title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 1989, Daimler-Benz InterServices AG (Debis) was created to handle data processing, financial and insurance services, and real estate management for the Daimler group.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In a so-called "merger of equals," or "marriage made in heaven", according to its then CEO and architect Jürgen E. Schrempp, Daimler-Benz and United States-based automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation, the smallest of the main three American automakers, merged in 1998 in an exchange of shares and formed DaimlerChrysler AG. Valued at 38 billion, it was the world's largest ever cross-border deal.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The terms of the merger allowed Daimler-Benz's non-automotive businesses such as Daimler-Benz InterServices AG, "debis AG" for short, to continue to pursue their respective strategies of expansion. "debis AG" reported revenues of $8.6 bn (DM 15.5 bn) in 1997.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The merger was contentious with investors launching lawsuits over whether the transaction was the 'merger of equals' that senior management claimed or actually amounted to a Daimler-Benz takeover of Chrysler. A class action investor lawsuit was settled in August 2003 for US$300 million while a suit by billionaire investor activist Kirk Kerkorian was dismissed on 7 April 2005. The transaction claimed the job of its architect, Chairman Jürgen E. Schrempp, who resigned at the end of 2005 in response to the fall of the company's share price following the transaction.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Another issue of contention is whether the merger delivered promised synergies and successfully integrated the two businesses. Martin H. Wiggers' concept of a platform strategy like the VW Group, was implemented only for a few models, so the synergy effects in development and production were too low. As late as 2002, DaimlerChrysler appeared to run two independent product lines. Later that year, the company launched products that appeared to integrate elements from both sides of the company, including the Chrysler Crossfire, which was based on the Mercedes SLK platform and utilized Mercedes's 3.2 L V6, and the Dodge Sprinter/Freightliner Sprinter, a re-badged Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 2000, DaimlerChrysler acquired the Detroit Diesel Corporation and placed its on-highway division under Daimler Trucks North America. The off-highway division was placed under MTU Friedrichshafen to form MTU America. Detroit Diesel branding has been maintained by DTNA and MTU America. In 2005, MTU-Friedrichshafen was sold to the Swedish investment firm EQT Partners. That same year, DaimlerChrysler entered into an alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in an effort to reach the Asian market. The alliance resulted in the platform sharing between the 2002-2013 Colt and first-generation Smart Forfour, but the declining performance of Mitsubishi led DaimlerChrysler to sell its shares back by 2004.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Chrysler reported losses of US$1.5 billion in 2006. It then announced plans to lay off 13,000 employees in mid-February 2007, close a major assembly plant and reduce production at other plants in order to restore profitability by 2008.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: DaimlerChrysler had reportedly approached other carmakers and investment groups to sell Chrysler in early 2007. General Motors was reported to be a suitor, but Daimler agreed to sell the Chrysler unit to Cerberus Capital Management in May 2007 for US$6 billion and completed the sale on 3 August 2007. Through most of its history, Chrysler has been the smallest of the "Big 3" U.S. automakers, but in January 2007, DaimlerChrysler, excluding its luxury Mercedes and Maybach lines, also outsold traditionally second place Ford, though behind General Motors and Toyota. The original agreement stated that Cerberus would take an 80.1 percent stake in the new company, Chrysler Holding LLC. DaimlerChrysler changed its name to Daimler AG and retained the remaining 19.9% stake in the separated Chrysler LLC.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The terms saw Daimler pay Cerberus US$650 million to take Chrysler and associated liabilities off its hands. Of the US$7.4 billion purchase price, Cerberus Capital Management was to invest US$5 billion in Chrysler Holdings and US$1.05 billion in Chrysler's financial unit. The de-merged Daimler AG received US$1.35 billion directly from Cerberus but directly invested US$2 billion in Chrysler itself. Chrysler filed bankruptcy in 2009.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: DC Aviation rose in 2007 from the previous DaimlerChrysler Aviation, an auxiliary of DaimlerChrysler AG, which was established in 1998.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In May 2010, the "Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd.", trading as "Denza" was established between BYD and Daimler to produce luxury electric vehicles.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In November 2014, Daimler announced it would acquire 25 percent of Italian motorcycle producer MV Agusta for an undisclosed fee. MV Holding acquired the 25 percent of MV Agusta back from Daimler in December 2017.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 3 August 2015, Nokia announced that it had reached a deal to sell its Here digital maps division to a consortium of three German automakers—BMW, Daimler AG, and Volkswagen Group, for €2.8 billion. This was seen as an indication that the automakers were interested in automated cars.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 2017, Daimler announced a series of acquisitions and partnerships with car startups focused on car sharing, in a move towards what it sees as the next generation of car ownership and usage. Part of its corporate strategy is to "transition from being an automobile manufacturer to a mobility services provider".


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In April 2017 it announced a partnership with Via, a New York-based ride-sharing app, to launch a new ride-sharing service across Europe. In September, it was announced that Daimler had led a fundraising round for car-sharing start up Turo, which is a platform that lets owners rent their vehicles out to other users. It also acquired Flinc, a German startup that has built an app for peer-to-peer-style carpooling, has invested in Storedot, Careem, Blacklane and FlixBus, and has acquired car2go and mytaxi (now Free Now).


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Li Shufu of Chinese automobile manufacturer Geely took a 9.69% stake in the company, through Tenaciou3 Prospect Investment Limited, in February 2018, making it the company's largest single shareholder. Geely is already known from its ownership of Volvo Car Corporation. In September 2018, Daimler invested $155 million in US-based electric bus and its battery management technology manufacturer Proterra.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In July 2019, BAIC Group purchased a 5% stake in Daimler, which is a reciprocal shareholder in BAIC's Hong Kong listed subsidiary.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In September 2019, Daimler announced that it would be "stopping its internal combustion engine development initiatives as part of its efforts to embrace electric vehicles."


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In February 2020, Daimler partnered with Twelve to create the world's first C-pillar made with polycarbonate from CO electrolysis in an effort towards a fully carbon neutral fleet.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In February 2021, Daimler said it planned to rename itself adopting the name of its flagship marque, Mercedes-Benz, and spun off its heavy commercial vehicles unit, Daimler Truck, into a separate listed company. Daimler Truck is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and its first trading day was on 10 December 2021.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In the 2021 review of WIPO's annual World Intellectual Property Indicators Daimler ranked 8th in the world, with 65 of its designs in industrial design registrations being published under the Hague System during 2020. This position is up on its previous 10th place ranking in 2019.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 28 January 2022, CEO Ola Källenius announced that Daimler will be rebranded as Mercedes-Benz to pursue a higher valuation for the company as it shifts deeper into electric vehicles packed with digital gadgets. On 1 February 2022, Daimler officially changed its registered company name to Mercedes-Benz Group AG.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Ola Källenius became the Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Group and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars on 22 May 2019.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: According to the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz, WpHG) paragraph § 38 owner of rights like financial options to buy common shares with voting rights have to be reported in case certain threshold values are achieved. These owners must report the sum of owned common shares and potential rights to buy additional shares.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) reports the following shareholder structure based on § 39 WpHG, (Date: Tuesday, 19 November 2019):


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In April 2013, Daimler sold its shares in EADS, and the same year, EADS restructured itself into a new aerospace company named Airbus.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 5 March 2015, Daimler AG announced a 1,200-job package to the North Charleston region for its van plant, to allow the company to start manufacturing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans from scratch to meet demand in North America. From 2010, these vans were set up in Germany, then shipped to the United States partially disassembled for reassembly to avoid import tariffs. A Daimler official said that the Sprinter's popularity in North America was making that process less efficient. The North Charleston plant had been employing only 100 workers. The Sprinter is available on the U.S. market as a panel van, crew bus and chassis in several variants with three lengths and roof heights, six-cylinder diesel or gasoline engines. The Sprinter has been assembled and sold in the United States since 2001.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The Mercedes-Benz Group has a worldwide network of production plants and research centers. The following list describes all locations around the world.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler sold its 50% stake in Engine Holding, to its joint venture partner, Rolls-Royce Holdings in 2014. It is now called Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler used to own 50.1% Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation of Canada but the joint venture was closed in 2018.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: From 1986 to 1989, Daimler produced the Mercedes-Benz W123 (200 and 230E) sedans in China under a joint venture with FAW Group, with 828 units assembled in Changchun.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Beijing Jeep was a joint venture between Chrysler and BAIC Motor. After DaimlerChrysler was formed, its legal name was changed to Beijing Benz in 2004, and it started producing Mercedes-Benz models in 2006. The partnership has continued during the Daimler AG era.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In February 2013, Daimler acquired a 12% stake in BAIC Motor, becoming the first western car manufacturer to own a stake in a Chinese company.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler has partnered with Force Motors since the 1950s, they let Force Motors use the OM616 on the Force Gurkha and Trax.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 2010 BYD Auto and Daimler AG created a new joint venture Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. In 2012 the new brand Denza was launched by the joint venture to specialise in electric cars.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 2007 Daimler created a joint venture with Fujian Motors Group and China Motor Corporation and created Fujian Benz (originally Fujian Daimler Automotive Co.).


