In short
- Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup in 2013, beating Manchester City 1-0, then were relegated from the Premier League three days later.
- Named odds and ends sit under £15, and the personalised book is £24.95.
- It remains the only time a club has won the FA Cup and been relegated in the same season.
- Every personalised Wigan Athletic book is hand-illustrated by a real artist, never AI, and built entirely around your child.
A personalised Wigan Athletic book gives a young Latic a story that is genuinely unique in English football, not just impressive. Below is what the book actually includes, what it costs, and why it suits a child who already owns the obvious things.
The only club to win the cup and go down the same season
Wigan Athletic, founded in 1932, won the FA Cup in 2013 with a Ben Watson goal deep into injury time against Manchester City, one of the great cup shocks of the modern era.
Three days later, Wigan were relegated from the Premier League, becoming the only club in English football history to win the FA Cup and go down the same season. It is a story no other club can tell, in either direction.
It was not their first trip to a major final either. In 2006 Wigan reached the League Cup final and lost 4-0 to Manchester United, a first taste of the big occasion seven years before they went one better at Wembley.
What makes a good personalised Wigan Athletic book?
A good personalised Wigan Athletic book is built around the child, not the crest. The best version is a personalised book where they wear the blue and white and win the day for the Latics, rather than a name added to standard stock.
Get their number, their position and their imagined winning goal right, and the gift becomes genuinely theirs.
What can under £15 stretch to?
For under £15, a water bottle with their name, a bag tag, or a small history book fit the bill. Good options include:
- A club-colour bottle with their name on it
- A named keyring for school
- A short history book about the club
For a child who owns the kit, these fill the gaps rather than being the highlight.
Does £24.95 buy something they will keep?
Yes. From £15 upward, a framed print or storybook becomes something they will actually keep. Worth considering:
- A storybook casting the child as the team’s match-winner
- A framed print featuring their name and a milestone
- A named kit bag for a child who plays as well
For roughly replica-kit prices, a personalised storybook justifies the spend by being picked up again and again.
Why off-the-shelf gifts rarely get kept
The easiest gift to buy is also usually the least remembered, a shirt with a name on the back like a hundred others. A personalised storybook takes more effort to produce and it shows, since the finished book only exists because of this specific child.
That effort is human, not automated: every illustration is drawn by hand by a real artist, with no AI involved.
It is a promise worth checking rather than taking on faith, and the artwork itself, consistent, expressive, clearly the work of one artist, is the easiest way to confirm it.
What’s actually inside a personalised Wigan Athletic book?
A personalised Wigan Athletic book is a full hand-illustrated storybook of about 28 pages, with the child’s name, hair colour, skin tone and eye colour built into the main character.
It puts them at the centre of a famous cup final win, scoring the goal that settles it, with a message from you printed on the inside cover and every illustration drawn by hand, never AI.
The finished book is built to be read again and again, not glanced at once, which is exactly what makes it different from most football merchandise a young Latic already owns.
What is the best age for a personalised Wigan Athletic book?
Base the book on how far along a fan the child already is:
- 5 to 6: still finding their reading feet, so the visual hook of starring in the story does the heavy lifting.
- 7 to 9: an age where being the best player in the story is taken completely seriously.
- 10 to 12: they are discerning enough that a lazy gift gets noticed, and a considered one gets remembered.
Is a personalised Wigan Athletic book official?
No. Our storybook is not officially licensed by Wigan Athletic FC. It is a personalised, football-themed story in the spirit of fan art, so check the product page if a licence matters to you.
Every illustration is hand-drawn by a real artist, never AI, and you set the child’s name, appearance and inside-cover message when you customise their storybook. For another club, the same idea covers our full range of personalised football books.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a good gift for a girl who supports Wigan Athletic? It suits a girl just as well. You choose the gender and appearance, and a Ladies Range is growing alongside the main range.
What is inside the book? Approximately 28 hand-drawn pages with your child at the centre, a personalised cover, and your own message printed inside.
How far ahead should I order? Plan for a wait. Every book is made to order and printed in the UK, so it is never a same-week item.
Is this book something a young Wigan Athletic fan will actually keep? Yes. Because it does not depend on a current kit or squad, the book avoids the usual shelf life issue that limits most football gifts.
Can I see examples of other personalised books before ordering? The product page shows sample pages so you can see the style and format before choosing your child’s own details.
Is this a good option for a child’s first proper storybook? Yes, many parents choose it as an early full-length storybook precisely because the personalisation gives a reluctant reader an extra reason to stick with it.