Featured image credit: Wigan Athletic
DW Stadium, home of League One football club Wigan Athletic and Super League team Wigan Warriors, is to undergo a rebrand as part of an agreement with The Brick, a local charity.
From May 13, the DW Stadium will become the Brick Community Stadium. The deal will initially run until the end of 2025, with the two clubs to continue working together to secure a long-term stadium sponsor for 2026 and beyond.
The Brick delivers solutions to address poverty and homelessness across the Wigan and Leigh Borough, providing supported and emergency accommodation services, street outreach services, wrap-around person-led support, a food community, and affordable furniture and household items.
The Brick served as Wigan Athletic’s official charity partner in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Wigan Athletic and the Warriors will work with The Brick to explore ways in which the partnership can be developed to have a positive impact on the town.
The venue has been known as DW Stadium since 2009 as part of an agreement with DW Sports, the former sports retail and fitness business owned by Dave Whelan, the ex-owner of the two clubs.
Prior to that, the ground was known as the JJB Stadium after Whelan’s JJB Sports brand. Both clubs expressed their thanks to Whelan, whose statue is located outside of the stadium’s West Stand reception.
Keely Dalfen, chief executive of The Brick, said: “The renaming of the stadium is a fantastic gesture that cements our long-term partnership with Latics and Warriors, bringing together three of the town’s oldest serving institutions.
“We could not be more delighted to be formally associated with the town’s iconic stadium, and two great clubs that align so closely with our values of opportunity, inclusivity, and equality. The positive influence that the new stadium name will have on the people of Wigan will stretch far beyond the stadium itself as we harness the power of sport in continuing to put the community at the heart of everything we do.
“So many of us have experienced the intense feeling of belonging when cheering on our teams at the ground, and it is that sense of belonging that we try so very hard to create for people we support. We are extremely thankful for the generosity of (Wigan Athletic owner) Mike Danson and the executive board in affording this immense privilege to The Brick.”
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