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Between 1990 and 2010 SsangYong partnered with Daimler-Benz. The deal was for SsangYong to develop an SUV with Mercedes-Benz technology. This was supposedly to allow SsangYong to gain footholds in new markets without having to build their own infrastructure (utilizing existing Mercedes-Benz networks) while giving Mercedes a competitor in the then-booming SUV market. This resulted in the Musso, which was sold first by Mercedes-Benz and later by SsangYong. SsangYong further benefited from this alliance, long after Daimler-Benz stopped selling the Musso, producing a badge engineered version of the Mercedes-Benz MB100, the Istana and using Daimler designs in many other models, including the second-generation Korando (engine and transmission), the Rexton (transmission), the Chairman H (chassis and transmission) and the Kyron (transmission). Ssangyong Also Partnered with Daewoo Motors to sell the Chairman, Korando, Istana, and Musso to the rest of South Korea and Asia, Ssangyong later partnered with SAIC (Roewe) to rebadge the Chairman W in china as the Roewe R95/850 and the Kyron as Roewe W5 and also use the Mercedes-Benz 5G-Tronic transmission for the W5, SAIC has been working with Daimler since the 1964 with the Shanghai SH760 using a modified W121 chassis. Micro another company that rebadged Ssangyong's like Kyron, Actyon and Rexton using Mercedes-Benz engines.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 7 April 2010, Renault-Nissan executives, Carlos Ghosn and Dieter Zetsche announced a partnership between the three companies. The first fruits of the alliance in 2012 included engine sharing (Infiniti Q50 utilising Mercedes diesel engines) and a re-badged Renault Kangoo being sold as a Mercedes-Benz Citan.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler AG and the utility company RWE AG were set in 2009 to begin a joint electric car and charging station test project in the German capital, Berlin, called "E-Mobility Berlin".


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Following trials in 2007 and then with Tesla in 2009, Daimler is building a production Smart electric drive car using Tesla's battery technology. Daimler temporarily invested in Tesla, saving it from bankruptcy.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In 2016, Daimler subsidiary ACCUMOTIVE announced their stationary batteries, to store up to 20 kWh of solar power for later use. Daimler plans to invest €1.5 billion in battery technology, and unveiled a factory in Kamenz in May 2017.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In September 2019, Daimler redirected its internal combustion engine development initiatives to focus on electric vehicle technologies, leaving electric propulsion rather less of an "alternative" and more the Daimler mainline. Their Research and Development department has developed a compostable battery that uses graphene-based organic cell chemistry. This means that no rare, toxic metals are needed for the battery, which makes it 100% recyclable.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler has been involved with fuel cell vehicle development for some time, with a number of research and concept vehicles shown and demonstrated, the first being the 2002 Mercedes-Benz F-Cell car and the Mercedes-Benz Citaro hydrogen bus. In 2013, the Renault-Nissan/Daimler alliance was joined by Ford to further develop the fuel cell technology with an aim for production by 2017.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Mercedes-Benz launched its first passenger car model equipped with a hybrid drive system in summer 2009, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 400 Hybrid. and the Citaro Hybrid bus in 2007. Daimler Trucks and Mitusbishi Fuso have also trialed various hybrid models including the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid and Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star Aero Star Eco Hybrid bus.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler AG is involved in a joint project with Archer Daniels Midland Company and Bayer CropScience to develop the semi-evergreen shrub jatropha curcas as a biofuel.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 16 November 2009, Daimler and Aabar Investments purchased a 75.1% stake in Brawn GP (Daimler holding 45.1%). The company was rebranded as Mercedes GP with its base in Brackley, UK and Ross Brawn remaining team principal. The Brawn purchase led to Daimler selling back its stake in McLaren in stages, completed in 2011. Mercedes continued to provide sponsorship and engines to McLaren until 2014.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Prior to the 2011 season, Daimler and Aabar Investments purchased the remaining 24.9% stake owned by the team management in February 2011. In November 2012 Aabar Investments sold its remaining shares, leaving the team (rebranded as Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team) wholly Daimler-owned.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Daimler also owns Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains which, as of 2021, supplied engines to Aston Martin, Williams and McLaren, in addition to Mercedes AMG Petronas.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The O-Bahn system was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic congestion by sharing tram tunnels in the German city of Essen. However, the project did not materialise there; the project was built in the Australian city of Adelaide.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: On 1 April 2010, Daimler AG's German and Russian subsidiaries each pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery charges brought by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The parent company made a US$185 million settlement, but the company and its Chinese subsidiary remained subject to a two-year deferred prosecution agreement requiring further cooperation with regulators, adherence to internal controls and meeting other terms before final sentencing. Daimler would face harsher penalties should it fail to meet the terms of the agreement during the two-year period.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Additionally, Louis J. Freeh, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, served as an independent monitor to oversee Daimler's compliance with anti-bribery laws.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: U.S. prosecutors accused key executives of Daimler, Daimler subsidiaries, and Daimler affiliates of illegally showering foreign officials with money and gifts between 1998 and 2008 to secure government contracts around the world. The investigation for the case revealed that Daimler improperly paid some $56 million in bribes related to more than 200 transactions in at least 22 countries (including China, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Serbia and Montenegro, Egypt, and Nigeria, among other places) that, in return, awarded the company $1.9 billion in revenue and at least $91.4 million in illegal profits.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: The SEC case was sparked in 2004 after David Bazzetta, a former auditor at then DaimlerChrysler Corp, filed a whistleblower complaint after he was fired for raising questions about bank accounts controlled by Mercedes-Benz units in South America. Bazzetta alleged that he learned in a July 2001 corporate audit executive committee meeting in Stuttgart that business units "continued to maintain secret bank accounts to bribe foreign government officials", though the company knew the practice violated U.S. laws.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: In another attempt to silence Bazzetta, Daimler later offered to settle his termination of employment suit out of court and he eventually accepted a settlement. But Daimler's strategy with Bazzetta proved to be a failure as the U.S. criminal investigation for violating anti-bribery laws was already underway in what has been one of the most wide-ranging cases brought against a foreign corporation.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: According to the charges, the bribes were frequently made by over-invoicing customers and paying the excess back to top government officials or their proxies. The bribes also took the form of luxury European vacations, armored Mercedes vehicles for high-ranking government officials and a birthday gift to the dictator of Turkmenistan, Turkmenbashi (Saparmurat Niyazov), including a golden box and 10,000 copies of his personal manifesto, "Ruhnama", translated into German.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Investigators also found that the firm violated the terms of the United Nations' Oil-for-Food Programme with Iraq by giving kickbacks worth 10% of the contract values to officials within the Iraqi government, then led by Saddam Hussein. The SEC said the company made more than $4 million in profit from the sale of vehicles and spare parts in the corrupt oil-for-food deals.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: U.S. prosecutors further alleged that some bribes were paid through shell companies based in the U.S. "In some cases Daimler wired these improper payments to U.S. bank accounts or to the foreign bank accounts of U.S. shell companies in order to transmit the bribe", the court papers said.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: Prosecutors said that Daimler engaged in a "long-standing practice" of paying bribes, due in part to a corporate culture that encouraged the practice.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: "Using offshore bank accounts, third-party agents and deceptive pricing practices, [Daimler AG, its subsidiaries and its affiliates] saw foreign bribery as a way of doing business," said Mythili Raman, a principal deputy in the Justice Department's criminal division.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: "It is no exaggeration to describe corruption and bribe-paying at Daimler as a standard business practice", Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC's enforcement division, said in a statement.


