Coordinates	56°50′″N53°11′″N
Country	England
Official name	Wigan
Latitude	53.5448
Longitude	-2.6318
population	81,203
population ref	(2001 Census)
Metropolitan borough	Wigan
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West England
Constituency westminster	Wigan
Post town	WIGAN
Postcode area	WN
Postcode district	WN1-WN3,WN5,WN6
Dial code	01942
Os grid reference	SD583055
London distance	SE
Static image name	Wigan Pier and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.jpg
Static image caption	Wigan Pier, a former wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal }}

Wigan () is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total population of 81,203 in 2001, whilst the wider borough has a population of 305,600. The town is the headquarters of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the top tier administrative body for Greater Manchester.

Historically a part of Lancashire, Wigan during classical antiquity was in the territory of the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe that ruled much of northern England. The Brigantes were subjugated in the Roman conquest of Britain during the 1st century, and it is asserted that the Roman settlement of ''Coccium'' was established where Wigan lies. Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing Royal charters; the others were Lancaster, Liverpool, and Preston.

During the Industrial Revolution Wigan experienced dramatic economic expansion and a rapid rise in the population. Although porcelain manufacture and clock making had been major industries in the town, Wigan subsequently became known as a major mill town and coal mining district. The first coal mine was established at Wigan in 1450 and at its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts within of the town centre. Mining was so extensive that one town councillor remarked that "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan". Coal mining ceased during the latter part of the 20th century. In 1974, Wigan became a part of Greater Manchester.

Wigan Pier, a wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by the writer George Orwell. In his book, ''The Road to Wigan Pier'', Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of the local inhabitants during the 1930s. Following the decline of industrial activities in the region, Wigan Pier's collection of warehouses and wharfs became a local heritage centre and cultural quarter. More recently, Martin Cruz Smith set his novel, "Rose," in the coal mines and society of 19th century Wigan.

Today, the DW Stadium is home to both Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club and Wigan Athletic Football Club, teams both in the top-flight national leagues of their sport. The 25,000-seat DW Stadium is rated as one of the best rugby league stadiums in the country.

History

The name Wigan has been dated to at least the 7th century and probably originally meant a "village" or "settlement". It has also been suggested that the name is Celtic, named after a person called Wigan. This may have been linked with ''Tref'', meaning homestead) to give an original name of TrefWigan. The name of the town has been recorded variously as Wigan in 1199, Wygayn in 1240, and Wygan in numerous historical documents.

There is very little evidence of prehistoric activity in the area, especially pre-Iron Age; however, Celtic names in the area around Wigan – such as Bryn, Makerfield, and Ince – indicate that the Celtic people of Britain were active in the area in the Iron Age. The first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes, a Celtic tribe who controlled most of northern Britain. In the 1st century, the area was conquered by the Romans. The late 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary mentions a Roman settlement called ''Coccium'' from the Roman fort at Manchester (Mamucium) and from the fort at Ribchester (Bremetennacum). Although the distances are slightly out, it has been assumed that Coccium is Roman Wigan. Possible derivations of Coccium include from the Latin ''coccum'', meaning "scarlet in colour, scarlet cloth", or from ''cocus'', meaning "cook". Roman finds from Wigan include coins, a Mithraic temple beneath the parish church, possible evidence for the remains of a Roman fort at Ship Yard, and what is most likely a ''mansio'' – effectively a Roman hotel – with its own hypocaust and bath house. Despite evidence of Roman activity in the area, there is no conclusive evidence of Wigan being the same site as Coccium, and it has been suggested that it could be located at Standish to the north of Wigan.

In the Anglo-Saxon period, the area was probably under the control of the Northumbrians and later the Mercians. In the early 10th century there was an influx of Scandinavians expelled from Ireland. This can be seen in place names such as Scholes – now a part of Wigan – which derives from the Scandinavian ''skali'' meaning "hut". Further evidence comes from some street names in Wigan which have Scandinavian origins.

Although Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, possibly because it was included in the Neweton barony (now Newton-le-Willows), it is thought that the mention of a church in the manor of Neweton is Wigan Parish Church. The rectors of the parish church were lords of the manor of Wigan, a sub-manor of Neweton, until the 19th century. Wigan was incorporated as a borough happened in 1246 following the issue of a charter by King Henry III to John Maunsell, the local church rector and lord of the manor. The borough was later granted another charter in 1257–1258, allowing the lord of the manor to hold a market on every Monday and two annual fairs.

Edward II visited Wigan in 1323 in an effort to stabilise the region which had been the source of the Banastre Rebellion in 1315. Edward stayed in nearby Upholland Priory and held court in the town over a period of several days. During the medieval period Wigan expanded and prospered and in 1536, antiquarian John Leland described the town, saying "Wigan paved; as big as Warrington and better builded. There is one parish church amid the town. Some merchants, some artificers, some farmers".

In the English Civil War, the people of the town were Royalists. James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, who was a prominent and influential Royalist, made Wigan his headquarters. Despite fortifications build around the town, Wigan was captured by Parliamentarian forces on 1 April 1643. The take over was complete in two hours and the town was pillaged before the defences were broken down and the Parliamentarians retreated. The Earl of Derby was absent when the town fell. In 1648, Royalist forces under James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, occupied Wigan after they had been defeated by Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Preston. The soldiers looted the town as they retreated to Warrington, and afterwards it experienced pestilence. Cromwell himself described Wigan as "a great and poor town, and very malignant".

The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on 25 August 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the James Stanley, Earl of Derby, and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne. The Royalists were defeated, and although Stanley was injured he managed to escape. As Lord of Mann, he had enlisted ten men from each parish in the Isle of Man, 170 in total. David Craine states, "those who did not fall in the fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside". A monument on Wigan Lane stands in memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley, a Royalist, who was killed at the Battle of Wigan Lane.

