2004–05 Wigan Athletic F.C. season

During the 2004–05 English football season, Wigan Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.

2004–05 Wigan Athletic F.C. season

Chairman	Dave Whelan
Manager	Paul Jewell
Stadium	JJB Stadium
Championship	2nd (promoted)
FA Cup	Third round proper
League Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	League: Nathan Ellington (24) All: Nathan Ellington (24)[1]
Highest home attendance	20,745 (vs. Sunderland, 5 April)
Lowest home attendance	7,547 (vs. Crewe Alexandra, 19 October)
Average home league attendance	11,562[2]
← 2003–04 2005–06 →

Season summary

After only 27 years as a Football League club, Wigan Athletic won promotion to English football's top flight for the first time in their history, securing promotion on the final day of the Championship league campaign as runners-up in their division. This was also their highest-ever finish in the Football League in their history. It was also only Wigan's second season in the second tier of the English league, having just missed out on the playoffs a year earlier.

Wigan's league success did not translate to the domestic cup competitions: they only played one match in each cup before being knocked out. This may have turned out to be beneficial to Wigan, as it allowed the club to focus on the league rather than a cup run.

First-team squad

Squad at end of season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  AUS John Filan 2 DF  ENG Paul Mitchell 3 MF  SCO Stephen McMillan 4 DF  ENG Matt Jackson 5 DF  BRA Emerson Thome 6 DF  ENG Ian Breckin 7 FW  SCO David Graham 8 MF  SWE Andreas Johansson 9 FW  ENG Nathan Ellington 10 FW  SCO Lee McCulloch 11 MF  IRL Graham Kavanagh 13 GK  ENG Gary Walsh 14 MF  IRL Alan Mahon

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  ENG David Wright 18 MF  ENG Jason Jarrett 19 DF  ENG Nicky Eaden 20 MF  SCO Gary Teale 21 MF  ENG Jimmy Bullard 22 FW  BRA Magno Vieira 23 GK  ENG James Salisbury 24 MF  IRL Gareth Whalley 25 MF  ENG Anthony Stephan 26 DF  ENG Leighton Baines 30 FW  GRN Jason Roberts 37 DF  ENG Kevin Lee

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  ENG Paul Mitchell (on loan to MK Dons) 8 FW  WAL Neil Roberts (to Doncaster Rovers) 12 MF  WAL Michael Flynn (to Gillingham) 16 MF  ENG Tony Dinning (to Bristol City) 16 FW  ENG Brett Ormerod (on loan from Southampton)

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF  DEN Per Frandsen (Retired) 25 DF  ENG Chris Lynch (to Hyde) 27 FW  ENG David Moore (to Hyde) 28 MF  ENG Greg Traynor (to Hyde)

Transfers In

Date	Name	Club From	Fee	Reference
24 May 2004	Per Frandsen	Bolton Wanderers	Free	[3]
16 June 2004	David Graham	Torquay United	£215,000	[4]
28 June 2004	David Wright	Crewe Alexandra	Undisclosed	[5]
4 August 2004	Emerson Thome	Bolton Wanderers	Free	[6]
15 September 2004	Gareth Whalley	Cardiff City	Free	[7]
8 January 2005	Andreas Johansson	Djurgardens IF	Undisclosed	[8]
4 March 2005	Graham Kavanagh	Cardiff City	£400,000	[9]

Transfers Out

Date	Name	Club To	Fee	Reference
26 May 2004	Jason de Vos	Ipswich Town	Free	[10]
23 June 2004	Andy Liddell	Sheffield United	Free	[11]
28 July 2004	Peter Kennedy	Peterborough United	Free
9 August 2004	Tony Dinning	Ipswich Town	Loan	[12]
6 December 2004	Tony Dinning	Bristol City	Free	[13]
	Michael Flynn	Gillingham	Free
	Neil Roberts	Doncaster Rovers
	Per Frandsen	None	Retirement

Pre-season

Pre-season friendlies^[14][15]

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Scorers	Attendance
13 July 2004	KFC Verbroedering Geel	A	W	3–1	McCulloch, J. Roberts, Vieira
15 July 2004	Patro Maasmechelen	A	W	4–0	Flynn, McCulloch, Graham (2)
20 July 2004	Southport	A	D	1–1	J. Roberts
21 July 2004	Leigh RMI	A	D	1–1	N. Roberts
24 July 2004	Bury	A	W	4–0	J. Roberts (2), Ellington (2)
27 July 2004	Halifax Town	A	W	3–0	Bullard, J. Roberts, Ellington (pen.)
28 July 2004	Burscough	A	W	5–4	N. Roberts (2), Dinning, Moore, Vieira
1 August 2004	Blackpool	A	W	5–0	McCulloch, Frandsen, Ellington (2), Graham	2,890

