# 1999–2000 Wigan Athletic F.C. season

During the 1999–2000 English football season, Wigan Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

On 1 June 1999, John Benson was appointed as Wigan's manager. As Wigan settled into their new home at the JJB Stadium, Benson's side went 26 league games undefeated, before losing at home to Oldham Athletic on 7 January 2000, Benson picking up 2 Manager of the Month awards in the process. Towards the end of the season Wigan lost their form and found themselves in the play-off final at Wembley against Gillingham. A few days prior to the game, Benson had announced he was stepping down but remained to lead his team out at Wembley and ultimately a 3–2 defeat after being 2–1 up with only 7 minutes of extra time remaining.

## Transfers
### In

| No. | Player | Position | From | Fee | Date |
| 8 | Kevin Nicholls | MF | Charlton Athletic | £600,000 | 22 June 1999 |
| 21 | Brian McLaughlin | MF | Dundee United | Free | 24 June 1999 |
| 6 | Arjan De Zeeuw | DF | Barnsley | Free | 3 July 1999 |
| 22 | Darren Sheridan | MF | Barnsley | Free | 3 July 1999 |
| 13 | Derek Stillie | GK | Aberdeen | Free | 30 July 1999 |
| 25 | Mark Bowen | DF | Charlton Athletic | Free | 15 August 1999 |
| 29 | Jeff Peron | MF | Portsmouth | Free | 30 November 1999 |
| 34 | Alan McLoughlin | MF | Portsmouth | £250,000 | 30 November 1999 |
| 12 | Neil Roberts | FW | Wrexham | £400,000 | 18 February 2000 |
| 32 | Neil Redfearn | MF | Bradford City | £112,500 | 18 March 2000 |

### Out

| No. | Player | Position | To | Fee | Date |
| 12 | Graeme Jones | FW | St Johnstone | £100,000 | 19 November 1999 |
| 25 | Mark Bowen | DF | Reading | Free | 7 December 1999 |
| 30 | Scott Willis | MF | Mansfield Town | Free | 25 March 2000 |
| 26 | Colin Greenall | DF | Retired | Retired | 30 June 2000 |

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 2 | Burnley (P) | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 69 | 47 | +22 | 88 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Gillingham (O, P) | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 79 | 48 | +31 | 85 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 4 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 72 | 38 | +34 | 83 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 76 | 50 | +26 | 82 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 6 | Stoke City | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 68 | 42 | +26 | 82 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |

## Results

Wigan Athletic's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 August 1999 | Scunthorpe United | H | 3–0 | 7,481 | Haworth (2), Barlow (pen) |
| 14 August 1999 | Millwall | A | 3–3 | 8,165 | Liddell, Balmer, Barlow |
| 21 August 1999 | Bristol City | H | 2–1 | 7,103 | Barlow, Haworth |
| 28 August 1999 | Preston North End | A | 4–1 | 13,885 | Barlow (3, 1 pen), Haworth |
| 30 August 1999 | Cambridge United | H | 1–1 | 5,976 | McGibbon |
| 11 September 1999 | Bristol Rovers | H | 3–1 | 6,927 | Sheridan, Barlow, Haworth |
| 18 September 1999 | Stoke City | A | 1–1 | 11,195 | Mohan (own goal) |
| 25 September 1999 | Cardiff City | A | 0–0 | 7,679 | |
| 2 October 1999 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 6,866 | Barlow |
| 16 October 1999 | Reading | A | 2–0 | 7,708 | Barlow, Bradshaw (pen) |
| 19 October 1999 | Wrexham | A | 1–1 | 3,392 | Martínez |
| 23 October 1999 | Cardiff City | H | 2–0 | 5,728 | Martínez, Kilford |
| 26 October 1999 | Colchester United | A | 2–2 | 2,915 | Barlow, Liddell |
| 2 November 1999 | Chesterfield | H | 3–0 | 4,376 | Liddell, Barlow (2, 1 pen) |
| 6 November 1999 | Blackpool | A | 2–2 | 4,535 | Jones, Barlow |
| 12 November 1999 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 5,523 | Barlow, Balmer |
| 16 November 1999 | Bournemouth | H | 3–1 | 4,338 | Green, de Zeeuw, Barlow |
| 23 November 1999 | Bury | A | 2–2 | 4,086 | Barlow, Haworth |
| 27 November 1999 | Burnley | H | 1–1 | 11,986 (6,546 away) | Haworth |
| 4 December 1999 | Scunthorpe United | A | 2–1 | 3,463 | Liddell, Martínez |
| 18 December 1999 | Brentford | H | 1–0 | 5,498 | de Zeeuw |
| 26 December 1999 | Notts County | A | 2–0 | 8,176 | O'Neill, Liddell |
| 28 December 1999 | Gillingham | H | 2–0 | 8,054 | McLoughlin, Sheridan |
| 3 January 2000 | Oxford United | A | 2–1 | 5,915 | Haworth (2) |
| 7 January 2000 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–1 | 6,487 | |
| 15 January 2000 | Millwall | H | 1–1 | 6,304 | O'Neill |
| 22 January 2000 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 10,758 | |
| 5 February 2000 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 3,755 | Barlow |
| 12 February 2000 | Colchester United | H | 0–1 | 6,022 | |
| 19 February 2000 | Burnley | A | 0–0 | 20,435 | |
| 26 February 2000 | Stoke City | H | 1–2 | 9,429 | Green |
| 4 March 2000 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–1 | 11,109 | Liddell |
| 7 March 2000 | Blackpool | H | 5–1 | 6,451 | Liddell, Griffiths, Haworth, Barlow, Sheridan |
| 11 March 2000 | Chesterfield | A | 1–1 | 3,106 | Cooke |
| 18 March 2000 | Bury | H | 1–0 | 6,567 | Liddell |
| 21 March 2000 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 2–0 | 3,821 | de Zeeuw, Haworth |
| 25 March 2000 | Notts County | H | 2–0 | 6,094 | Redfearn (2, 1 pen) |
| 1 April 2000 | Brentford | A | 2–0 | 4,479 | Redfearn (pen), Powell (own goal) |
| 4 April 2000 | Preston North End | H | 0–1 | 15,993 | |
| 8 April 2000 | Oxford United | H | 2–0 | 4,848 | Haworth (2) |
| 11 April 2000 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–2 | 5,697 | Redfearn (pen) |
| 15 April 2000 | Gillingham | A | 1–2 | 7,746 | Pennock (own goal) |
| 22 April 2000 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 5,855 | Redfearn (pen) |
| 24 April 2000 | Luton Town | A | 1–1 | 5,010 | Redfearn (pen) |
| 29 April 2000 | Wrexham | H | 0–1 | 7,245 | |
| 6 May 2000 | Bournemouth | A | 2–2 | 6,512 | McGibbon, Roberts |

