Central Park (Wigan)

Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England, which was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000. The site is now a Tesco supermarket.

Central Park
Home of Rugby League
Full nameCentral Park
LocationWigan, England
Coordinates53°33′1.5″N 2°37′33″W
Capacity18,000
Record attendance47,747 vs St Helens 27 March 1959
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1902
Opened1902
Closed1999
Demolished1999
Tenants
Wigan RLFC (1902–1999)

History

On 6 September 1902, Wigan played at Central Park for the first time in the opening match of the newly formed First Division. An estimated crowd of 9,000 spectators saw Wigan beat Batley 148.

The first rugby league international was played between England and Other Nationalities at Central Park on 5 April 1904, Other Nationalities won 9-3 in the experimental Loose forward-less 12-a-side game, with Wigan players David "Dai" Harris, and Eli Davies in the Other Nationalities team.

The visit of St. Helens on 27 March 1959 produced Central Park's record attendance of 47,747, and set a record for a rugby league regular season league game in Britain. Wigan won the game 1914, holding off a Saints comeback after having led 140.

Floodlights were installed on 120 ft high pylons in summer 1967 so that the club could play in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy.

On 7 October 1987, Central Park was the first English venue used for the World Club Challenge (WCC) between the English champions and the Winfield Cup premiers from Australia. The 1987 World Club Challenge between Wigan and Manly-Warringah saw the home side run out 8-2 winners in a try-less game in front of 36,895, though many who were there believe the attendance was closer to 50,000 (speculation) on the night, far exceeding the 36,000 capacity of the ground at the time. The game was marred by several all-in brawls, while Manly captain Paul Vautin was almost pushed over the fence and into the crowd by a group of Wigan players who had tackled him into touch, the incident sparking another all-in. Second-rower Ron Gibbs became the first player to be sent off in a WCC after hitting Wigan centre Joe Lydon with an elbow to the head after Lydon attempted a field goal, while later in the game Manly fullback Dale Shearer appeared to step on Lydon's head while getting up from a tackle.

Nevertheless, the success of the match and its high attendance saw the World Club Challenge made into an annual event between the English and Australian champions starting in 1989.

A week after the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final (WCF) at Wembley Stadium which saw Australia defeat Great Britain 10-6, Central Park hosted the 1992 World Club Challenge between Wigan and the Brisbane Broncos. With twelve players who played in the WCF playing the challenge (5 from Wigan, 7 from Brisbane), the Broncos became the first Australian side to win the challenge in England with a 22-8 victory in front of 17,764 fans. Wigan would get their revenge just two years later when they defeated the Broncos 20-14 in the 1994 World Club Challenge played in front of a WCC record attendance of 54,220 at the ANZ Stadium in Brisbane. Several thousand fans travelled to Brisbane to support the team, and the win saw Wigan become the first English team to win the Challenge on Australian soil.

Statue commemorating Central park, which is now the site of a Tesco

In January 1997 the club's shareholders approved a deal in which the stadium would be sold to Wigan Athletic's owner Dave Whelan and be redeveloped to provide a new home for both the football and rugby teams. Two months later however, the Warriors' chairman Jack Robinson accepted a rival bid from Tesco, pointing out that the supermarket's offer was three times bigger than Whelan's.[1]

The final game at Central Park was on Sunday 5 September 1999. Wigan beat St Helens by 28 points to 20, 96 years and 364 days after the first game against Batley was played. The Central Park site later became a car park for a Tesco supermarket.

Rugby League Test Matches

List of rugby league test matches played at Central Park.[2]