Wigan was described by Celia Fiennes, a traveller, in 1698 as "a pretty market town built of stone and brick". In 1720, the moot hall was rebuilt, funded by the member of the borough. It was used as the town hall and the earliest reference to it dates from the 15th century. Prior to its final destruction in 1869, the hall was rebuilt in 1829. In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power looms to the Wigan cotton mills. These mills swiftly became infamous for their dangerous and unbearable conditions, low pay and use of child labour. As well as being a mill town, Wigan was also an important centre for coal production. It was recorded that in 1854 there were 54 collieries in and around the town, about a sixth of all collieries in Lancashire.

In the 1830s Wigan became one of the first towns in Britain to be served by a railway; the line had connections to Preston and the Manchester and Liverpool Railway. Wigan began to dominate as a cotton town in the late 19th century, and this lasted until the mid-20th century. In 1911 the town was described as an "industrial town ... occupying the greater part of the township, whilst its collieries, factories ... fill the atmosphere with smoke". After the Second World War there was a boom followed by a slump from which Wigan's textile industry did not recover. While the town's cotton and coal industries declined in the 20th century, the engineering industry did not go into recession. The last working cotton mill, May Mill, closed in 1980.

In 1937, Wigan was prominently featured in George Orwell's ''The Road to Wigan Pier'' which dealt, in large part, with the living conditions of England's working poor. Some have embraced the Orwellian link, as it has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years. Others regard this connection as disappointing, considering it an insinuation that Wigan is no better now than it was at the time of Orwell's writing.

Governance

Since 2004, the town of Wigan has been divided between five of the twenty-five wards of the metropolitan borough, each returning 3 councillors to the 75-member borough council. The five wards are: Douglas, Pemberton, Wigan Central, Wigan West and Worsley Mesnes. The metropolitan council provides the local services.

Civic history

At the Norman Conquest, the settlement of Wigan was part of the larger parish of Wigan which, the majority of which was within the hundred of Newton. On 26 August 1246, Wigan was granted a Royal Charter, making the town a free borough. This happened after Salford was granted its Charter in 1230 and before Manchester in 1301. As a borough, Wigan was represented in the Model Parliament from 1295–1306 by two burgesses – freemen of the borough. The Charter allowed taxes to be made on transactions made in the borough by tradesmen and permitted the local burgesses to establish a guild that would regulate trade in the borough. Non-members of the guild were not allowed to do business in the borough without permission from the burgesses. It is thought that when the Charter was reconfirmation in 1350 it was changed, allowing the election of a mayor of Wigan for the first time. Three burgesses were elected to be presented to the lord of the manor who would choose one man to be mayor for a year.

There was rivalry between the lords of the manor and borough. The lord of the manor complained in 1328 that the burgesses were holding private markets, from which he gained no revenue. The rivalry continued in the 16th century, with Bishop Stanley unsuccessfully challenging the right of the burgesses to hold markets, believing it should be the right of the lord of the manor. In 1583 the corporation of the borough attempted to usurp the lord of the manor by laying claim to the lordship. They did so because they felt they were fulfilling the duties of the lord: to improve waste and common land and allowing construction on this land, running courts, and mining coal. A compromise was reached, dividing some power between the two parties.

Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, the town was reformed and was given a commission of the peace. The borough was divided into five wards with a town council of forty members: two aldermen and six councillors representing each ward. Rectors from the local parish church were the lords of the manor since records began until 2 September 1861. On this date, the borough corporation bought the rights associated with the lordship. The Local Government Act 1888 constituted all municipal boroughs with a population of 50,000 or more as "county boroughs", exercising both borough and county powers. Wigan accordingly became a county borough on 1 April 1889, giving it independence from Lancashire County Council. Ward boundaries were altered, and the county borough was divided into ten wards, each electing one alderman and three councillors. The former area of Pemberton Urban District was annexed to the County Borough of Wigan in 1904, adding four extra wards to the borough. In 1974 the County Borough of Wigan was abolished and its former area transferred to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. In April 2011, the borough along with the entirety of the county of Greater Manchester, became one of 10 constituent councils of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Parliamentary representation

Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary constituency, which was recreated in 1547 after having covered the borough in the late 13th century. From 1640 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency returned two Members of Parliament (MPs); from then on it had only one. Since 1918, the constituency has been represented by the Labour Party. Lisa Nandy is the incumbent Member of Parliament for Wigan, having been elected in the 2010 general election.

Geography

At (53.5448, −2.6318), Wigan lies respectively to the west and north of Hindley and Ashton-in-Makerfield, and is about west of Manchester city centre and north of Warrington, Cheshire.

The historic town of Wigan forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan districts of Orrell and Ince-in-Makerfield; this is connected by ribbon development to Standish and Abram. These areas, together with the West Lancashire town of Skelmersdale, are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the ''Wigan Urban Area'', with a total population of 166,840. The town is part of the Manchester Larger Urban Zone.

Demography

81,203 98.8% 0.4% 0.1%

Wigan Compared
2001 UK census	Wigan>		England
Total population	|	301,415	49,138,831
White	|	98.7%	90.9%
Asian	|	0.4%	4.6%
Black	|	0.2%	2.3%

According to the Office for National Statistics, at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001, Wigan had a population of 81,203. The 2001 population density was , with a 100 to 95.7 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 28.9% were single (never married) and 45.0% married. Wigan's 34,069 households included 29.7% one-person, 38.9% married couples living together, 8.5% were co-habiting couples, and 10.8% single parents with their children. Of those aged 16–74, 38.5% had no academic qualifications, this was significantly higher than the average for the borough as a whole and England.

