Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'It's not just about kicking a ball around. It's about being part of a family...'

Alan Rogers:

It was a bit of a strange game on Saturday. Going off recent form then, I guess most people would expect us to step up again and hopefully get three points against Exeter. But of course, nothing in life is that simple.

Would a hard game in midweek take the edge from a recently revitalised Latics? Also, we were playing a team in a similar position...fighting for their lives just above the bottom four. And if that wasn't enough, we had the emotional issues surrounding Gary Caldwell/David Perkins and their former club.

In the end, the scoreline was probably a fairish reflection of the way the game went. Wigan didn't totally dominate the match, but they also never looked in any real danger during the game. They did look slightly jaded at times, but controlled the final stages quite well.

And as far as Gary and David were concerned...well, they started quietly, but became more animated as the game progressed. I suppose it was a reflection of the respect they have for Exeter, though, in that no-one was booked!

The game was decided by two quite different goals. Once again, Joe Taylor struck (who else?) with a sublime header, and then we had an exquisitely taken corner from Fraser Murray that was so good it evaded everyone and went straight in! Game over.

It's amazing how the same squad of players - playing more or less to the same pattern - have managed to turn things around in such a short time. I suppose it helps that they now appear to have clear objectives, and if they occasionally get it wrong, they get encouraged rather than receive a tongue lashing.

Before the game, we were treated to an interview with Chri Kirkland in the Supporters Club. I'd already had a quick chat with Chris, and we reminisced about his England appearance against Greece at Old Trafford (because Wembley was being rebuilt). I was lucky to attend as a guest of the FA, and I was sat between John Barnes and Lee Sharpe!

So many stories I could tell from that evening, but that's maybe for another time... I just spent the whole evening telling anyone who cared to listen that I was Wigan Athletic season ticket holder and that the England goalkeeper played for us!

During Chris' interview, he once again repeated that the proudest moment of his life was when he made his debut for Liverpool - his boyhood club - in front of the Kop (a few minor boos, but nothing too bad!). But he became quite emotional when he spoke about his time at Wigan.

It was the best time of his footballing life. And the main reason for that was that, both on and off the field, Chris felt he was part of a big family that supported him throughout his time at Wigan. He said many people were surprised when he signed for the Latics, but it was the best decision he'd made, and he still feels part of the family whenever he returns.

A few minutes after Chris left the stage, we were given some horrific news. We were told that Barry Worthington's 13-year-old granddaughter had tragically passed away. Everyone was stunned. Over the last few years, I had come to know Barry fairly well, mainly because we participated in his weekly charity quizzes.

Initially, we started going along to the quiz because we were also recovering from bereavement, and for a few hours a week, Barry helped try take our minds off our loss. Barry was very keen to help whoever he could, and his weekly Laticafe sessions are very popular.

Now it was our turn to try to help Barry and his family, and on 13 minutes an amazing round of applause rolled around the Brick in memory of Tilly. It was only a small gesture, but you could see raw emotion on the faces of people who were applauding...people really cared.

Hopefully Barry and his family can take some small comfort in knowing their Wigan Athletic family will be there to support them whenever they need them. Because that's what people like Chris Kirkland, Gary Caldwell, and Barry Worthington understand.

Wigan Athletic is not just about kicking a ball around. It's about being part of a family. It may be a slightly dysfunctional family at times, but nevertheless it will do its very best to raise us up when we need it. And not everyone understands that. That's why certain managers don't fit. And to be honest, a few supporters also occasionally fall by the way. But the majority 'get it'. And that's why the majority will be thinking about Tilly and her family tonight.

Matt Auffrey:

There was hardly anything remarkable about our 2-0 win against Exeter last weekend. We scored a well-taken goal five minutes into the match, then needed the next 80 minutes to put the game to bed. We had fallen short of scoring our second goal in every conventional way imaginable, so we resorted to scoring directly from a corner. In the end, we secured our fourth home win and fourth home clean sheet in five home matches.

We’ve taken home 14 points from Gary Caldwell’s first eight games in charge. An average of 1.75 points per game should undoubtedly be considered ‘play-off form’. Considering our abysmal record prior to Caldwell’s first game in charge, the recent uptick in performances should be considered an exceptional feat.

Caldwell inherited a side that lost six of its past seven matches across all competitions. Our only non-losing result was a draw at Doncaster - a match where our comeback from a 3-0 deficit was just about overshadowed by non-stop bouts of comical defending.

Yet, Caldwell took the reins and changed the squad’s attitude immediately. The game seemed to simplify for many players. Instructions were clearer, roles were better defined, and many silly mistakes subsided. Joe Taylor became the unquestioned focal point of our attack, and his goals continued to come in droves.

While there is still some work to do before we can confirm our status in this division for next season, that doesn’t mean we can’t set goals that go beyond the bare minimum. With eight games remaining, we need 11 more points to match our final point total from last season (56).

Some 15 more points would bring us to the 60-point mark, marking tremendous progress for Caldwell, considering the squad was in 22nd position, averaging just a point per game, when he took over in mid-February.

