Manchester City Football Club is an English football club who play in the Premier League and at the City of Manchester Stadium. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton), they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 before changing their name to Manchester City Football Club in 1894. The club's most successful period was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when they won the League Championship, the FA Cup, the League Cup and European Cup Winners' CupJoe Mercer and Malcolm Allison and with players including Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee. under the management team of
Since winning the League Cup in 1976, the club has failed to win any major honours. The club's decline led to relegation twice in three years in the 1990s, spending the 1998–99 season in the third tier of English football. The club has since regained top flight status, the level at which they have spent the majority of their history. In 2008 they were purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group, making the club one of the most financially powerful in the world, resulting in the transfers of a number of high profile players. They are currently managed by Roberto Mancini.
It is widely accepted that Manchester City F.C. was founded as St. Mark's (West Gorton) in 1880 by Anna Connell and two churchwardens of St. Mark's Church, in Gorton, a district in east Manchester.[3] Prior to this, St. Mark's played cricket from 1875 and the side evolved out of that cricket team – the key organiser was Church Warden William Beastow.[4] In 1887, they moved to a new ground at Hyde Road, in Ardwick just to the east of the city centre, and were renamed Ardwick Association Football Club to reflect their new location.[5] Ardwick joined the Football League as founding members of the Second Division in 1892. Financial troubles in the 1893–94 season led to a reorganisation within the club, and Ardwick were reformed as Manchester City Football Club.[6]
For more details on this topic, see History of Manchester City F.C. (1880–1965).
Wigan Athletic Football Club (pronounced /ˈwɪɡən/) is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. They compete in the Premier League, in which they have been playing since their promotion from the Football League in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.[3]
They have played at the DW Stadium since 1999, which they now own, sharing the stadium with rugby league club Wigan Warriors.[4] They previously played at Springfield Park for 67 years.[5]
As of the 2009–10 season, Wigan Athletic are the youngest club in the Premier League,[6] having only been formed in 1932.
Wigan Athletic FC was formed in 1932, following the winding up of Wigan Borough the previous year. Wigan Athletic was the fifth attempt to create a stable football club in the town following the demise of Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and Wigan Borough. Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough, was purchased by the club and they were elected to the Cheshire County League.
In its early history, Wigan Athletic's most notable exploits came in the FA Cup. In the 1934–35 season, Wigan Athletic beat Carlisle United 6–1 in the first round, setting a cup record for the biggest victory by a non-league club over a league club, a record only equalled in 1955 by Boston United, and again in 1957 by Hereford United.
In 1945, Wigan Athletic were elected to a different league, the Lancashire Combination, and in 1950 came close to election to the Football League, narrowly losing out to Scunthorpe United. In the 1953–54 season, Wigan Athletic played an FA Cup match against Hereford United in front of a crowd of 27,526, a Wigan Athletic record and also a record for a match between two non-league teams at a non-league ground. In 1961, the club moved back to the Cheshire County League.
In 1968, Wigan Athletic were founder members of the Northern Premier League, known since 1994 as the UniBond League. Winning the league title in 1970/71, Leading goalscorer with 42 goals, including 7 hatricks, was Geoff Davies who scored 28 goals in the following 1971/72 season. He left to play in America with Eusebio, (and against Pele, George Best, Rodney Marsh, and Franz Beckenbauer). After 34 failed election attempts, including one controversial but headline-making application in 1972 to join the Scottish League Second Division, Wigan Athletic were elected to the Football League in 1978.
The first floodlit match was played at Springfield Park on 19 October 1966, when Wigan Athletic played Crewe Alexandra, with the official opening of the floodlights on 24 October 1966, when Manchester City were the visitors. City brought a full strength team to Springfield Park and won 4–0.
Watch match Manchester City vs Wigan Athletic online live stram 19-9-2010