PWU Latics Team Of The Season 2020/21

 On last week’s PWU Latics podcast we set about choosing our Wigan Athletic XI for the 2020/21 season.

 

There was quite a bit of discussion both on and off air about the validity of players to be included, number of games played, length of time at the club etc, but in the end we decided if they’d played once they were in the frame.

 

There were also some very close calls, Robinson or Pearce at left back, can we fit Kal Naismith in, what about Joe Dodoo, who was excellent once he got a run in the side, Tom James had a decent enough time with us, even Joe Garner came into the discussion.

 

In the end we went with the team selected below

 

Going with a 4-2-3-1 formation here is the Progress With Unity Wigan Athletic team of the season:

 Do you agree? Would you make any changes? Let us know via our twitter feed, Facebook page or leaving a comment below.

Grab a listen to the Season Finale podcast and see how we came to pick the team of the season.

PWU Latics Podcast Player Of The Season

What a season 2020/21 has been, a real battle ground with heroes making their mark in the Wigan Athletic ‘Lounge of Legends’.

 

Callum Lang

To pick a ‘Player of the Season’ this particular May was a very difficult task for myself and so it proved for everyone else who took part and voted in our poll to find the Progress With Unity Podcast POTS.

 

I could go through the entire squad almost and make a case for each of them to receive the accolade, sacrifices made both on and off the pitch in the service of the club, playing through the pain barrier, being leaders in the dressing room, scoring and creating goals, playing with hearts on their sleeves, immensely proud of them all.

 

There has to be a winner though and it is a choice that no one can argue with, sent out to Motherwell on loan back in the summer, a decision that left most Latics supporters scratching their heads, he was recalled in January and scored in his first game back, the 3-3 draw away at Rochdale, he went on to finish the season on nine goals from 23 games, including the match winner away at Shrewsbury, the PWU Podcast Player of the Season for 2021, as voted for by you, the listeners, is Latics number 9, Callum Lang.

 

Congratulations to Langy and a massive thank you to the entire squad who gave their all this season, a debt of gratitude is owed to each and every one of them.

 

The voting was extremely close with Curtis Tilt, Jamie Jones and Will Keane very much in the running.

 

Any Previous? - Latics v Swindon Town

 Latics and Swindon have met 14 times down the years, results are split right down the middle with five wins apiece and four draws.

 

The first meeting came in the 1986/87 season, Lou Macari was in charge at the County Ground and we met four times that campaign, first two coming in the league, a win a piece, the next two were in the playoffs for a place in English Football’s second tier.

 

The first leg was at Springfield Park, Latics raced into a two goal lead with efforts from Chris Thompson and David Lowe, but the appearance of the Northern Lights over the Shevington End proved to be a bad omen and Swindon fought back to 2:2 and then scored a late winner to take a lead into the 2^nd leg, that game ended goalless and Swindon gained promotion. 

 

Match Highlights Latics 2:3 Swindon Town

  

The last time we met at the DW Stadium was on Halloween 2015 in a League 1 encounter, the game ended 1:0 to the Latics, Francisco Junior scoring in the 96^th minute which was just reward following 95 minutes of time wasting by Swindon keeper Lawrence Vigouroux.

 

Match Highlights Latics 1:0 Swindon Town

 

 

Full Record v Swindon Town

Played – 14

Won – 5

Drawn – 4

Lost – 5

 

Last Six Meetings

Competition	Date	Result
League 1	02 Feb 2021	Swindon Town 1:0 Latics
League 1	25 Mar 2016	Swindon Town 1:4 Latics
League 1	31 Oct 2015	Latics 1:0 Swindon Town
FA Cup	07 Jan 2012	Swindon Town 2:1 Latics
League Division 2	25 Jan 2003	Swindon Town 2:1 Latics
League Division 2	28 Dec 2002	Latics 2:0 Swindon Town

Meet The Ref - Latics v Swindon Town

 

Latics end, what has possibly been the most traumatic season in the clubs history, on Sunday when Swindon Town visit the DW Stadium in the final game of this campaign. The referee will be 58 year old Preston based official, Graham Salisbury, in what will be Graham’s final game as a ref, in a nice touch by the powers that be, his fourth official is Mike Salisbury, his son.

 

Graham Salisbury

To say Salisbury is an experienced ref would be something of an understatement with over 20 seasons under his belt, this will be his 588th game, his first Football League game came way back in January 2002 when he took charge of the Rotherham v Grimsby match.

 

Strangely though, in all his time officiating he has only taken charge of two Latics games previously.

 

The first time we had ‘G’ man was our 2:2 draw with Bury at Gigg Lane back in October 2015, which was memorable for Craig Morgan’s last minute equaliser in front of the traveling supporters.

 

Game number 2 was one to forget, 15 December 2020, Rochdale the visitors to the DW, yep, that 0:5 home defeat to our relegation rivals, a night to forget.

 

Graham Salisbury has been in charge of 29 games so far this campaign, 11 in League One, 14 in League Two, 2 in the Football League Trophy and once in each of the FA and EFL cups.

 

His last game was the Forest Green Rovers v Scunthorpe United League 2 match on Saturday 17 April which ended 3:2 in favour of Forest Green, Salisbury awarded 19 free kicks during the game (9:10), producing five yellow cards (2:3) and awarded Forest Green a penalty on 79 minutes, which Nicky Cadden missed.

 

All the best on your retirement Graham and here's hoping for an incident free game to sign off with on Sunday.

 

Graham Salisbury Card Watch 2020/21

Games – 29

Yellows – 87

Reds – 2

Penalty Awards – 5

 

Wigan Athletic v Swindon Town
Referee – Graham Salisbury
Assistants – Chris Isherwood and Gary Hilton
Fourth Official – Mike Salisbury (Graham’s son)