| Plucky Little Wigan 19:15 - Jul 2 with 6493 views | basilrobbiereborn |
What on earth is REALLY going on there then?
Mr. Krasner has already gone on the record to say that they are not certain to see the season though to completion. He knows how to manage expectations, does Gerald.
Nice to see that the integrity of that competition is also in good hands, like L1 and L2 have proved to be. |  |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:36 - Jul 2 with 4113 views | spell_chekker |
He'll never, ever, have to buy a pint when he's in Leeds.
 |  |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:37 - Jul 2 with 4112 views | spell_chekker |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:36 - Jul 2 by spell_chekker |
He'll never, ever, have to buy a pint when he's in Leeds.
|
A bit of an afterthought: does he know Karl Oyston?
 | |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:38 - Jul 2 with 4111 views | ROTTWEILERS |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:36 - Jul 2 by spell_chekker |
He'll never, ever, have to buy a pint when he's in Leeds.
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I would love it it if big O bought another League club. |  |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:42 - Jul 2 with 4106 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
Looks like the problem was with the last takeover.
Seems the club has 600 employees on the books!!
Find it quite sad I know the names of the administrators and who they are, but had to google who the manager was at Wigan.
|  |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:44 - Jul 2 with 4104 views | spell_chekker |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:42 - Jul 2 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Looks like the problem was with the last takeover.
Seems the club has 600 employees on the books!!
Find it quite sad I know the names of the administrators and who they are, but had to google who the manager was at Wigan.
|
600 employees!!!!
I once went for a job interview at the DW Stadium.
1999. | |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:49 - Jul 2 with 4097 views | basilrobbiereborn |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:37 - Jul 2 by spell_chekker |
A bit of an afterthought: does he know Karl Oyston?
|
chekks
I there there is a very strong possibility, yes.
Oleaginous man, when you see him in the flesh. | |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 20:19 - Jul 2 with 4091 views | spudgun |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:49 - Jul 2 by basilrobbiereborn |
chekks
I there there is a very strong possibility, yes.
Oleaginous man, when you see him in the flesh. |
Shouldn`t that be on the `bimbling` thread? [Post edited 2 Jul 2020 20:33]
| | | |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:50 - Jul 3 with 4071 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 20:19 - Jul 2 by spudgun |
Shouldn`t that be on the `bimbling` thread? [Post edited 2 Jul 2020 20:33]
|
Brutal and bizarre: the story of how Wigan collapsed into administration
On the day Au Yeung took ownership after a £41m purchase he decided not to fund the club, and an investigation is now due
The brutal, bizarre collapse of Wigan Athletic has raised many glaring and alarming questions, but one central contradiction lies in the ruins. The Championship club have become the first to fall into administration during the Covid-19 crisis which could claim many more, but Wigan’s own insolvency has little to do with the coronavirus shutdown.
It is one of the most unlikely and baffling scenarios ever thrown up even among the frequently outlandish sagas of football’s relationship with money.
Wigan, formerly the epitome of traditional football club ownership by a wealthy local benefactor, are bust 19 months since the retail magnate Dave Whelan sold to International Entertainment Corporation, which he hoped would safeguard his legacy. Even at the time, it seemed an unlikely fit: Whelan, the former footballer, acme of Lancashire man-made-good, selling his home-built club to a company based in Hong Kong, registered in the Cayman Islands tax haven, which runs a casino in Manila.
The administrator Gerald Krasner, of Begbies Traynor, said on Thursday that once they have overcome the pressing challenge of completing Wigan’s six remaining matches, they will investigate the bewildering circumstances of the administration itself. IEC, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, announced as recently as 29 May that it had sold Wigan, for £17.5m — even showing a profit on the £15.9m they paid Whelan in November 2018. IEC stated that on the same day, less than five weeks ago, the £24.6m it had put into Wigan, funding players’ wages and heavy losses, had been repaid in full.
The club announced the takeover on 4 June, by Next Leader Fund, also based in Hong Kong and registered in the Cayman Islands. Supporters were told “the support from owners” would help the club through the current crisis. A new director, Au Yeung, said he was “excited to join the Wigan Athletic family”, that he looked forward to working with the board and staff, and: “Most importantly I hope to meet the club’s passionate fans.”
Initially the Hong Kong businessman Dr Choi Chiu Fai Stanley, chairman of IEC, owned more than 50% of both the seller, IEC, and the buyer, NLF. But then on 24 June — just last week — Au Yeung, initially a minority shareholder in NLF, was stated to have become the owner of more than 75%; he is thought to be the 100% owner: a complete takeover from IEC.
The EFL is understood to have approved both the initial NLF takeover and Au Yeung’s, so the Wigan calamity again raises questions over its vetting processes. The rules only require a buyer to show that they have the money to fund a club — not to actually provide that money, a bond, or insurance, to ensure the funding is there.
On that very same day, last Wednesday, according to Krasner, Au Yeung’s UK lawyers approached Begbies Traynor potentially to be administrators. No further money would be provided — the Wigan directors had projected that £6m was needed for future funding — and the club was going to be put into administration. The club directors are said to have had no notice of this until Tuesday. The insolvency practitioners were appointed on Wednesday morning, for a club newly taken over but suddenly bust, with a Championship-sized wage bill and at least £6m owed to non-football creditors, Krasner has estimated.
In Wigan, little is known of Au Yeung apart from the note in IEC’s sale document which stated he “has relevant experience in business operations management and business leadership as he has worked in commodity and real estate investment management in Asia”. Also that he “has been operating an amateur football team for more than 15 years, winning several awards”.
So, the facts as set out are that in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, while football was still shut down and many clubs fear going out of business, Au Yeung decided to buy Wigan Athletic, a club which even in normal times loses millions of pounds. At first in partnership with Choi, he paid £17.5m, giving IEC more than they paid for the club, and also ensured their £24m loan was repaid. But then, on the day he took ownership after this £41m purchase, he decided not to fund it and to put the club into administration, so losing control, the £17.5m, and probably the £24m too.
