Meet The Ref - Latics v Bolton

Latics are back at it on Saturday, local club Bolton Wanderers will be the visitors to the DW Stadium as we press our case for automatic promotion, West Riding referee, Sam Barrott will take charge of this game. 

Sam Barrott

This is Barrott’s second season on the National List of referees having been promoted from the National League for the start of the last campaign.

 

He’s taken charge of four games involving the Latics two coming last season, our Football League Trophy defeat 1:3 to Port Vale at the DW Stadium in October and our epic away win at Burton Albion in late December when a Kyle Joseph hat-trick and a Will Keane goal saw us take the three points in a pulsating game that finished 3:4. Barrott didn’t produce a single card in either game.

 

This season Barrott took charge of our home game with Sheffield Wednesday in September, we lost that one and had both Tendayi Darikwa and Jack Whatmough booked, and our away win at Morecambe in January, Kell Watts picking up a yellow in that game.

 

Sam Barrott has taken charge of four Bolton games previously, two of which came this season, a 0:1 away at Lincoln in August and their 5:3 defeat away at non-league Stockport in the FA Cup.

 

Barrott became a referee due to an injury playing football for Halifax Town Youth Team, his injury left him unable to do contact sport for 9 months. His granddad advised him to take the referee’s course whilst he was out injured and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

He cites both Bobby and Andy Madley as his role models.

 

Last Game Barrott was in charge of the Cambridge 0:1 MK Dons League One game on the 19^th March, issuing 4 yellows 1 to Cambridge, 4 to MK Dons.

 

Sam Barrott’s Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
19 Jan 2022	League One	Morecambe 1:2 Latics	1 Yellow
28 Sep 2021	League One	Latics 1:2 Sheff Weds	2 Yellow
29 Dec 2020	League One	Burton 3:4 Latics	0
06 Oct 2020	EFL Trophy	Latics 1:3 Port Vale	0

This referee has a ©Latics Love Factor of 50%

 

Sam Barrott Watch 2021/22

Games – 32

Yellows – 128

Reds – 3

Penalty Awards – 5

 

Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers
Referee – Sam Barrott
Assistants – Wayne Grunnill and Jonathon Bickerdike
Fourth Official – Paul Graham 

 

Don’t forget to vote in our Player Of The Season poll.

 To vote simply send an email with your player nomination to pwupots2022@gmail.com mark your email POTS.

 

PWU Player of the Season Voting Now Open

It’s that time of the season when we start to think about which player has been the standout as we open our Player of the Season poll.

 

This year the voting will be via a specifically created email address pwupots2022@gmail.com

 

So who is your choice as Wigan Athletic player if the 2022 season?

 

Personally I feel that this season is one of the most difficult that there has been to single out just one player, such has been the level of consistency across the whole of the squad. There is also the question of what criteria to use to help you make that choice.

 

Some people argue that goals win you games and look to the leading goal scorers from the squad, but there are also players who score the big goals, the ones that really do win you games, think Curtis Tilt at Fleetwood, James McClean at Oxford, Callum Lang at Plymouth, Stevie Humphrys at Morecambe and of course Will Keane at home to Rotherham.

 

Others look to the defence, ‘success is built from the back’ is a term often used in football and we have had some excellent performances across the back line this season, Jack Whatmough an obvious contender, Ben Amos with thirteen clean sheets in the league so far this campaign is another.

 

Max Power with his assists, Tom Naylor here, there and everywhere, James McClean with his heart on his sleeve, Tendayi Darikwa leading on and off the pitch, Kell Watts, Jason Kerr, Tom Bayliss, Gwion Edwards, Gavin Massey, Tom Pearce and Josh Magennis have all contributed to top performances and great wins.

 

Our man of the match polls throughout the season have had 21 different winners, again showing the level of consistency across the whole squad, below is a list of the players who have picked up the accolade.

 

Man of The Match Winners 2021/22

Callum Lang, Scott Smith, Gwion Edwards, James McClean, Max Power, Charlie Wyke, Kell Watts, Sam Tickle, Tom Naylor, Will Keane, Tom Bayliss, Baba Adeeko, Jason Kerr, Thelo Aasgaard, Jack Whatmough, Curtis Tilt, Gavin Massey, Ben Amos, James Carragher, Stevie Humphrys and Graeme Shinnie

Top Three:

Lang 6

Power 5

Naylor 4

 

So whatever criteria you use, goals, defending, consistency, match winners, personality, get you off your seat moments, leadership or a combination of those, consider, choose and vote via the dedicated email address.

