Brick Community Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Brick Community Stadium

Full name	The Brick Community Stadium
Former names	JJB Stadium (1999–2009) DW Stadium (2009–2024)
Location	Loire Drive, Robin Park, Wigan WN5 0UH
Coordinates	53°32′52″N 2°39′14″W / 53.54778°N 2.65389°W / 53.54778; -2.65389
Owner	Wigan Sporting Events Limited
Operator	Wigan Sporting Events Limited
Capacity	25,138
Record attendance	Football: 25,133 vs. Manchester United in 2008 Rugby League: 25,011 Great Britain vs. Australia in 2001
Field size	105 by 68 metres (115 yd × 74 yd)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Built	1999
Opened	6 August 1999
Construction cost	£30m
Builder	Alfred McAlpine
Tenants
Wigan Athletic (1999–present) Wigan Warriors (1999–present) Orrell (1999–2000)

The Brick Community Stadium is a sports ground in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is used for both rugby league and football matches. Two local teams, the Wigan Warriors rugby league club and Wigan Athletic football club, call this stadium their home. A local businessman, Mike Danson, owns both teams and the stadium.

The stadium first opened in 1999. It was known as the JJB Stadium because of its main sponsor. For UEFA football matches, it was called Wigan Athletic Stadium. This was due to UEFA rules about stadium names and sponsors. From 2009 to 2024, it was known as the DW Stadium. On May 13, 2024, it was renamed The Brick Community Stadium. This new name shows a partnership with a local charity that helps people in need.

The stadium was built by a company called Alfred McAlpine. Both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors moved here from their older, long-time homes. Many international rugby league games have also been played at this stadium. It can hold 25,138 people in its four stands. The most people ever to watch a game here was 25,133. This happened on May 11, 2008, when Wigan Athletic played Manchester United.

Stadium History

The stadium was finished in August 1999. It was built by Alfred McAlpine.

Wigan Athletic had played at their old ground, Springfield Park, for 67 years. Their first game at the new stadium, then called the JJB Stadium, was a friendly match against Morecambe.

The JJB Stadium logo (1999–2009)

The stadium was officially opened with another friendly game. This time, Wigan Athletic played against their neighbours, Manchester United. Manchester United were champions of Europe and England at the time. Their manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, officially opened the stadium.

The first official football match took place on August 7, 1999. Wigan Athletic played Scunthorpe United in a league game. Simon Haworth scored the first goal in a competitive match at the new stadium. Wigan Athletic won 3-0.

The Wigan Warriors rugby league team moved into the stadium a month later. They had played at Central Park since 1902. Their first game at the new stadium was a play-off match against Castleford Tigers on September 19. They did not lose a competitive match at the stadium in 2001 and 2020.

A view of the DW Stadium, from the bridge crossing the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

An interesting event happened on March 7, 2005. The local police said they would stop policing Wigan Athletic matches. This was because of a disagreement about unpaid costs. If the police stopped, the stadium might not have been safe to use. This would have meant games would be played without fans. The problem was solved, and Wigan Athletic paid the money. Later, the club won a court case and got money back from the police.

In September 2008, the Wigan Warriors had to move a big game. They were supposed to play Bradford Bulls at the stadium. But Wigan Athletic had a football match less than 24 hours later. The stadium owner did not want the pitch to be damaged. So, the rugby game was moved to another stadium.

In March 2009, the stadium's name changed to the DW Stadium. This happened after Dave Whelan, who owned the stadium, started a new fitness business called DWSportsfitness. He also made sure the Wigan Warriors could use the stadium for another 50 years.

Later, two stands were renamed. The East Stand became 'The Boston Stand' to honour rugby legend Billy Boston. The West Stand became 'The Springfield Stand' after Wigan Athletic's old ground.

In October 2022, a football match against Cardiff City had a strange problem. It turned out one goal was bigger than the other! The game still went ahead. Officials decided it wouldn't give either team an unfair advantage. Cardiff City won the match 3-1.

On May 13, 2024, the stadium was renamed The Brick Community Stadium. This name will be used until the end of 2025. It is part of a partnership with a local charity called The Brick. This charity helps people in Wigan who are facing poverty and homelessness.

Stadium Design and Features

The stadium is built with a special design using steel for the roof and seating areas. It has seats for 25,138 people. The stands are shaped like rectangles. The north and south stands have steel beams supporting the roof from underneath. All four stands are about the same height. However, the stadium is not fully enclosed, so there are open spaces in the corners.

The seats are a mix of red and blue, which are the main colours of the two home teams. The stadium meets all safety rules for a sports ground.

The stadium also has special areas for up to 90 fans with disabilities. There are also facilities for fans who are partially sighted.

The playing field is big enough for both football and rugby league games. It is mostly natural grass, but 2% of it is made of synthetic material. This helps to make the pitch stronger. The field also has a system to water it and a heating system to stop it from freezing in cold weather.

Boston Stand (East)

Capacity – 8,238 The Boston Stand is named after Billy Boston, a famous player for the Wigan Warriors. It is the biggest stand in the stadium. It has an electronic scoreboard and the word "WIGAN" spelled out in the seats. Home fans have sat in this stand since 2005.

