Wigan Borough Football Club - Complete
  • Intro
  • 1919/20 - 25
    • 1920/21
    • 1921/22
    • 1922/23
    • 1923/24
    • 1924/25
  • 1925/26 - 32
    • 1926/27
    • 1927/28
    • 1928/29
    • 1929/30
    • 1930/31
    • 1931/32
    • 1931/32 (2)
  • Gallery
  • Boro's Managers and Players A-Z
    • Players A to Z (A-C)
    • Players A to Z (D-F)
    • Players A to Z (G-H)
    • Players A to Z (I-K) >
      • Players A to Z (L-M)
      • Players A to Z (N-P)
      • Players A to Z (T-Z)
      • Players A to Z (R-S)

The Seventh Season

Picture
The club had made a profit on their last campaign of two hundred and twenty pounds and considering the fact that previous to that club had been over eight thousands pounds in the red. This was reportedly achieved by cutting the wage bill by an incredible three thousand pounds, ground expenses were cut by five hundred pounds and travelling expenses were more than halved.  All the players who played for the club were signed on free transfer and the only fees paid were a total of eighteen pounds with regards to signing on fees for a few players.  Previously the club had spent almost two thousand pounds on player acquisition.

In the summer the Articles of Association were altered at a special meeting held at the YMCA rooms.  The change proposed and carried unanimously was that the board should consist of at least three and not more than ten directors.  However there were no gentlemen willing to coma on the board and the club was being run by just four men, Mr Jack Culshaw, chairman, Mr John Greenough, secretary, Mr John heaton jnr and Mr H Anderton.

Gate receipts were actually down by one and a half thousand pounds and this was blamed on severe weather for four 'good' fixtires  and the coal industry dispute that had been rumbling at the time.

The Board decided to stick with McKinnon, suspecting that his vast footballing experience would pull the club through. With regards to transfer funds, he was having to sell before he could buy and most of his signings during the campaign had been free transfers namely former Manchester City and Southport centre forward Billy Oxley from Durham City and Albert Potter, a centre half signed from Exeter City.  Other new arrivals were Billy Barrowman, John Bryce, Billy Fisher, Ted Glover, Denis Lawson, George Shaw, Charlie Tillbrook and Jimmy Walker.

This is how the seasson panned out...

27/08/27 -----Wigan Borough 0-2 Hartlepools United - 6,385
Winter, Moran, Glover (debut), Robb, Wilson, Potter (debut), Fenner, Tilbrook (debut), Dickinson, McGuire, Cooke

29/08/27 -----Lincoln City 4-1 Wigan Borough - (Fenner) - 5,518
Winter, Moran, Bryce (debut), Robb, Wilson, Potter, Humpish, Dickinson, Fenner, McGuire, Mandy

03/09/27 -----Accrington Stanley 2-4 Wigan Borough - (Fenner 3, Mandy) - 8,331
Winter, Moran, Bryce (debut), Robb, Wilson, Potter, Humpish, Dickinson, Fenner, McGuire, Mandy

Prior to this game the \Articles of Association' of the club were altered.  At a meeting at the YMCA Rooms on King Street West it was proposed and carried that there should not be less than three and no more that ten directors.  Thids action was taken in the hope that some gentlemen of the town would join the baord, which by now consisted of just Messrs Jack Culshaw (chairman), J Greenhough (secretary), J Heaton and H Anderton.
 
07/09/27----- Wigan Borough 1-3 Lincoln City - (Potter) - 4,620
Winter, Moran, Bryce (debut), Robb, Wilson, Potter, Humpish, Dickinson, Fenner, McGuire, Mandy
 
10/09/27 ----Wigan Borough 1-2 Rochdale - (Fenner) - 5,275
Winter, Moran, Riddell, Robb, Wilson, Potter, Shaw (debut), McGuire, Fenner, Humpish, Mandy

12/09/27 -----Accrington Stanley 2-0 Wigan Borough - (Lancashire Senior Cup, first round) - 4,000
Winter, Moran, Riddell, Finney, Wilson, Potter, Mandy, Tilbrook, Fenner, Humpish, Cooke

17/09/27 -----Wigan Borough 1-1 Doncaster Rovers - (Mandy) - 3,325
Winter, Moran, Wilson, Robb, Riddell, Potter, Shaw, Dickinson, Fenner, Humpish, Mandy
 
24/09/27 -----Darlington 1-0 Wigan Borough - 5,921
Winter, Wilson, Potter, Robb, Riddell, Humpish, Cooke, Dickinson, Fenner, McGuire, Mandy

01/10/27 -----Wigan Borough 0-0 Ashington - 1,696
Winter, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Humpish, Dickinson, Fenner, McGuire, Mandy

Two days after this game there was a Rugby Union match played at Springfield Par.  The club officials of the Wigan Rugby Union club were delighted to have been selected to secure the game between Lancashire and Somerset and with their own ground, Prospect Park unable to accommodate the game the Wigan Borough directors were delighted to help their cause.  It was unclear whether or not a Rugby Union county game had taken place in Wigan before, but what was certain was that there had been none since for formation of the Wigan Northern Union club thirty years previously.  Obviously Northern Union had been played on the ground as the Wigan club had called Springfield Park home for a season in 1901/02.