No explanation has been provided for this remarkable whirl of events. IEC noted when selling to NLF that the Championship’s punishing finances were the key reason for cutting their losses. But Au Yeung has not explained why he decided it was worth £41m to have a go at Wigan, then immediately dropped the club and put it into administration.
Krasner was asked whether he believed the sale could have been orchestrated by IEC, effectively to take Wigan off its books before it was dumped. He replied: “We have not started the investigation yet; we are aware of concerns that have been raised … Once I know that we have saved the club, all our resources will be put into [an investigation].”
IEC did not respond to questions from the Guardian about the sale to Au Yeung, and Au Yeung’s UK lawyers declined to comment.
Meanwhile Wigan, famously built up by Whelan for 23 years from League Two to the Premier League and 2013 FA Cup glory, are in wreckage, having being taken over, then put into administration, in a week.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/02/story-of-how-wigan-collapsed-in | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 09:10 - Jul 3 with 4062 views | spudgun |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:50 - Jul 3 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Brutal and bizarre: the story of how Wigan collapsed into administration
On the day Au Yeung took ownership after a £41m purchase he decided not to fund the club, and an investigation is now due
The brutal, bizarre collapse of Wigan Athletic has raised many glaring and alarming questions, but one central contradiction lies in the ruins. The Championship club have become the first to fall into administration during the Covid-19 crisis which could claim many more, but Wigan’s own insolvency has little to do with the coronavirus shutdown.
It is one of the most unlikely and baffling scenarios ever thrown up even among the frequently outlandish sagas of football’s relationship with money.
Wigan, formerly the epitome of traditional football club ownership by a wealthy local benefactor, are bust 19 months since the retail magnate Dave Whelan sold to International Entertainment Corporation, which he hoped would safeguard his legacy. Even at the time, it seemed an unlikely fit: Whelan, the former footballer, acme of Lancashire man-made-good, selling his home-built club to a company based in Hong Kong, registered in the Cayman Islands tax haven, which runs a casino in Manila.
The administrator Gerald Krasner, of Begbies Traynor, said on Thursday that once they have overcome the pressing challenge of completing Wigan’s six remaining matches, they will investigate the bewildering circumstances of the administration itself. IEC, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, announced as recently as 29 May that it had sold Wigan, for £17.5m — even showing a profit on the £15.9m they paid Whelan in November 2018. IEC stated that on the same day, less than five weeks ago, the £24.6m it had put into Wigan, funding players’ wages and heavy losses, had been repaid in full.
The club announced the takeover on 4 June, by Next Leader Fund, also based in Hong Kong and registered in the Cayman Islands. Supporters were told “the support from owners” would help the club through the current crisis. A new director, Au Yeung, said he was “excited to join the Wigan Athletic family”, that he looked forward to working with the board and staff, and: “Most importantly I hope to meet the club’s passionate fans.”
Initially the Hong Kong businessman Dr Choi Chiu Fai Stanley, chairman of IEC, owned more than 50% of both the seller, IEC, and the buyer, NLF. But then on 24 June — just last week — Au Yeung, initially a minority shareholder in NLF, was stated to have become the owner of more than 75%; he is thought to be the 100% owner: a complete takeover from IEC.
The EFL is understood to have approved both the initial NLF takeover and Au Yeung’s, so the Wigan calamity again raises questions over its vetting processes. The rules only require a buyer to show that they have the money to fund a club — not to actually provide that money, a bond, or insurance, to ensure the funding is there.
On that very same day, last Wednesday, according to Krasner, Au Yeung’s UK lawyers approached Begbies Traynor potentially to be administrators. No further money would be provided — the Wigan directors had projected that £6m was needed for future funding — and the club was going to be put into administration. The club directors are said to have had no notice of this until Tuesday. The insolvency practitioners were appointed on Wednesday morning, for a club newly taken over but suddenly bust, with a Championship-sized wage bill and at least £6m owed to non-football creditors, Krasner has estimated.
In Wigan, little is known of Au Yeung apart from the note in IEC’s sale document which stated he “has relevant experience in business operations management and business leadership as he has worked in commodity and real estate investment management in Asia”. Also that he “has been operating an amateur football team for more than 15 years, winning several awards”.
So, the facts as set out are that in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, while football was still shut down and many clubs fear going out of business, Au Yeung decided to buy Wigan Athletic, a club which even in normal times loses millions of pounds. At first in partnership with Choi, he paid £17.5m, giving IEC more than they paid for the club, and also ensured their £24m loan was repaid. But then, on the day he took ownership after this £41m purchase, he decided not to fund it and to put the club into administration, so losing control, the £17.5m, and probably the £24m too.
No explanation has been provided for this remarkable whirl of events. IEC noted when selling to NLF that the Championship’s punishing finances were the key reason for cutting their losses. But Au Yeung has not explained why he decided it was worth £41m to have a go at Wigan, then immediately dropped the club and put it into administration.
Krasner was asked whether he believed the sale could have been orchestrated by IEC, effectively to take Wigan off its books before it was dumped. He replied: “We have not started the investigation yet; we are aware of concerns that have been raised … Once I know that we have saved the club, all our resources will be put into [an investigation].”
IEC did not respond to questions from the Guardian about the sale to Au Yeung, and Au Yeung’s UK lawyers declined to comment.
Meanwhile Wigan, famously built up by Whelan for 23 years from League Two to the Premier League and 2013 FA Cup glory, are in wreckage, having being taken over, then put into administration, in a week.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/02/story-of-how-wigan-collapsed-in |
Hong Kong based business men, eh?  | | | |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 11:16 - Jul 4 with 4040 views | ROTTWEILERS |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:50 - Jul 3 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Brutal and bizarre: the story of how Wigan collapsed into administration
On the day Au Yeung took ownership after a £41m purchase he decided not to fund the club, and an investigation is now due
The brutal, bizarre collapse of Wigan Athletic has raised many glaring and alarming questions, but one central contradiction lies in the ruins. The Championship club have become the first to fall into administration during the Covid-19 crisis which could claim many more, but Wigan’s own insolvency has little to do with the coronavirus shutdown.
