They were given an hour to pack a bag and scramble to the airport before the Taliban shut the last escape route out of Kabul.
Many of them had worked for the British military as translators, and they had no idea where they were going when they joined the airlift. In the chaos to escape Afghanistan's return to the dark ages, some were separated from their families as thousands picketed the runway, desperate for a place on the last flights out of purgatory.
Their destination turned out to be Wigan Pier. As a cultural shift, it is hard to imagine a wider gulf than the diverse charms of the DW Stadium and the Khyber Pass. But every week, around 80 Afghan refugees look forward to a glimpse of respite – a training session at League One leaders Wigan Athletic's academy – after fleeing the Taliban's austere regime.
