Preamble.
The current Wigan Cup was donated to the competition by a Mr Sydney Littler after the original trophy was destroyed in a fire whilst in the custody of Wigan Athletic in April 1953 and was kept at the then home of Wigan Athletic, Springfield Park. ‘During the 1952–53 season, the main stand was razed to the ground by fire, resulting in major fundraising efforts for the construction of a new stand. The following season, a record crowd of 27,526 watched Wigan Athletic beat Hereford United 4–1. To this day, it is the largest attendance ever recorded between two non-league clubs excluding Wembley finals.’ (Source Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Park_(Wigan).(WH)
In his notes whilst writing this history of the winners and runners up of the cup to 1953 Allan Veall says ‘The foregoing information is as printed in the Wigan Examiner and Wigan Observer editions of the period. (these were the two major newspapers in the area at that time. W Hudson) He adds, ‘The accuracy of this list of winners, etc. is consistent with the accuracy with the reports printed in the papers. Since there were not always match reports printed of the Wigan Cup Finals, quite often the information was gleaned in other unrelated columns of the journals mentioned. Even then, it was only thanks to fact that the particular papers had been transferred to micro film. Whilst the quality of the reproductions was surprisingly good, that in itself could only be consistent with the state of the news sheets concerned, many of which had ‘suffered the ravages of time’
Date Winners Runners Up Man of match
1885/86 Hindley 1-0 Weshoughton N/A until 1987
1886/87 Earlestown 3-1 Haydock
1887/88 Park Lane Wanderers 3-1 Weshoughton
1888/89 Park Lane Wanderers 3-0 Adlington After two draws 3-3, 1-1
1889/90 Park Lane Wanderers 4-1 Little Hulton
1890/91 Ashton Association Ashton in Makerfield and Golborne both disqualified and Ashton won on a walkover
1891/92 Whiston 3-2 Park Lane Wanderers
1892/96 No competitions were held due to allegations around local football circles that the cup was being held by certain members of the Wigan Association FC as security for non-payment of debts by a club. (extract from local newspapers)
1896/97 Ashton in Makerfield 1-1 Hindley, no record of replay result.
1897/98 St Helens Recreation 1-0 Haydock
1898/99` St Helens Recreation 1-0 Earlestown
1899/00 St Helens Recreation 2-1 Haydock
1900/01 Earlestown 3-1 Newton Le Willows.
1901/02 Bryn Central1-1 Chorley St Georges
Replay score 1-5
1902/03 Bryn Central 2-1 Atherton Church House
1903/04 Park 4-1 Hindley Central
1904/05 Hindley Central 3-0 Tyldesley Albion
1905/06 Tyldesley Albion 2-1 Parr Rovers
1906/07 Atherton Church House Res. 5-0 Newtown St Marks
1907/08 Tyldesley Albion 3-0 Hindley Central
1908/09 Earlestown St Johns 7-0 Adlington
1909/10 Chorley 3-1 Earlestown
1910/11 Goose Green Amateurs 2-0 Park Lane Wanderers
1911/12 Walkden Central 1-0 Hindley Central
1912/13 Burscough Rangers 4-2 Golborne United
1913/14 Golborne United 1-0 Burscough Rangers.
The competition was not played during the years 1914 to 1920 because of the First World War (The Great War).
1920/21 Brittania 2-0 Bradley Celtic
1921/22 Hindley Green Athletic 2-0 Atherton Collieries
1922/23 Newton Common Recs 4-1 New Springs Labour Club
1923/24 Orrell YMCA 2-0 Ashton St Thomas
1924/25 Atherton Collieries 1-0 Hindley Green
1925/26 Wigan Borough Res 2-0 Tyldesley United
1926/27 Westhoughton Collieries 4-0 Scott Lane
1927/28 Ince Parish Church 3-1 Aspull Amateurs
1928/29 Abram Wanderers 2-2 Ashton St Thomas. After a replay 1-0
1929/30 Abram Wanderers 2-2 Golborne Villa. After a replay 3-2
1930/31 Tyldesley United 2-1 Anchor Cables
1931/32 Atherton Collieries 3-1 Westhoughton Town
1932/33 Billinge 3-1 Leigh Harriers
1933/34 Astley & Tyldesley Collieries 4-1 Abram Wanderers
1934/35 Hindsford 3-2 Astley and Tyldesley Collieries
1935/36 Wigan LMS 1-0 Tyldesley United
1936/37 Atherton Collieries 2-2 Lowton St Mary’s After a replay 2-0
1937/38 Atherton Collieries 3-1 Wigan Athletic Reserves
1938/39 Atherton Collieries 2-2 Top Lock Celtic. After a replay 4-1
1939/40 Bottling Wood Ath 0-0 Strangeways After a replay 4-3
1940/41 Swinley Athletic 2-1 Shevington
1941/42 Cromptons Recs. 2-0 Swinley Athletic
1942/43 No competition, this was during the Second World War.
1943/44 Hindley Park Road 5-1 Ince St Mary’s
1944/45 Wigan Boys Club 2-1 Hindley Park Road
1945/46 Spring View Athletic 6-1 Ince St Mary’s
1946/47 Stubshaw Cross Rovers 3-0 Ince St Mary’s
1947/48 Alexandra United 1-0 Standish
1948/49 New Springs 1-1 aet St Andrews. After a replay 3-2
1949/50 No firm report in the local papers. AV suggests that the cup was won by
Wigan Athletic A. No result listed.
1950/51 Maypole Colliery 3-1 Beech Hill Labour Club
1951/52 Appley Bridge reported to have won the Cup but no score. See the Wigan Examiner Tuesday 24th June under Wigan Alliance Annual Meeting
1952/53 Alliance Eleven 1-0 Platt Lane
1953/54 No record available
!954/55 Alliance Eleven Records incomplete no scores available.
1955/56 Alliance Eleven
1956/57 Alliance Eleven
1957/58 Triangle Valve
1958/59 No Competition