It is one of the most unlikely and baffling scenarios ever thrown up even among the frequently outlandish sagas of football’s relationship with money.
Wigan, formerly the epitome of traditional football club ownership by a wealthy local benefactor, are bust 19 months since the retail magnate Dave Whelan sold to International Entertainment Corporation, which he hoped would safeguard his legacy. Even at the time, it seemed an unlikely fit: Whelan, the former footballer, acme of Lancashire man-made-good, selling his home-built club to a company based in Hong Kong, registered in the Cayman Islands tax haven, which runs a casino in Manila.
The administrator Gerald Krasner, of Begbies Traynor, said on Thursday that once they have overcome the pressing challenge of completing Wigan’s six remaining matches, they will investigate the bewildering circumstances of the administration itself. IEC, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, announced as recently as 29 May that it had sold Wigan, for £17.5m — even showing a profit on the £15.9m they paid Whelan in November 2018. IEC stated that on the same day, less than five weeks ago, the £24.6m it had put into Wigan, funding players’ wages and heavy losses, had been repaid in full.
The club announced the takeover on 4 June, by Next Leader Fund, also based in Hong Kong and registered in the Cayman Islands. Supporters were told “the support from owners” would help the club through the current crisis. A new director, Au Yeung, said he was “excited to join the Wigan Athletic family”, that he looked forward to working with the board and staff, and: “Most importantly I hope to meet the club’s passionate fans.”
Initially the Hong Kong businessman Dr Choi Chiu Fai Stanley, chairman of IEC, owned more than 50% of both the seller, IEC, and the buyer, NLF. But then on 24 June — just last week — Au Yeung, initially a minority shareholder in NLF, was stated to have become the owner of more than 75%; he is thought to be the 100% owner: a complete takeover from IEC.
The EFL is understood to have approved both the initial NLF takeover and Au Yeung’s, so the Wigan calamity again raises questions over its vetting processes. The rules only require a buyer to show that they have the money to fund a club — not to actually provide that money, a bond, or insurance, to ensure the funding is there.
On that very same day, last Wednesday, according to Krasner, Au Yeung’s UK lawyers approached Begbies Traynor potentially to be administrators. No further money would be provided — the Wigan directors had projected that £6m was needed for future funding — and the club was going to be put into administration. The club directors are said to have had no notice of this until Tuesday. The insolvency practitioners were appointed on Wednesday morning, for a club newly taken over but suddenly bust, with a Championship-sized wage bill and at least £6m owed to non-football creditors, Krasner has estimated.
In Wigan, little is known of Au Yeung apart from the note in IEC’s sale document which stated he “has relevant experience in business operations management and business leadership as he has worked in commodity and real estate investment management in Asia”. Also that he “has been operating an amateur football team for more than 15 years, winning several awards”.
So, the facts as set out are that in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, while football was still shut down and many clubs fear going out of business, Au Yeung decided to buy Wigan Athletic, a club which even in normal times loses millions of pounds. At first in partnership with Choi, he paid £17.5m, giving IEC more than they paid for the club, and also ensured their £24m loan was repaid. But then, on the day he took ownership after this £41m purchase, he decided not to fund it and to put the club into administration, so losing control, the £17.5m, and probably the £24m too.
No explanation has been provided for this remarkable whirl of events. IEC noted when selling to NLF that the Championship’s punishing finances were the key reason for cutting their losses. But Au Yeung has not explained why he decided it was worth £41m to have a go at Wigan, then immediately dropped the club and put it into administration.
Krasner was asked whether he believed the sale could have been orchestrated by IEC, effectively to take Wigan off its books before it was dumped. He replied: “We have not started the investigation yet; we are aware of concerns that have been raised … Once I know that we have saved the club, all our resources will be put into [an investigation].”
IEC did not respond to questions from the Guardian about the sale to Au Yeung, and Au Yeung’s UK lawyers declined to comment.
Meanwhile Wigan, famously built up by Whelan for 23 years from League Two to the Premier League and 2013 FA Cup glory, are in wreckage, having being taken over, then put into administration, in a week.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/02/story-of-how-wigan-collapsed-in |
| |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:27 - Jul 4 with 4024 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
Just to jog anyone's memory about Krasner....
428 The Respondents called Mr. Gerald Krasner, a partner in Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP.
Mr. Krasner is a chartered accountant, but with very specific football clubrelated experience: in 2004, he led the consortium that bought Leeds United AFC and he was the administrator of both Bournemouth AFC and Portvale Football Club.
He was instrumental in the sale of both of these latter clubs.
Page 151 of 163 of this court case some may remember.
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/vbfa-v-blackpoolfc.pdf | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:45 - Jul 4 with 4018 views | basilrobbiereborn |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:27 - Jul 4 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Just to jog anyone's memory about Krasner....
428 The Respondents called Mr. Gerald Krasner, a partner in Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP.
Mr. Krasner is a chartered accountant, but with very specific football clubrelated experience: in 2004, he led the consortium that bought Leeds United AFC and he was the administrator of both Bournemouth AFC and Portvale Football Club.
He was instrumental in the sale of both of these latter clubs.
Page 151 of 163 of this court case some may remember.
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/vbfa-v-blackpoolfc.pdf |
His evidence lasted half a day.
It felt like longer. | |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 11:52 - Jul 6 with 3993 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:45 - Jul 4 by basilrobbiereborn |
His evidence lasted half a day.
It felt like longer. |
EFL scrutiny over bizarre Wigan Athletic situation could complicate future Sunderland takeover
Wigan Athletic were placed into administration just a week after the EFL approved a new owner at the club
The EFL are coming under increasing scrutiny following Wigan Athletic's collapse into administration - and that could be bad news for any potential Sunderland takeover this summer.
