Stephen Crainey development will give Wigan Athletic extra motivation to extend Bolton Wanderers run: View | OneFootball

The Latics will hope to claim victory over rivals Bolton Wanderers next season following Crainey's departure

Highlights

On Tuesday afternoon, Wigan Athletic first-team coach Stephen Crainey left the Brick Community Stadium in a shock move to become local rivals Bolton Wanderers' assistant manager.

Crainey played alongside Wanderers manager Ian Evatt at former club Blackpool from 2007-2013, but he also played alongside Latics boss Shaun Maloney for Wigan during the 2013/14 Championship season in which the Greater Manchester side landed a play-off spot following their relegation from the Premier League the previous year.

The rivalry between the Latics and the Wanderers is always an intense one, and Crainey's controversial move will have stirred the pot somewhat.

The Brick Community Stadium outfit have not lost to their bitter rivals Wanderers since a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup First Round in 2015 courtesy of a Zach Clough goal.

Ironically, the former Nottingham Forest man went on to make 13 appearances for the Latics during the 2020/21 season, in which the club staved off the threat of relegation to League Two despite being in administration for the majority of the campaign.

But since that cup clash nine and a half years ago, the 'Tics have had the upper hand on their local rivals, and have provided their supporters with several memorable derby days.

Back in March 2015, Latics fans will have been delighted with a 90th minute equaliser from former striker Martyn Waghorn as the Greater Manchester rivals drew 1-1 despite the club's eventual relegation from the Championship to League One that season.

Saturday 16th March 2019 proved to be a particularly joyful day for the Wigan faithful, as they hammered the Wanderers 5-2 during the 2018/19 season in which Paul Cook's Latics managed to retain their Championship status, whereas Bolton were relegated.

The sides would not meet again until an EFL Cup clash in August 2021, in which the 'Tics prevailed with a 5-4 penalty shootout win following a 0-0 draw.

Less than two months later, the Latics would then enjoy what was arguably their best ever derby day as they travelled to the Toughsheet Community Stadium and claimed a 4-0 win on their rivals' turf courtesy of a James McClean brace and goals from Will Keane and Callum Lang.

The sides would then play out a 1-1 draw in April 2022, with McClean once again on the scoresheet, before Maloney's men produced an unlikely double over their familiar foes last campaign.

In August 2023, the Latics once again thumped the Wanderers 4-0 on enemy soil, before claiming a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture back in February.

The Wanderers missed out on automatic promotion by just five points last season, and they will be particularly disappointed to have lost six of those points to their biggest rivals.

The Latics, meanwhile, will be determined to extend their unbeaten run against Evatt's men to 10 years. Crainey's exit will provide them with even more motivation to do so.

Wigan and Bolton could find themselves in the same promotion battle next season

Last campaign, there was some disparity between the Latics and Wanderers in terms of league positioning, as Evatt's side were battling for promotion, and eventually lost out in the play-off final to Oxford United.

Maloney's side, on the other hand, were delighted to have landed a top-half spot following a season in which they were subject to transfer embargoes and were limited to the use of free signings, loanees and academy products.

But next season, the Latics will have play-off aspirations of their own and could find themselves locking horns with the Wanderers in intense games at the upper end of the table.

The fixture between the two clubs in April 2025 has the potential to be an absolute nail biter for all parties involved, while Maloney and co will hope that Crainey is on the losing side on that occasion.

His exit is controversial and will leave something of a bitter taste. Yet, there's scope there for Wigan to use it to their advantage over the season to give them the edge when it comes to bragging rights, and maybe even promotion.