Any Previous? Morecambe v Latics

Wigan Athletic and Morecambe have never met competitively has Football League clubs, but they do have a rich history of encounters in non-league football.  

 

FA Cup

1934-35 Latics and Morecambe met for the first time way back on the 13^th October 1934 in the FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round.

 

The Latics were playing in the Cheshire League at the time and were current Champions, Morecambe were plying their trade in the Lancashire Combination, the tie was played at Christie Park, a powerful performance saw the visitors run out winners  0-5 with a certain J. Roberts scoring four times for the Latics, Scott got the 5^th.

 

That tie was part of a very famous cup run for Wigan Athletic, next up we beat Dick Kerr’s FC – Preston based club more famous for their ladies team - on the way to the 1^st round proper where we recorded the highest ever away win by a non league club over a league club, beating Carlisle 6-1 at Brunton Park in the 1^st round, 20,000 on at Springfield Park for round 2 when we dispatched with Torquay 2:0 before succumbing to Millwall in the 3^rd round 4:1.

 

We met again in the FA Cup in the 1961/62 season, the 4^th qualifying round, this time Morecambe getting some revenge beating the Latics 2:0 at Christie Park.

 

FA Trophy

1972/73 Latics and Morecambe also met in the FA Trophy quarter final in 1973 on our way to Wembley, but it took 3 games to get past the Shrimps, drawing 1:1 away we brought them back to Springfield Park for a replay, but that finished goalless and we had to meet at a neutral ground to settle matters, Ewood Park, Blackburn. The Latics running out winners with a narrow 1:0 victory.

 

Morecambe went on to win the FA Trophy the following season at Wembley

 

Lancashire Combination & Northern Premier League

The Latics left the Cheshire League in the late 1940s and were elected to the Lancashire Combination in 1947. We met many times in the Lanc’s Combination over the next twenty years, and,  Morecambe, like the Latics, were also founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968 and we would face each other over the next ten seasons until we gained election to the Football league on 3 June 1978.

 

That last season 1977/78 we won away at Christie Park 1-2 and drew the return fixture at Springfield Park 1-1, Morecambe finished 21^st whilst we ended the season as runners-up.

 

Standout Game

Many people assume that the first game to be played at the newly constructed JJB Stadium was against Manchester United, Beckham, Ronaldo et al, that game may have been the official opener but the first game to be played there was a few days earlier, 1^st August 1999, when Morecambe visited on a stormy Sunday.

 

4.020 supporters braved the elements and an extremely violent thunder storm as we embarked on a new era, it was fitting that one of our oldest and friendliest rivals were the guests on that day, for the record, a goalless draw was played out.