An example for a successful person

Dave Whelan started his professional football career at Blackburn Rovers in 1956. His position was a fullback. Whelan took part in the FA Cup final in 1960 when his team lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3, but he had his leg broken and a couple of months later was sold to Crewe Alexandra, where he spent several seasons before retiring from the professional football.
However, then Dave Whelan bought a grocery, which he later sold for more than £1,5 m. But he made his highest profit from the sports equipment business he ran (£190 m.).
The Englishman had his plan to develop a low-division club. So, he bought Wigan Athletic in 1995, when the team was in The Third Division. Whelan promised that he will take the club in The Premier League. Just a season later Wigan won a promotion, winning The Third Division title. In season 2002/2003 The Latics made another big step, promoting to The Championship. And 10 years after Whelan promised that Wigan will reach The Premier League, he managed to fulfil it. In the last round of season 2003/2004 The Latics beat Reading 3-1 and finished 2nd, promoting in The Premier League for the first time in their 73-year history.
The biggest success of Wigan Athletic was winning The FA Cup in 2013. The Latics showed great spirit, beating Everton in the quarterfinals and Millwall in the semi-finals. Ben Watson’s goal in the very last minute of the final match against Manchester City was enough for Wigan to lift the trophy for the first time in their history. Dave Whelan’s dream came true – after he lost the final in 1960.
Even though The Latics relegated at the end of the season, they reached the semi-finals for the second consecutive season in 2014. In addition, they took part in The Europa League group stage, where they achieved their first victory in the European tournaments (3-1 vs. Maribor).
However, Wigan Athletic are now lying in 2nd position in The League One and are close to their return in The Championship. And no matter they relegated to the third level of the English football, Dave Whelan proved he had the right strategy for running a football club. He showed that he is not just a successful businessman, but he has also a great understanding about the game.
At the age of 79, Dave Whelan is still the president of Wigan Athletic and has promised that the team will return to the attractive football. And the history has shown that when Whelan promises something, he fulfils it! At both ends, every single Wigan’s supporter should be proud of his favourite team, because it’s almost impossible nowadays to achieve such things in such a short period. Wigan Athletic will, for sure, return to The Premier League sooner or later. The only question is: ‘When?’.