A rather amusing point of interest among the 2,000 strong crowd was the vigour of the Union tackling.  As the 'Wigan Examiner reported,

"In the Rugby League game of course the ball can not be played until the referee bring a tape measure to see if everybody except one man on each side is at least five yards from the player tackled.  In the Rugby Union a player is not considered to have been held until at least eight others from each side have jumped on top him.  Then he is at liberty to set the game again!"

Somerset won the game 12 -3.  In the Lancashire team was Wigan Old Boy J. Hodgkinson.

08/10/27 -----Crewe Alexandra 1-2 Wigan Borough - (Mandy, McGuire) - 4,005
Winter, Moran, Potter, Welsby, Wilson, Robb, Fenner, Dickinson, McGuire, Humpish, Mandy

15/10/27 -----Wigan Borough 1-3 Halifax Town - (McGuire) - 4,989
Winter, Moran, Potter, Welsby, Wilson, Riddell, Fenner, Dickinson, McGuire, Humpish, Mandy
 
22/10/27 -----Durham City 3-0 Wigan Borough - 789
Winter, Moran, Potter, Welsby, Wilson, Fisher (debut), Fenner, Dickinson, McGuire, Humpish, Mandy 

29/10/27 -----Wigan Borough 1-3 Southport - (Dickinsioon (pen) - 4,247
Winter, Moran, Potter, Fisher, Robb, Welsby, Lawson, Fenner, McGuire, Gickinson, Mandy

05/11/27 -----Rotherham United 6-0 Wigan Borough - 3,819
Winter, Moran, Potter, Fisher, Robb, Welsby, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Walker (debut), Mandy
 
12/11/27 -----Wigan Borough 3-0 Wrexham - (Fenner, Cooke, Mandy) - 3.426
Winter, Moran, Potter, Robb, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Humpish, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

19/11/27 -----Chesterfield 0-0 Wigan Borough - 2,354
Winter, Moran, Potter, Robb, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

25/11/27 -----Rhyl Athletic 4-3 Wigan Borough - (FA Cup, first round) - (Dickinson, Fenner, McLean (og)) - 4,500
Winter Moran, Potter, Robb, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

Chairman, Mr Jack Culshaw had earlier in the season been summoned to a Council of the League meeting in Blackpool during which he had to reveal why the club was still owing other clubs transfer fees for certain players.  Having discussed the clubs' previous massive losses and the curent state of the club it was decided at the unanimously at the meeting that all the clubs that were owed money by Wigan Borough would, "not press for the money at the present time on condition that they get on with football in Wigan.

An extraordinary general meeting was held on 28th November 1927, at the YMCA meeting rooms between the club's board and the committee of shareholder with the intention of adding three new member to the board.  On the platform were the three remaining directors, Messrs J Culshaw, J Greenhough and H Anderton, along with manager Angus McKinnon.

Having heard of the meeting with the Council of the League and the present financial worries Mr Joseph Howarth, who was to become the first ever chairman of Wigan Athletic just four years later, insuisted that it was crucial that at least three new directors should step up and help to ease the burden on the three remaining directors.  The chairman already had two people in mind who were to be introduced later that week whilst present at the meeting were Messrs Maurice Carr, the owner of the Princes Cinema in the town, William Latham of Barnsley Street and William Webster of Park Road  and all three were unanimously accepted onto the board of directors.

Other schemed of making the finances a little easier were a proposed deal to make anybody investing twenty pounds into the club a 'life member'.  It was also revealed that the club would need gates of 7/8.000 to stand a chance of making a profit during the current campaign.


03/12/27 -----Tranmere Rovers 5-2 Wigan Borough - (Dickinson, Fenner) - 4,448
Winter, Moran, Potter, Robb, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

10/12/27 -----Wigan Borough 4-2 Nelson - (Fenner 3, Dickinson) - 2,736
Winter, Moran, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

17/12/27 -----Barrow 6-2 Wigan Borough - (Dickinson, Riddell) - 4,110
Winter, Moran, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke

26/12/27 -----Bradford City 3-0 Wigan Borough - 13,748
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke
 
27/12/27 -----Wigan Borough 2-2 Bradford City - (Dickinson, Mandy) - 4,000
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke
 
31/12/27 -----Hartlepools United1-1 Wigan Borough - (Dickinson) - 3,546
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Walker, Mandy
 
07/01/28 -----Wigan Borough 2-0 Accrington Stanley - (Dickinson 2) - 2,756
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke
 
14/01/28 -----Wigan Borough 1-3 Stockport County - (Fenner) - 3,843
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke
 
21/01/28 -----Rochdale 3-0 Wigan Borough - 3,626
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Wilson, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Mandy, Cooke
 
28/01/28 -----Doncaster Rovers 4-1 Wigan Borough - (Fenner - 6,264
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Wilson, Welsby, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Walker, Mandy