In 1931, 9.4% of Wigan's population was middle class compared with 14% in England and Wales, and by 1971, this had increased to 12.4% compared with 24% nationally. Parallel to this slight increase in the middle classes of Wigan was the decline of the working class population. In 1931, 38.7% were working class compared with 36% in England and Wales; by 1971, this had decreased to 33.5% in Wigan and 26% nationwide. The rest of the population was made up of clerical workers and skilled manual workers or other miscellaneous. The slow decrease in the working class goes against the trend for a steeper national decline, reinforcing the perception of Wigan as a working class town.

As of the 2001 UK census, 87.7% of Wigan's residents reported themselves as being Christian, 0.3% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu, and 0.1% Buddhist. The census recorded 6.2% as having no religion, 0.1% had an alternative religion and 5.4% did not state their religion. The town is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.

Population growth in Wigan since 1901
Year	1901	1911	1921	1931	1939	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population

Economy

Wigan 59,215 40.7% 12.7% 5.3% 3.7% 14.0%

Wigan compared
United Kingdom Census 2001	2001 UK Census	|	Wigan (borough)	England
Population of working age	|	220,196	35,532,091
Full time employment	|	41.7%	40.8%
Part time employment	|	11.9%	11.8%
Self employed	|	6.2%	8.3%
Unemployed	|	3.2%	3.3%
Retired	|	13.7%	13.5%

The Grand Arcade shopping centre was opened on 22 March 2007. Construction, which cost £120M, started in 2005 on the site of Wigan Casino and The Ritz. The area around the pier is being developed, undergoing a 10-year project rebranding the area as the "Wigan Pier Quarter". Trencherfield Mill, at the centre of the pier development, will be refurbished and used to house a hotel, a restaurant, a cafe, shops, and 200 apartments. Other developments in the pipeline include a new swimming baths, central library, children's library and local government services "Hub" to be built on the same site as the current baths. Plans for an 18-storey tower block called the "Tower Grand" were suspended in 2008 due to a slump in the residential homes market. Galleries Shopping Centre houses shops as well as an indoor market.

The former Westwood power station site which was transformed recently into the Westwood Park business park and features a large amount of Wigan MBC office space will be further transformed by the creation of a textiles centre in co-operation with the Chinese state owned trading company Chinamex at a cost of £125M. Up to of manufacturing and research space will be created along with an estimated 1,000 jobs. Chinamex which represents 70% of the Chinese textiles industry and has 6,300 member companies will in addition offer space in the development to member companies for up to two years at a time to allow the establishment of a British subsidiary before moving on to dedicated premises. The Tote chain of bookmakers has its headquarters in Wigan, providing about 300 jobs in the town. H. J. Heinz are amongst the largest food manufacturers in Europe. Their site in Wigan is the largest food processing facility in Europe. JJB Sports, a nationwide sports clothing retailer, was founded in Wigan as a sports shop by John Jarvis Broughton (later JJ Bradburn) and was bought and expanded by businessman Dave Whelan. Girobank is also based in the town. William Santus & Co. Ltd, confectioner and producer of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, is based in Wigan.

According to the 2001 UK census, the industry of employment of residents aged 16–74 was 22.4% retail and wholesale, 18.8% manufacturing, 10.2% health and social work, 8.6% construction, 8.0% property and business services, 7.4% transport and communications, 6.5% education, 5.2% public administration, 4.1% hotels and restaurants, 2.7% finance, 0.7% energy and water supply, 0.4% agriculture, 0.1% mining, and 4.8% other. Compared to national figures, Wigan had high rates of employment in retail and wholesale (16.9% in England) and manufacturing (14.8% in England), and relatively low levels of employment in agriculture (1.5%). The census recorded the economic activity of residents aged 16–74, 1.9% students were with jobs, 2.9% students without jobs, 5.9% looking after home or family, 10.2% permanently sick or disabled, and 3.2% economically inactive for other reasons.

Landmarks

Wigan's long history is reflected in its 216 listed buildings, of which are 20 Grade II*. As well as being a Grade II* listed structure, Mab's Cross is the only Scheduled Monument in the town out of 12 in the borough. It is a medieval stone cross that probably dates from the 13th century. There is a legend surrounding the cross that Lady Mabel Bradhaw, wife of Sir William Bradshaw, did penance by walking from her home, Haigh Hall, to the cross once a week barefoot for committing bigamy. There is no evidence the legend is true, as there is no record that Lady Mabel was married to anyone other than Sir William Bradshaw, and several facets of the story are incorrect. Haigh Hall was built in 1827–1840 on the site of a medieval manor house of the same name, which was demolished in 1820. The hall is surrounded by a country park, featuring areas of woodland and parkland.

Designed by John McClean, Mesnes Park was opened in 1878; McClean was chosen to design the park through a competition. There is a pavilion in the centre and a lake. The Heritage Lottery Fund has donated £1.8M to regenerate the park and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council added £1.6M to that figure. The pavilion and grandstand will be restored. The Mesnes Park is north-west of Wigan town centre. It receives 2 million visitors a year and used to host the Wigan One World Festival.

Wigan's war memorial was unveiled in 1925. Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and funded through public donations, the monument is now a Grade II* listed building and commemorates the fallen soldiers from the town in the First World War and other conflicts. In 2006, the plaques bearing the names of the dead were stolen; a year later they were replaced through council funding. There is also a memorial on Wigan Lane which marks the site where Sir Thomas Tyldesley died in 1651 at the Battle of Wigan Lane.

The Face of Wigan, located in the town centre since 2008, is a stainless steel sculpture of a face. Created by sculptor Rick Kirby, The Face stands tall and cost £80,000.

