The DW Stadium

Built and opened in 1999, and named after main sponsor DW Sports Fitness, the DW Stadium is a dual-use stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England hosting rugby league and football.

The current capacity of the DW Stadium is 25,133 – all seated in four single-tier stands with all reserved seating – however, the capacity is reduced when unreserved seating is in use.

The DW Stadium, which was built by Alfred McAlpine, was completed in August 1999 and the inauguration was marked with a friendly football match between Wigan Athletic and neighbours Manchester United — who were then reigning European champions, Premier League title and FA Cup holders — with Sir Alex Ferguson officially opening the stadium.

After playing their final home match of the regular 1999 season at Central Park, which had been the Club’s home since 1902, Wigan Warriors moved to the DW Stadium in September 1999 and played their first game at the stadium against Castleford Tigers in the playoffs.

Key Facts

Previous Name: JJB Stadium (1999–2009)

Location: Loire Drive, Robin Park, Wigan, WN5 0UH

Coordinates: 53°32′52″N 2°39′14″W

Capacity: 25,133*

Record Attendance: 25,004

Field Size: 110 by 68 metres

Surface: Grass

Opened: 7 August 1999

Construction Cost: £30m (estimated)

Architect: Alfred McAlpine

The stadium design is based on cantilevered, prefabricated steel roof and terrace structuring. The stands are rectangular and both the North and South Stands have supporting steel girders suspended from beneath the roof. The four stands are of approximately the same height (30 meters), however, the stadium is not totally enclosed, leaving four exposed corners.

At both Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic matches, away supporters are situated in the North Stand behind the posts. The Eastern Stand, known as ‘The Boston Stand’, and the Western ‘Springfield Stand’, run across the longer sides of the pitch. The Boston Stand is the largest and holds an electronic scoreboard, with the northeast corner of the Stadium holding a new big LED screen, which helps provide pre-match entertainment, as well as key information for fans on game day.

The Springfield Stand contains the stadium’s vital facilities; two main dressing rooms, ‘dugouts’, a doping control room and a treatment room for the players, as well as four executive boxes, radio commentary points and a designated TV studio. The stadium also has facilities and access for up to 278 fans with disabilities, with additional facilities for partially sighted fans.

The seats are a mixture of both the resident teams’ main colours — cherry red and blue.

CAPACITIES

• The Springfield West Stand: 6,096

• The Kingdom Security Boston East Stand): 8,230

• Heatable South Stand: 5,394

• North Stand (visitors): 5,413

Please note capacities are subject to reduction when unreserved seating is in use.

The pitch is large enough to conform with both RFL and FIFA standard requirements, at 110 by 68 metres and is completely natural grass. The ground has in-built irrigation and an under-heating system to resist cold weather.

The stadium’s surroundings are mostly urban, as it is located in the north of Wigan’s Robin Park retail complex in the western suburb of Newtown – not far from the Warriors first ever ground on Prescott Street, on the south bank of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Official car parks are situated around the stadium and can hold up to 2,500 cars.

The main road serving the complex is the A49, running west-bound 750 metres south of the stadium. Both of Wigan’s railway stations – Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western – lie approximately 1 mile east of the stadium.

FACILITIES

• 2x 120-seat lounges

• 4x 14-seat executive boxes

• 4x 14-seat executive boxes

• Chairmans Lounge

• Directors Guests Lounge

• 2nd-floor lounge

• Whelan’s Sports Bar

• LED big screen

• Marquee – which hosts Max’s match day club

• South Stand Bar – which hosts the match day supporters’ bar

• Players Lounge

• Ticket office and secondary match day ticket office

• Trophy cabinet

• LED advertising system and static advertising boards

• Electronic scoreboard

• 1200 lux floodlights

• TV compound/Players car park – in the South East corner

• 4x dressing rooms

• Media room

• Club matchday offices

• Hall of fame & honours board

• Interview rooms

• Drug testing room

• Resuscitation room

• Officials changing room

• Managers office