Wigan Album

A very "casual" photo and extremely nostalgic, thanks for posting.

Thank you John. Funnily enough my first match was Wigan A against what was then Liverpool City A August 1965 with some of the Challenge Cup winners that year playing. Still got the programme. Happy days.

At first look it appears that the Popular Stand is not complete. Some of the girder work for the roof still seems exposed. On reading "The Central Park Years" it appears that the stand was opened the week before the photograph, on 21st August 1954. It says that it was actually known as "New Stand" until 1972 when the Douglas Stand was built.

Did the stand replace the old 'Dutch' Barn immediately or was there a period when that side was open to the elements?

The book mentions that the contract for the Popular Stand was awarded in February 1954. At the end of the season (April?) the Dutch Barn was demolished and the new stand erected very quickly, to be opened in August. It's hard to imagine a project of today being built so quickly!

Thanks for that Neil A.

I remember visiting the stand when it was well into its development with my father who had played for 10 years at Central Park. I distinctly recall the great Frank Collier being there, he was part of the workforce and of course a wonderful servant to the Wigan Club.