Wigan Pier

Trencherfield Mill

Museum of Wigan Life

Wigan Market Hall

Wigan Town Hall

Sports

The DW Stadium is owned by Wigan Athletic F.C., the club shares the stadium with Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club. It is situated in the Robin Park area of the town. The 25,000-seat stadium is rated as one of the best rugby league stadiums in the country. It was opened in August 1999, cost £30 million to build, and was called the JJB Stadium until 1 August 2009 when it was renamed the DW Stadium. Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic moved into the ground on its completion from their old homes, Central Park and Springfield Park respectively. Wigan Warriors compete in the Super League and Wigan Athletic play in the Premier League. The area has a strong tradition of rugby league, and the main rugby union team in the town is the amateur Orrell R.U.F.C.; before turning amateur in 2007, the team was professional and played in the Guinness Premiership in the 1990s.

The first professional football club in the town, Wigan Borough, was formed in 1920 and was one of the founder members of the Football League Third Division North in the 1921/22 season. The team was withdrawn from the league in the 1931/1932 season. Wigan Athletic Football Club was formed in 1932 and were elected to the Football League in 1978. The club was promoted to the Premier League in 2005, and have remained there ever since, reaching the Football League Cup final in their first season. The football club has ground-shared with rugby club Wigan Warriors at the DW Stadium since it opened in 1999, after 67 years playing at the Springfield Park stadium which had been Wigan Borough's home. The old football stadium was redeveloped as a housing estate after Wigan Athletic relocated. The town is also home to non-league side Wigan Robin Park Football Club.

Wigan's international-standard swimming pool in the town centre is closed for redevelopment as of 2010, but is expected to re-open in 2011. It was built In 1966 at a cost of £692,000 (£|0}} as of ), Wigan BEST, called Wigan Wasps until 2004, is the town's resident swimming club. It has produced Olympic standard swimmers, including medal winner June Croft.

Wigan has staged motorcycle speedway racing at two different venues. Poolstock Stadium was the home of Wigan Warriors in 1947. The team moved to Fleetwood in 1948, although they raced at Poolstock again in 1960. Woodhouse Lane Stadium was used briefly in the early 1950s when the team was known as the Panthers.

Wigan Warlords are an Inline Hockey team, the current Under 16 national champions and European Bronze medalists. The club features players from all across Wigan and surrounding areas. Wigan also has a district badminton league consisting of 30 teams across 3 divisions.

Education

Wigan is home to a number of colleges of further education including Winstanley College, St John Rigby College and Wigan and Leigh College which also offers a wide range of courses in vocational and academic subjects. Schools include Standish Community High School, St Peter's Catholic High School, Deanery High School and St. John Fisher Catholic High School, Abraham Guest High School, PEMBEC High School, Shevington High School, Rose Bridge High School, Hindley Community High School, Byrchall High School, Our Lady Queen of Peace RC High School, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School‎ and Hawkley Hall High School.

Culture

Music

Wigan has been well known for its popular music since the days of George Formby Snr and George Formby Jnr. It was the birthplace of The Eight Lancashire Lads a dancing troupe who gave the young Charlie Chaplin his professional debut. One member of the troupe was a John Willie Jackson, The "John Willie" to whom George Formby would often refer in his songs. Local bands that gained wider repute include The Verve, The Railway Children, Witness, The Tansads, Limahl of Kajagoogoo and Starsailor. The Verve were one of the most important British rock groups of the 1990s, finding success in the UK and abroad (even touring on the USA's famous Lollapalooza alternative rock festival). The band was formed when the members met at Winstanley College in 1989.

From 1973–1981 Wigan Casino was the location for Wigan's weekly Northern Soul all-nighters. The venue began as a dance hall called Empress Ballroom. Wigan Casino rose to prominence in the 1970s, and in 1978 was named "best disco in the world" by ''Billboard'', an American music magazine. The building was gutted by fire in 1982 and demolished the following year. This was the inspiration for the 1989 dance record ''Wigan'' by Baby Ford.

Wigan hosts the annual Wigan International Jazz Festival in summer, attracting performers from around the world.

Wigan remains a centre of popular music for young people, with a number of alternative pubs/clubs in the town centre. The town also has a music collective which exists to promote the scene and help out local musicians and bands. They host bi-weekly gigs at The Tudor and also host various other activities such as the annual Haigh Hall Music Festival, which attracted around 7,000 guests in 2007. The Collective also offers recording sessions and gig advice for young musicians. Throughout the early 1990s The Den was a popular venue for bands with acts such as Green Day heading over to play. The Lux Club was a popular venue during the mid 2000's before it too was demolished. The town currently has a host of venues putting on gigs for upcoming local bands including The Tudor, Club Nirvana, Kings Electric, The Boulevard, The Waiting Room and The Swinley. NXNW have hosted the annual Wigan Festival of Art, Music and Literature known as North By North Western Festival. The collective is a voluntary non-profit making organisation and the festival takes place at various venues across the town.

"Pie-eaters"

Wigan is home to the annual World Pie Eating Championship, usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate. The competition has been held since 1992, and in 2007 a vegetarian option was added. Wiganers are sometimes referred to as "pie-eaters". The name is said to date from the 1926 General Strike, when Wigan miners were starved back to work before their counterparts in surrounding towns and so were forced to metaphorically eat "humble pie".

Transport

Wigan lies on the meeting point of two primary A roads, the A49 and A577 which link to the M6, M61 motorway and M58 motorway. Increased traffic in recent years, encouraged by retail development, has resulted in very congested main roads for most of the day. This situation is linked to the town's geography, with river valleys and railway lines impeding road improvement.