title: Mercedes-Benz Group

text: As per the agreement with prosecutors, the two Daimler subsidiaries admitted to knowingly violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars companies and their officials from paying bribes to foreign officials to win business. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act applies to any company that lists its shares on U.S. stock exchanges. Daimler AG was listed with the symbol "DAI" on the New York Stock Exchange, giving the Justice Department jurisdiction over the German car maker's payments in countries around the globe. Judge Richard J. Leon of the United States District Court in Washington, D.C., approved the plea agreement and settlement, calling it a "just resolution". Daimler AG agreed to settle for $2.2 billion to US and California state regulators.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Founded in 1932, they have played at the 25,138-seat DW Stadium since 1999, before which they played at Springfield Park. Their colours are blue and white stripes, although all-blue shirts have been common throughout the club's history. The club regards Bolton Wanderers as its primary derby rival. Wigan competed in the Cheshire County League for the first nine seasons of the club's existence, winning three league titles before being placed in the Lancashire Combination in 1947. It spent 14 years in the Lancashire Combination and secured four league titles during this time. It spent 1961 to 1968 back in the Cheshire County League, picking up another league title in 1964–65. Invited to become a founder member of the Northern Premier League in 1968, the club won two league titles and also reached the FA Trophy final in 1973. Wigan was elected to the Football League in 1978 and was promoted out of the Fourth Division in 1981–82. The club won the Associate Members' Cup in 1985, but was relegated back into the fourth tier in 1993. It won the Third Division title in 1996–97, the Football League Trophy in 1999 and the Second Division in 2002–03, before securing promotion out of the Championship in 2004–05.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan was the beaten finalist in the League Cup in 2006 and won the FA Cup in 2013, beating Manchester City in the Final. However, the club was relegated later that year, bringing its eight-season stay in the Premier League to an end. The FA Cup success did, though, gain it a place in the UEFA Europa League group stages the following season. Relegated from the Championship in 2015, the club won the League One title in 2015–16 and repeated this feat in 2017–18 after another relegation. On 1 July 2020, less than a month after a change of ownership, it was placed into administration and was relegated from the Championship due to the subsequent points deduction. After narrowly avoiding relegation to League Two in 2020–21 under new ownership, Wigan won the League One title for a fourth time in 2021–22.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan Athletic was formed in 1932, following the winding-up of Wigan Borough the year before. Wigan Athletic was the sixth attempt to create a stable football club in the town following the demise of Wigan A.F.C., Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and Wigan Borough. Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough, was purchased by the club for £2,850. Despite their initial application being turned down, Wigan Athletic were elected into the Cheshire County League following the resignation of Manchester Central. The club had also made the first of many attempts to be admitted into the Football League, but failed to receive a single vote. On 27 August 1932, Wigan Athletic played their first-ever league game against Port Vale Reserves. The team played in red and white shirts with black shorts.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan Athletic won its first honours in the 1933–34 season, finishing top of the Cheshire League, despite being based in neighbouring Lancashire. In the following season the club won a second league championship and also entered the FA Cup for the first time, defeating Carlisle United 6–1 in the first round – a cup record for the biggest victory by a non-league club over a league club. In the 1935–36 season, the club won its third consecutive Cheshire League title and the Lancashire Junior Cup.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: After the Second World War, Wigan Athletic adopted their present-day blue and white colours. The club struggled to assemble a competitive side and finished bottom of the league in 1946–47 season. Despite their pre-war success, the club failed to gain re-election and was replaced by Winsford United. The club joined the Lancashire Combination, winning the league in their first season. In 1950, Wigan Athletic came close to election to The Football League, narrowly losing out to Scunthorpe United and Shrewsbury Town. The club would frequently apply for election to the Football League over the next 28 years before finally being accepted.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the 1953–54 season, Wigan played an FA Cup match against Hereford United in front of a crowd of 27,526 – a club record and also a record attendance for a match between two non-league teams at a non-league ground. In the next round of the cup, Wigan Athletic was drawn against First Division side Newcastle United. Wigan Athletic held their top-flight opponents to a 2–2 draw at St James' Park, but went on to lose the replay 3–2. In 1961, the club moved back to the Cheshire League.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the 1964–65 season, Wigan Athletic won its first Cheshire League title since returning to the league, with top goalscorer Harry Lyon scoring 66 times. He remains the club's greatest goalscorer of all time. Wigan Athletic won four cup titles in the 1966–67 season (Lancashire Floodlit Cup winner, Liverpool Non League Senior Cup winner, Northern Floodlit League winner, Northern Floodlit League Cup winner) and was also Cheshire County League runner-up.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In 1968, Wigan Athletic was a founder member of the Northern Premier League. In winning the league title in 1970–71, the leading goalscorer, with 42 goals including seven hat-tricks, was Geoff Davies, who scored 28 goals in the following 1971–72 season. The team played at Wembley Stadium for the first time in the 1973 FA Trophy Final, where they lost 2–1 to Scarborough. After 34 failed election attempts, including one controversial but headline-making application in 1972 to join the Scottish League Second Division, Wigan Athletic was elected to the Football League in 1978.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan Athletic finished in second place in the Northern Premier League in the 1977–78 season, behind winners Boston United. But as Boston's ground and facilities did not meet the Football League criteria for a League club, whereas Springfield Park did, Wigan Athletic were put forward for election to the league. There was no automatic promotion to the Football League until 1987, and at that time a club had to be 'voted out' of the League to allow a non-league team to be promoted in their place. At the end of the 1977–78 season, Southport finished next to the bottom of the old Fourth Division, and faced near neighbours Wigan Athletic for their place in the league. The first round of voting was tied, with both clubs receiving 26 votes. After a tense re-vote which Wigan won 29–20, Southport lost their place in the Fourth Division and Wigan Athletic became an English League club on 2 June 1978.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the club's first season of league football, Wigan Athletic finished in sixth place, just six points off promotion and playing in front of an average crowd of 6,701. Two more top-half finishes came in the following seasons, though a relatively weak 1980–81 season saw the dismissal of long-serving manager Ian McNeill shortly before the end of the season. They gained their first Football League promotion under the management of former Liverpool player Larry Lloyd in 1981–82, when a points tally of 91 saw them join the former Division Three for the first time, beginning a 10-year spell in English football's third tier. The club struggled in their first season in Division Three, which led to Lloyd's sacking in early 1983, at which point Bobby Charlton, a director at the time, took over as temporary manager before being replaced by Harry McNally. Under McNally's management, the club stabilised in Division Three and secured a pair of mid-table finishes, but a dreadful 1984–85 season cost him his job, with Tranmere manager Bryan Hamilton stepping into the breach. Under Hamilton's management, the club's performances went to the next level and they won their first silverware as a league club that season with the Freight Rover Trophy. They were beaten in the Northern final of the same competition the following season by Bolton Wanderers. More importantly, Hamilton achieved Division Three survival, which had looked an impossible task earlier that season.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The 1985–86 season saw a marked improvement in the club's league form, eventually finishing in fourth position, a then-club record high which would stand for 17 years until 2002–03. Wigan Athletic finished the season just one point outside the promotion places in the final season before the Football League introduced the play-off system for promotion and relegation. However, Hamilton's feats attracted the attention of First Division Leicester City and he left to become their manager in the summer of 1986. His assistant, Ray Mathias, who had followed him from Tranmere, stepped up to the Wigan Athletic manager's job. Wigan Athletic managed an identical fourth-place finish in the 1986–87 season, but this time were rewarded with the chance to compete for the final promotion place in the new play-off system. (In the first two years of the play-off system, teams finishing third, fourth and fifth joined the team finishing 20th in the division above to play-off for the promotion place; this was changed to the teams finishing third, fourth, fifth and sixth from the 1988–89 season). The Latics lost at the two-legged semi-final stage to Swindon, who went on to win the final promotion place.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The fourth-place finishes of the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons proved to be the high points of Wigan Athletic's first stint in Division 3. For the next five years, they finished mid-table, flirting with relegation in 1988–89 (at which time Mathias was sacked and the previous manager Bryan Hamilton returned) and 1989–90, until they were relegated for the first time in the club's league history in 1992–93. Wigan Athletic finished in 23rd place, amid tumbling attendances which had fallen from averages of 3,000–4,000 in Wigan Athletic's Division 3 years to just 2,593 in 1992–93. Hamilton resigned shortly before the club were relegated, and was replaced by Kenny Swain. A year later, with the club back in the fourth tier of the English League, the Latics finished fourth from bottom, in 19th place. While there was no relegation that season due to the lack of a promotable club in the Football Conference, this remains the club's lowest-ever finish. The following season would prove to be arguably even worse, as Swain was sacked early in the campaign following a horrific start, and former player Graham Barrow took over as manager. Despite the club being rooted to the bottom of the table until the start of December, the second half of the campaign saw a major upturn in form, and they finished well clear of the relegation zone in 15th place. Attendances fell to a lowest-ever Wigan Athletic League average of 1,845 by 1995.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In February 1995, local millionaire and owner of JJB Sports, Dave Whelan purchased the club. Through Whelan's business connections in Spain he attracted three Spaniards to the club – Roberto Martínez, Isidro Díaz, and Jesus Seba – who became known as the Three Amigos. The trio became the on-pitch symbols of Whelan's ambitious plan to take Wigan Athletic into the Premier League. The Three Amigos were joined at the club by John Deehan, who replaced Barrow as manager during the 1995–96 season following a 6–2 home defeat to Mansfield Town. Deehan took the Latics within two points of a play-off place in his first season; the club had in fact been in the final automatic promotion spot with four games remaining, but lost them all and so failed to even make the playoffs. The following year Wigan Athletic became Division Three champions on the last day of the season, Graeme Jones scoring a club record 31 league goals in the process. In most seasons they would have been runners-up, but a temporary rule change which saw goals scored take precedence over goal difference allowed them to finish above runners-up Fulham, who had the same number of points and a better goal difference.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Following a mid-table finish in Division Two the following season, Deehan quit to become Steve Bruce's assistant at Sheffield United. He was succeeded by Ray Mathias, who returned for his third stint as Wigan Athletic manager. Mathias' team won the Football League Trophy in 1999, beating Millwall 1–0 at Wembley Stadium. The same season the Latics reached the Division Two play-offs, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Manchester City. Mathias was sacked, and replaced by John Benson. He led the team to the top of Division Two in his first six months, but they were only able to qualify for the play-offs. In what was the last ever Division Two play-off final to be played at the old Wembley Stadium, Wigan lost 3–2 after extra time to Gillingham.