Stewart Donald has said he is actively looking to sell Sunderland AFC this summer - although the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the economic climate has slowed proceedings down.
Three groups were said to be undergoing due diligence and looking at the club's books prior to the global pandemic, while Chronicle Live knows of one party still hoping to complete a takeover at the club.
But with a big summer rebuild needed at the Stadium of Light after a clearout this summer, the last thing Phil Parkinson will need is a takeover hanging overhead when the transfer window opens.
Donald has committed to backing the manager financially as long as he remains in charge - within his means, of course - but if a deal were to be agreed with a buyer it remains to be seen how this would affect transfer matters on Wearside.
The issue now, particularly after Wigan Athletic's collapse into administration last week, is just how long future takeovers are expected to take.
As well as deeply concerning, the situation at Wigan is a bizarre one which has understandably led to huge criticism of the EFL.
Wigan's Labour MP and former leadership candidate Lisa Nandy described Wigan's collapse as a 'major global scandal' as she ripped into the EFL in an open letter.
For those unfamiliar with the details of the situation at Wigan, David Conn's superb piece for the Guardian this week is worth a read. To summarise though, the EFL approved a takeover at Wigan on June 4 from the Next Leader Fund (NLF).
Initially, a minority shareholder, a mystery man by the name of Au Yeung became the owner of NLF and Wigan Athletic on June 24. The EFL are said to have approved this update in ownership also.
It is believed he paid £17.5m for his stake and then repaid a £24m loan - thus paying over £41m in total. And yet, just a week later solicitors acting on his behalf contacted administrators.
Exactly what has gone on at the Lancashire club is a bit of a mystery, with rumours circulating that a betting scandal could be behind the situation. This has been further stood up when EFL chief executive Rick Parry was secretly recorded by a Wigan fan discussing exactly that.
Parry and the EFL are coming under understandable scrutiny for approving the takeover. All purchases of EFL football clubs require the owners to take fit and proper tests, but the scandal at Wigan leaves question marks over what exactly someone has to do to fail the seemingly weak test?
Wigan's case seems to highlight a dangerous precedent that if you can provide proof of funds you'll be approved regardless.
The scrutiny of the EFL could be a problem for Sunderland, however, if they were hoping for a quick takeover this summer in time to allow a new man to fund a big summer spending spree.
One of Wigan's administrators, Gerald Krasner has described the situation as a watershed case, and predicts the EFL will have to become stricter with their checks, particularly on foreign owners.
Krasner said: "It's my personal view that there are a number of clubs in the lower divisions, Leagues One or Two, that may not survive by coming back, and there is possibly at least one more Championship club that may seriously be thinking about doing the same (as Wigan).
"We're living in such peculiar times that the EFL and the Premier League may in the short term have to revise their insolvency rules if a number of clubs start going over, and also start looking at foreign ownership a bit more.
"I think the foreign ownership comes (as a problem) if someone is sat 5,000 miles away. It's much easier to do things than if you live in the town where you own the football club."
It's hard to imagine in the future the EFL would be so easy-going in their owner's tests. If Sunderland are to eventually see a takeover, the case at Wigan is likely to ensure it's a long, drawn-out process and patience will be required, and hopefully that doesn't disrupt what will be a crucial summer transfer window.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/efl-scrutiny-over-b | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 10:15 - Jul 7 with 3972 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 11:52 - Jul 6 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
EFL scrutiny over bizarre Wigan Athletic situation could complicate future Sunderland takeover
Wigan Athletic were placed into administration just a week after the EFL approved a new owner at the club
The EFL are coming under increasing scrutiny following Wigan Athletic's collapse into administration - and that could be bad news for any potential Sunderland takeover this summer.
Stewart Donald has said he is actively looking to sell Sunderland AFC this summer - although the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the economic climate has slowed proceedings down.
Three groups were said to be undergoing due diligence and looking at the club's books prior to the global pandemic, while Chronicle Live knows of one party still hoping to complete a takeover at the club.
But with a big summer rebuild needed at the Stadium of Light after a clearout this summer, the last thing Phil Parkinson will need is a takeover hanging overhead when the transfer window opens.
Donald has committed to backing the manager financially as long as he remains in charge - within his means, of course - but if a deal were to be agreed with a buyer it remains to be seen how this would affect transfer matters on Wearside.
The issue now, particularly after Wigan Athletic's collapse into administration last week, is just how long future takeovers are expected to take.
As well as deeply concerning, the situation at Wigan is a bizarre one which has understandably led to huge criticism of the EFL.
Wigan's Labour MP and former leadership candidate Lisa Nandy described Wigan's collapse as a 'major global scandal' as she ripped into the EFL in an open letter.
For those unfamiliar with the details of the situation at Wigan, David Conn's superb piece for the Guardian this week is worth a read. To summarise though, the EFL approved a takeover at Wigan on June 4 from the Next Leader Fund (NLF).
Initially, a minority shareholder, a mystery man by the name of Au Yeung became the owner of NLF and Wigan Athletic on June 24. The EFL are said to have approved this update in ownership also.
It is believed he paid £17.5m for his stake and then repaid a £24m loan - thus paying over £41m in total. And yet, just a week later solicitors acting on his behalf contacted administrators.
Exactly what has gone on at the Lancashire club is a bit of a mystery, with rumours circulating that a betting scandal could be behind the situation. This has been further stood up when EFL chief executive Rick Parry was secretly recorded by a Wigan fan discussing exactly that.
Parry and the EFL are coming under understandable scrutiny for approving the takeover. All purchases of EFL football clubs require the owners to take fit and proper tests, but the scandal at Wigan leaves question marks over what exactly someone has to do to fail the seemingly weak test?
Wigan's case seems to highlight a dangerous precedent that if you can provide proof of funds you'll be approved regardless.
The scrutiny of the EFL could be a problem for Sunderland, however, if they were hoping for a quick takeover this summer in time to allow a new man to fund a big summer spending spree.
