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Wigan is a sociable town with a long history. Owing to its loyalty to the Crown during the Civil War, the motto, "Ancient and Loyal", was bestowed on the town by Royal decree. It is the oldest such motto in the English language. The famous Wigan Pier was the central loading point for canal traffic during the 18th, 19th and early 20th-century. This is now one of the town's major attractions.Modern Wigan is a lively vibrant town with a multi-cultural society. It is well known for its football and for its first class rugby.
It is one of relatively few towns in the UK to have an international-standard swimming pool in the town centre. The pool itself was built to exact Olympic standards, but has never been used for official Olympic sanctioned competition.