We have the opportunity to achieve a smaller goal within that larger goal this weekend when we travel to Reading. It would be a very promising development to secure our first away win under Caldwell against the play-off-chasing Royals.

We are certainly due to leave Leam Richardson with a sour taste in his mouth after his side took all three points at the Brick in February when they scored an 87th-minute winner off a set piece. We’ll have Callum Wright back from suspension and should have the services of James Carragher available as well, after he made a late cameo last weekend following a seven-week injury hiatus.

A win on Saturday would provide a welcome lift to our spirits, especially as the Latics community mourns the loss of Barry Worthington’s granddaughter, Tilly, alongside remembering Darren Orme on the one-year anniversary of his passing.

It has been deeply moving to see our fanbase come together in support of its own during such difficult moments, as it reminds us that this club is built on far more than what happens over 90 minutes. As an international fan, it’s something that strengthens my connection to Latics even further. I'm grateful to be part of this community.

George Arkwright:

In football, the natural instinct when decisions don’t land or results aren’t favourable is to look upwards. To question those making them. To point fingers at the people tasked with shaping the direction of the club, and to assume a distance between them and the supporters they serve.

It’s easy, in those moments, to believe that those in charge are disconnected. It is easy to wonder how they cannot see what feels so obvious from the stands. The reality, though, is not always that simple. Yes, football ownership and leadership has the capacity for bad-faith acting; we’ve seen that often enough.

But at this level, most clubs are not vast corporate machines. They are comparatively small operations, run in close proximity by people who are far more invested than they are often given credit for.

These are not organisations chasing global dominance, but clubs trying to sustain something meaningful. The idea of reaching football’s top table remains a guiding ambition, but for many, it is a distant one.

For many, simply existing; competing, surviving, building; is an achievement in itself. And in that context, the idea that those in charge are operating with anything other than the club’s best interests at heart becomes far less clear-cut.

At Wigan Athletic, we’ve had our share of uncertainty around ownership and leadership. That leaves its mark on a fanbase desperate to believe again - to embrace momentum and feel aligned with the direction of the club.

There are signs of that beginning to return under Gary Caldwell and, while questions around the wider hierarchy remain, it would be wrong to assume a lack of care or connection. Brenda Spencer has been part of the club for decades. Sarah Guilfoyle has spent much of her working life here. Gregor Rioch has dedicated a significant portion of his career to Wigan.

These are not distant figures - they are deeply embedded in the fabric of the club. That doesn’t make every decision correct. But it does challenge the idea that those making them are detached from their consequences.

It is easy to overlook just how much people like this invest - not just professionally, but personally - in trying to move a club forward. Without that level of care, it’s hard to imagine Wigan having survived what it has.

That perspective was reinforced for me when I spent time around the Exeter City FC board during Saturday’s game. They are a club that have endured against the odds. After falling into financial disrepair at the hands of problematic ownership at the turn of the century, Exeter became fan-owned - something that mirrors, in part, our own most turbulent periods.

Where we eventually found financial backing, Exeter found something different: stability through constraint, and a perpetual fight simply to sustain themselves. They operate with one of the smallest budgets in the league, representing a city where football competes with rugby for attention, and yet continue to overachieve year after year.

At their core is belief - something many clubs of our level can recognise and rally around. The board themselves reflect that identity. They feel every kick, every goal, every card and every tackle. They live and breathe the club in the same way its supporters do.

In the same way our leadership does. Not removed from it, but immersed in it. They understand what the club represents to their community, and they carry that responsibility with them. Even in the face of setbacks, such as the recent fire at St James Park, which caused significant damage, they continue forward with a sense of optimism, pride and resilience.

To put that into perspective, looking at the game itself, Joe Taylor offers a neat illustration of the realities both clubs are operating within. Speaking with people around the club, it’s clear that each goal he scores brings a degree of tension. On one hand, he drives us forward; pushing us up the table and helping to stabilise our position. Stability on which we could look to build a platform of success on next season. On the other, every goal increases his value, raising the question of how sustainable that level of quality is for a club like ours, or if it is even achievable in the first place.

For Exeter, the conversation is different. It isn’t about whether they can afford a multi-million pound striker, but whether they can continue to operate sustainably at all. Their focus is not on building towards the next level, but on maintaining their position within the football hierarchy as it is currently.

For two clubs separated by a single place and a handful of points, the contrast is stark. A reminder of just how fragile the foundations of football at this level can be. There is, ultimately, a tendency in football to assume distance. To believe that those running our clubs are somehow removed from the emotions we feel, the decisions they make, and the consequences they enact.

But the reality, more often than not, is far closer than we think. At this level, clubs are not run by faceless executives or distant decision-makers. They are run by people who feel the same frustrations, carry the same hopes, and invest themselves just as deeply as the supporters in the terraces, only from a different position.

That doesn’t make them immune from criticism. Nor should it. But it should perhaps change how we see them. Not as outsiders looking in, but as part of the same thing we are; trying, in their own way, to move the club forward against ever mounting odds.

Billy Haggerty:

The sun's out, it's a Saturday, it's a 3pm kick off at home, so what's not to like? It's fair to say we don't get many of them! Even rarer, actually looking forward to the football that we currently have on offer, with a more upbeat and positive outlook.