 

To vote, simply send an email with your player nomination to pwupots2022@gmail.com mark your email POTS, please only vote once as votes from an email address will only be counted once.

 

To help you make your mind up, this week’s podcast features a POTS special and is embedded below.

 

Any Previous? - Latics v Morecambe

The Latics and Morecambe have met only once in the Football League, but the two clubs share a rich history in the non-league circles.

 

We have met twice in the FA Cup, the first meeting in a competitive fixture was way back on the 13^th October 1934 in the FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round, 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, the Latics running out winners 0-5.

 

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

 

Both Latics and Morecambe have been to Wembley, in the FA Trophy, and on our journey there we crossed paths in the quarter final, 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.

 

The Latics left the Cheshire League in the late 1940s and were elected to the Lancashire Combination in 1947. We met Morecambe 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 (NPL) in 1968 and we would face each other over the next ten seasons until we gained election to the Football league on 3rd June 1978.

 

That last season in the NPL, 1977/78, we had mixed fortunes against Morecambe winning away on a late summers evening at Christie Park 1-2. 

Following a goalless first half, Parry had given the Shrimps a 65th minute lead, but the Latics battled back with a Mickey Worswick double, a penalty on 77 mins and an 89 min last gasp winner in front of a crowd of 425.

 

The return fixture was played on New Years Eve 1977, Tommy Gore gave the title chasing Latics the lead just before the hour mark only for Towers to equalise for Morecambe 15 minutes later, the game ending with a disappointing 1-1 draw with 1,691 in attendance at Springfield Park. 

Morecambe finished the season in 21^st whilst we ended as runners-up but still gained our objective of election to the Football League.

*Thank you to Latics historian Jeff Rourke for the 77/78 season information.

 

Morecambe were also the first visitors to the then named JJB Stadium, on the 1^st August 1999. 4,020 spectators witnessed a goalless draw.

 

Last Meeting

Our last meeting with the Shrimps came on the 18^th January this year, a League One fixture, Cole Stockton put Morecambe in front on 7 minutes, but a Will Keane goal on the stroke of half-time and Stevie Humphrys’ header on 73 minutes saw the Latics run out winners 1:2.

Latics – Amos; Darikwa, Whatmough, Watts, Pearce; Power, Naylor; Massey, Lang, McClean; Keane

Subs – Jones, Edwards, Kerr, Shinnie, Bayliss, Aasgaard, Humphrys

Attendance – 5,359

 

Highlights – Morecambe 1:2 Wigan Athletic

 

 

Morecambe Current Form

Morecambe currently sit 22^nd in League One with 32 points from 38 games, their recent form is, DLDLL. 

Currently on a run of 11 league games without a win, five draws and six defeats.

 

Their last game was on Tuesday away at Shrewsbury Town where they lost 5:0.

 

Away Form

Morecambe’s 19 away games so far this season have brought 10 points, with 2 wins, 13 defeats & 4 draws, scoring 19 goals and conceding 43. The 2^nd worst away form in League One.

 

Player To Watch – Cole Stockton

Cole Stockton

 

The 28 year old striker is undoubtedly a talisman for Morecambe, he has bagged 19 goals so far this season in the most prolific of his career, some of those goals have been breathtaking.

 

Stockton came through the ranks at Tranmere and it is fair to say he’s been a bit of a journey man playing at Southport, Wrexham, Carlisle and in Scotland with Hearts, before finding his feet at Morecambe.  

 

So far this season, Cole Stockton has made 36 appearances for Crewe. He’s scored 19 goals from 120 attempts, committed 52 fouls and drawn 37, picking up four yellow cards along the way.

 

Stockton leads the line well, drifts around the final third and he is difficult to pick up creating space for himself with his movement. He was excellent against the Latics in the reverse fixture in January, scored a poachers goal, but was also unlucky with a couple of efforts from range, which this season has been his trademark, most definitely a player to watch.

 

Full League Record v Morecambe

Played – 1

Won – 1

Drawn – 0 

Lost – 0

 

Last Five Meetings

Date	Competition	Result
18 Jan 2022	League One	Morecambe 1:2 Latics
01 Aug 1999	Opening JJB	Latics 0:0 Morecambe
13 Sep 1977	NPL	Morecambe 1:2 Latics
31 Dec 1977	NPL	Latics 1:1 Morecambe