"Andrew Ross' fascinating telling of the history of the club in these pages should make Latics fans proud. I hope too that it will appeal to all football fans. Indeed, it should serve as a reminder that the game is not just about big business. It is about people and about dreams" - Dave Whelan. "Ross' book does justice to the tremendous history of this club and its journey from non-league to the Premiership. It is a must-read for any football fan" - Paul Jewell.Wigan Athletic FC can trace its roots back at least as far as the famous rugby league club with which it today shares an uneasy truce and a stadium. How it got there is an extraordinary tale. But for the sheer grit and determination of a handful of people in its early history it's probable that no football would be played in the town today. This is not just a story of a small town football club struggling for years in the lower reaches of the League before being rescued by a local multi-millionaire - it is considerably more complex. It is a story of dreams and disasters, of faltering attempts to establish a foothold for the game in the town - finally emerging triumphant and reaching the top tier of English football. Now the hard work really begins.

Author Biography

Andrew Ross spent his early years in the North West where his father played professional football for, amongst others, Wigan Athletic. Ross is a former editor of the award-winning magazine London Sport. His first book, Alain Baxter, Unfinished Business, was published to critical acclaim in 2005. His second, Gretna FC: Living the Dream, was released in August 2007. The Road From Wigan Pier is his third book.