Wigan will line up in orange shirts for tonight's friendly against North End, a tribute to the '78 Dutch team.
The Latics' new away strip, orange with black trim and black shorts celebrates the year that Wigan entered the Football League, 1978. But Orange/Tangerine colours may well be the proverbial red rag to North End fans!
With Wigan looking to new boss Roberto Martinez to provide the attractive kind of football to complement the new kit, fans at Deepdale could see a return of the beautiful game after the more physical elements to Stoke City last Saturday.
Martinez proved to be something of a nemesis to Alan Irvine last season, as Swansea manager he did the double over the Lilywhites, in the process bringing an end to North End's proud Tuesday night undefeated record at Deepdale. The Swans also inflicted PNE's heaviest defeat of the season when they won 4-1 at the Liberty Stadium.
That Martinez has raided South Wales for two of his better players comes as no surprise, Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez were to of the Championship's top performers last year for the Swans and the Spanish boss will be hopeful that they can make the step up to the Premiership. Martinez has also brought in Venezuelan midfielder Hendry Thomas and highly rated Scottish youngster James McCarthy from Hamilton.
The Wigan boss will be hopeful that he gets a little more cash to spend, the Latics have lost two of their biggest talismen in recent times, Antonio Valencia and Heskey will not be easy to replace but a club of Wigan's means must always cut their cloth accordingly and Chairman Dave Whelan will be hoping that Martinez can unearth some gems.
There will be plenty of interest tonight in midfielder Lee Cattermole, the former Middlesbrough man has only been at Wigan for a year but he is already being linked with a return to his native north east with his former mentor Steve Bruce keen to take him to Sunderland. Wigan have reportedly warned the Black Cats off making a bid for the talented youngster, but newspaper reports suggest that Arsenal may also be preparing a bid.
The Latics have a proud record at Deepdale, their unbeaten in their last seven visits, scoring a total of nine goals in their last three trips. North End's last win over their near neighbours came on that famous night in April 2000 when Michael Jackson's header sent almost 7,000 North End fans into rapture as David Moyes' side marched on to the Second Division Championship.
Martinez has promised to continue his experimental policy for tonight's trip to Deepdale, meaning that Jason Scotland and James McCarthy are likely to be handed their debuts.
"It is important Jason and James join the group as quickly as possible," the Wigan boss said on wigantoday.net.
"They have been behind in their preparations, and we will have to take that into account. But it's important we add competition to the squad and keep the environment as healthy as possible. In that respect it's great news to have Jason and James join the squad, and we do need to keep moving forward.
"Obviously we know the importance of a derby game, but we are still in pre-season and there are things we vitally need to achieve. We have Preston, Norwich and maybe a couple more games before the start of the season, and it's important that everyone takes part.
"In every game you play you want to be seeing things that will help you in the Premier League, and we need to show our competitive edge. But we are still in pre-season, and it is also important we look at different partnerships and roles.
"There will be a reason behind everything we do, and we will use all the games as well as we can to find out as much as we can about the squad. But every game now is going to demand more in terms of sharpness and play, and certain other aspects we need to improve before the start of the season."
