 Aug 2026

EFL Cup

Latics 1:0 Notts County

4

01 Mar 2025

League One

Latics 1:2 Reading

0

16 Jan 2024

EFL Trophy

Doncaster 1:1 Latics

2Y

07 Nov 2023

League One

Latics 2:1 Peterborough

3Y

23 Oct 2021

League One

Wimbledon 0:2 Latics

3 Y

17 Oct 2020

League One

Charlton 1:0 Latics

4 Y

Oliver Yates Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 32

Yellows – 140

Reds – 3

Penalties – 9

Wigan Athletic v Mansfield Town

Referee – Oliver Yates

Assistants – James Tewson & Sam Clayton

4th Official – Paul Marsden

Grab a listen to the latest podcast featuring a preview of the Mansfield Town game.

Friday, 3 April 2026

Meet The Ref - Northampton Town v Latics

Easter Monday sees the Latics make a trip to Sixfields Stadium to face Northampton Town in our fight against the dreaded drop. The referee for the game is scheduled to be USA official, New Jersey’s very own, Alex Chilowicz. 

The 39-year-old, relocated to the UK from the US in December 2023, he spent six seasons officiating in the MLS taking charge of 237 games in the American top-flight.  

Chilowicz, became a National List official in December 2023, his first taste of the English whistle coming in the League Two encounter between Sutton United and Mansfield Town, the Stags winning 0:2.

Previous Games

Alex Chilowicz’s has refereed the Latics three times previously, our 1:2 home defeat to Exeter City in February 2024, booking both Luke Chambers and Baba Adeeko, our away win at Mansfield in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup back in January 2025.

Chilowicz was also in charge of our opening game this campaign against, ironically enough, Northampton Town, a Fraser Murray double and a Jenson Weir goal saw the Latics start the season off in great form and register our highest position in the table reaching the dizzy heights of 3rd.

Alex Chilowicz Latics Games

Date

Competition

Result

Latics Cards

02 Aug 2025

League One

Latics 3:1 Northampton

0

10 Jan 2025

FA Cup

Mansfield Town 0:2 Latics

0

10 Feb 2024

League One

Latics 1:2 Exeter City

2Y

Alex Chilowicz Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 30

Yellows – 104

Reds – 2

Penalty Awards – 6

Northampton Town v Wigan Athletic
Referee
– Alex Chilowicz
Assistants – Kevin Howick and Keiran Forrest
Fourth Official – Darren Wilding

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Northampton game.

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Meet The Ref - Latics v Orient


Latics are back at the Brick Community Stadium on Thursday, a League One game against Leyton Orient, the referee for the game will be Birmingham based official, Tom Reeves. 


On the National List since the 2021/22 season, Reeves, a graduate of Warwick University, spent five years as a PE Teacher before joining Coventry City’s Community team in 2018.

He is currently the PL Sport Manager working alongside former Sky Blues centre back and Head of Community, David Busst.

Previous Games

Tom Reeves has refereed the Latics six times previously, two of those games were against Crewe, a 2:0 defeat in the Pizza Trophy at Gresty Rd in October 2021, and a 2:0 win over the Railway Men in a League 1 fixture that same season, that game came in February 2022.

Back in August 2023, Tom, along with the Latics enjoyed a visit to the Toughsheet Stadium in Horwich, a four goals to nil victory for us that day. Reeves’ last Latics game came earlier this campaign in the Carabao Cup, a 1:0 home victory over Stockport.

Since that first game against Crewe in 2021, Tom Reeves next five Latics’ games have all ended in victories without us conceding a goal.

Tom Reeves 6 Latics Games

Date

Competition

Result

Latics Cards

26 Aug 2025

EFL Cup

Latics 1:0 Stockport

0

23 Nov 2024

League One

Barnsley 0:1 Latics

3Y

20 Jan 2024

League One

Latics 1:0 Reading

2Y

19 Aug 2023

League One

Bolton 0:4 Latics

1Y

15Feb 2022

League One

Latics 2:0 Crewe

1Y

05 Oct 2021

EFL Trophy

Crewe 2:0 Latics

3Y

Tom Reeves Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 32

Yellows – 98

Reds – 1

Penalties – 6

 Barnsley v Wigan Athletic

Referee – Tom Reeves

Assistants – Joe Larkin & Steve Durnall

4th Official – Mark Cunliffe

Grab a listen to the latest podcast featuring a preview of the Orient game

Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Meet The Ref - Reading v Latics

Latics travel down to Royal Berkshire on Saturday to face Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, Gary Caldwell looking for his first away win in a League One fixture since returning to the club, scheduled to take charge of the game is Wallasey based referee, Steve Copeland.

 


Copeland, a police detective by trade, made his debut in the EFL last season, clocking up 3 League Two games and the Lincoln City v Cambridge United 1:1 draw at Sincil Bank in February 2025.

So far this season, Detective Steve has been in charge of 18 first class games, 8 in League Two and 7 in the National League, Saturday will be his first at League One level this campaign, though he did take charge of Doncaster’s 3:1 home win over Bradford in the EFL Trophy, and Lincoln’s away defeat via penalties to Salford in the FA Cup 1st round, 9 yellows and a red card in that particular encounter.

Previous Games

Saturday will be the first time that Steve Copeland has taken charge of either a Latics or Reading game, though he was the 4th Official for our 1:0 away defeat at Cardiff in January, what an enthralling affair that was.

Steve Copeland Card Watch 2025/26

Games – 18

Yellows – 64

Reds – 1

Penalty Awards – 3

Reading v Wigan Athletic
Referee
– Steven Copeland
Assistants – Dan D’Urso and Richard Morris
Fourth Official – Alan Creswell

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Reading game