Well Done Wigan

It was that special Saturday yesterday, the F.A. Cup Final.

It wasn’t as special for me, not as special as it was when I was growing up, then it was watching the build up three hours before, follow the teams and get really involved in the build up. Yesterday it was a quick rush home from my teenage boys work placement at a local stable and then switch on the TV ten minutes before kick-off.

Fifteen minutes into the game my daughter decided to knock over a glass of Coke and I spent 10 mintues clearing and mopping up from the floor, thankfully I missed nothing.

In fact I missed very little for 90 minutes, Wigan Athletic played some excellent passing football, their pressing and movement was superb, but they were toothless in breaking down an efficient Manchester City defence. In fact, there were times that I had to pinch myself to realize that Manchester City had actually turned up, their excellent Captain Kompany seemed to be the only player who wanted to win.

The game turned on the sending off, (no argument there) Wigan scored from a near post corner where the departed player should have been defending. An excellent goal and a just reward for an unnecessary sending off.

Wigan deserved their prize, the better team who actually wanted to win and played  the opposition off the park.

The smiles on the faces of the supporters and the Chairman said it all.

I worked in Wigan for eight years and I loved the town and the people. Warm hearted, honest and down to earth. I found Wiganers always friendly and warmingly suspicious of a South Coast lad from Eastbourne. Most of them looked at me in bemusement when that knew I came north from a holiday resort to work in a town like Wigan.

No town or team deserves it more than Wigan and it makes my heart glad that this great town has won this great trophy.