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Benson moved 'upstairs' to the new post of director of football in the summer of 2000, when former Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch took the manager's job for the 2000–01 season. Rioch was hampered by severe injury problems and after a difficult and often unimpressive first half of the season left the club in February 2001. He was temporarily replaced by club stalwart Colin Greenall, before the surprise appointment of Steve Bruce for the final eight games of the season. His arrival brought renewed vigour to Wigan Athletic performances, but the club ultimately lost in the play-offs again, this time against Reading, and Bruce left for Crystal Palace.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the summer of 2001, the former Latics forward Paul Jewell took over as manager following an unsuccessful spell at Sheffield Wednesday. His first season in charge saw mixed results and an embarrassing defeat to non-league Canvey Island in the FA Cup first round, although the club eventually finished in mid-table. Jewell's second season in charge was far more successful. Wigan Athletic went on a run to the quarter-finals of the League Cup, beating Premier League opponents West Brom, Manchester City and Fulham en route. Wigan Athletic won the Division Two championship in 2002–03 with a points total of 100, powered by the goals of then-record £1.2 million signing Nathan Ellington, with a run of 10 consecutive wins along the way. The club lost only four times all season, and Wigan Athletic secured promotion to the second tier of the English Football League for the first time in their history.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: After losing their first-ever game in Division One, Wigan Athletic confounded expectations to go unbeaten for the next 17 games and sit atop the division by November 2003. A weak finish saw Wigan Athletic win only three of their last 10 games to finish seventh in Division One – a last-minute goal by West Ham's Brian Deane in the final game of the season saw the Latics drop out of the play-off places in favour of eventual play-off winners Crystal Palace.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Hoping to build on the previous season's disappointing finish, the Latics went one better than 2003–04 by remaining unbeaten for the first 17 games of the 2004–05 season. Along with Sunderland and Ipswich, the Latics remained in the promotion hunt all season. By the last day of the season, Sunderland had already won the title and Wigan needed at least a draw against Reading – who themselves needed to win to finish in sixth place – to beat Ipswich to the last automatic promotion spot. A 3–1 victory in front of their home fans at the JJB Stadium earned Wigan Athletic promotion to the top division of English football for the first time in their 73-year history.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The club's first ever Premier League game was a sell-out at the JJB Stadium against holders Chelsea, a 1–0 defeat after an injury-time winner by Hernán Crespo. A successful run followed, and by November, Wigan were second in the league. Good league form was coupled with an equally strong performance in the Football League Cup, with Wigan reaching their first ever major cup final after defeating Arsenal on away goals in the semi-final. In the final, Wigan were defeated 4–0 by neighbours Manchester United. Wigan Athletic eventually finished the season in 10th place, which remains the club's highest ever league placing. Defender Pascal Chimbonda was also included in the 2005–06 PFA Team of the Season, capping off his season by being picked for the France squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: During the close season, Wigan sold many players who had starred in their first season in the Premier League, such as Jimmy Bullard, Jason Roberts and Stéphane Henchoz, while bringing in replacements including Emile Heskey, Denny Landzaat, Chris Kirkland and Antonio Valencia. After a mid-table start to the 2006–07 season, Wigan had eight consecutive losses from mid-December, but was 15th in early March. On the final day of the season, Wigan got a 2–1 away win against Sheffield United, which kept them up at the expense of their opponents. The following day, Paul Jewell unexpectedly resigned as manager; his assistant Chris Hutchings was appointed as his replacement.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan's third Premier League campaign saw changes in the squad, with Titus Bramble, Mario Melchiot, Jason Koumas and Marcus Bent among the players brought in, and Melchiot was installed as the new club captain. The 2007–08 season began well for Wigan, with Emile Heskey recalled to the England squad, as the first Wigan player to represent England whilst a full member of the club. However, he broke his foot immediately after his England call-up and was out injured for six weeks. The club's league position subsequently worsened, and on the back of a run of six consecutive defeats, Wigan fell into the relegation zone. Whelan took the decision to sack Hutchings on 5 November 2007, after 12 games in charge, reinstating Bruce, who saved the club from relegation.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the summer of 2008, Bruce signed Lee Cattermole from Middlesbrough for £3.5 million, and Egyptian striker Amr Zaki sign on an initial one-year loan. Zaki had scored 10 Premier League goals by February 2009, as Wigan reached seventh place in the table with 34 points from 25 games. January saw the departure of two key first team members, Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey, to Tottenham and Aston Villa respectively. Despite these changes, Wigan finished the season in 11th place with 45 points, their second-best finish ever in the Premier League. On 3 June, Bruce left Wigan for the second time to take over the vacant manager position at Sunderland. July saw the departure of another key first team member Antonio Valencia to Manchester United. Before the 2009–10 season got underway, Cattermole left for Sunderland.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan appointed Roberto Martínez, then manager of Swansea City, as manager prior to the 2009–10 Premier League season. He previously played for Wigan from 1995 to 2001. On 26 September, they claimed their first three points against a "Big 4" team after beating Chelsea 3–1, with goals from Titus Bramble, Hugo Rodallega and Paul Scharner. A late surge that included a 1–0 win over Liverpool and a 3–2 win over Arsenal – the latter of which saw Wigan recover from two goals down with ten minutes remaining to win in injury time – saw the team once more survive relegation. Most notably, having never defeated any of the traditional "Big Four" in the league until their win over Chelsea (and with only one win over any of them in cup competitions), Wigan ended the season having defeated three of them at home. Despite this high, the season also saw two humiliating 8 goal defeats, firstly a 9–1 thrashing at Tottenham in November, and finally an 8–0 defeat to Chelsea on the final day of the season, a match which saw their opponents crowned Premier League champions.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the 2010–11 season, Wigan fell to the bottom of the league by the end of February, following a 4–0 defeat to Manchester United. However, despite remaining in the bottom three for the majority of the season, they managed to retain their Premier League status on the last day of the season, defeating Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium after a goal from Hugo Rodallega. On 7 May 2012, they simultaneously secured their Premier League status and relegated Blackburn Rovers with a 1–0 victory at Ewood Park.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In 2013, after beating Everton in the quarter-final and Millwall in the semi-final, Wigan reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in their history. In the final, played at Wembley Stadium, Wigan beat Manchester City 1–0, with a goal by Ben Watson scored in injury time.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan's first ever major trophy also gave the club a place in the group stage of the Europa League. Following their 4–1 defeat to Arsenal three days later, Wigan Athletic ended their eight-year spell in the Premier League and became the first team to be relegated and win the FA Cup in the same season. On 5 June it was announced that Martínez had left Wigan and had signed for Everton on a four-year deal.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Owen Coyle became the new manager of Wigan Athletic when Martínez left for Everton. The team lost to Manchester United in the Community Shield. Coyle left by mutual agreement on 2 December 2013 after a poor start to the season, and was replaced by Uwe Rösler. On 12 December in his first match, Wigan were eliminated from the Europa League group stage after defeat to Maribor. On 9 March 2014 Wigan beat Manchester City in the 6th Round of the FA Cup to reach the semi-final at Wembley for the second successive year, where they played Arsenal, and lost 2–4 on penalties after normal time and extra time resulted in a 1–1 draw. After finishing 5th in the Championship, Wigan lost their play-off semi-final to Queens Park Rangers.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Rösler was sacked in November 2014 with the club in the relegation places, and was replaced by Malky Mackay. Whelan resigned as chairman on 3 March 2015, remaining as owner but handing over the chairmanship to his grandson David Sharpe. The following month, with Wigan in danger of relegation to League One, Mackay was sacked and replaced by former Wigan captain Gary Caldwell, yet the team ended the season with relegation. The squad changed drastically, including the signings of Will Grigg from Brentford and Reece James from Manchester United. The side lost only once in 23 matches in the second half of the season and won the division, with Grigg the league's top scorer with 25 goals.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In October 2016, following a poor start to the season, Caldwell was sacked as manager and replaced by Manchester United coach Warren Joyce. Results did not improve under Joyce, who was sacked in March 2017. Wigan were subsequently relegated back to League One in April and interim manager Graham Barrow left, ending a 15-year association with the club. Paul Cook, who had just won League Two with Portsmouth, was appointed Wigan manager in June 2017.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan competed in the 2017–18 season of League One in which they finished first resulting in promotion back to the Championship. Their promotion was sealed by a 4–0 win against Fleetwood Town. In the 2017–18 season of the FA Cup, Wigan reached the quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by Southampton F.C. in a 2–0 loss. Notably, Wigan had beaten Manchester City in the Fifth Round Proper at home, winning 1–0 due to Will Grigg scoring at the 79th minute. At the end of the season it was announced that the Whelan family had agreed a deal to sell the club, stadium and training facilities to the Hong Kong-based International Entertainment Corporation (IEC) in a £22m deal. On 2 November 2018 IEC received shareholder approval to complete the acquisition of the football club, bringing to an end the 23 years of Whelan family ownership. In a letter to the fans chairman David Sharpe confirmed that he along with Matthew Sharpe and non-executive director Garry Cook would resign from the board upon completion of the ownership transition.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In the 2018–19 season, Wigan finished 18th in the Championship with 52 points, well clear of the relegation zone.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 4 June 2020, IEC sold the majority of Wigan Athletic shareholdings to Hong Kong-based Next Leader Fund; the sale was formally ratified and approved by the shareholders of IEC, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the EFL. On 1 July 2020, the club – standing 14th in the Championship, eight points clear of relegation, in a season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – announced it had gone into administration as Next Leader Fund had refused to invest promised money. Paul Stanley, Gerald Krasner and Dean Watson from Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators. The insolvency left Wigan facing a 12-point deduction; the sanction would be applied at the end of the 2019–20 season if the club finished outside the bottom three after 46 games. On 2 July 2020, the administrators said they would investigate how the club ended up in administration less than a month after it changed owners. A private conversation about Wigan's situation involving EFL chairman Rick Parry was secretly filmed amid talk of betting on Wigan being relegated – described by some as the greatest sporting scandal of modern times. Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham wrote a joint letter to Parry calling for an investigation into the club's takeover. Players had not been paid and there was talk of club staff being made redundant and of players being offered for sale, they said. Wigan's supporters club also called for an investigation and for financial support from the EFL; supporters, backed by Nandy, later launched an online petition to try to trigger a parliamentary debate around the EFL's owners' and directors' test.