Springfield Stand (West)

Capacity – 6,100 The Springfield Stand is named after Springfield Park, Wigan Athletic's old home. This stand holds important facilities for the stadium. These include four changing rooms, team benches, and a room for player medical checks. It also has special boxes for important guests and areas for TV and radio commentators.

Heatable South Stand (South)

Capacity – 5,400 The South Stand was named the "Leam Richardson stand" in November 2021. This was to honour Leam Richardson, who was the manager of Wigan Athletic. He helped save the life of player Charlie Wyke after he had a heart attack during training. Wyke praised Richardson for quickly giving him CPR. This stand is where home fans sit behind one of the goals.

In January 2024, the stand was renamed the "Heatable South Stand". This name will be used for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

North Stand

Capacity – 5,400 Away fans, who support the visiting team, sit in the North Stand. This is behind the goal. Sometimes, for rugby games with fewer away fans, this stand might be closed. The visiting fans are then moved to another stand.

How Many People Attend Games?

The record attendance at the DW Stadium was on the final day of the 2007–08 Premier League. Manchester United won the league after beating Wigan Athletic in front of 25,133 fans.

Wigan Athletic FC

Wigan Athletic has become much more successful since moving to the stadium in 1999. The club moved up two divisions and played in the Premier League from 2005 to 2013.

Average and highest attendances for Wigan Athletic at the stadium between the 2000–01 and 2008–09 seasons

When Wigan Athletic moved up to the Premier League, their average home attendance almost doubled. The most people ever at the stadium was 25,133. This was for a game between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United on the last day of the 2007–08 season. Manchester United won the league title that day.

Wigan Warriors R.L.F.C.

Wigan Warriors moved to the stadium in 1999. Since then, they have won the Super League Grand Final 6 times. They also won the World Club Challenge 2 times at this stadium and the Challenge Cup 4 times.

Average and highest attendances for the Wigan Warriors at the stadium between 1999 and 2008

More people have generally come to watch the Wigan Warriors since 2002. The biggest crowd for a Super League game was in 2005. This was when Wigan Warriors played their local rivals, St Helens R.L.F.C.. This match also holds the record for the highest home attendance in the Wigan Warriors' history at the stadium.

Other Exciting Events

The final home Test for Great Britain against New Zealand, played at the stadium in 2007

Besides games for the local teams, the stadium also hosts international rugby league matches. Since it opened in 1999, it has always been a venue for international series played in England.

The stadium was used for the 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations series. The home team, Great Britain, beat Australia 24–12. The stadium was chosen again for the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations series. Both of these matches were completely sold out, with over 25,000 people attending each.

The stadium has also hosted visiting teams during their tours of Europe. Australia played Great Britain in 2001 and 2003. New Zealand also played here in 2002 and 2007. Great Britain won against New Zealand in both of those games.

The stadium has hosted the World Club Challenge four times. This is a special game between the best teams from different countries.

Rugby League Test Matches

The stadium has hosted several international rugby league games.

Date	Opponents	Result	Attendance	Part of
24 November 2001	Australia	8–28	25,011	2001 Ashes series
23 November 2002	New Zealand	16–10	22,247	2002 Kiwi Tour
8 November 2003	Australia	18–22	24,614	2003 Ashes series
13 November 2004		24–12	25,004	2004 Tri-Nations
6 November 2005		6–20	25,004	2005 Tri-Nations
10 November 2007	New Zealand	28–22	21,235	2007 All Golds Tour

Since the Great Britain team split into separate national teams, the stadium has hosted four England international matches. The first game of the Samoa series was held in Wigan in 2024.

Date	Opponents	Result	Attendance	Part of
9 November 2009	Australia	16–26	23,122	2009 Four Nations
1 November 2013	France	34–6	22,276	2013 World Cup quarter-final
14 November 2015	New Zealand	20–14	24,741	2015 Kiwi Tour
5 November 2022	Papua New Guinea	46–6	23,179	2021 World Cup quarter-final
27 October 2024	Samoa	34-18	15,137	2024 Test Series 1st Test

What's Around the Stadium?

The Wigan skyline, featuring the stadium

The stadium is in an urban area, meaning it's surrounded by buildings and roads. It's located in the north of Wigan's Robin Park shopping area. This is in the western part of Wigan, next to the River Douglas. The stadium has car parks that can hold up to 2,500 cars.

The main road to the stadium is the A49. This road connects to the M6 motorway. The two Wigan train stations, Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western, are about 1.3 to 1.6 kilometres east of the stadium.

Robin Park Arena

Right next to the stadium's South Stand is the Robin Park Arena. The Wigan Warriors manage this arena. It can seat about 1,200 people. The arena is mainly used as a training ground for the Wigan Warriors. It is also used for athletics events. You can find the Wigan Warriors club shop here, where they sell team merchandise. The Robin Park Sports Centre is directly across from the stadium and arena.

See also

In Spanish: DW Stadium para niños

• List of English football stadia by capacity
• List of English rugby league stadia by capacity