Results

Football League Championship

Championship match details^[16]

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score	Scorers	Attendance
7 August 2004	Nottingham Forest	H	D	1–1	McCulloch	12,035
10 August 2004	Millwall	A	W	2–0	McCulloch, Roberts	10,660
15 August 2004	West Ham United	A	W	3–1	Ellington (2), Roberts	23,271
21 August 2004	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	W	3–0	Ellington (2), Frandsen	8,681
28 August 2004	Sunderland	A	D	1–1	Roberts	26,330
30 August 2004	Cardiff City	H	W	2–1	Ellington (pen.), Roberts	9,004
11 September 2004	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	D	3–3	Jackson, Ellington, Roberts (pen.)	26,790
14 September 2004	Burnley	H	D	0–0		9,746
18 September 2004	Sheffield United	H	W	4–0	Ellington (2), Roberts (2)	10,682
25 September 2004	Derby County	A	D	1–1	McCulloch	26,113
28 September 2004	Watford	A	D	0–0		11,161
2 October 2004	Rotherham United	H	W	2–0	Roberts, Mahon	7,937
16 October 2004	Plymouth Argyle	A	W	2–1	Roberts (2)	14,443
19 October 2004	Crewe Alexandra	H	W	4–1	McCulloch, Ellington (2), Bullard	7,547
23 October 2004	Coventry City	H	W	4–1	Mahon, Graham, Ellington, Flynn	9,632
31 October 2004	Leeds United	A	W	2–0	Mahon, Bullard	27,432
2 November 2004	Stoke City	A	W	1–0	McCulloch	15,882
6 November 2004	Plymouth Argyle	H	L	0–2		10,294
22 November 2004	Queens Park Rangers	A	L	0–1		15,804
29 November 2004	Leicester City	H	D	0–0		10,924
2 December 2004	Reading	A	D	1–1	Mahon	22,114
6 December 2004	Preston North End	H	W	5–0	McCulloch, Mahon, Ellington (2), Roberts (pen.)	10,565
13 December 2004	Gillingham	H	W	2–0	Ellington, McCulloch	8,451
21 December 2004	Ipswich Town	A	L	1–2	Baines	28,286
26 December 2004	Derby County	H	L	1–2	Roberts	12,420
28 December 2004	Burnley	A	L	0–1		16,485
1 January 2005	Sheffield United	A	W	2–0	McCulloch, Ellington	21,869
4 January 2005	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	W	2–0	Ellington (2, 1 pen.)	10,335
15 January 2005	Rotherham United	A	W	2–0	Teale, Roberts	9,050
22 January 2005	Watford	H	D	2–2	McCulloch (2)	9,008
5 February 2005	Stoke City	H	L	0–1		9,938
12 February 2005	Crewe Alexandra	A	W	3–1	Roberts (2), Ellington (pen.)	7,981
19 February 2005	Leeds United	H	W	3–0	Ellington, Roberts, Mahon	17,177
23 February 2005	Coventry City	A	W	2–1	Teale, Ellington	12,130
26 February 2005	Gillingham	A	L	1–2	Ellington	7,209
5 March 2005	Ipswich Town	H	W	1–0	Ellington (pen.)	16,744
12 March 2005	Millwall	H	W	2–0	Ellington (pen.), Roberts	9,614
15 March 2005	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	W	4–2	Bullard, McCulloch, Teale, Roberts	6,306
19 March 2005	Nottingham Forest	A	D	1–1	McCulloch	24,008
2 April 2005	West Ham United	H	L	1–2	Roberts	12,933
5 April 2005	Sunderland	H	L	0–1		20,745
9 April 2005	Cardiff City	A	W	2–0	Roberts, Mahon	16,858
16 April 2005	Leicester City	A	W	2–0	Ormerod (2)	23,894
23 April 2005	Queens Park Rangers	H	D	0–0		12,007
30 April 2005	Preston North End	A	D	1–1	McCulloch	20,221
8 May 2005	Reading	H	W	3–1	McCulloch, Roberts, Ellington	19,662