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 4 July, Wigan, previously unbeaten in nine games, lost 3–0 at Brentford. Three days later, 75 (approximately half) of the club's non-playing staff were made redundant by the administrators, and Wigan Warriors expressed interest in buying the football club (a move later supported by Wigan council). On 10 July, midfielder Jensen Weir was set to be sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £500,000 plus add-ons to help alleviate Wigan's financial problems; England Under-16 international midfielder Alfie Devine was later sold to Tottenham. Bids were due by 21 July; on 22 July (the day of Wigan's final game of the season), Krasner said administrators had received five offers and identified an unnamed preferred bidder; they were seeking completion of the sale by 31 July. However, on 24 July, talks with the preferred bidder broke down and administrators began negotiations with other parties, which continued into early August.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Meanwhile, on 7 July 2020 the club had appealed against the 12-point deduction imposed by the EFL for entering administration. On 14 July, Wigan recorded their biggest League victory, beating Hull City 8–0. This, combined with other results, meant Wigan would not finish in the relegation places, so the 12-point deduction would be applied at the end of the current season. Wigan's appeal against the points deduction, heard on 31 July, was set to cost the club between £400,000 and £500,000. Wigan drew 1–1 against Fulham in their final game of the season; the 12-point deduction pushed Wigan into the bottom three, meaning the club would play in League One if its appeal was unsuccessful. On 4 August, the club's relegation was confirmed and, following the resignation of manager Paul Cook, Leam Richardson was appointed caretaker manager.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 17 August 2020, it was reported that Au Yeung Wai Kay, the club's owner, had, on 23 June, asked Begbies Traynor about putting it into administration before completing his takeover. Begbies Traynor disputed the account, produced by an independent commission, saying administration was one of several scenarios discussed. The commission said Kay was "not open" with Wigan officials about his conversation with Begbies Traynor, and subsequently gave "either false or knowingly misleading" assurances about future funding. The administrator was still attempting to find a buyer; if no agreement was reached by 31 August, Begbies Traynor said it would have to consider whether the club can be funded into the 2020–21 season, due to start on Saturday 12 September 2020. On 20 August, Kay was reported to be waiving a £36m debt owed to him by the club in an effort to expedite its sale. Wigan supporters began a fund-raising effort, initially raising £500,000 to help secure the club's future, and then raising £200,000 more. Administrators had been confident a sale would be agreed by their deadline, but later revised their opinion.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 9 September 2020, with the club's situation set to be discussed at an EFL meeting, the administrators were reportedly "quietly optimistic" about Wigan being allowed to start the EFL season despite being ownerless. They appointed John Sheridan as the club's new manager, who was in charge as Wigan lost their first League game of the season 2–0 at Ipswich Town. On 21 September, the administrators reported that bids would need to top £3m to secure the sale as the club had a "considerable liability" to HM Revenue and Customs, owed wages to players, and also had to pay for August's unsuccessful appeal against the points deduction.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 30 September, the administrators said they had reached an agreement with an unnamed bidder from Spain to purchase the club, and were working on paperwork to gain EFL approval. In early November, former Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was reported to assisting with the Spanish bid. On 13 November, after three wins in 15 Wigan games, manager Sheridan left to become Swindon Town's new manager. On 20 November, additional time was granted to the prospective new owners to complete their purchase. In early December, with the club bottom of League One, it emerged that a member of the Spanish consortium had a disqualifying condition, so Wigan's administrators had to make a fresh application to the EFL on behalf of Felipe Moreno, owner of Spanish LaLiga 2 side Leganés. However, on 5 January 2021, the Moreno take-over bid fell through; administrators began talking to other bidders, with, on 15 January 11 parties said to be interested in buying the club. By early March 2021, the administrators were in advanced talks with a consortium, Phoenix 2021 Ltd, led by a Bahrain businessman, Talal Mubarak al-Hammad, and a takeover was agreed on 15 March, subject to EFL approval and finalisation of paperwork. Under the proposed deal, Al-Hammad would become chairman, and Mal Brannigan (previously involved with Dundalk and Dundee United) would be chief executive. EFL approval for the takeover was confirmed on 30 March 2021. In May, the former administrators repaid £171,000 raised by supporters to keep the club going when it first went into administration.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The club finished the 2020–21 season in 20th position, one point above the relegation places. Wigan Athletic won the League One title in 2021–22, earning promotion back to the Championship after a 3–0 victory at Shrewsbury Town.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan Athletic's stadium is the 25,138 capacity DW Stadium, part of the Robin Park complex in Wigan. It has been the club's home since the 1999–2000 season. Wigan Athletic owns the stadium, but leases the ground to rugby league team Wigan Warriors. The stadium cost £30 million to construct. Previously, home games were played at Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough, which was demolished in June 1999; it is now the site of a housing development. The record attendance at the DW Stadium (then known as the JJB Stadium) for Wigan Athletic is 25,133 for a game against Manchester United on 11 May 2008 – the final match of the 2007–08 season.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The JJB Stadium was the fourth attempt at re-development/re-location for Wigan Athletic, the first coming in 1986 when then-chairman Bill Kenyon revealed plans for a 15,000 all-seater development at Springfield Park including a hotel and shopping facilities. The club was to play at the nearby Woodhouse Stadium (formerly Wigan Municipal Stadium – now demolished) while the building work took place. In 1990, Kenyon submitted his second scheme which would cost £3m, hold 12–15,000 fans and involved moving the pitch nearer to the car park. Neither efforts got past the planning stage. The next chairman, Stephen Gage, spent most of 1993 and 1994 trying to relocate the Latics to the then Robin Park Stadium (now demolished) until his plans were scuppered by Wigan Council when the local council announced plans for their own ground involving Wigan Warriors. Gage finally admitted defeat when he sold the Latics to Dave Whelan on 27 February 1995 for around £1m.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Plans for the JJB Stadium were first published in 1997. Contracts for the new stadium were signed in late 1997 and work began immediately. Originally the ground was to be built for both Wigan Athletic and Orrell R.U.F.C., as grants were only available for multi-use stadia at that time. Wigan Warriors did not figure in the equation until Whelan bought the rugby league club some 12 months later after protracted negotiations with the directors of the rugby league club. The modern all-seater stadium was officially opened on 4 August 1999. Its inauguration was marked with a friendly between Wigan and neighbours Manchester United, who were then reigning European Champions, with Alex Ferguson officially opening the stadium. However, Wigan Athletic hosted Morecambe three days earlier on 1 August as a dress rehearsal for the official opening against Manchester United. The game was played during a violent electrical storm and torrential rain, even so, 4,020 supporters attended and the game ended in a goalless draw. The first competitive football match took place on 7 August 1999, with Wigan Athletic facing Scunthorpe United in a Division 2 match. Simon Haworth scored twice, including the first competitive goal at the new stadium, as Athletic won 3–0.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 7 March 2005 Greater Manchester Police announced that it would stop policing Wigan Athletic matches at the stadium from 2 April. This move left Wigan Athletic facing the prospect of playing their home games in the Premier League in an empty stadium, so they paid the money they owed to the police. The club appealed against the payments in court and won, with the claims expected to earn the club around £37,000.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On 25 March 2009 it was announced that Wigan Athletic would change the name of their stadium to The DW Stadium, after chairman Dave Whelan's commercial venture, DW Sports Fitness. For 2013–14 Europa League fixtures held at the stadium, the ground was known as The Wigan Athletic Stadium.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan Athletic Official Supporters Club (formerly known as Wigan Athletic Supporters Travel Club) is the official supporters' association of Wigan Athletic Football Club. The supporters club are a non-profit organisation run by volunteers and meet before home matches in the South Stand Bar.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The Latics' most vocal supporters can be found in the East Stand of the DW Stadium which houses up to 8,206 fans The South Stand of the ground is the family stand.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: A long-standing song sung by fans of the club is "You Are My Sunshine". In more recent times, "I'm a Believer", the Hokey cokey, "We Built This City" and "Gold" are among some of the songs that have been adapted by Wigan supporters.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: The club has one unofficial fanzine, The Mudhutter, which is released between 5 and 6 times during the season.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Resulting from a number of incidents at Latics matches where smoke bombs were used by fans (resulting in 17 banning orders as a result of one fixture), several club statements were issued and police presence was increased at some matches. Data from the UK Football Policing Unit found that Wigan Athletic along with Everton and Manchester United had the highest number of incidents involving pyrotechnics.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan's return to the Championship saw an average away following of over 1,200. This figure did not include Europa League, Community Shield, League Cup and FA Cup fixtures, where on average supporters turned up in greater numbers.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In 2013, the club sold out their 25,000 allocation for the FA Cup Final and sold 20,000 tickets for the FA Cup semi-final. A total of 5,500 was also sold for the FA Community Shield in the same year.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In 2014, hundreds of fans took part in a charity walk from Wigan to Bolton in aid of local charity Joseph's Goal. Joseph was Wigan's mascot in the 2013 FA Cup Final, led out by captain Emmerson Boyce.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: On Boxing Day, over the years many fans have chosen to attend Wigan Athletic's match in fancy dress. This is particularly prominent with away fixtures on that day where the fans are known as the 'Banana Army'. However, on Boxing Day in 2014 a boycott of the club's fixture against Leeds United was ordered by some supporters due to the ticket prices for the match at Elland Road. Around 750 away fans attended the match.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: During the 2014–15 season, a Fan Advisory Board (FAB) was set up by the club to allow supporters of Wigan Athletic to have a greater say on any issues they may have. The board meets every month to six weeks with the first meeting having taken place in November 2014.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: In August 2019, the club announced that a giant pie, called Crusty, would serve as the team's new mascot for the 2019–2020 season. Crusty The Pie was chosen following a competition in which more than 90 primary schools were invited to submit ideas, with over half of the entries opting for a pie.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Since Wigan Athletic's admission to the Football League in 1978, the club has built up several rivalries, mainly with Bolton Wanderers, the club's primary derby match.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: One rivalry that has arisen in recent years has been that with Manchester City, since the first time they met in the Second Division in 1998, the season in which City gained passage to the 1999 Division Two play-off final through the “Hand of Goat”. Wigan met City in the 2013 FA Cup Final and beat them 1–0. Since then, City have failed to beat Wigan in the competition; losing 2–1 at the Etihad in the 2013–14 FA Cup Quarter-Final and, in February 2018, losing 1–0 with third tier Wigan beating eventual Premier League champions City with a Will Grigg goal.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan also have other local rivalries with Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Oldham Athletic, Blackpool and Rochdale.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: One of the club's longest and recently forgotten rivalries was with nearby Lancashire based club Chorley, although the two clubs have not played a league game since 1971 when they were in the Northern Premier League. The last time Wigan played Chorley was in the first round of the FA Cup in 2020, with non-league Chorley beating an administration-stricken Wigan 3–2 after extra-time.


