Written by Craig Podevin @craigpodevin
1 loss in 9 is impressive and we have another favourable draw in the FA Cup. Although Moyes claims it’s not a priority, the team selection for Shrewsbury and some key substitutions (Arnautovic coming on mainly) shows that he does have some interest in it. More than Big Sam v Nottingham Forest anyway! Hopefully we can be singing ‘Marko’s on fire’ rather than Wigan singing ‘Will Grigg’s on fire’!
General information:
Stadium: DW Stadium
Capacity: 25,023
Address: Loire Drive, Wigan, WN5 0UZ
Away seating: Normally 4,800
The DW Stadium has been Wigan’s home since 1999 and has been shared with Wigan Warriors Rugby League club. It’s made up of four single tiered stands that are all approximately the same height, but are also quite steep meaning fans sitting in the back rows are still fairly close, however the stands themselves are quite far from the pitch.
Travel:
Train
The 2 central train stations for Wigan are Wigan North Western and Wallgate. These are both about 20 minutes from the ground, so you can either walk (and stop at the later-mentioned pubs!) or get a taxi to the ground.
From Wigan North Western, turn left and follow the road under the railway bridge. If you are going to Wallgate, turn right and you will also walk past Wigan North Western on your left. From here it is fairly straightforward, keep following the road until it forks near a Dominos Pizza shop. Stick to the right carrying on past topps Tiles on your right. You will reach a bridge over a canal, and from there you should be able to see the DW Stadium on your right. You can either turn right from this bridge and follow the local fans, or continue under another railway bridge then turn right into Frith Road which leads to the stadium.
Car
Leave the M6 at Junction 25 to the A49 towards Wigan. After approximately 2 ½ miles you will pass a junction on the left with the 1577 and approach a large roundabout that has a McDonalds. Continue straight over the roundabout but keep in the left lane. At the lights, be in the left hand filter lane by Asda. Continue straight on pass the Red Robin pub on the right, at the next roundabout go straight and the next traffic lights turn right into stadium way.
Parking
The ground has a large car park specifically for the use of away fans. This costs £5 per car or motorbike, £10 for mini-busses or £20 for coaches. As expected, after the game there can sometimes be a long wait to get out of the car park.
The nearby retail park has a 2 hour limit on parking, so avoid it at all costs as it can leave you with a £50 fine.
Food and drink:
On the concourse at the ground, you are able to purchase food such as Holland Pies including chunky steak, meat and potato and cheese pie which all cost £2.60 and Herta hot dogs available for £2.90. Alcohol is also available on the concourse, with Fosters, Strongbow and John Smiths all costing £3.20 a pint. You can only purchase 2 pints per person due to how busy it can get, there are only 2 counters serving beer the largest of which has a queuing system forced by stewards. The counters that serve alcohol do not serve food.
There’s a dedicated bar for away fans called Marquee Bar, with the entrance near the away turnstiles. It sells pies, teas and coffee as well as alcohol and features large screens showing sports.
The traditional pub for away fans is the Red Robin, which is a few minutes’ walk from the stadium opposite the cinema complex.
The town centre features a Wetherspoons pub called the Moon Under Water and it’s also 20 minutes from the ground. It also features the Anvil pub near the bus station, both pubs are featured on the CAMRA good beer guide.
Near the railway station is Berkeley on Wallgate, which has mixed fans and serves five real ales.
Stay safe throughout the day, it’s a long journey! Support the lads and let’s work our way towards an FA cup! Come On You Irons! -@CraigPodevin