One of Wigan's administrators, Gerald Krasner has described the situation as a watershed case, and predicts the EFL will have to become stricter with their checks, particularly on foreign owners.
Krasner said: "It's my personal view that there are a number of clubs in the lower divisions, Leagues One or Two, that may not survive by coming back, and there is possibly at least one more Championship club that may seriously be thinking about doing the same (as Wigan).
"We're living in such peculiar times that the EFL and the Premier League may in the short term have to revise their insolvency rules if a number of clubs start going over, and also start looking at foreign ownership a bit more.
"I think the foreign ownership comes (as a problem) if someone is sat 5,000 miles away. It's much easier to do things than if you live in the town where you own the football club."
It's hard to imagine in the future the EFL would be so easy-going in their owner's tests. If Sunderland are to eventually see a takeover, the case at Wigan is likely to ensure it's a long, drawn-out process and patience will be required, and hopefully that doesn't disrupt what will be a crucial summer transfer window.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/efl-scrutiny-over-b |
Wigan Athletic: Around 50% of non-playing staff to lose jobs
Administrators for Wigan Athletic have begun cutting staff numbers in an effort to save money.
BBC Sport understands around 50% of non-playing staff were told on Monday that they were being released.
The number includes some staff who work with manager Paul Cook on the recruitment side of the club.
The Latics were placed in administration on 1 July after their Hong Kong-based owners decided to stop funding the Championship club.
Wigan are due to play QPR at the DW Stadium on Wednesday knowing their Championship future is now under severe threat.
A 12-point penalty that would currently send them to the bottom of the table will be imposed on them by the English Football League if they avoid finishing the season in the bottom three.
Wigan, currently 16th in the table, are six points above the relegation zone with five games to play.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53318930 | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 10:20 - Jul 7 with 3968 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 10:15 - Jul 7 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Wigan Athletic: Around 50% of non-playing staff to lose jobs
Administrators for Wigan Athletic have begun cutting staff numbers in an effort to save money.
BBC Sport understands around 50% of non-playing staff were told on Monday that they were being released.
The number includes some staff who work with manager Paul Cook on the recruitment side of the club.
The Latics were placed in administration on 1 July after their Hong Kong-based owners decided to stop funding the Championship club.
Wigan are due to play QPR at the DW Stadium on Wednesday knowing their Championship future is now under severe threat.
A 12-point penalty that would currently send them to the bottom of the table will be imposed on them by the English Football League if they avoid finishing the season in the bottom three.
Wigan, currently 16th in the table, are six points above the relegation zone with five games to play.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53318930 |
| |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 22:22 - Jul 8 with 3946 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
Wigan Athletic: English football has been disrespected, says EFL chairman Rick Parry
English football has been "disrespected" by the "tremendous shock" of Wigan going into administration, says EFL chairman Rick Parry.
The future seemed bright for the Championship club when they changed Hong Kong-based owners a month ago, but last week's revelation of their financial predicament has resulted in a 12-point deduction, which has yet to be officially applied.
The administrators have said the club have appealed against their punishment, but if upheld, it could see them relegated.
New owners Next Leader Fund said they invested "more than £40m" into the club and blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the decision to put it into administration.
In an interview with BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Parry expressed his surprise at what has happened at the Latics.
The former Liverpool and Premier League chief executive also discussed the English Football League's owners' test and said the governing body "will get to the bottom" of why the club is now in this position.
Rick Parry: "It was a tremendous shock - a bolt from the blue.
"Normally if a club is facing administration you get warning signs. Generally they don't pay HMRC, they don't pay the players, there are problems with creditors and it happens gradually.
"It is really unprecedented for an owner [Au Yeung Wai Kay, the head of Next Leader Fund that took ownership] to put his own club into administration, literally overnight. It is completely unprecedented for an owner who has only just acquired the club for £40m to put his prized asset straight into administration and therefore destroy its value to him.
"It makes absolutely no sense to us - it's a real mystery, I've never seen anything quite like it."
Roan: Does the EFL need to take some responsibility?
Parry: "He passed the tests. You can criticise them and say they need to be beefed up, but he did pass the test. He wasn't a complete newcomer because there had been a transition from the previous owner, who had been there two years.
"The previous owner had been putting something like £24m in, and had secured Wigan in the Championship. He introduced the new owner, there had been partnerships, it had evolved. This isn't somebody who appeared from nowhere.
"Our test, bluntly, is limited, it's an objective test, there are limited grounds to turn down an owner. It is a test that, by definition, the more foreign owners you have the more difficult it is to apply because of the amount of information that is available."
Roan: Was the EFL lax in the application of the rules?
Parry: "No - he passed the test, albeit it self-certifications and he provided the assurances. What none of our rules can legislate for is an owner changing his mind."
Roan: Does this all show that the ownership rules need to be tightened?
Parry: "It's no use just talking about owners' and directors' tests as if that is going to solve all of the problems. You really need to go back to why did we end up with Chinese owners in the lower reaches of the Championship in the first place?
"Why can we not have community owned, sustainable clubs? That goes for all the structural issues that I have been telling anybody who will listen, and most people who won't listen, for the past x number of months, from the select committee onwards.
"The Championship is a financial nonsense. We've got clubs spending 107% of their income on wages, we've got the major distortion of parachute payments, we've got £400m of owner-funding required - £16m per Championship club. There are owners gambling on getting into the Premier League, it's unsustainable.
"We need to make our clubs sustainable - we shouldn't be relying on random foreign owners."
Roan: Is coronavirus a plausible excuse?
Parry: "If he said it in February, then it would be plausible. What I don't get is given we are coming out of the crisis and heading towards playing again, why would you buy a club in June and then put it in administration at the end of the crisis? That's the bit that doesn't quite stack up."
Roan: Do you have sympathy for staff members who have lost their jobs?
Parry: "Enormous sympathy. I have sympathy for the town, sympathy for the supporters - we know how it feels.