### Second Division play-offs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Semi-final (1st leg) | 13 May 2000 | Millwall | A | 0–0 | 14,091 | |
| Semi-final (2nd leg) | 17 May 2000 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 10,642 | Sheridan |
| Final | 28 May 2000 | Gillingham | N | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | 53,764 | Haworth, Barlow (pen) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| First | 30 October 1999 | Cambridge City | A | 2–0 | 4,024 (337 away) | Barlow (2) |
| Second | 20 November 1999 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 2–2 | 2,992 (294 away) | Haworth (2) |
| Second (replay) | 30 November 1999 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 3,967 | Liddell, Haworth |
| Third | 11 December 1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–1 | 10,531 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| First (1st leg) | 10 August 1999 | York City | A | 1–0 | 1,921 (1,063 away) | Haworth |
| First (2nd leg) | 24 August 1999 | York City | H | 2–1 (won 3–1 on agg) | 3,396 | Barlow (2, 1 pen) |
| Second (1st leg) | 14 September 1999 | Watford | A | 0–2 | 6,628 (598 away) | |
| Second (2nd leg) | 21 September 1999 | Watford | H | 3–1 (lost on away goals) | 5,006 | Haworth (2), Bradshaw (pen) |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| First (Northern) | 7 December 1999 | Burnley | H | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 2,085 | Bradshaw (pen), Morris |
| Second (Northern) | 25 January 2000 | Carlisle United | A | 1–2 | 1,321 (320 away) | Martínez |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NIR | Roy Carroll |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Carl Bradshaw |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Kevin Sharp |
| 4 | DF | NIR | Pat McGibbon |
| 5 | DF | SCO | Stuart Balmer |
| 6 | DF | NED | Arjan de Zeeuw |
| 7 | FW | SCO | Andy Liddell |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Kevin Nicholls |
| 9 | FW | WAL | Simon Haworth |
| 10 | MF | NIR | Michael O'Neill |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Stuart Barlow |
| 12 | FW | WAL | Neil Roberts |
| 13 | GK | SCO | Derek Stillie |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Scott Green |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Gareth Griffiths |
| 16 | MF | ESP | Roberto Martínez |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Neil Fitzhenry |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Ian Kilford |
| 19 | MF | ENG | David Lee |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Andy Porter |
| 21 | MF | SCO | Brian McLaughlin |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Darren Sheridan |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Andrew Morris |
| 24 | DF | ENG | Paul Mitchell |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Tom Spearitt |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Colin Greenall |
| 27 | GK | ENG | Lee Ellis |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Stephen Greenwood |
| 29 | MF | FRA | Jean-François Péron |
| 31 | MF | ENG | Terry Cooke (on loan from Manchester City) |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Neil Redfearn |
| 33 | DF | ENG | Michael Clegg (on loan from Manchester United) |
| 34 | MF | IRL | Alan McLoughlin |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Graeme Jones (to St Johnstone) |
| 25 | DF | WAL | Mark Bowen (to Reading) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 30 | MF | ENG | Scott Willis (to Mansfield Town) |