Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 22nd March, 2024)

Very interesting Dennis, I've only known the old railway Sheddings to be there, you learn something everyday, thanks for sharing.

Has Prescott Street still got that ominous low bridge ? I used to approach it in the van knowing l would fit under safely yet with out fail always slowed to a snails pace just to make sure .
Nice picture Dennis and a reminder that the cricket season is just round the corner .

I have no interest whatsoever in cricket or rugby but Cricket Street is where Fletcher's Bakery is, and Fletcher's barm cakes are the nearest in taste to those from the much-missed Edwards' Bakery in Platt Bridge, who also had a stall in Wigan Market. They're delicious!

Good photo for the football enthusiasts. I was never even slightly interested. I loved it when Wigan went to Wembley though. I only ever went once to Wigan Rugby ground it wasn’t for me but my dad never missed a match..

A nice bit of local history Dennis :)

Dennis I wouldn’t think that plaque was appropriate as something more substantial for Wigan Rugby Club as they are that good even though I’m a boxing fan.We are off to one of your favourite places Dennis up Rivington pike shortly.

Wigans first ground was Folly Field Nr Upper Dicconson Street in 1872 and disbanded in 1977, The current club being formed in 1877:
On 21 November 1872, Wigan Football Club was founded by members of Wigan Cricket Club following a meeting at the Royal Hotel, Standishgate. The meeting saw around 50 members enroll into the club most of whom were members of the cricket club. The following committee was selected: T.R. Ellis, H.V. Kyrke, J. Sayers, E.R. Walker, J. Smith, J. Souter, H. Wall and R. Procter. The recently re-elected Mayor of Wigan Mr Nathan Eckersley was made club President. Many of the club's founding members were well-to-do; some owned businesses or were solicitors, magistrates and suchlike. Wigan F.C. played on Folly Field, near Upper Dicconson Street and used the nearby Dicconson Arms Hotel as a HQ.

The first match took place on 30 November when members played against each other in a practice match at Folly Field the match attracted around 2,000 spectators. After a series of trial and practice matches, they travelled to Warrington to play their first competitive match on 18 January 1873. The game ended in a draw. The club played six games in its first season finishing with a record of three wins and three draws.

An inability to recruit enough regular and quality players led to many members of Upholland Football Club joining the club in 1876. This was a significant boost to the playing ranks. The club changed its name on 20 October 1876 and became Wigan & District Football Club to represent the new influx of players which had joined from the outskirts of town. The club moved and played its home games at the Wigan Cricket Club at Prescott Street just off Frog Lane. The first game at Prescott Street was played against St. Helens on 25 November 1876 which Wigan won comfortably.[1] The club did not fulfil all its fixtures in the 1877/78 season. The club played its last match that season against Liverpool Wanderers on 17 November 1877. There are no current records of the club after 23 November 1877 that year as the club disbanded.

On 22 September 1879, the club was re-formed as Wigan Wasps Football Club by new members at a meeting in the Dicconson Arms. The main instigators of the re-formation of the club anew were W.L. Baldwin, J. Slevin, J. Underwood, Joe Wardle and others. Mr. Underwood was secretary and Mr. Alfred Hodgkinson was named as the treasurer. Many of the new members involved in the re-establishment of the club had also been involved with the Hare & Hounds running club and were of a more working-class background than the cricketers who had originally founded the club. The club moved back to Folly Field and used the Dicconson Arms Hotel as a HQ again before using the Legs of Man Hotel in the town centre as a HQ a few years later.

Wigan first played their games at Folly Field, which adjoined Upper Dicconson Street NOT Cricket Street

Just pointing out to Dennis that the blue plaque doesn't denote the first ground of Wigan Rugby Club. It denotes the first game played in Wigan under the, then new, 'rugby league' rules.
As already explained, in length, by Colin.

Irene, I couldn't agree more about Fletchers barms. They're by far the best you can get around Wigan I reckon.. I used to be taught by Mrs Edwards when I was at Abram C of E. A lovely, lovely woman who had married the owner of the old Edwards bakery...

Good photo, lots of memories.

You can always rely on P.A.D. to set you upon the path to righteousness. Praise be.

I cannot go back in time ,so I would like to see photographs of Folly Field to see what it was like.
The old maps show Folly Field to be close to the bottom of Clifton Street, Scarisbrick Street, Charles Street and
between Upper Dicconson Street and Wrightington Street.
All these streets are not flat, with Wrightington Street having a noticeable slope.
The ground from Wigan Lane down to the bottom of Wrightington Street and Upper Dicconson Street slopes.
So, was Folly Field cut out to form a flat piece of ground?

By all accounts, Ian, it was anything but flat -

https://www.ancientandloyal.com/grounds/folly-field