Report by SJG

In the summer of 1990, there had been a significant improvement in diplomatic relations between the Western nations and the U.S.S.R, such that Wigan decided that a trip behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ to play two friendly games would be a good idea.

The team played their first friendly game in Brest, a city just East of the border with Poland in the country of Belarus.

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DINAMO BREST vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

31^st July 1990

LATE, LATE, SHOW AS LATICS LOSE.

Joe Parkinson led the team out and Wigan began the match brightly with Brian GRIFFITHS grabbing the opening goal for the Tics.

A decent crowd of 7,400 had turned out to watch the game and the locals were delighted when the referee awarded a penalty to their heroes and the scores were levelled.

The late winning goal was of high quality and the clinical finish was worthy of winning any game.

However, on a day when diplomatic boundaries were breached the only real winner was football as it showed its ability to bridge differences in politics and bring people together in harmony.

Full Time; Dinamo Brest (Belarus) 2-1 Wigan Athletic.

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BREST SELECT XI vs WIGAN ATHLETIC

3^rd August 1990

FOUR-LORN LATICS FIND IT TOUGH GOING.

New signing David FAIRCLOUGH grabbed the Wigan goal as they were well beaten by a Select XI in this the second game of their Russian tour.  One player who made a big impression on the locals was Don Page, the likeable striker was affectionately nicknamed ‘the Chocolate man’ by the watching fans as black players were rarely, if ever, seen behind the Iron Curtain at that time.

Full Time; Brest Select XI (Belarus) 4-1 Wigan Athletic.

A number of tall tales filtered back from the tour and at one stage the team lost contact with home and some even feared they had been taken into police custody……