There are two railway stations in Wigan town centre. Wigan North Western is on the electrified north–south West Coast Main Line. Virgin Trains provides express trains to London Euston, Birmingham, Lancaster, Carlisle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Northern Rail has trains to Preston and Blackpool and a regular local service along the line to St Helens and Liverpool Lime Street. Wigan Wallgate serves lines running east and west from Wigan. Northern Rail provides trains to Southport and Kirkby (with connections to Liverpool Central and the Merseyrail system). Frequent local services also operate (in co-operation with TfGM to Bolton and Manchester (Victoria and Piccadilly), with most trains from Wigan continuing through to other destinations such as Manchester Airport, Stockport, Rochdale and (until a line closure in October 2009) Oldham. Pemberton railway station serves the Pemberton area of the town.

A horse tramway was built in 1880 by Wigan Corporation and leased to a succession of private companies to operate services to Pemberton, Aspull and towards Standish. Steam tram operation was introduced quickly, but the network always struggled to pay its way and just after the turn of the century Wigan Corporation gradually bought the operating leases and converted the network to electric tramcar operation. However, the network was saddled with a mix of 'standard' gauge and 'narrow' gauge lines, reducing efficiency and increasing costs, and the last of the town's tramways were closed in 1931 to be replaced by buses which had begun as 'feeder' services to the trams but which had shown themselves to be faster and more flexible. Trolleybuses were operated on a single route from Wigan to Martland Mill from 1925 to 1931.

The town's tram, trolleybus and bus fleet was always painted in crimson and off-white colours, with ornate gold lining out until the outbreak of World War 2. The buses were notable in that they never carried exterior advertisements, with the town's crest occupying the space between decks where other bus operators placed adverts; and they carried two green lights on the front, to enable the town's ratepayers to see at night which was one of the town's own buses and not one of those of a competitor. At local government reorganisation in April 1974, the Wigan Corporation Transport Department became part of Greater Manchester Transport. The former Corporation tram/bus garage in Melverley Street is still in use by First Manchester.

The current network of local buses, coordinated by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and departing from the bus station in the town centre, serves Wigan and district. Wigan bus station is also served by National Express long distance services. Other bus companies operating in the area include First Manchester, Arriva, South Lancs Travel, Maytree Travel, Wigan Buses LTD and Stagecoach North West.

Wigan is on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and is epitomised by Wigan Pier. There is also a branch of the canal from Wigan to Leigh, with a connection to the Bridgewater Canal linking Wigan to Manchester.

See also

Coat of arms of Wigan

Earl of Crawford

List of mills in Wigan

List of people from Wigan

Wigan (fabric)

References

;Notes

;Bibliography

Further reading

External links

www.littlewigan.co.uk, Little Wigan.

www.wigantoday.net, – Wigan Observer, Wigan Recorder, Wigan Evening Post.

www.wiganworld.co.uk, Wigan World.

www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk, The Wigan Archaeological Society.

* Category:Market towns in Greater Manchester Category:Towns in Greater Manchester

br:Wigan bg:Уигън ca:Wigan da:Wigan de:Wigan es:Wigan eo:Wigan fa:ویگان fr:Wigan id:Wigan it:Wigan lt:Viganas hu:Wigan nl:Wigan (Engeland) ja:ウィガン no:Wigan nn:Wigan pl:Wigan pt:Wigan ro:Wigan ru:Уиган simple:Wigan fi:Wigan sv:Wigan tr:Wigan uk:Віган zh:威根

Coordinates	56°50′″N53°11′″N
playername	Raheem Sterling
fullname	Raheem Sterling
dateofbirth	December 08, 1994
cityofbirth	Kingston
countryofbirth	Jamaica
height
position	Winger
currentclub	Liverpool
clubnumber	31
youthyears1	2003–2010 |youthclubs1 Queens Park Rangers
youthyears2	2010– |youthclubs2 Liverpool
years1	2011– |clubs1 Liverpool |caps1 0 |goals1 0
nationalyears1	2009–2010 |nationalteam1 England U16 |nationalcaps1 7 |nationalgoals1 1
nationalyears2	2010– |nationalteam2 England U17 |nationalcaps2 13 |nationalgoals2 3
pcupdate	12 March 2011
ntupdate	30 June 2011 }}

Raheem Sterling (born 8 December 1994) is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He mainly plays as a winger.

Club career

Queens Park Rangers

Sterling was at Queens Park Rangers for seven years as a youth player.

Liverpool

Sterling was signed in February 2010 for an initial fee of £600,000, but this could rise to £5 million depending on how many appearances he makes for the first-team.

On 14 February 2011, Sterling scored five goals for Liverpool's youth team in a 9–0 win over Southend United in the FA Youth Cup. On 1 August 2011, Sterling came on for the first team in a pre-season friendly against Vålerenga in place of Stewart Downing.

International career

Sterling has represented England at Under-16 and Under-17 level. He is also eligible to play for Jamaica, his country of birth, and his mother Nadine has stated that she would like to see him play for Jamaica at international level.

Sterling was selected in the England squad for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored a long-range goal in England's opening 2–0 win against Rwanda in Pachuca. He also scored against Argentina in the second round in a game where England won 4–2 on penalties.

Personal life

Sterling grew up in the Maverley area of Kingston and was brought up by his grandmother. He attends Rainhill High School in Rainhill, Merseyside.

References

External links

Profile at liverpoolfc.tv

Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:English footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Category:Liverpool F.C. players Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:England youth international footballers

es:Raheem Sterling ja:ラヒーム・スターリング pl:Raheem Sterling fi:Raheem Sterling sv:Raheem Sterling

Coordinates	56°50′″N53°11′″N
name	Mark Steel
birth date	July 04, 1960
birth place	Swanley, Kent, United Kingdom
medium	Stand-up, Television, Books, Radio
nationality	British
active	1983-present
genre	Political satire
subject	Politics
influences	Paul Merton
influenced	Seann Walsh, Alan Davies
notable work	''The Mark Steel Lectures''''The Mark Steel Revolution'' ''The Mark Steel Solution'' ''Mark Steel's in Town''
website	http://www.marksteelinfo.com/
footnotes	}}

Mark Steel (born 4 July 1960) is a British socialist columnist, author and comedian. He was a member of the Socialist Workers Party from his late teens until 2007.

