Vital Latics Top 50 - Pascal Chimbonda

Vital Wigan members and posters have produced a Latics Top 50 Footballers list and there are some great players on that list and their names really do conjure up some fantastic memories. The members of Vital Latics have also created some very unique pen-pictures of their hero's, these are being published in no particular order:

Pascal Chimbonda

Pascal was Jewell's first signing for the premiership 2005 -2006 season. Not much was known about the 26 year old, apart from he had chosen Wigan over West Ham and he liked wearing gloves & winter tights in August!

Chimbonda turned out to be awesome with good solid defending performances week in week out.

Such had been the impact of Pascal the rumours had started that he would be leaving the club in the January. This was nipped in bud. He signed a further four year contract in November 2005, to keep him at the club until 2009 with no release clause.

We were all doing the Pascal Chimbonda conga, up the premiership table and we loved it!

During the 2005 -2006 season he scored three goals, two ensured Wigan walked away with all three points. Saturday 29 October 2005 against Fulham, a stoppage time header, and week later at Fratton Park. We won by two goals (other scored by Roberts) and the team performance was outstanding. The Pompey supporters stayed to clap wonderful Wigan off their pitch.

His final goal should be forgotten. Again a stoppage time goal but into our own net for Manchester United who Wigan had played just the week before in the Carling Cup final. Wigan were the better team on the night but lady luck was not with us, United had one shot on goal and won the match 2 - 1.

Chimbonda was voted the best right back in the PFA team of the season beating the likes of Gary Neville and Paulo Ferreira. Also he got a call up for the 2006 world cup French squad.

Arsenal had va-va-voom with Henry, Wigan had do-do-do with Chimbonda.

The glove affair ended with Wigan after the final match of the season at Highbury. He handed Paul Jewell two letters after Wigan had lost 4 - 2. One document was a transfer request, the other; a letter thanking the club for the opportunity.

Chimbonda had riled everyone at the club.

'The timing of the request was absolutely diabolical,' said Whelan 'he will be playing in the reserves if he was not bought'.

Pascal made his last appearance for Wigan on 26 August 2006 in a win against Reading as a substitute in the 79th minute, to a barrage of boos from the crowd. He eventually joined Tottenham on transfer deadline day, 31 August 2006, after a summer of negotiations for £4 million pounds.

The Wigan curse does seem to have an hold on Pascal. He has not produced anywhere else the outstanding performances we knew him for.

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