1999–2000 Wigan Athletic F.C. season explained

Club:	Wigan Athletic
Season:	1999–2000
Manager:	John Benson
Chairman:	Dave Whelan
Stadium:	JJB Stadium
League:	Second Division
League Result:	4th
Cup1:	FA Cup
Cup1 Result:	Third round
Cup2:	League Cup
Cup2 Result:	Second round
Cup3:	Football League Trophy
Cup3 Result:	Second round
League Topscorer:	Barlow (18)
Average Attendance:	7,007
Prevseason:	1998–99
Nextseason:	2000–01

During the 1999–2000 English football season, Wigan Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

Season summary

On 1 June 1999, John Benson was appointed as Wigan's manager. As Wigan settled into their new home at the JJB Stadium, Benson's side went 26 league games undefeated, before losing at home to Oldham Athletic on 7 January 2000, Benson picking up 2 Manager of the Month awards in the process. Towards the end of the season Wigan lost their form and found themselves in the play-off final at Wembley against Gillingham. A few days prior to the game, Benson had announced he was stepping down but remained to lead his team out at Wembley and ultimately a 3–2 defeat after being 2–1 up with only 7 minutes of extra time remaining.^[1]

Transfers

In

No.	Player	Position	From	Fee	Date	Notes
8		MF		£600,000	22 June 1999	^[2]
21		MF		Free	24 June 1999	^[3]
6		DF		Free	3 July 1999	^[4]
22		MF		Free	3 July 1999
13		GK		Free	30 July 1999	^[5]
25		DF		Free	15 August 1999	^[6]
29		MF		Free	30 November 1999	^[7]
34		MF		£250,000	30 November 1999
12		FW		£400,000	18 February 2000	^[8]
32		MF		£112,500	18 March 2000	^[9]

Out

No.	Player	Position	To	Fee	Date	Notes
12		FW		£100,000	19 November 1999	^[10]
25		DF		Free	7 December 1999	^[11]
30		MF		Free	25 March 2000
26		DF	Retired		30 June 2000

Final league table

See main article: 1999–2000 Football League.

Results

Wigan Athletic's score comes first^[12]

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League Second Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers	Notes
7 August 1999	Scunthorpe United	H	3–0	7,481	Haworth (2), Barlow (pen)
14 August 1999	Millwall	A	3–3	8,165	Liddell, Balmer, Barlow
21 August 1999	Bristol City	H	2–1	7,103	Barlow, Haworth
28 August 1999	Preston North End	A	4–1	13,885	Barlow (3, 1 pen), Haworth
30 August 1999	Cambridge United	H	1–1	5,976	McGibbon
11 September 1999	Bristol Rovers	H	3–1	6,927	Sheridan, Barlow, Haworth
18 September 1999	Stoke City	A	1–1	11,195	Mohan (own goal)
25 September 1999	Cardiff City	A	0–0	7,679
2 October 1999	Luton Town	H	1–0	6,866	Barlow
16 October 1999	Reading	A	2–0	7,708	Barlow, Bradshaw (pen)
19 October 1999	Wrexham	A	1–1	3,392	Martínez
23 October 1999	Cardiff City	H	2–0	5,728	Martínez, Kilford
26 October 1999	Colchester United	A	2–2	2,915	Barlow, Liddell
2 November 1999	Chesterfield	H	3–0	4,376	Liddell, Barlow (2, 1 pen)
6 November 1999	Blackpool	A	2–2	4,535	Jones, Barlow
12 November 1999	Wycombe Wanderers	H	2–1	5,523	Barlow, Balmer
16 November 1999	Bournemouth	H	3–1	4,338	Green, de Zeeuw, Barlow
23 November 1999	Bury	A	2–2	4,086	Barlow, Haworth
27 November 1999	Burnley	H	1–1	11,986 (6,546 away)	Haworth
4 December 1999	Scunthorpe United	A	2–1	3,463	Liddell, Martínez
18 December 1999	Brentford	H	1–0	5,498	de Zeeuw
26 December 1999	Notts County	A	2–0	8,176	O'Neill, Liddell
28 December 1999	Gillingham	H	2–0	8,054	McLoughlin, Sheridan
3 January 2000	Oxford United	A	2–1	5,915	Haworth (2)
7 January 2000	Oldham Athletic	H	0–1	6,487
15 January 2000	Millwall	H	1–1	6,304	O'Neill
22 January 2000	Bristol City	A	0–0	10,758
5 February 2000	Cambridge United	A	1–1	3,755	Barlow
12 February 2000	Colchester United	H	0–1	6,022
19 February 2000	Burnley	A	0–0	20,435
26 February 2000	Stoke City	H	1–2	9,429	Green
4 March 2000	Bristol Rovers	A	1–1	11,109	Liddell	^[13]
7 March 2000	Blackpool	H	5–1	6,451	Liddell, Griffiths, Haworth, Barlow, Sheridan
11 March 2000	Chesterfield	A	1–1	3,106	Cooke
18 March 2000	Bury	H	1–0	6,567	Liddell
21 March 2000	Wycombe Wanderers	A	2–0	3,821	de Zeeuw, Haworth
25 March 2000	Notts County	H	2–0	6,094	Redfearn (2, 1 pen)
1 April 2000	Brentford	A	2–0	4,479	Redfearn (pen), Powell (own goal)
4 April 2000	Preston North End	H	0–1	15,993
8 April 2000	Oxford United	H	2–0	4,848	Haworth (2)
11 April 2000	Oldham Athletic	A	1–2	5,697	Redfearn (pen)
15 April 2000	Gillingham	A	1–2	7,746	Pennock (own goal)
22 April 2000	Reading	H	1–0	5,855	Redfearn (pen)
24 April 2000	Luton Town	A	1–1	5,010	Redfearn (pen)
29 April 2000	Wrexham	H	0–1	7,245
6 May 2000	Bournemouth	A	2–2	6,512	McGibbon, Roberts