Early life

Steel grew up in Swanley, Kent. He was expelled from Swanley Comprehensive School for attending a cricket course at the age of 15, and went on to work in a garage. From there he went on to make his first public performance as a poet.

In the late 1970s his father suffered a mental breakdown and was placed into care at Stonehouse Hospital. The shabby conditions of the home reinforced Steel's political beliefs.

Career

Steel has given varying accounts of his early life: he became bored with constantly being asked how he had started in comedy and took to telling the questioner the first thing that came into his head. He is often described as having worked as a television repair man but confesses that he has no technical ability whatsoever. He worked the comedy circuit for several years, and then in 1992 presented a satirical radio show ''The Mark Steel Solution'' on BBC Radio 5, consisting of half-hour monologues which offered solutions to social problems. It ran to four series. ''It's Not a Runner Bean'', a comic autobiography, was published in 1996, and this led to a column in ''The Guardian''.

Steel wrote a column for ''The Guardian'' between 1996 and 1999. He was sacked by that newspaper, according to him because ''The Guardian'' wanted to "realign towards Tony Blair" - though ''The Guardian'' denies this. In 2000 he started writing a weekly column for ''The Independent'', which appears in the Wednesday Opinion Column.

He has written and performed several radio and television series for the BBC, and authored several books, as detailed below.

In 2005 he toured the UK, where he discussed the French revolution from a comic view point.

Personal life

Steel lives in Clapham, London. He is a supporter of Crystal Palace F.C. and Kent County Cricket Club and enjoys watching both play on occasion. He was interviewed by Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special during the South Africa series, giving an interview on his love of cricket.

He has a son (Elliot) and a daughter (Eloise) from a relationship, but he and his partner separated in 2006.

Politics

During the Thatcher years, when he was in his 20s, Steel developed his left-wing political views. His anger and depression at society's injustices were vented by political protests, punk rock and poetry.

Seeing the Soviet Union as "shit", and state capitalist rather than truly socialist, Steel joined the Socialist Workers Party rather than the Communist Party. He attended marches, strikes and demonstrations, and was present at the death of Blair Peach. In the early '80s he also persuaded his mother to allow striking steelworkers to spend a night in the Steel residence. His political activism continued throughout the decade, from the miners' strike through to the Poll Tax Riots. During this time he moved into a squat with his old friend Mick Hannan, before taking up residence in a flat.

In 2000 Steel took part in the London Assembly elections on behalf of the London Socialist Alliance (part of the Socialist Alliance) in the Croydon and Sutton constituency; he received 1,823 votes (1.5 per cent of the vote).

In 2007 he left the SWP and justified his decision in his book ''Whats Going On?'' In the book he wrote that he left the party because whilst the membership base had become smaller and smaller, the members that remained became increasingly delusional over the size and relevance of the organisation. He also condemned how at a time when there was broad public support for socialist ideals, increasingly bitter and futile in-fighting on the left made political success untenable. Alex Callinicos, International Secretary of the SWP, reviewed the book in the ''Socialist Review'', arguing that it "evinces a kind of grandiose ignorance" and that "the only principle one can detect here is that the SWP is always in the wrong". Literary critic Nicholas Lezard praised the book in ''The Guardian'', particularly for its discussion of the break-up of Steel's relationship, which "gives it a poignancy and depth which at its outset one might not have expected".

Steel is a Palestinian human rights activist, having been a member of the British-based ENOUGH! coalition that seeks to end the "Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank."

Radio and television

Radio

''The Mark Steel Solution'' (1992, 1994–1996) BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio 4, repeated BBC 7

''The Mark Steel Revolution'' (1998) BBC Radio 4, (2007) repeated BBC 7 Australia - Radio National 17.30 2009-01-13 to 2009-01-16 and 2009-01-19 to 2009-01-23

''The Mark Steel Lectures'' (1999–2002) BBC Radio 4, (2007) repeated BBC 7

''Dedicated Troublemaker'' (2004) BBC Radio 4

''Mark Steel's in Town'' (2009–2010) BBC Radio 4

He has also contributed to or appeared on the following shows:

''The Good Human Guide'' BBC Radio 2(1985). Contributing writer.

''Extra Time'' BBC Radio 5. Presenter. Sports programme.

''Late Edition'' BBC Radio 4 (1995). Regular panellist on this satirical talk show.

''The News Quiz'' BBC Radio 4 several occasions from the late 1990s onwards. Guest panellist on this satirical news based panel game.

''Loose Ends'' BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.

''Midweek'' BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.

''Excess Baggage'' BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.

''Test Match Special'' BBC Radio 4. Lunchtime interviewee, 1 August 2008 - England vs South Africa, 3rd test, Edgbaston.

''I've Never Seen Star Wars'' BBC Radio 4 (2008). Interviewee

''Heresy'' BBC Radio 4 (2009).

Television

''The Mark Steel Lectures'' BBC Four (2003, 2004, 2006). Writer and Presenter. Television version of his radio programme of the same title. Produced in association with The Open University.

He also appeared in the following shows:

''Red Dwarf'' BBC Two (1989). Playing 'Ski-man' in episode "Timeslides" (non-speaking part).

''Loose Talk'' (1994). Guest.

''The Late Jonathan Ross'' (1996). Guest.

''Does China Exist''. (1997).