Test#DateResultAttendanceNotes
15 April 1904Other Nationalities def.  England 9–36,000
21 January 1906 England drew with Other Nationalities 3–38,000
37 February 1923 Wales def.  England 13–212,000
430 September 1925 England def.  Wales 18–1412,000
52 October 1926United Kingdom England def.  New Zealand 28–2014,5001926–27 England vs New Zealand series
611 January 1928 England def.  Wales 20–1212,000
727 February 1943 England def.  Wales 15–917,000
826 February 1944 England drew with  Wales 9–916,028
910 March 1945 England def.  Wales 23–823,500
1020 September 1947 Wales def.  England 10–827,0001947–48 European Rugby League Championship
1122 September 1948 England def.  Wales 11–512,6381948–49 European Rugby League Championship
121 March 1950 England def.  Wales 11–627,5001949–50 European Rugby League Championship
1311 April 1951Other Nationalities def.  England 25–1017,0001950–51 European Rugby League Championship
1423 April 1952 England def. Other Nationalities 31–1820,0001951–52 European Rugby League Championship
1517 September 1952 England def.  Wales 19–813,5031952–53 European Rugby League Championship
1628 November 1953 England def. Other Nationalities 30–2219,0001953–54 European Rugby League Championship
1712 September 1955 England def. Other Nationalities 33–1618,2341955–56 European Rugby League Championship
1817 November 1956 Great Britain def.  Australia 21–1022,4731956 Ashes series
1923 November 1957 England def.  France 44–1519,152
2012 December 1959 Great Britain def.  Australia 18–1226,0891959 Ashes series
2124 September 1960 Australia def.  France 13–1220,2781960 Rugby League World Cup
228 October 1960 New Zealand def.  France 9–02,876
2317 February 1962 France def.  Great Britain 20–1517,277
243 April 1963 Great Britain def.  France 42–419,487
256 November 1965 Great Britain drew with  New Zealand 9–97,9191965 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
265 March 1966 France def.  Great Britain 8–414,004
274 March 1967 France def.  Great Britain 23–137,448
2825 October 1969 England drew with  France 11–114,5681969–70 European Rugby League Championship
2921 October 1970 Australia def.  New Zealand 47–119,8051970 Rugby League World Cup group stage
3017 February 1974 Great Britain def.  France 29–09,108
311 November 1975 England def.  Australia 16–139,3931975 Rugby League World Cup
3221 October 1978 Australia def.  Great Britain 15–917,6441978 Ashes series
3318 October 1980 Great Britain drew with  New Zealand 14–147,0311980 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
3420 November 1982 Australia def.  Great Britain 27–623,1261982 Ashes series
352 November 1985 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 25–815,5061985 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
361 March 1986 Great Britain def.  France 24–108,112
3722 November 1986 Australia def.  Great Britain 24–1520,1691986 Ashes series
1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup
3824 October 1987 Great Britain def.  Papua New Guinea 42–09,1211985–1988 Rugby League World Cup
3921 January 1989 Great Britain def.  France 26–108,266
4011 November 1989 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 10–620,3461989 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup
419 November 1991 Great Britain def.  Papua New Guinea 56–44,1931989–1992 Rugby League World Cup
4230 October 1993 Great Britain def.  New Zealand 29–1216,5021993 Great Britain vs New Zealand series
4311 October 1995 England def.  Fiji 46–026,2631995 Rugby League World Cup Group A

Rugby League Tour Matches

Other than Wigan club games and test matches, Central Park was also a regular host to various international touring teams from 1907–1994.

gameDateResultAttendanceNotes
19 November 1907 Wigan def. New Zealand 12–830,0001907–08 All Golds tour
211 January 1908 England XIII def. New Zealand 18–1612,000
325 November 1908 Australia def. Lancashire Lancashire 20–64,0001908–09 Kangaroo Tour
49 January 1909 Wigan def. Australia 10–74,000
520 January 1909 Wigan def. Australia 16–89,100
628 October 1911 Wigan def. Australasia 7–225,0001911–12 Kangaroo Tour
731 January 1912 Australasia def. Northern Union XIII 20–122,000
815 October 1921 Australasia def. Wigan 14–624,3081921–22 Kangaroo Tour
93 December 1929 Northern Union XIII def. Australasia 18–59,9871929–30 Kangaroo Tour
1028 December 1929 Australasia def. Wigan 10–98,000
1123 September 1933 Australia def. Wigan 10–415,7121933–34 Kangaroo Tour
126 March 1934 Wigan def. France 30–278,0001934 French rugby league tour
133 November 1937 Australia def. Wigan 25–239,8001937–38 Kangaroo Tour
1420 October 1948 Wigan def. Australia 16–1128,5541948–49 Kangaroo Tour
158 December 1948Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 13–811,788
1626 August 1950 Wigan def. Italy 49–28
1724 September 1952 Australia def. Wigan 23–1316,2231952–53 Kangaroo Tour
188 December 1956 Australia def. Wigan 32–415,8541956–57 Kangaroo Tour
1914 November 1959 Wigan def. Australia 16–924,4661959–60 Kangaroo Tour
2025 September 1963Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 13–1115,0681963–64 Kangaroo Tour
2118 November 1963 Australia def. Wigan 32–411,746
2213 October 1967 Wigan def. Australia 12–622,7701967–68 Kangaroo Tour
2317 November 1972 Wigan drew with Australia 18–186,0001972 Australian Rugby League World Cup tour
2418 November 1978 Australia def. Wigan 28–210,6451978 Kangaroo Tour
2513 October 1982 Australia def. Wigan 13–912,1581982 Kangaroo Tour
2623 October 1983 Queensland def. Wigan 40–29,7491983 Queensland Maroons tour
276 October 1985 Wigan def. New Zealand 14–81985 New Zealand Kiwis tour
2812 October 1986 Australia def. Wigan 26–1830,6221986 Kangaroo Tour
2914 October 1990 Australia def. Wigan 34–624,8141990 Kangaroo Tour
3010 October 1993 New Zealand def. Wigan 25–181993 New Zealand Kiwis tour
318 October 1994 Australia def. Wigan 30–2020,0571994 Kangaroo Tour

World Club Challenge/Championship

Central Park hosted 5 World Club Challenge games between 1987–1997.

GameDateResultAttendanceYear
17 October 1987 Wigan def. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8–236,8951987 World Club Challenge
230 October 1992 Brisbane Broncos def. Wigan 22–817,7641992 World Club Challenge
320 July 1997 Brisbane Broncos def. Wigan Warriors 30–412,8161997 World Club Championship
428 July 1997 Wigan Warriors def. Canterbury Bulldogs 31–2410,280
53 August 1997 Canberra Raiders def. Wigan Warriors 50–1012,504

See also

References

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