Second Division play-offs

See main article: 2000 Football League Second Division play-off final.

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers!!Notes

Semi-final (1st leg)	13 May 2000	Millwall	A	0–0	14,091
Semi-final (2nd leg)	17 May 2000	Millwall	H	1–0	10,642	Sheridan
Final	28 May 2000	Gillingham	N	2–3 (a.e.t.)	53,764	Haworth, Barlow (pen)	^[14]

FA Cup

See main article: 1999–2000 FA Cup.

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

First	30 October 1999	Cambridge City	A	2–0	4,024 (337 away)	Barlow (2)
Second	20 November 1999	Wycombe Wanderers	A	2–2	2,992 (294 away)	Haworth (2)
Second (replay)	30 November 1999	Wycombe Wanderers	H	2–1	3,967	Liddell, Haworth
Third	11 December 1999	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	0–1	10,531

League Cup

See main article: 1999–2000 Football League Cup.

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

First (1st leg)	10 August 1999	York City	A	1–0	1,921 (1,063 away)	Haworth
First (2nd leg)	24 August 1999	York City	H	2–1 (won 3–1 on agg)	3,396	Barlow (2, 1 pen)
Second (1st leg)	14 September 1999	Watford	A	0–2	6,628 (598 away)
Second (2nd leg)	21 September 1999	Watford	H	3–1 (lost on away goals)	5,006	Haworth (2), Bradshaw (pen)

Football League Trophy

See main article: 1999–2000 Football League Trophy.

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

First (Northern)	7 December 1999	Burnley	H	2–1 (a.e.t.)	2,085	Bradshaw (pen), Morris
Second (Northern)	25 January 2000	Carlisle United	A	1–2	1,321 (320 away)	Martínez

Squad

^[15]

Left club during season

Notes and References

1. Web site: Second time lucky for Gills. BBC Sport. 28 May 2000. 19 March 2014.
2. News: Curbishley stays Charlton boss signs new four-year deal . Western Daily Press . 22 June 1999 . Bristol . . subscription.
3. Web site: Sporting Digest: Football . The Independent . 9 January 2023 . 24 June 1999.
4. News: Darren Sheridan - Footie index . 9 January 2023 . The Sun . 3 July 1999 . 57 . . subscription.
5. News: Football: Wigan boost for Del . Daily Mirror . 30 July 1999 . London . 58 . . subscription.
6. Web site: Sporting Digest: Football . The Independent . 10 January 2023 . 15 August 1999.
7. News: Football: Wolves set to face old rivals . 9 January 2023 . Birmingham Mail . 1 December 1999 . 44 . . subscription.
8. Web site: Wright wants boots to do the talking . Lancashire Telegraph . 9 January 2023 . 18 February 2000.
9. Web site: Brodkin . Jon . Ferguson home again at Everton . The Guardian . 9 January 2023 . 18 March 2000.
10. Web site: Staniforth . Tommy . Football: Barlow driving hard bargain . The Independent . 10 January 2023 . 20 November 1999.
11. News: Mark Bowen - Footie index . 10 January 2023 . The Sun . 7 December 1999 . London . 49 . . subscription.
12. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2783&season_id=129&teamTabs=results Soccerbase: 1999-2000 Wigan Athletic results
13. Web site: Lansley . Peter . Wigan pressure not quite enough . The Guardian . 9 January 2023 . 5 March 2000.
14. Web site: Second time lucky for Gills . BBC News . 9 January 2023 . 28 May 2000.
15. Web site: FootballSquads - Wigan Athletic - 1999/00.