''If I Ruled the World'' BBC Two (1998). Guest panellist.

''Lamarr's Attacks'' BBC Two (2000). Guest.

''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' BBC Two (2000, 2001). Guest panellist on the satirical music based panel game.

''Have I Got News for You'' BBC One (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). Guest panellist on this satirical news based panel game.

''Question Time'' BBC One (2003, 2005). Guest panellist on discussion show.

''QI'' BBC Two, BBC Four (2004, 2005, 2006). Guest panellist.

''Mock the Week'', BBC Two (2005, 2006). Guest panellist.

''Room 101'' BBC Two, (2006). Guest

Bibliography

Printed

*''Vive La Revolution'' (2003) ISBN 0-7432-0805-6, (2004) ISBN 0-7432-0806-4 History of the French Revolution.

*''Reasons To Be Cheerful'' (2001) ISBN 0-7432-0803-X, (2002) ISBN 0-7432-0804-8 Autobiography concentrating on political activism.

*''It's Not A Runner Bean'' (1996) ISBN 1-899344-12-8, (2004) ISBN 1-904316-43-3 Autobiography concentrating on his comedy career.

*''What's Going On? The Meanderings of a Comic Mind in Confusion'' (2008) ISBN 1-847372-81-9 Autobiography charting changes to his own personal life and the politics of the left.

Audiobooks

*''Reasons to Be Cheerful: From Punk to New Labour Through the Eyes of a Dedicated Troublemaker'' (2001) cassette ISBN 0-7435-0062-8

See also

List of newspaper columnists

References

External links

Mark Steel's official website

Off the Kerb Comedy Agency

Mark Steel's article archive at ''The Independent''

Open University site dedicated to the television version of ''The Mark Steel Lectures''.

Chortle profile.

Information about ''It’s Not A Runner Bean'' (including extract).

Interview with Jared Wilson for LeftLion.

Interview with ''The Third Estate''.

Interview with ''Socialist Review''.

BBC Comedy Guide - Mark Steel Lectures Includes a clip of one of the shows

Reviews of his book ''Reasons to be Cheerful''.

Audio Files

*The Russian Revolution: Was It A Coup? - Lecture at Marxism 1999 (MP3)

*Karl Marx - Part 2 - Lecture at Marxism 2002 (MP3)

*The French Revolution - Part 2 - Lecture at Marxism 2002 (MP3)

*Viva La Revolution A Stand Up History Of The French Revolution - Part 2 - Lecture at Marxism 2003 (MP3)

*Albert Einstein - Part 2 - Lecture at Marxism 2005 (MP3)

*Large selection of audio (mp3) and video (mp4) files available at www.marksteelinfo.com/audiovideo/

Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:British republicans Category:English atheists Category:English columnists Category:English comedians Category:British Trotskyists Category:People from Swanley Category:Socialist Workers Party (UK) members Category:English socialists

Coordinates	56°50′″N53°11′″N
playername	Ryo Miyaichi
fullname	Ryo Miyaichi
height
dateofbirth	December 14, 1992
cityofbirth	Okazaki, Aichi
countryofbirth	Japan
currentclub	Arsenal
clubnumber	31
position	Winger
youthyears1	2001–2007 | youthclubs1 Sylphid F.C.
youthyears2	2008–2011 | youthclubs2 Chūkyōdai Chūkyō High School
years1	2011– | caps1 0 | goals1 0 | clubs1 Arsenal
years2	2011 | caps2 12 | goals2 3 | clubs2 → Feyenoord (loan)
nationalyears1	2007 | nationalteam1 Japan U15 | nationalcaps1 3 | nationalgoals1 4
nationalyears2	2008 | nationalteam2 Japan U16 | nationalcaps2 3 | nationalgoals2 1
nationalyears3	2009 | nationalteam3 Japan U17 | nationalcaps3 5 | nationalgoals3 3
nationalyears4	2010 | nationalteam4 Japan U19 | nationalcaps4 8 | nationalgoals4 5
pcupdate	24 April 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	30 July 2010 (UTC) }}

is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Arsenal.

Early life

Ryo Miyaichi comes from a sporting family, with father Tatsuya being a former baseball player who played for and later managed the Toyota Motors baseball club, and brother Tsuyoshi also being a football player. Miyaichi started playing football in his elementary school years at Sylphid F.C. in Nagoya. He entered Chūkyōdai Chūkyō High School and played for the school football club. In the 2010 season, the team advanced to the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament but were defeated in the first round.

Club career

Arsenal

Miyaichi first trialled for Arsenal in the summer of 2010, where he impressed on a trial. Arsène Wenger was convinced of Miyaichi's abilities and subsequently offered him a contract with Arsenal. On January 31, 2011, he joined the club and signed a professional contract. Arsène Wenger said: "We’re delighted that Ryo Miyaichi has joined us. He trialled with us in the summer and has raw ability which has attracted many clubs around the world".

Loan to Feyenoord

Just after he signed for Arsenal, it was announced that he was set to join Feyenoord on loan. On February 5, he played his first game for Feyenoord against Vitesse. He played the full 90 minutes and was named man of the match (the game ended 1–1). Miyaichi played against Heracles Almelo and scored the opening goal and created the second for Feyenoord. On April 17, 2011, Miyaichi scored two goals and contributed two assists in Feyenoord's 6-1 victory over Willem II, leading a revival after Feyenoord had conceded an early goal.

The Dutch media gave him the nickname "Ryodinho" after comparisons to Ronaldinho. He has also been branded the Japanese Messi.

2011–12 season

As he returned to Arsenal after his loan spell at Feyenoord, Miyaichi joined up with the first team for pre-season training. He was included in the 23-man squad to tour Asia in the pre-season after impressing in training.

