The tunnel released them into the afternoon sunlight, and the noise waiting outside wrapped around them immediately.
The Amex was full now.
Blue shirts covered almost every stand, but there were variations of them.
The Brighton supporters rose to greet their team as they emerged from the tunnel.
The team's anthem rolled through the speakers, and beneath it all was the frantic energy of waving flags only visible on special matchdays like these.
Down the pitch, the Wigan and Brighton players spread across the pitch as the stadium announcer's voice boomed through the ground.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome today's visitors, Wigan Athletic!"
The pocket of noise behind the goal erupted after hearing that, and it wasn't any less loud despite the numbers.
The away end answered every cheer from the home supporters with one of their own, blue-and-white scarves lifting into the air as the announcer began reading through the team sheet.
"Starting in goal, number one... Ben Amos!"