title: Wigan Athletic F.C.

text: Wigan's victory in the 2013 FA Cup Final qualified them for European football for the first and only time, earning them an automatic place in the group stage of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Karthikeya 2, also known as Karthikeya 2: Daivam Manushya Rupena, is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language mystery action-adventure film written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti. The film serves as a sequel to the 2014 film "Karthikeya" and stars Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, and Anupam Kher. It is produced by Abhishek Agarwal Arts and People Media Factory. The plot follows Dr. Karthikeya who is on a quest to find the lost anklet of Lord Krishna.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The film was officially launched in March 2020. Principal photography commenced in February 2021 and ended in March 2022, with delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming took place in India, predominantly in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, in addition to Spain, Portugal, and Greece in Europe. The film's music composed by Kaala Bhairava with cinematography and editing done by Karthik Ghattamneni. Made on an budget of crore, "Karthikeya 2" was released on 13 August 2022 and received positive reviews from critics and emerged as a commercial success. After being released in ZEE5, the film created a new record by garnering more than 100 crore viewing minutes within the first 48 hours.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Ranganath Rao, an archaeologist and professor visits a library in Greece and through a book, written by Ptolemy, he discovers that Lord Krishna, before the end of Dvapara Yuga, entrusted his friend and counceller Uddhava with his anklet, which is equipped with all the solutions for deadly problems, humans are going in face in the succeeding Kali Yuga.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: In Hyderabad, Karthikeya "Karthik", a doctor who believes in science and logic is suspended for slapping a Mayor, who had attempted to perform a Yagna in the ICU for his son. At the same time, his father fractures his leg and an ox hits the plant of Tulasi in front of their house. Considering all the inauspicious occurrences, Karthik's mother believes that her family is being punished for not being able to fulfil a vow made to Lord Krishna, a few years ago. Therefore, Karthik takes her to Dwarka where his uncle Sadananda, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, lives. One night, Karthik crosses paths with a mortally wounded Ranganath Rao, who tries to tell something to him. When Karthik leaves to fetch an auto rikshaw for taking him to hospital and returns, he fails to find Rao. The following day, Karthik's mother goes missing and he searches for her with his uncle. He is arrested by the Police, who accuse him of murder and ask him what Rao had told him. When Karthik tells them that he was not able to interpret his words, the Police refuse to believe him. A girl, Mugdha, revealed to be Rao's granddaughter rescues Karthik from Police custody. A mysterious man attacks Karthik but stops when he sees the idol of Lord Krishna.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Karthik, Mugdha and Sadananda visit a sage to find about the man and learns that he belongs to the clan of Abheeras, an exiled community who resorted to dacoity but worshipped Lord Krishna. They wouldn't let the people, who tries to hinder with Krishna's belongings, live. Karthik finds his mother and determined to solve the mystery; he advises her to be safe at a 11-days-long Pravachan. They visit Rao's office in Bet Dwarka and read a letter, written by him. Rao had found that the anklet was hidden by Uddhava, who left behind clues to reach it, as the right person is destined to get that. For centuries, several people had tried to find the anklet but to no avail. Pallava King Suryavarman reached the closest and told the penultimate clue to Ptolemy, who hid the object with clue in Krishna Thatakam, which Rao was trying to utter when he met Karthik. Santanu, a professor in search of the anklet, kills Rao with evil intentions and was the one, responsible behind Karthik's arrest. Karthik finds a peacock-shaped object in Krishna Thatakam and Mugdha decodes the Sanskrit inscription written on it, that leads them to Govardhan Hill. The trio hire Suleman to take them to Govardhana Hill, Mathura without being caught by Police. Upon arriving there, they are apprehended by villagers, who are greedy for the prize money announced by Santanu for Karthik and Mugdha. They manage to convince the villagers of their objectives and climbs the hill to find an entrance, that they open using the peacock-shaped object and retrieve a telescope from it.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Next morning, Mugdha escapes with the telescope leaving Karthik, Sadananda and Suleman. Santanu apprehends the trio and leaves them in the desert to die but Mugdha arrives and rescues them, revealing that she had gone to her friend for finding about a person, who would help them in solving the mystery. Together, the foursome leave to Himachal Pradesh for meeting a blind philosopher Dr. Dhanvantari, who explains that Rao and Santanu were a part of secret society, that believed that the ancient India is far more advanced in technology than the modern world. When Santanu proposed to use the anklet for selfish reasons, Rao objected. The fate let Rao choose Karthik to carry his aim forward. Dhanvantari also explains that Krishna should be considered as a human rather than God, who was an extraordinary engineer for building his palace in midst of sea, a kinetic engineer for controlling Sudarshana Chakra, a doctor for knowing all the Ayurvedic treatment methods, a musician for being talented in playing flute, that helped as a music therapy and much more.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: While returning, they are surrounded by the Police and therefore, Karthik travels on the truck through a frozen river, that begins to break. They manage to escape being drowned but are ambushed by an Abheera, who is forced to practice peace for 24 hours due to Krishna Paksha. Karthik observes the constellations on a hill, the next clue led to through the telescope, they found and finds the final location. They reach the final location but Abheera attacks to kill them. However, Karthik fights back and joins the telescope and peacock-shaped object forming the structure of flute, that he places in the hand of Lord Krishna's idol situated at the place. Therefore, the entry to the underground hallway filled with snakes, which protect the anklet is opened. Karthik uses his abilities to communicate with the snake to reach the anklet and wins nationwide fame. Abheeras surrender to Karthik while Santanu is brutally murdered by Abheeras.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Subsequently, Karthik embarks on a new mission to unfold the link between Krishna and deep waters of Atlantic Ocean.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The sequel to "Karthikeya" was announced in October 2017 by Nikhil Siddhartha through Twitter saying that it would commence from the end of 2018. However due to delays from his previous film "Arjun Suravaram", the film was officially launched in March 2020 in Tirupati with a puja ceremony.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Principal photography commenced in February 2021 and was shot in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. However in March 2021 filming was stalled due to Nikhil suffering a leg injury. Filming then resumed in April 2021. In March 2022, the makers travelled to Spain, Portugal and Greece for the final schedule.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The film score and soundtrack album of the film is composed by Kaala Bhairava. The music rights were acquired by Zee Music Company. The full soundtrack album was released on 31 August 2022, while the Hindi version was released on 7 September 2022.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: "Karthikeya 2" was released on 13 August 2022 in Telugu along with dubbed version in Hindi. In April 2022, it was announced that the film was going to release on 22 July 2022 but was later postponed to 12 August 2022 in order to avoid a clash with "Thank You". It was later pushed back a day due to avoid a clash with another Telugu film, "Macherla Niyojakavargam".


title: Karthikeya 2

text: "Sakshi" reported that the worldwide theatrical rights of the film were sold at a cost of . Zee Studios acquired theatrical, satellite and digital distribution rights of the film.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The Malayalam dubbed version of the film is scheduled to release on 23 September 2022 in theatres across Kerala.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The post-theatrical digital streaming rights were acquired by ZEE5 and was premiered on 5 October 2022 (coinciding with Vijayadashami) in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi languages.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Dhaval Roy of "The Times of India" rated the Hindi version of the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and called it "an adventurous ride that's a grander and more exciting version of the first part." A reviewer for "123Telugu" rated the film 3.25 out of 5 stars and noted, ""Karthikeya 2" is a well made adventure thriller filled with great visuals and engaging narration". Jeevi of "Idlebrain.com" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and said, ""Karthikeya 2" is a decent adventurous mystic thriller that works." Neeshita Nyayapati of "The Times of India" rated the Telugu version of the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, ""Karthikeya 2" remains a worthy successor to "Karthikeya" minus the over-the-top strong-arming of Nikhil's character by the end."


title: Karthikeya 2

text: A critic for "Sakshi Post" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, ""Karthikeya 2" is a brilliant and stunning thriller." Satya Pulagam of "ABP Desam" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and noted, "The story of "Karthikeya" 2 isn't as good as the first part, but the screenplay of "Karthikeya 2" is gripping, especially the second half and the climax. Some of the scenes and the drama are extraordinary." A critic for "Pinkvilla" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and said, ""Karthikeya 2" executes quite a few dangerous events without building a proper context. The mood of this film is this: it's either spirituality, science or skepticism on display". Grace Cyril of "India Today" rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Karthikeya 2 goes through various stages, but this journey could have been narrated in an easier manner."


title: Karthikeya 2

text: A critic for "Eenadu" praised the backdrop, screenplay, and Nikhil's performance and called it an entertaining new journey. A critic for "Andhra Jyothi" called the film a 'spiritual thriller' and praised the director Chandoo Mondeti for giving the audience a new experience different from routine commercial films. Writing for "The Hindu", Sangeetha Devi Dundoo opined that the premise is reminiscent of Ashwin Sanghi's book "The Krishna Key". She further wrote, "Had the narrative been shorn of its preachy tone, "Karthikeya 2" would have been a riveting thriller."


title: Karthikeya 2

text: On its opening day, "Karthikeya 2" collected a total gross of worldwide with a distributors' share of . The film grossed more than at the worldwide box office in its opening weekend".


title: Karthikeya 2

text: The Hindi dubbed version of the film initially saw a limited theatrical release. However, due to public demand, number of shows were increased from 53 to 1575 within 5 days in North India. The Hindi version netted at the domestic box office in the first three days. The film achieved its break even mark and entered into profit zone in 3 days. By the fourth week, the film has collected a total gross of $1.5 million at the United States box-office.


title: Karthikeya 2

text: According to the media consulting firm Ormax Media, the domestic gross collection of the film was crore, thus making it the highest-grossing film in India in August 2022 followed by "Thiruchitrambalam" and "Laal Singh Chaddha".


title: Karthikeya 2

text: Before the film's release, Mondeti announced his intentions to make "Karthikeya 3." "I want to tell many stories of Karthikeya and want to make it into a franchise," Mondeti said in an interview with "The New Indian Express". The final act of "Karthikeya 2" sets the stage for "Karthikeya 3".


