What started as a Sunday league team exactly 20 years ago has transformed itself into a football club dedicated to making a big difference in the life of its local community.
Wigan Cosmos has come a long way since CEO John Pendlebury set up a team in 2004 so that a bunch of friends, who also happened to be decent players, could enjoy a game of football together. The name came from the New York Cosmos – a team that burned briefly but brightly across the Atlantic in the 1970s and ‘80s. Boasting stars like Pele and Beckenbauer, it was tagged ‘the most glamorous team in world football’.
While Wigan might not be quite as glamorous as the Big Apple, the Lancashire version of the Cosmos did well in its early years, rising through the local divisions. The club even made it into the national media in 2013 when a Cosmos match was disrupted by Newcastle United fans, in town for a match against Wigan Athletic, invading the pitch and causing significant damage. Pressure from Toon fans led Newcastle to compensate the Cosmos financially and to host one of their matches at the club’s St James’ Park stadium.
Recent years have been equally eventful. The Cosmos took over the St John’s Street Playing Fields in early 2020 with the aim of making it their new home. Club CEO John described it as basically “a field with a changing room” at that time and there was much work to do. Covid-19 then intervened, and a handful of people were left to work on the ground in isolation from one another throughout the pandemic.
With the help of volunteers, the FA, the local council and a successful crowdfunding campaign, the club overcame floods, fires and stubborn vegetation to create what they describe as ‘a modern community owned sports facility that is being developed with sports and the community at it's heart.’
The focus now is very much on youth football, with around 60 ‘Future Stars’ and ‘Wildcats’ from under-5s to under-11s, almost half of whom are girls, participating in training sessions. There are under-14s, under-17s and open age teams as well. John says that the focus in training is as much on “just letting them play” as on building skills.
Those skills also include being a kind and considerate member of society. John says that in winter they had all age groups sharing an indoor facility and he was delighted to see the older children helping and looking after the younger ones: “We created a caring community, and that extends beyond football training. “When they’re at school, the older kids don’t just ignore the youngsters, they’re all best mates and looking out for each other. This goes way beyond just the football. I never envisaged that but it’s just magic. We’re creating a nice community of caring children in our little corner of the world.”
Enjoyment remains key though, and the aim is for the children look forward to their football sessions, to make them the highlight of their week. John says:“Mums tell us that this is their child’s happy place.”
John also sees football as a way to teach children valuable life skills. The kids earn money towards club clothing through initiatives like car washes and other fund-raising activities. Learning the value of money and the importance of hard work along the way.
While youth might be the primary focus, the older demographic is not forgotten. The walking football side gives retired players the chance to get out on the pitch again, but in many ways that’s secondary to the social side. As john says:
“It provides friendship groups. I describe them as ‘50-year-old kids with a ball’. These fellas never miss a night – they just love football. But it’s not just the football – it’s the relationships around it.” Unsurprisingly, ‘community’ is a word that comes up time and again when talking to John, who is a whirlwind of energy and ideas as he outlines future plans for the Cosmos. with many more plans in the works, including a gardening club that will bring different generations together in the outdoors.
The club also has an innovative approach to the challenge facing all grassroots, clubs - funding. The tractor that Cosmos uses to look after their pitch is also put to work on the grounds of other teams and at local schools. Contracts to maintain those grounds are a valuable revenue earner. Coaching also brings in some money while the long—term goal is to have an indoor 3G pitch, revenue from which will pay to employ other people.
Wigan Cosmos is the living embodiment of the ideal that ‘football is more than a game’. We couldn’t be prouder to see a club dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults in its community stepping into the coming football season in Kappa kit.