Shame the positivity couldn't be reflected in the attendance given last week's bumper crowd. Still, it's their loss, I guess. With Gary Caldwell's former club in town, it looked like it would be a tough encounter and a big six-pointer. But we look a far more settled and organised team, with players appearing more comfortable on the ball.

In the first half, we were very positive with an excellent cross from Murray for 'Taylor Again Ole Ole' to head it in. Are we starting to see Murray regain the form he showed at the beginning of the season? I hope so, because his crosses are a gift for the likes of Taylor. I also thought Rafael had a decent game alongside Weir and Chapman. Such a shame that Bettoni's cheeky wee chip didn't go in, as at 2-0 it's game over.

In the second half, we seemed to just sit off Exeter and let them have possession, which at 1-0 is a bit risky, but fortunately our defence stood tall and earned a deserved clean sheet. Relief came in the 85th minute with a corner from my MotM Murray, whose cross/shot went straight in. Finally I could enjoy however many minutes our man in black decided to add on at the end...oh the joys!

It was also nice to see Carragher get back onto the field for a few minutes and progress his comeback. And at the final whistle, it was good to see the players enjoying the win, and another classy show from Gary when he applauded the visiting Exeter fans.

Fair play to the 420-odd hardy souls who would have had a fairly depressingly long journey home, after a defeat that sees them a step nearer to the trapdoor of relegation. Onwards and upwards towards Reading away for us, where I hope we can carry on the good form and bag a decent away win!

Martin Lally:

All of a sudden, there appears light at the end of the tunnel. If we cast minds back to January, it is a parallel universe to where we now sit in Wigan Athletic world. Despite the fact we are nowhere near safe yet, the continued excellent form at the Brick Community Stadium means our fate lays firmly in our own hands.

Since the 2015/2016 season in League One, there has been only one season when more than 50 points has been required to stay in the division. We find ourselves only two wins short of this target with four games at home and four away still to play.

Although it seems unlikely, winning all remaining fixtures would comfortably sit Latics in the top half on a lofty 69 points, probably just outside the play-offs! Wow, to think that is even still a possibility after this season is simply farcical, and shows how competitive or poor (depending which way you look at it) this season has been this year. The situation is also that Latics could still slip into League Two...but we hope not.

It can’t have been easy for Gary Caldwell and David Perkins last Saturday. You can clearly see the connection and emotion that both put into their roles at a football club, and Exeter would have been no different. But in the end, it was a professional job.

I heard the Exeter goalkeeper speak at the end about them having full control of the game. Well I can’t quite say I fully agree with that. Latics came flying out of the starting blocks with a superbly worked goal. Fair play to Matt Taylor, it was 100 per cent the correct decision to bring on Josh Magennis after barely 15 minutes, as he was by far Exeter’s best player on the day.

It was surprising to hear a mixed reception for Josh. In the end, I saw in him what we saw at Wigan each week. Totally committed to the cause and causing us problems every time his side attacked. The difference being young Llyton Chapman did a superb job with him.

I do feel, though, that Exeter are going in a really different direction to us, and they are very much in this relegation battle. I know we shouldn’t go over old ground, but it’s clear to me that the previous regime here was intent on stifling young Fraser Murray.

Under Caldwell, the young Scot is flourishing, and his connection with the once again superb Joe Taylor is getting better by the week. It was also great to see Harrison Bettoni back in the mix this week with some great moments and a chip that would have been replayed hundreds of times had it been 10cm lower! Latics defended shakily at times but, in the end, got another superb three points and the climb from despair continues.

I’m heading to London on Friday to take a look at the national team, which has opened an opportunity to bed down and make Saturday's travel to Reading a tad easier with the hard yards done. I’ve never seen us win at Reading in copious visits, so anything less than a loss will be brilliant in my eyes.

They have a lot of good players and we always somehow manage to elevate them at the Madjeski (or whatever it’s called these days) But I’m re-finding the optimism, with Cal Wright back from suspension and James Carragher getting a solid 10 minutes against Exeter. The big question is whether we dare to believe in a top half finish, or is it going to be a dogged fight to the death? In this season...who knows?

Finally, I would like to send my thoughts at this tough time to Mr Barry Worthington and his family. Up the solid at home again Tics!

Tony Moon:

The pleasure’s returned, it’s no longer a chore; To watch Wigan Athletic as we struggle to score.

Cos a weight has been lifted and now they can show; That the players are decent (though they weren’t under Lowe).

A switch has been tripped for the players to shine; Cos against all the odds, they’ve been doing just fine.

Whatever was causing the problems before; Has mainly been sorted, (we’re not **** any more!)

Maybe it’s just that they’ve picked up their dummies; (Or maybe they all got told off by their mummies).

Or maybe they’re now being coached and looked after; As opposed to being thrown under a bus (there’s nowt dafter)

The players just want to be valued, respected; As opposed to being blamed and left feeling dejected.

So keep it up Gary, supported by Perks; Cos whatever you doing, it certainly works!