Frank Corrigan - Player Profile
| Full Name: | Francis Joseph Corrigan |
| Born: | 13/11/1952 |
| Died: | 29/11/2023 (age 71) |
| Place of Birth: | Liverpool |
| Nationality: | England |
| Position: | Midfield |
| Signed: | 01/03/1978 (Undisclosed (Northwich Victoria)) |
| Left: | 01/07/1981 (Free (Stafford Rangers)) |
FRANK JOSEPH CORRIGAN (1952-2023)
All at Wigan Athletic Football Club are deeply saddened at the passing of former midfielder Frank Corrigan at the age of 71.
Frank was born in Liverpool on Thursday, 13 November 1952 and he was to represent Liverpool at schoolboy level. He later played in the local leagues as a youth with Ormskirk. He was to join Blackpool at age 18 without making the first team and in July 1973, Frank joined Walsall but injuries restricted him and he was to play only one league game. Frank joined Southern League side Burton Albion in October 1973 for two seasons before he was to join Bangor City in May 1975. He didn't settle there and so moved to Northwich Victoria in October 1975. Frank became a key players for the Vics in their historic FA Cup run of season 1976/77 that saw them beat Rochdale, Peterborough and Watford before losing to Oldham Athletic in Round 4. Frank had scored the winner in their 3-2 win over Watford on Saturday, 8 January 1977 (crowd 8.989). Three weeks later, Vics lost 3-1 to Oldham in a tie played at Maine Road (crowd 28,635).
In March 1978, he joined Ian McNeill's NPL side Wigan Athletic and he made his debut in a 2-1 win at Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday, 21 March 1978. His only goal that season was an important one in a vital 2-1 home win over Bangor City on Wednesday, 3 May in what turned out to be our last home non-league game (crowd 932). He was in the side that won the Lancashire Junior Cup beating Chorley 2-0 at Springfield Park (crowd 2,755)
He also played in our last non-league game, that being a 1-0 win at Matlock Town (crowd 817). He had played 14 (13 lge) non-league games for Latics scoring one goal.
Frank had worked at Cammell Lairds along with Joe Hinnigan before then going full time.
On election to the Football League, Frank was to score the first goal for Latics as a FL side in the first pre-season friendly at Horwich RMI (1-2). Frank was to score twice against Tranmere Rovers in a home League Cup 2-1 win (crowd 8,512) that saw Latics win the tie 3-2 on aggregate. He played in the historic first Football League game at Hereford United (0-0) and was to score the first away goal in the FL in a 2-1 defeat at Wimbledon. He then scored his first home league goal against Rochdale (3-0) a few days later.
He was to miss only one league game in that inaugural FL season. He also played in friendlies against Zambia and Dundee.
Frank was part of the FA Cup run that saw Latics beat Blackpool, Northwich Vics and Chelsea before losing 3-0 at Everton in Round 4 on Saturday, 26 January 1980 with 51,863 present at Goodison Park. He also played in a friendly against Tulsa Roughnecks and an end of season friendly in Malta against Floriana.
He helped Latics to a sixth place finish in their first two FL seasons.
Frank went on to play 131 (116 lge) FL games for Latics scoring 15 (12 lge) goals.
On leaving Latics in the summer of 1981, he signed for Stafford Rangers before returning to play for Northwich Victoria and having a spell with Witton Albion, both local to him as he lived in Northwich.
He was a no nonsense player with an artistic left foot and a fantastic will to win. He was great company to be around and always up for a laugh.
Wigan Athletic Career
| League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 1980-1981 | 27 (2) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 29 (2) | 1 | |
| 1979-1980 | 41 (1) | 7 | 6 (0) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 49 (1) | 8 | |
| 1978-1979 | 45 (0) | 4 | 2 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 2 | 0 (0) | 0 | 50 (0) | 6 | |
| TOTALS | 113 (3) | 12 | 10 (0) | 1 | 5 (0) | 2 | 0 (0) | 0 | 128 (3) | 15 | |