01/02/28 -----Wigan Borough 1-3 Bradford Park Avenue - (Dickinson) - 2,406
Winter, Glover, Potter, Humpish, Wilson, Robb, Lawson, Dickinson, Fenner, Walker, Mandy

04/02/28 -----Wigan Borough 0-3 Darlington - 2,000
Winter, Wilson, Moran, Humpish, Riddell, Potter, Lawson, Dickinson, Mandy, Fenner, Cooke

08/02/28 -----Wigan Borough 1-0 Manchester North End - (Manchester Senior Cup, first round) - (Fenner) - 1,000
Winter, Moran, Glover, Humpish, Riddell, Potter, Tilbrook, Fenner, Rasburn, Cooke, Mandy

11/02/28 -----Ashington 6-3 Wigan Borough - (Fenner, Cooke, Yates) - 1,380
Winter, Moran, Potter, Humpish, Riddell, Robb, Mandy, Fenner, Yates, Dickinson, Cooke

18/02/28------Wigan Borough 2-1 Crewe Alexandra - (Dickinson, Lawson) - 3,259
Barrowman (debut), Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy

22/02/28 ----- Manchester North End 1-2 Wigan Borough - (Manchester Senior Cup, first round replay) - (Dickinson 2) - 1,628
Winter, Moran, Potter, Humpish, Wilson, Robb, Fisher, Walker, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy

25/02/28 -----Halifax Town 2-2 Wigan Borough - (Humpish, Yates) - 2,678
Barrowman, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Fisher, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy 

03/03/28 -----Wigan Borough 3-0 Durham City - (Dickinson 3) - 4,060
Winter, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy
 
10/03/26 -----Southport 2-1 Wigan Borough - (Yates) - 3,890
Barrowman, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy
  
17/03/28 -----Wigan Borough 0-0 Rotherham United - 3,281
Barrowman, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy 

21/03/28 ----- Wigan Borough 4-1 Bolton Wanderers - (Manchester Senior Cup, third round) - Yates 3, Riddell) - 1,000
Barrowman, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Humpish, Yates, Dickinson, Mandy

24/03/28 -----Wrexham 5-1 Wigan Borough - (Mandy) - 2,374
Barrowman, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Dickinson, Yates, Mandy, Cooke

31/03/28 -----Wigan Borough 3-2 Chesterfield - (Mandy, Humpish, Yates) - 3,299
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Walker, Yates, Humpish, Mandy

06/04/28 -----Wigan Borough 2-2 New Brighton - (Walker, Yates) - 4,858
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson, Walker, Yates, Humpish, Cooke

07/04/28 -----Stockport County 1-1 Wigan Borough - (Lawson) - 8,840
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson,Dickinson, Yates, Finney, Cooke
 
09/04/28 -----New Brighton 2-1 Wigan Borough - (Dickinson) - 4,128
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Welsby, Lawson,Dickinson, Yates, Humpish, Cooke
  
11/04/28 -----Wigan Borough 0-2 Manchester City - (Manchester Senior Cup, SEMI FINAL) - 3,000
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Welssby, Dickinson, Yates, Humpish, Cooke

14/04/28 -----Wigan Borough 1-0 Tranmere Rovers - (Mandy) - 2,382
Collier, Moran, Welsby, Wilson, Robb, Lawson, Dickinson. Mandy, Humpish, Cooke

The club's first team trainer Mr Tom Woods died at Whelley on 16th April 1928 after contracting pneumonia shortly after the draw against Stockport County just eleven days previous.

21/04/28 -----Bradford Park Avenue 5-1 Wigan Borough - (Welsby) - 11,326
Collier, Glover, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Welsby, Walker, Dickinson, Humpish, Cooke

28/04/28 -----Wigan Borough 1-0 Barrow - (Dickinson (pen) - 3,355
Collier, Wilson, Potter, Welsby, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Dickinson, Yates, Humpish, Mandy

05/05/28 -----Nelson 3-3 Wigan Borough - (Mandy 2, Dickinson) - 2,183
Collier, Moran, Potter, Wilson, Riddell, Robb, Lawson, Dickinson, Mandy, Humpish, Welsby

1927/28 – 42 10 10 22 56 97 30 20th    

The Reserves had improved marginally finishing in ninth place in the Lancashire Combination

1927/28 --  38 16 8 14 79 72 40 9th    

The players to feature throughout the season were ...

Bill Barrowman, John Bryce, Sam Collier, George Cooke, Billy Dickinson, Tommy Fenner, James Fisher, Ted Glover, Bert Humpish, Denis Lawson, John McGuire, Tom Mandy, Jack Moran, Billy Oxley, A;bert Potter, Jimmy Riddell, David Robb, George Shaw, Charles Tilbrook, Jimmy Walker, Arthur Welsby, Tom Wilson, William Winter, George Yates

More information on these players can be found in the 'Players A to Z' section/s of this site.  Photographs can be found in the 'Historical Photographs' section ...

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Bernard Ramsdale