title: Simon Monjack

text: Simon Mark Monjack (9 March 1970 – 23 May 2010) was an English screenwriter, film director, producer and make-up artist. He was the husband of American actress Brittany Murphy.


title: Simon Monjack

text: Monjack was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, to a Jewish family. He grew up in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. He attended Juniper Hill School, Flackwell Heath, then Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. When he was 16, his father, William (1949–1986), died of a brain tumour in Oxfordshire. His mother Linda (née Hall) is a hypnotherapist.


title: Simon Monjack

text: Monjack directed, produced, and wrote the B movie "Two Days, Nine Lives" in 2000. He received story credit for the 2006 biographical film "Factory Girl" about Warhol actress/model Edie Sedgwick. Director George Hickenlooper contended that "Monjack had nothing to do with "Factory Girl"" and that "he filed a frivolous lawsuit against us [...] making bogus claims that we had stolen his script. He held us literally hostage and we were forced to settle with him as he held our production over a barrel." Monjack denied these claims. In 2007, "E! News" reported that Monjack was slated to direct a film adaptation of D. M. Thomas's novel about Sigmund Freud, "The White Hotel", with Brittany Murphy cast in a leading role.


title: Simon Monjack

text: Monjack married Simone Bienne in Las Vegas in November 2001; they were divorced in 2006. That year, he met actress Brittany Murphy. In April 2007, they married in a private Jewish ceremony at their Los Angeles home. The couple did not announce their engagement beforehand and rarely made public appearances together before their marriage. On 20 December 2009, Murphy died after collapsing in their bathroom. The cause was later revealed to be pneumonia, with secondary factors of iron-deficiency anaemia and drug intoxication from prescription and over-the-counter drugs.


title: Simon Monjack

text: In 2005, warrants were issued for Monjack's arrest in Virginia on charges of credit card fraud, but the charges were later dropped.


title: Simon Monjack

text: In February 2007, Monjack was arrested and spent nine days in jail, facing deportation, because his visa to the United States had expired.


title: Simon Monjack

text: In January 2010, Monjack's mother, Linda Monjack, told "People" that her son was "unwell, and the doctors are carrying out tests. On whether he has a heart problem, it is not really for me to say, you must ask him, but yes, there have been health problems in the past. I believe it's common knowledge, and it's been in the press that he had a slight heart attack a week before Brittany's death."


title: Simon Monjack

text: Monjack was found dead on 23 May 2010 in his house in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Law enforcement sources say the Los Angeles Fire Department was called there for a medical emergency after Murphy's mother, Sharon, found Monjack unconscious in the master bedroom around 9:20 pm, and then called 911. Paramedics arrived; Monjack was pronounced dead at 9:45 pm.


title: Simon Monjack

text: The coroner's report found the cause of Monjack's death to be acute pneumonia and severe anaemia, similar to the causes attributed to his wife's death five months earlier in the same house. He was buried next to Murphy at Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see "§ Etymology") is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus "Commiphora". Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mixed with posca or wine was common across ancient cultures, for general pleasure, and as an analgesic.


title: Myrrh

text: When a wound on a tree penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree secretes a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. Myrrh is harvested by repeatedly wounding the trees to bleed the gum, which is waxy and coagulates quickly. After the harvest, the gum becomes hard and glossy. The gum is yellowish and may be either clear or opaque. It darkens deeply as it ages, and white streaks emerge.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh gum is commonly harvested from the species "Commiphora myrrha". Another commonly used name, "Commiphora molmol", is now considered a synonym of "Commiphora myrrha".


title: Myrrh

text: "Commiphora myrrha" is native to Somalia, Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Somali Region of Ethiopia and parts of Saudi Arabia. Meetiga, the trade-name of Arabian Myrrh, is more brittle and gummy than the Somali variety and does not have the latter's white markings.


title: Myrrh

text: Liquid myrrh, or stacte, written about by Pliny, was an ingredient of Jewish holy incense, and was formerly greatly valued but cannot now be identified in today's markets.


title: Myrrh

text: The word "myrrh" corresponds with a common Semitic root "m-r-r" meaning "bitter", as in Arabic ' and Aramaic '. Its name entered the English language from the Hebrew Bible, where it is called ', and later as a Semitic loanword was used in the Greek myth of Myrrha, and later in the Septuagint; in the Ancient Greek language, the related word (') became a general term for perfume.


title: Myrrh

text: In pharmacology, myrrh is used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes. It is also used in some liniments and healing salves that may be applied to abrasions and other minor skin ailments. Myrrh has been used as an analgesic for toothaches and can be used in liniment for bruises, aches, and sprains.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh gum is commonly claimed to remedy indigestion, ulcers, colds, cough, asthma, lung congestion, arthritis pain, and cancer.


title: Myrrh

text: The 5th dynasty ruler of Egypt King Sahure recorded the earliest attested expedition to the land of Punt, modern day Horn of Africa particularly Somalia which brought back large quantities of myrrh, frankincense, malachite and electrum. Other products that were also brought back included wild animals, particularly cheetahs, the secretary bird ("Sagittarius serpentarius"), giraffes and Hamadryas baboons (which were sacred to the Ancient Egyptians), ebony, ivory and animal skins. Sahure is shown celebrating the success of this venture in a relief from his mortuary temple which shows him tending a myrrh tree in the garden of his palace named ""Sahure's splendor soars up to heaven"". This relief is the only one in Egyptian art depicting a king gardening. Myrrh was used by the ancient Egyptians, along with natron, for the embalming of mummies.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh is mentioned as a rare perfume in several places in the Hebrew Bible. In , the traders to whom Jacob's sons sold their brother Joseph had "camels ... loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh," and specifies that Moses was to use 500 shekels of liquid myrrh as a core ingredient of the sacred anointing oil.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh was an ingredient of "Ketoret:" the consecrated incense used in the First and Second Temples at Jerusalem, as described in the Hebrew Bible and Talmud. An offering was made of the "Ketoret" on a special incense altar and was an important component of the temple service. Myrrh is also listed as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and kings.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh was recorded in the first century BC by Diodorus Siculus to have been traded overland and by sea via Nabatean caravans and sea ports, which transported it from Southern Arabia to their capital city of Petra, from which it was distributed throughout the Mediterranean region.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh is mentioned in the New Testament as one of the three gifts (with gold and frankincense) that the magi "from the East" presented to the Christ Child (). Myrrh was also present at Jesus' death and burial. Jesus was offered wine and myrrh at his crucifixion (). According to John's Gospel, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea brought a 100-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes to wrap Jesus' body (). The Gospel of Matthew relates that as Jesus went to the cross, he was given vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink (Matthew 27:34); the Gospel of Mark describes the drink as wine mingled with myrrh (Mark 15:23).


title: Myrrh

text: Because of its mention in the New Testament, myrrh is an incense offered during some Christian liturgical celebrations (see Thurible). Liquid myrrh is sometimes added to egg tempera in the making of icons. Myrrh is mixed with frankincense and sometimes more scents and is used in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, traditional Roman Catholic, and Anglican/Episcopal churches.


title: Myrrh

text: Myrrh is also used to prepare the sacramental chrism used by many churches of both Eastern and Western rites. In the Middle East, the Eastern Orthodox Church traditionally uses oil scented with myrrh (and other fragrances) to perform the sacrament of chrismation, which is commonly referred to as "receiving the Chrism".


title: Myrrh

text: According to the hadith of Muhammad, narrated by Abu Nuaim on the authority of Abban bin Saleh bin Anas, Muhammad said, "Fumigate your houses with mugwort, myrrh and thyme." ("Kanz-ul-Ummal"). The "Encyclopedia of Islamic Herbal Medicine" mentions the same hadith: "The Messenger of Allah stated, 'Fumigate your houses with al-shih, murr, and sa'tar.'" The author states that this use of the word "murr" refers specifically to "Commiphora myrrha". The other two are Al-Shih (possibly mugwort) and Sa'tar (or "Za'atar" - thyme).


title: Myrrh

text: Pedanius Dioscorides described the myrrh of the first century AD as most likely to refer to a "species of mimosa", describing it "like the Egyptian thorn". He describes its appearance and leaf structure as "spinnate-winged".


title: Myrrh

text: The oleo-gum-resins of a number of other "Commiphora" species are also used as perfumes, medicines (such as aromatic wound dressings), and incense ingredients. These myrrh-like resins are known as bdellium (including guggul and African bdellium), balsam (balm of Gilead or Mecca balsam) and opopanax (bisabol).


title: Myrrh

text: Fragrant "myrrh beads" are made from the crushed seeds of "Detarium microcarpum", an unrelated West African tree. These beads are traditionally worn by married women in Mali as multiple strands around the hips.


title: Myrrh

text: The name "myrrh" is also applied to the potherb "Myrrhis odorata", otherwise known as "cicely" or "sweet cicely".


title: Sandbox game

text: A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that provides players a great degree of creativity to interact with, usually without any predetermined goal, or alternatively with a goal that the players set for themselves. Such games may lack any objective, and are sometimes referred to as non-games or software toys. More often, sandbox games result from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with an open world concept which gives the players freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The term "sandbox" derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.


title: Sandbox game

text: Early sandbox games came out of space trading and combat games like "Elite" (1984) and city-building simulations and tycoon games like "SimCity" (1989). The releases of "The Sims" and "Grand Theft Auto III" in 2000 and 2001, respectively, demonstrated that games with highly detailed interacting systems that encouraged player experimentation could also be seen as sandbox games. Sandbox games also found ground with the ability to interact socially and share user-generated content across the Internet like "Second Life" (2003). More notable Sandbox games include "Garry's Mod" (2006), "No Man's Sky" (2016) and "Dreams" (2020), where players use the game's systems to create environments and modes to play with. "Minecraft" (2009) is one of the most successful examples of a sandbox game, with players able to enjoy both creative modes and more goal-driven survival modes. "Roblox" (2006) offers a chance for everyone to create their own game by using Roblox Lua programming language. It allows adding effects, setting up functions, testing your games, etc. "Fortnite" (2017) has gamemodes which allow players to either fight one another, fight off monsters or create their own battle arenas.


