2001–02 Wigan Athletic F.C. season

{{see also|2000–01 Wigan Athletic F.C. season}}

In the 2000–01 season, Wigan finished in the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but once again missed out on promotion, losing in the play-off semi finals to Reading. Following the sudden departure of manager Steve Bruce at the end of the season, Paul Jewell was appointed as his replacement.

Following the departures of several players from the previous season, Jewell spent heavily in the summer in an attempt to build a squad capable of gaining promotion.

Shortly before the transfer deadline, Wigan signed Nathan Ellington for a club record transfer fee of £1.2 million.{{cite web |title=Wigan splash out on £1.2m Ellington |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/mar/29/newsstory.sport3 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=11 January 2023 |date=29 March 2002}}

At the end of the season, defender Arjan de Zeeuw turned down a new contract at the club and left on a free transfer to join First Division side Portsmouth.

{{main|2001-02 Football League}}

Wigan Athletic's league season started on 11 August 2001, with a 1–1 draw against Brentford. The season started poorly, and only the team's away form kept them out of the relegation zone.{{cite news |title=Latics hit back |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Latics+hit+back.-a080420539 |access-date=11 January 2023 |work=Liverpool Echo |date=26 November 2001 |via=The Free Library}} Despite the club's poor results, chairman Dave Whelan publicly backed manager Paul Jewell, and blamed the previous two managers for the club's current position.{{cite web |title=Blame Rioch and Bruce not Jewell - Whelan |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/blame-rioch-and-bruce-not-jewell-1193137 |website=Manchester Evening News |access-date=11 January 2023 |date=1 November 2001}}

Results improved following a 6–1 win against Stoke City in November, and the club eventually finished in a mid-table position.

Wigan Athletic's score comes first{{Cite web |url=http://www.statto.com/football/teams/wigan-athletic/2000-2001/results |title=Wigan Athletic results for the 2000-2001 season - Statto.com |access-date=24 February 2013 |archive-date=14 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214205213/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/wigan-athletic/2000-2001/results |url-status=dead }}

Legend

{{:2001–02 Football League|transcludesection=Second Division|showteam=WIG}}

{{Main|2001–02 FA Cup}}

Wigan played at home against non-league club Canvey Island in the first round of the FA Cup. Wigan lost 1–0, and had two players sent-off during the game. The result was considered one of the biggest upsets of the round.{{cite web |title=Fantasy Island stun Wigan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/nov/19/match.sport7 |website=The Guardian |access-date=11 January 2023 |date=19 November 2001}}

{{Main|2001–02 Football League Cup}}

{{main|2001-02 Football League Trophy}}

Wigan suffered a heavy defeat in the first round of the Football League Trophy, losing 1–5 against Wrexham. Manager Paul Jewell later recalled that chairman Dave Whelan confronted the players after the game, informing them that Jewell would be staying at the club and that the players would be held accountable if results did not improve.{{cite web |title=Paul Jewell: The Scouse Special One |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/paul-jewell-the-scouse-special-one-321081.html |website=The Independent |access-date=11 January 2023 |date=21 October 2005}}{{cite web |title=The miracle is Paul Jewell's |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/nov/01/match.leedsunited |website=The Guardian |access-date=11 January 2023 |date=1 November 2004}}

:Squad at end of season{{Cite web|url=http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2001-2002/d2/wigan.htm|title = FootballSquads - Wigan Athletic - 2001/02}}{{cite web |title=Wigan FC Player Appearances |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2783&comp_id=2&teamTabs=stats |website=Soccerbase |access-date=13 January 2023}}

{{Efs start|Division Two|FA Cup|League Cup|League Trophy}}

{{Efs player|no=1|nat=AUS|pos=GK|name=John Filan |25|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=2|nat=CAN|pos=DF|name=Jason De Vos |19+1|5|0|0|1|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=4|nat=NIR|pos=DF|name=Pat McGibbon |18|1|1|0|1|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=5|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Stephen McMillan |29|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=6|nat=NED|pos=DF|name=Arjan de Zeeuw |42|2|1|0|1|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=7|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Andy Liddell |33+1|18|1|0|0|0|0+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=8|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Ian Nolan |5+3|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=9|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Nathan Ellington |3|2|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=10|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Lee Ashcroft |14+2|3|1|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=11|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Lee McCulloch |24+10|6|1|0|0|0|0+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=12|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=Neil Roberts |5+12|4|0|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=14|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Scott Green |35+4|3|1|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=15|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Paul Mitchell |16+7|0|0|0|1|0|0+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=16|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Derek Stillie |13|0|1|0|1|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=17|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Gary Teale |22+1|1|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=18|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ian Kilford |7+13|0|0+1|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=19|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Jason Jarrett |5|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ged Brannan |31+2|0|0|0|1|1|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=21|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Tony Dinning |32+1|5|1|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=22|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=Peter Kennedy |29+2|0|1|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=23|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Matt Jackson |26|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=25|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Ben Kay |0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=26|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ian Johnson |0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=27|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Stewart Kerr |8|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=28|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Greg Traynor |0+1|0|0|0|1|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=29|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=David Moore |0|0|0|0|1|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=30|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Kieran Charnock |0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=31|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Paul Dalglish |17+12|2|1|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=32|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Ian Pendlebury |4|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=33|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Scott Tynan |0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=34|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Paul Santus |0+1|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=35|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Leighton Baines |0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

|-

|colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Wigan and left during the season:

{{Efs player|no=3|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Kevin Sharp |1+1|0|0|0|1|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=3|nat=IRL|pos=DF|name=Jeff Kenna |6|1|1|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=3|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Gary Croft |7|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=9|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=Simon Haworth |19+8|10|0|0|1|1|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=17|nat=IRL|pos=MF|name=Alan McLoughlin |1+2|0|0|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=23|nat=HUN|pos=MF|name=Gábor Bukrán |1|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=24|nat=POL|pos=MF|name=Dariusz Adamczuk |3|0|0|0|1|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=24|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Paul Cook |6|0|0|0|0|0|0|0}}

|}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wigan Athletic F.C.}}

{{Wigan Athletic F.C. seasons}}

{{2001–02 in English football}}

Category:Wigan Athletic F.C. seasons

Wigan Athletic

{{DEFAULTSORT:2001-02 Wigan Athletic F.C. season}}