"It is so horrible for them because they must have been feeling relatively optimistic."
Roan: How confident are you the EFL investigation will get to the bottom of what has gone on here?
Parry: "We want to and we are determined to. How confident can you be when it is thousands of miles away with limited jurisdiction? It will be challenging.
"We want to try to get to the bottom of this because, on the face of it, the Wigan staff, the fans, the players, the town... English football has been treated with disrespect in this.
"This is something completely out of the ordinary."
Roan: How much veracity do you give about the rumour someone bet on Wigan going down?
Since it was announced that the club had entered administration, various rumours have surfaced - including one Parry recounted to a fan while being secretly filmed - that Wigan had been the subject of a bet to get relegated.
Parry: "Almost none. It's highly unlikely because while the betting market in the Philippines is not the most tightly regulated, they are run by some extremely smart people.
"The likelihood that a Philippines bookmaker would take a substantial bet on a club to be relegated is almost nil. It is not going to happen - it is very implausible."
Roan: Do you regret speaking to this fan?
Parry: "If you say I shouldn't speak to football fans, or engage, I don't think I'm going to change that style.
"Do I regret somebody being deceitful and filming without my permission, frankly, yes. Taking a comment out of context? Frankly, Yes.
"We had a 10 minute conversation on the EFL rules, the state of the club. That was a throwaway line right at the end of the conversation in the context of, 'This is so odd isn't it? Why on earth can this have happened?'."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53341269 | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:59 - Jul 9 with 3921 views | basilrobbiereborn |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 22:22 - Jul 8 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Wigan Athletic: English football has been disrespected, says EFL chairman Rick Parry
English football has been "disrespected" by the "tremendous shock" of Wigan going into administration, says EFL chairman Rick Parry.
The future seemed bright for the Championship club when they changed Hong Kong-based owners a month ago, but last week's revelation of their financial predicament has resulted in a 12-point deduction, which has yet to be officially applied.
The administrators have said the club have appealed against their punishment, but if upheld, it could see them relegated.
New owners Next Leader Fund said they invested "more than £40m" into the club and blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the decision to put it into administration.
In an interview with BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Parry expressed his surprise at what has happened at the Latics.
The former Liverpool and Premier League chief executive also discussed the English Football League's owners' test and said the governing body "will get to the bottom" of why the club is now in this position.
Rick Parry: "It was a tremendous shock - a bolt from the blue.
"Normally if a club is facing administration you get warning signs. Generally they don't pay HMRC, they don't pay the players, there are problems with creditors and it happens gradually.
"It is really unprecedented for an owner [Au Yeung Wai Kay, the head of Next Leader Fund that took ownership] to put his own club into administration, literally overnight. It is completely unprecedented for an owner who has only just acquired the club for £40m to put his prized asset straight into administration and therefore destroy its value to him.
"It makes absolutely no sense to us - it's a real mystery, I've never seen anything quite like it."
Roan: Does the EFL need to take some responsibility?
Parry: "He passed the tests. You can criticise them and say they need to be beefed up, but he did pass the test. He wasn't a complete newcomer because there had been a transition from the previous owner, who had been there two years.
"The previous owner had been putting something like £24m in, and had secured Wigan in the Championship. He introduced the new owner, there had been partnerships, it had evolved. This isn't somebody who appeared from nowhere.
"Our test, bluntly, is limited, it's an objective test, there are limited grounds to turn down an owner. It is a test that, by definition, the more foreign owners you have the more difficult it is to apply because of the amount of information that is available."
Roan: Was the EFL lax in the application of the rules?
Parry: "No - he passed the test, albeit it self-certifications and he provided the assurances. What none of our rules can legislate for is an owner changing his mind."
Roan: Does this all show that the ownership rules need to be tightened?
Parry: "It's no use just talking about owners' and directors' tests as if that is going to solve all of the problems. You really need to go back to why did we end up with Chinese owners in the lower reaches of the Championship in the first place?
"Why can we not have community owned, sustainable clubs? That goes for all the structural issues that I have been telling anybody who will listen, and most people who won't listen, for the past x number of months, from the select committee onwards.
"The Championship is a financial nonsense. We've got clubs spending 107% of their income on wages, we've got the major distortion of parachute payments, we've got £400m of owner-funding required - £16m per Championship club. There are owners gambling on getting into the Premier League, it's unsustainable.
"We need to make our clubs sustainable - we shouldn't be relying on random foreign owners."
Roan: Is coronavirus a plausible excuse?
Parry: "If he said it in February, then it would be plausible. What I don't get is given we are coming out of the crisis and heading towards playing again, why would you buy a club in June and then put it in administration at the end of the crisis? That's the bit that doesn't quite stack up."
Roan: Do you have sympathy for staff members who have lost their jobs?
Parry: "Enormous sympathy. I have sympathy for the town, sympathy for the supporters - we know how it feels.
"It is so horrible for them because they must have been feeling relatively optimistic."
Roan: How confident are you the EFL investigation will get to the bottom of what has gone on here?
Parry: "We want to and we are determined to. How confident can you be when it is thousands of miles away with limited jurisdiction? It will be challenging.
"We want to try to get to the bottom of this because, on the face of it, the Wigan staff, the fans, the players, the town... English football has been treated with disrespect in this.
"This is something completely out of the ordinary."
Roan: How much veracity do you give about the rumour someone bet on Wigan going down?
Since it was announced that the club had entered administration, various rumours have surfaced - including one Parry recounted to a fan while being secretly filmed - that Wigan had been the subject of a bet to get relegated.
Parry: "Almost none. It's highly unlikely because while the betting market in the Philippines is not the most tightly regulated, they are run by some extremely smart people.
"The likelihood that a Philippines bookmaker would take a substantial bet on a club to be relegated is almost nil. It is not going to happen - it is very implausible."
Roan: Do you regret speaking to this fan?
Parry: "If you say I shouldn't speak to football fans, or engage, I don't think I'm going to change that style.
