- Latics announce first official Wigan Athletic women’s team ahead of 2024/25 season
- League to be announced in due course and trials to be held in May
- Women’s Focus Group to be set up with the club to work alongside current grassroots teams
Wigan Athletic are proud to announce the launch of their first official club affiliated women’s team which is set to be formed ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Lancashire FA has approved the club’s registration within the football pyramid with the team’s league participation to be confirmed in due course.
The club is currently working on securing a regular home for the women’s team to play their fixtures on a Sunday and trials for the squad will be held in May ahead of the 2024/25 season. Full details on trials and the league confirmation will follow in due course.
Moving forward the club will look to create a female focus group with anyone who is involved in the women’s game, including local grassroots football teams playing a big part as they lend their experience, help us shape the offer and build on the great work which already goes on across the borough.
The long-term vision is to offer a structured team that falls under the official Wigan Athletic brand and forms part of the historic football club.
The club aims to develop younger age groups in the future which ultimately provides a professional environment fulfilled by professional coaches and staff which gives us the infrastructure to move forward in the years ahead.
Wigan Athletic Chairman, Ben Goodburn said: “We are thrilled to launch the club’s first official Wigan Athletic women’s team.
“Since we took ownership of the football club, enhancing football opportunities for women and girls in the town has been a key priority of ours.
“We will help provide the team with the resources, support and governance it needs to grow, and we are confident this investment will not only help the team but women’s football in the borough.”
Sporting Director, Gregor Rioch said: “This is groundbreaking news for us at Wigan Athletic Football Club with our first-ever official women’s team and we are therefore really excited about the future”.
“The women’s game has progressed rapidly over the past 10 years and it’s really important we develop our own and give more opportunities to women and girls in the area.
“The North West is a hotbed of football and Wigan as a borough is well versed with women and girls football teams at different clubs who are doing an amazing job and we see this as a great opportunity for Wigan Athletic to start from a fresh and enhance the offer.”
Head of Safeguarding at Wigan Athletic, Genna Banks said:“Outside of work I have been part of a really successful grassroots rugby club, and it is great to be involved in supporting the football club in developing a women’s and girls’ section.
“It’s really important we continue the great work of the local grassroots clubs and make sure the girls in our town have the opportunity to represent their hometown club.
“I am sure the grassroots clubs will work with us to help build on the offer. All clubs want their girls to go on and play for the best and we are hoping we can provide that in the future.”
Lancashire FA’s Women’s Recreational Football Officer Katie Makinson said: “This launch of the Wigan Athletic women’s team shows the continued growth of women and girls football in the county.
“It was a pleasure to guide club officials through the process to set up and affiliate their new team and we are looking forward to seeing the success they achieve.”
Further details about how you can join the women’s team focus group and attend trials in May will be announced in due course.