Forgotten Football Grounds | Springfield Park Today I do a video on Springfield Park, the former home ground of many Wigan incarnations from 1897-1999.
Wild recommendation on my home page, not a football fan but I grew up looking at the floodlights from my bedroom window. Sneaked in there to play on the training pitches once or twice with friends when it was closed, security wasn't exactly extensive. The car park outside played host to fun fairs, circuses and even a stunt show with monster trucks. One summer, an unsupervised youngster, sat waiting in his parents car, started the engine while it was presumably still in gear and put the car through the steel fencing, down the embankment and on to the school playing field below (St Andrews). Nobody hurt, but I can still vividly picture it happening to this day as I was sat on the steps of the school watching. Long after the place closed I still had the cue ball from the club bar, which I found on the carpark one morning 🤣
Amazing so many old stadiums you have done videos about Sitting on a train home to my old place where I grew up and need to care of it after my father passed away last week So those videos have been a pleasant to visit in this sad days
I think out of all the Stadiums I have done, this would be in the top 3 biggest dumps though. They had to move on from this ground, this looked proper non-league.
I was there, 25 years ago, when referee Kevin Lynch sent off four of our players and one of Wigan's. He seemed to take no account of the freezing conditions, which led to the players slipping and sliding all over the place. Our Player/Manager, Ian ('Ollie') Holloway did everything he could to also get sent off, which would've led to the 'Poison Dwarf', Lynch, having to call off the match, but he wasn't and Wigan won 3-0. After all this time, it still rankles. On that occasion, I was standing on the open terrace. The second, and last time I went, I sat in the Main Stand. Although we away supporters were all in the same block, there was no segregation between us and the home support (no black netting or similar, minimal stewarding and we shared the same catering outlet and toilets) so, thank goodness, it wasn't as contentious an occasion as the Kevin Lynch - inspired debacle. They won, but this was whilst Dave Whelan was bank-rolling them towards the Premier League ('The Premiership', as it was called then) and they had some class players, including your ex-Evertonian, Stuart Barlow. Up The Gas!
@@historyoffootball87 Wigan were a class above most sides who would come to Springfield just to keep the score down. Wigan played 5 forwards, great Monday night entertainment.
I would so love to be able go back in time and see us play here again. It may have been a bit of a dump but it was our dump and so many good memories of the place.
Went there in the early 90's (old Third Division)following Birmingham City (Blues) Always remember the Grass bank which was difficult to walk up if wet. Also our fans had a game of football behind the Away end ('shed') as there was a grass/gravel area there. The teams were 50+ per side and the scores was 22 -32 until we gave up keeping score LOL
I visited Springfield Park only twice because I a real Latics fan and Wigan are a non-league plastic copy of our club without any history, they only got anywhere because of a multi millionaire backer and their lack of support was an embarrasment when they were in the Premier League. The natural order will be restored in the following ten years.
Wild recommendation on my home page, not a football fan but I grew up looking at the floodlights from my bedroom window. Sneaked in there to play on the training pitches once or twice with friends when it was closed, security wasn't exactly extensive. The car park outside played host to fun fairs, circuses and even a stunt show with monster trucks. One summer, an unsupervised youngster, sat waiting in his parents car, started the engine while it was presumably still in gear and put the car through the steel fencing, down the embankment and on to the school playing field below (St Andrews). Nobody hurt, but I can still vividly picture it happening to this day as I was sat on the steps of the school watching. Long after the place closed I still had the cue ball from the club bar, which I found on the carpark one morning 🤣
That is a pretty good story. Thanks for watching the video.
Amazing so many old stadiums you have done videos about
Sitting on a train home to my old place where I grew up and need to care of it after my father passed away last week
So those videos have been a pleasant to visit in this sad days
I think out of all the Stadiums I have done, this would be in the top 3 biggest dumps though. They had to move on from this ground, this looked proper non-league.
But we all know Luton and their stadium
I hope the are staying in PL
Because money is not always the biggest thing in football 😅
I was there, 25 years ago, when referee Kevin Lynch sent off four of our players and one of Wigan's.
He seemed to take no account of the freezing conditions, which led to the players slipping and sliding all over the place.
Our Player/Manager, Ian ('Ollie') Holloway did everything he could to also get sent off, which would've led to the 'Poison Dwarf', Lynch, having to call off the match, but he wasn't and Wigan won 3-0.
After all this time, it still rankles.
On that occasion, I was standing on the open terrace.
The second, and last time I went, I sat in the Main Stand. Although we away supporters were all in the same block, there was no segregation between us and the home support (no black netting or similar, minimal stewarding and we shared the same catering outlet and toilets) so, thank goodness, it wasn't as contentious an occasion as the Kevin Lynch - inspired debacle.
They won, but this was whilst Dave Whelan was bank-rolling them towards the Premier League ('The Premiership', as it was called then) and they had some class players, including your ex-Evertonian, Stuart Barlow.
Up The Gas!
Remember them winning 10 or 11 - 1 in the 60s, think it was against Darwen. The Wigan centre half went crazy when the opponents scored late on.
That's a big win like
@@historyoffootball87 Wigan were a class above most sides who would come to Springfield just to keep the score down. Wigan played 5 forwards, great Monday night entertainment.
I would so love to be able go back in time and see us play here again. It may have been a bit of a dump but it was our dump and so many good memories of the place.
Thanks for watching the video
Great story !!!!!
Cheers Rocky
Could you possibly do a video on Eastville Stadium, ex home of Bristol Rovers?
Yes I can do that one
Tom Lockyer approves of that idea.
Went there in the early 90's (old Third Division)following Birmingham City (Blues) Always remember the Grass bank which was difficult to walk up if wet. Also our fans had a game of football behind the Away end ('shed') as there was a grass/gravel area there. The teams were 50+ per side and the scores was 22 -32 until we gave up keeping score LOL
They would never allow stuff like that today.
First and only time I ever seen someone punch a police horse was Wigan vs Millwall at Springfield Park, pretty sure it was a Friday night game too 🤦
They punched a horse? I've only ever heard of that happening once at Newcastle.
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I visited Springfield Park only twice because I a real Latics fan and Wigan are a non-league plastic copy of our club without any history, they only got anywhere because of a multi millionaire backer and their lack of support was an embarrasment when they were in the Premier League. The natural order will be restored in the following ten years.
I always remembered them in the premier league. The away end was more full than the rest of the ground.