"Do I regret somebody being deceitful and filming without my permission, frankly, yes. Taking a comment out of context? Frankly, Yes.
"We had a 10 minute conversation on the EFL rules, the state of the club. That was a throwaway line right at the end of the conversation in the context of, 'This is so odd isn't it? Why on earth can this have happened?'."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53341269 |
He's looking to spread the blame far and wide there, isn't he? He came quite close to saying it was the fault of supporters because not enough local people come forward to take clubs on.
My way of looking at it is that if :
a) the distribution of monies in the game is designed to encourage them and
b) the rules that we do have are not applied with any rigour
then it can't come as a surprise to the EFL (and the EPL, come to that) if we end up with owners with dubious motives getting their hands on what are valuable cultural assets.
Unfortunately (as the old saying goes) the game is run by people who know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. | |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:21 - Jul 9 with 3897 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:59 - Jul 9 by basilrobbiereborn |
He's looking to spread the blame far and wide there, isn't he? He came quite close to saying it was the fault of supporters because not enough local people come forward to take clubs on.
My way of looking at it is that if :
a) the distribution of monies in the game is designed to encourage them and
b) the rules that we do have are not applied with any rigour
then it can't come as a surprise to the EFL (and the EPL, come to that) if we end up with owners with dubious motives getting their hands on what are valuable cultural assets.
Unfortunately (as the old saying goes) the game is run by people who know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. |
Agree with most of that BRR, but (just in the Wigan case only) I have some sympathy with the EFL, as it seems the HKSE signed off on the takeover.
It's a strange one, lots of rumours flying about (Loans taken out at 8% interest, with heavy penalty clauses, Betting on relegation, etc....), but if the Admins first act is to sack 75 staff, the books must look bad. | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 15:13 - Jul 13 with 3881 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:21 - Jul 9 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Agree with most of that BRR, but (just in the Wigan case only) I have some sympathy with the EFL, as it seems the HKSE signed off on the takeover.
It's a strange one, lots of rumours flying about (Loans taken out at 8% interest, with heavy penalty clauses, Betting on relegation, etc....), but if the Admins first act is to sack 75 staff, the books must look bad. |
Wigan desperate to offload with two potential buyers put off by crisis club’s £19m payroll
CRISIS club Wigan Athletic are ready to move out more players in a desperate rush to tempt a buyer.
The Latics are fighting for their lives on the pitch and, off it, in an EFL court appeal against their 12-point deduction for going into administration.
But the transfer market could yet be the hardest battle of all.
Administrator Gerald Krasner hopes to raise about £5million for bills that include payments to Barnsley, Everton and Portsmouth due next month.
Midfielder Jensen Weir has left for Brighton, but Wigan need to shift more players in a rush.
I can also reveal that TWO interested parties have looked at the club’s books but the £19m payroll put them off.
Even if the Latics get the financial benefit of staying in the Championship next season, it would still mean fortunes are needed to keep the club going.
However, Sheffield United have joined Leicester in the chase for young Wigan striker Kyle Joseph.
The Blades like the Scotland youth cap, who could be snatched from the troubled outfit for a low fee.
Foxes have been chasing Joseph, while Celtic also admire him. In the end the decision will be down to the club that offers the clearest route to the first team.
Leicester are also hovering for Latics defender Antonee Robinson if Ben Chilwell leaves the King Power.
West Brom want him, but would have to secure promotion to bid.
Striker Joe Gelhardt could also find a new home as Tottenham, Everton, Southampton, Leeds and Celtic consider a move. Remarkably Wigan failed to lodge a new three-year contract and his current deal has just a year left.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12098320/wigan-administration-sale-buyer | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 15:25 - Jul 13 with 3877 views | basilrobbiereborn |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 15:13 - Jul 13 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Wigan desperate to offload with two potential buyers put off by crisis club’s £19m payroll
CRISIS club Wigan Athletic are ready to move out more players in a desperate rush to tempt a buyer.
The Latics are fighting for their lives on the pitch and, off it, in an EFL court appeal against their 12-point deduction for going into administration.
But the transfer market could yet be the hardest battle of all.
Administrator Gerald Krasner hopes to raise about £5million for bills that include payments to Barnsley, Everton and Portsmouth due next month.
Midfielder Jensen Weir has left for Brighton, but Wigan need to shift more players in a rush.
I can also reveal that TWO interested parties have looked at the club’s books but the £19m payroll put them off.
Even if the Latics get the financial benefit of staying in the Championship next season, it would still mean fortunes are needed to keep the club going.
However, Sheffield United have joined Leicester in the chase for young Wigan striker Kyle Joseph.
The Blades like the Scotland youth cap, who could be snatched from the troubled outfit for a low fee.
Foxes have been chasing Joseph, while Celtic also admire him. In the end the decision will be down to the club that offers the clearest route to the first team.
Leicester are also hovering for Latics defender Antonee Robinson if Ben Chilwell leaves the King Power.
West Brom want him, but would have to secure promotion to bid.
Striker Joe Gelhardt could also find a new home as Tottenham, Everton, Southampton, Leeds and Celtic consider a move. Remarkably Wigan failed to lodge a new three-year contract and his current deal has just a year left.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12098320/wigan-administration-sale-buyer |
At least vultures usually have the decency to wait until the victim is dead. | |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 17:24 - Jul 13 with 3863 views | spudgun |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 15:25 - Jul 13 by basilrobbiereborn |
At least vultures usually have the decency to wait until the victim is dead. |
Was scanning their player retention list last week as there are a few youngsters who are friends and ex-team mates of young spud`s, and noticed they were being kept on. If they are selling off anyone decent I suppose they are going to have to play some of them next year, like Bolton did last season.