Miyaichi made his pre-season debut against Malaysia All-Stars XI when starting the match before being substituted by Robin van Persie in the 66th minute.

On 9 August 2011, Miyachi was granted a work permit to play for Arsenal on the grounds of being an "exceptional talent" in view of evidence supplied by Wenger and the Japan Football Association, and was deemed free to represent Arsenal during the 2011-2012 season. He has also been included in Arsenal's 23-man Champions League squad for the upcoming fixture against Udinese. On August 23, 2011 Ryo featured in the Arsenal Reserves against Wigan Reserves and scored in the 83rd minute.

Career statistics

Club

''Statistics accurate as of 24 May 2011.'' 3 colspan="3" 3 colspan="3"

Club	Season	League	Cup	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="2"	Feyenoord		12	|	5
colspan="1"	Total	!12	|	5

International

''Statistics accurate as of 30 July 2010''

National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="2"	Japan U15
2007	3	2
rowspan="2"	Japan U16
2008	3
rowspan="2"	Japan U17
2009	5
rowspan="2"	Japan U19
2010	8

Thai-Japanese Stadium, Bangkok 24 October 5 November 7 August 9 August 10 August 19 June 18 July 19 July 20 July 8 August 9 August 11 August 27 October 30 October 18 May　 20 May 22 May 22 May 22 May 25 May 20 June 26 July 28 July 30 July

International appearances and goals
# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Goal !! Competition
2007
	20 July	|	Thailand national under-17 football team>Thailand U16	3–1	1	[[Exhibition game
	|	Lebak Bulus Stadium, Jakarta	Laos national under-17 football team>Laos U15	2–0	0	2008 AFC U-16 Championship qualification / Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U15
	|	Lebak Bulus Stadium, Jakarta	Vietnam national under-17 football team>Vietnam U15	4–0	1	2008 AFC U-16 Championship qualification / Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U15
2008
	|	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Aichi>Toyota	Brazil national under-17 football team>Brazil U16	1–1	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U16
	|	Toyota Sports Park Stadium, Toyota, Aichi>Toyota	South Korea national under-17 football team>South Korea U16	2–2	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U16
	|	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Aichi>Toyota	Romania national under-17 football team>Romania U16	7–0	1	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U16
2009
	|	Stade Municipal (Ouagadougou)>Stade Municipal, Ouagadougou	Burkina Faso national under-17 football team>Burkina Faso U17	1–0	0	[[Exhibition game
	|	Shibata Ijimino Park Stadium, Niigata, Niigata>Niigata	Slovakia national under-17 football team>Slovakia U17	3–0	2	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17
	|	Spoisland Seiro, Niigata, Niigata>Niigata	Niigata Prefecture>Selection of Niigata U17	6–1	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17 Unofficial
	|	Niigata Stadium, Niigata, Niigata>Niigata	Mexico national under-17 football team>Mexico U17	1–3	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17
	|	Ciudad Deportiva del Villarreal Club de Fútbol>Villarreal Football Center, Castellón	A.C. Milan	0–1	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17 Unofficial
	|	Ciudad Deportiva del Villarreal Club de Fútbol>Villarreal Football Center, Castellón	Real Madrid C.F.>Real Madrid	2–2	0	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17 Unofficial
	|	Ciudad Deportiva del Villarreal Club de Fútbol>Villarreal Football Center, Castellón	Villarreal CF	5–0	1	/ Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17 Unofficial
	|	Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos	Switzerland national under-17 football team>Switzerland U17	3–4	0	2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup / Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17
	|	Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos	Mexico national under-17 football team>Mexico U17	0–2	0	2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup / Japan national under-17 football team>Japan U17
2010
	|	Odin, Heemskerk	Canada men's national under-20 soccer team>Canada U19	0–0	0	[[Exhibition game
	|	VV Assendelft, Assendelft	Senegal national under-20 football team>Senegal U19	0–1	0	[[Exhibition game
	|	Sportpark de Koog, Uitgeest	United States men's national under-20 soccer team>United States U19	2–1	1	/ Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19
	|	Sportpark de Koog, Uitgeest	FC Utrecht	0–2	0	/ Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19 Unofficial
	|	Sportpark de Koog, Uitgeest	Clube Atlético Mineiro>Atlético Mineiro	0–0	0	/ Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19 Unofficial
	|	Sportpark de Koog, Uitgeest	South Korea national under-20 football team>South Korea U20	0–1	0	/ Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19
	|	Takhti Stadium (Tehran)>Ekbatan Stadium Tehran, Tehran	Iran national under-20 football team>Iran U19	2–1	0	[[Exhibition game
	|	Riada Stadium, Ballymoney	Denmark national under-20 football team>Denmark U19	1–4	0	2010 Milk Cup / Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19
	|	Ballymena Showgrounds, Ballymoney	Mexico national under-20 football team>Mexico U19	1–3	0	2010 Milk Cup / Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19
	|	Riada Stadium, Ballymoney	China national under-20 football team>China PR U19	3–0	0	2010 Milk Cup / Japan national under-20 football team>Japan U19

References

External links

Ryo Miyaichi – Arsenal F.C. official site

Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese footballers Category:Japanese expatriate footballers Category:People from Aichi Prefecture Category:People from Okazaki Category:Association football forwards Category:Association football wingers Category:Feyenoord players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands

cs:Ryo Miyaichi de:Ryō Miyaichi fa:ریو میایچی fr:Ryo Miyachi ko:미야이치 료 it:Ryo Miyaichi hu:Mijaicsi Rjó ms:Ryo Miyaichi nl:Ryo Miyaichi ja:宮市亮 pl:Ryō Miyaichi pt:Ryo Miyaichi ru:Мияити, Рё sv:Ryo Miyaichi zh:宮市亮