Robin Park Arena

Robin Park Arena sits in Wigan as a fairly quiet corner of the town. The arena opened in 1999 following the demolition of an older track, so it is a relatively youthful addition to the area.

Inside, the focus is athletics rather than football. There is an indoor synthetic straight and an outdoor 400m synthetic polymeric running track with eight lanes. The space is not vast; the seating capacity is around 1,200, which keeps the atmosphere intimate even when the stands are full.

The facility also hosts tennis. Four floodlit indoor courts and four outdoor all-weather acrylic hard courts are part of the complex, catering to local clubs. It is not a destination for professional football; that activity belongs to the adjacent Brick Community Stadium, which is a world away in scale and purpose. The two grounds sit side-by-side, but they serve entirely different masters.

Wigan Council owns the site, and it seems content to remain a community hub. You can find people playing netball or badminton here, and there is a 3G artificial grass pitch for hire. The building is unpretentious. It does not claim to be a temple of sport. It simply provides the track and the courts for those who need them.