Guess they`ll be "young, fresh and hungry and up and coming too"... [Post edited 13 Jul 2020 17:26]
| | | |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:03 - Jul 13 with 3849 views | spell_chekker |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 17:24 - Jul 13 by spudgun |
Was scanning their player retention list last week as there are a few youngsters who are friends and ex-team mates of young spud`s, and noticed they were being kept on. If they are selling off anyone decent I suppose they are going to have to play some of them next year, like Bolton did last season.
Guess they`ll be "young, fresh and hungry and up and coming too"... [Post edited 13 Jul 2020 17:26]
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I remember they loaned us Callum McManaman. | |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 21:46 - Jul 13 with 3837 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 19:03 - Jul 13 by spell_chekker |
I remember they loaned us Callum McManaman. |
£19 million pound wage bill on 10k crowds, without parachute payments is shocking. | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:52 - Jul 20 with 3811 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 21:46 - Jul 13 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
£19 million pound wage bill on 10k crowds, without parachute payments is shocking. |
Wigan's ownership situation could be resolved by the end of the month.
Bids for the Championship club have to be lodged with the administrators by the end of July.
The level of interest has been so high, over 60 non-disclosure issues were eventually issued and more than one firm expression of interest has already been received in response, it is not anticipated an extension to this date will be required.
This means unless two similar bids have been received - in which case the parties will be notified and given the chance to improve their offer - a preferred bidder will be identified and contracts can start to be negotiated.
If an agreement is signed by 31 July, it would just need to be formally ratified by the English Football League.
It is understood administrators have built into talks the uncertainty over which league the club will be playing in next season.
Wigan are still in discussions with the EFL over a date for their appeal into their 12-point deduction for going into administration.
That punishment will now apply this season as the Latics know they will definitely not finish in the bottom three following their club record 8-0 win against Hull on Tuesday.
Even without the 12 points, they would be outside the relegation zone on goal difference, although bottom club Barnsley do have a match in hand, at leaders Leeds on Thursday, and the other two sides in the relegation zone - Hull and Luton - play each other on Saturday.
Although it will not help the administrators in their current work as the EFL are unlikely to release payment until they know for certain Wigan will be able to start next season, there is a massive difference in central solidarity payments between the £4.5m Championship clubs receive annually and the £700,000 League One clubs receive, so staying up is important financially.
In the meantime, with no fans at games, selling players remains the only way of raising money.
Although the transfer window is not open, Wigan are allowed to sell one of their younger players, Jensen Weir, with a deal for the midfielder to join Brighton said to be close.
The administrators have publicly said there will be no fire sale but departures are expected once the transfer window opens on 27 July.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53429940 | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
| |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 00:48 - Jul 22 with 3794 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
| Plucky Little Wigan on 08:52 - Jul 20 by BringBackTheRedRoom |
Wigan's ownership situation could be resolved by the end of the month.
Bids for the Championship club have to be lodged with the administrators by the end of July.
The level of interest has been so high, over 60 non-disclosure issues were eventually issued and more than one firm expression of interest has already been received in response, it is not anticipated an extension to this date will be required.
This means unless two similar bids have been received - in which case the parties will be notified and given the chance to improve their offer - a preferred bidder will be identified and contracts can start to be negotiated.
If an agreement is signed by 31 July, it would just need to be formally ratified by the English Football League.
It is understood administrators have built into talks the uncertainty over which league the club will be playing in next season.
Wigan are still in discussions with the EFL over a date for their appeal into their 12-point deduction for going into administration.
That punishment will now apply this season as the Latics know they will definitely not finish in the bottom three following their club record 8-0 win against Hull on Tuesday.
Even without the 12 points, they would be outside the relegation zone on goal difference, although bottom club Barnsley do have a match in hand, at leaders Leeds on Thursday, and the other two sides in the relegation zone - Hull and Luton - play each other on Saturday.
Although it will not help the administrators in their current work as the EFL are unlikely to release payment until they know for certain Wigan will be able to start next season, there is a massive difference in central solidarity payments between the £4.5m Championship clubs receive annually and the £700,000 League One clubs receive, so staying up is important financially.
In the meantime, with no fans at games, selling players remains the only way of raising money.
Although the transfer window is not open, Wigan are allowed to sell one of their younger players, Jensen Weir, with a deal for the midfielder to join Brighton said to be close.
The administrators have publicly said there will be no fire sale but departures are expected once the transfer window opens on 27 July.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53429940 |
Wigan Athletic supporters have launched an online petition to try to trigger a parliamentary debate around the EFL's owners' and directors' test.
The petition, supported by the town's MP Lisa Nandy, has been set up before a significant day in club history.
Early on Wednesday, administrators will give an update on their attempts to find a buyer for the stricken club.
Then at 19:30 BST, Wigan host Fulham looking for a win to avoid relegation to League One.
Paul Cook's side need a victory at the DW Stadium - and for other results to go their way - to be certain of staying up even with a 12-point penalty imposed for going into administration. Wigan are appealing against that penalty, with the hearing set for 31 July.
The fans behind the petition argue that the EFL owners' and directors' test failed to protect Wigan, who were put into administration on 1 July, weeks after a change of ownership.
The EFL passed the change in ownership, a point that is likely to be used as a central component of Wigan's appeal against their points deduction.
Au Yeung Wai Kay, who heads Wigan's new owner Next Leader Fund, claims it had "invested more than £40m" in the club and blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the decision to put them into administration.
The EFL owners' and directors' test measures whether owners meet standards greater than those required by law in order to protect football's reputation and image. But the petition wants the government to consider introducing such a test in law.
The petition states: "The recent news that Wigan Athletic was being put into administration just weeks after new owners were approved by the EFL must lead to a review of the effectiveness of the owners' and directors' test and its use by the EFL.
"At present, the test does not seem to be fit for purpose to protect football clubs in the future. If English football isn't able to act, the government should review the need for a statutory owners' and directors' test to ensure it is fit for purpose and protects clubs in the future."
Wigan's fans need to generate 10,000 signatures to force the government to respond to their petition and 100,000 to stand a chance of a parliamentary debate.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53494057 | |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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