title: Sandbox game

text: From a video game development standpoint, a sandbox game is one that incorporates elements of sandbox design, a range of game systems that encourage free play. Sandbox design can either describe a game or a game mode, with an emphasis on free-form gameplay, relaxed rules, and minimal goals. Sandbox design can also describe a type of game development, where a designer slowly adds features to a minimal game experience, experimenting with each element one at a time. There are "a lot of varieties" of sandbox design, based on "a wide range of dynamic interactive elements". Thus, the term is used often, without a strict definition. Game designers sometimes define a sandbox as what it is not, where a game can "subtract the missions, the main campaign, the narrative or whatever formatively binds the game's progression, and you have a sandbox."


title: Sandbox game

text: In game design, a sandbox is a metaphor for playing in a literal sandbox. Game historian Steve Breslin describes "the metaphor [as] a child playing in a sandbox ... produc[ing] a world from sand", compared to games with more fully formed content. This metaphor between the virtual and literal sandbox is noted by architectural scholar Alexandra Lange, with a sandbox describing any bounded environment that offers freedom to explore and construct. This can distinguish it from conventional ideas of a game, where the metaphorical sandbox is a "play space in which people can try on different roles and imaginary quests ... rather than a 'game' to play."


title: Sandbox game

text: In describing video games, sandbox design is often associated with the open world gameplay mechanic and vice versa, but these are two disparate concepts. Open worlds are those where the player's movement in the virtual world is typically not limited by the game allowing the player to roam freely through it. "Adventure" on the Atari 2600 is considered an open world game as the player can explore the entire game world save for through locked gates from the start, but it is not considered to have sandbox design as the player's actions are generally restricted. Similarly, games like "Microsoft Flight Simulator" are also open world since the player can take their plane anywhere in the game's virtual world, but as there is no creative aspects to the game, would not be considered a sandbox.


title: Sandbox game

text: Sandbox design can incorporate several different game mechanics and structures, including open worlds, nonlinear storytelling, emergent behaviors, and automation of believable agents. It represents a shift away from linear gameplay. This freedom is always a question of degree, as a sandbox design "engenders a sense of player control, without actually handing over the reins entirely".


title: Sandbox game

text: Player creativity is often included in sandbox design. When a player is allowed to use a game as a sandbox, they gain the freedom to be creative with their gameplay. A sandbox will have a combination of game mechanics and player freedom that can lead to emergent gameplay, where a player discovers solutions to challenges that may not be intended by the developers. A sandbox sometimes gives the player "transformative" power over the game world, where "the free movement of play alters the more rigid structure in which it takes shape." Will Wright describes this generative aspect of sandbox designs, leading to a measurable increase in player possibilities. John Smedley describes this type of emergent gameplay more succinctly, having seen in EverQuest "how hungry people are for sandboxes -- for building stuff". "GameDeveloper.com" notes the growth of player-generated content as a "particular brand of sandbox design: that game design is so fun in itself that, if properly packaged, it can well be reinterpreted as gameplay itself".


title: Sandbox game

text: Some games offer a separate sandbox mode, where the player can use a game's creative systems with fewer constraints. "This mode has few restrictions on what he may do and offers no guidance on what he should do." For example, a sandbox mode might unlock unlimited resources, or disable enemy threats. A sandbox mode is separate from the campaign mode, without a main narrative progression. In one sense, an approach to this design is to "enable the player to continue after the main storyline has been 'won'."


title: Sandbox game

text: Many games tutorials utilize this type of design, since "sandboxes are game play much like the real game, but where things cannot go too wrong too quickly or, perhaps, even at all. Good games offer players, either as tutorials or as their first level or two, sandboxes." The game designers allows players to experiment in a safe environment, as "the point about open ended/sandbox design and when they work best in teaching the player is through learning by doing".


title: Sandbox game

text: Cohesive narratives in sandbox design can be difficult since the player can progress through the game in a non-linear manner. Some sandbox designs empower players to create their own stories, which is described as sandbox storytelling. Sandbox stories can either replace or enhance a main plot. Some games give players "pure agency by giving them tools and a sandbox", sacrificing the story in favor of player creativity. Where the game systems are reactive enough, this "does not remove the narrative, but rather transforms predetermined narrative into dynamic, responsive narrative". According to Ernest Adams, "in sandbox storytelling, the idea is to give the player a big open world populated with opportunities for interesting interactions ... in any order". Sandbox stories can also be told through shorter quests, conversations, collectibles, and encounters, all of which reward players for engaging with the world. This side-content becomes an "extremely common and an excellent format for sandbox gameplay: one central campaign (itself perhaps multi-threaded), plus a large number of side-missions". In general, sandbox storytelling occurs when the player can move through the story independently of their movement through the game space.


title: Sandbox game

text: Designers also refer to sandbox worlds and sandbox game spaces, which create the feeling of a large open world. The concept of an open world is much older than the term sandbox. Overall, "a sandbox design usually means that the game space is not divided into discrete units", which emphasizes continuity and exploration. This can sometimes overwhelm the player, which is why successful game designers draw on "urban design principles that can be used to build successful sandbox spaces". As a best practice "when creating these sandbox worlds, [designers] should divide them up into distinct areas to aid the player's navigation and orientation." Overall, a sandbox world should "provide the player with a large open set of spaces in which to play, and give him or her things to do". "The more a game's design tends towards a sandbox style, the less a player will feel obliged to follow the main quest."


title: Sandbox game

text: Game designers often need to create more dynamic game systems to support sandbox-style gameplay. Physics systems are part of the sandbox experience of several games. The popularity of voxels has also shown another system that can create "colorful sandboxes to dismantle and reconstruct."


title: Sandbox game

text: There is also the value of more robust artificial intelligence. "GameDeveloper.com" notes how "a sandbox means that the whole game becomes more of a simulation where AI plays an important role." This means that "believable and self-motivated characters have become key to sandbox play, because they produce a rich space for interactivity and greatly help establish the open-world aesthetic." Game designer John Krajewski observes for "a game that features sandbox-style play, the AI needs to provide enough different and interesting characters to interact with in the world, and the size of the world doesn't have to get very big before it becomes unfeasible to hard code them all."


title: Sandbox game

text: An open-ended sandbox experience is sometimes contrasted with goal-oriented gameplay. Sandbox design usually minimizes the importance of goals. Rather than 'winning' a game, a sandbox design allows player to 'complete' a game by exploring and actualizing all of its options. This lack of victory condition may define sandbox as not a game at all. "For many, a game needs rules and a goal to be a game, which excludes sandbox/simulators." In sandbox mode, "the game resembles a tool more than a conventional video game".


title: Sandbox game

text: Sandbox design has been criticized for providing a lack of satisfying goals for players. According to Ernest Adams, "plunking the player down in a sandbox and saying, 'have fun' isn't good enough. Especially at the beginning of a game, the player should have a clear sense of what to do next and, in particular, why." Christopher Totten observes that "sandbox elements can be mistakenly taken as fair replacements of narrative content; indeed, many games have missed their potential because they imagined that free-play would compensate for a lack of narrative. But even for our idealized child, playing around in a physical sandbox gets old pretty quick." Critics point to repetitive in-game tasks, arguing that an "overabundance of mundane events can get in the way of enjoying the sandbox." "GameDeveloper.com" notes that the quality of sandbox gameplay varies because "the great risk of the sandbox is that it can be boring." This is because "sand by itself is not much fun. Automated, complex, and perhaps most of all, "directed" responsiveness is essential to sandbox play, and the more complex and responsive the world, the more interesting the sandbox."


title: Sandbox game

text: Multi-user dungeons (MUDs) are early examples of the principles of sandbox games; users of MUDs would generally be able to gain the ability to create their own content within the MUD's framework, creating opportunities to collaborate with other users. However, MUDs never gained commercial release; while they inspired the first massively multiplayer online (MMO) games like EVE Online, the creation aspects of MUDs did not carry into commercial games.


title: Sandbox game

text: Prior to 2000, the bulk of what were considered sandbox games in commercial software came from two genres:


title: Sandbox game

text: These two games would become a major influence on many different games and genres to come. In 2007, game designer Warren Spector noted the influence of Will Wright on numerous designers, but was surprised that there weren't more who "mimic Wright's games or his sandbox-style, saying titles in the "Grand Theft Auto" look-alike genre are about the closest most developers have come to doing so." This influence led to a trend, and by 2010 critics were noting that "almost every blockbuster game now contains a considerable 'sandbox' element." This trend was linked to the rise of dynamic storytelling in sandbox worlds, as well as AI that is dynamic enough to supplement scripted content.


title: Sandbox game

text: Another major shift in sandbox games came with the release of "Minecraft", which was first introduced in 2009 in beta form and its first full release in 2011. At its core, "Minecraft" is a voxel-based survival game, where players collect resources to built tools that help them to collect better resources, and to construct shelters to protect them from hostile creatures. However, there are no limits on how players can build these structures, and using the vast array of resources available in the game, players can build nearly anything they could imagine; the game has been compared to digital Lego bricks. Players' use of "Minecraft" in this way led to the developers to add a dedicated "Creative Mode" that stripped the survival elements from the game so that players could build without any hazards or other artificial limits. "Minecraft" became a massive success, having sold more than 180 million copies by May 2019 and being the best selling personal computer game of all time.