When Wigan Athletic reached the FA Cup semi-final in 2013, Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea have been among the many last 4, which means they have been solely ever praying to attract one aspect for his or her journey to Wembley: Millwall.
Happily for Latics followers, Edgar Davids, then-player-manager at Barnet, drew that precise tie out, pitting Wigan and Millwall in opposition to one another to earn cult hero standing within the city in Larger Manchester.
“Edgar Davids is a folks hero in Wigan, as he did the draw and drew out Wigan vs Millwall,” Martin Tarbuck, the editor of the Mudhutter fanzine, tells FourFourTwo. “Though that wasn’t a pleasant sport for different causes…”
With Metropolis and Chelsea each effectively on the best way to securing Champions League locations, the Wigan v Millwall semi was primarily a Europa League qualifier, however the sport is essentially remembered for off-field motion.
“Millwall – the hooligan guys!” Roger Espinoza, a Wigan participant on the time, says. He additionally recollects “a giant scuffle within the nook”.
Disgruntled south Londoners fought amongst themselves because the Latics triumphed 2-0 by way of wily Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman.
That consequence earned themselves a spot within the last, the place they’d play Manchester Metropolis for the membership’s probability at its most prestigious victory. In fact, they duly delivered, with Ben Watson popping up in stoppage time to trigger one of many biggest upsets in FA Cup last historical past.
Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon watched on from the Metropolis bench. The Romanian had anticipated to start out the match after that includes in all of Metropolis’s video games within the run to the ultimate up till that time.
On Friday, Roberto Mancini informed Pantilimon he would play. By Saturday afternoon, Joe Hart was again in.
“For Mancini, there was huge stress as we have been struggling,” Pantilimon explains. “We didn’t win the league and this was the one trophy we may win. Perhaps one thing occurred in that second.
“It was powerful for me. I bear in mind being in my room and crying a bit [before the game], as a result of I used to be annoyed.
“Everybody was anticipating me to play and the choice wasn’t made a day earlier than or one thing – only a few hours. It was unusual for everyone.”
Tales of Metropolis’s turmoil leaked, which helped Wigan’s morale.
“You completely use stuff like that to your benefit,” Espinoza says. “However we additionally weren’t doing nice.”
