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‘ EFL WIGAN ATHLETIC STATEMENT ‘

Fri May 26, 2023 12:54 pm

Following the failure to ensure that an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill was deposited in a designated Club account by Wednesday 24 May, as per the order of an Independent Disciplinary Commission, Wigan Athletic Football Club has been deducted a further four points and will now start the 2023/24 season on minus eight points (-8).

This follows a previous sanction of four points after failing to pay its players’ wages on time in March 2023 and May 2023.

The EFL has spent the past 48 hours in dialogue with the Club in an attempt to find a positive outcome to the issue but as of 9am Friday morning the required funds have not been deposited.

Re: ‘ EFL WIGAN ATHLETIC STATEMENT ‘

Fri May 26, 2023 1:09 pm

As someone who lives in Wigan, I find this story incredible. Those up here are being told that previous delays were caused not by limited finances but by Dubai regulations in relation to the transfer of funds,

This 125% was talked about by my neighbours some 2-3 weeks ago - and I find it absolutely incredible that those in charge of the club have not been able to put the sanction in place.

Football in Wigan is dying. Unlike many football areas, the town only has a population of 100,000. An area that is surrounded by Liverpool, Everton, Man City, Man Utd, Blackburn, Preston, Burnley and Bolton. And those that occasionally would like to watch the Latics cannot do so because they cannot afford to watch the Wigan Warriors and the Latics - so a choice has to be made.

Their average attendance can be seen at
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/wigan-athletic/besucherzahlenentwicklung/verein/1071

This year's average, from 23 games, was only 12,000, and, in years gone by, Division 1 was only 9,000

Starting 8 points behind, I am sure there are many Wigan supporters who simply won't bother with the inevitable relegation to Division 2, likely to reduce crowds even further.

The last time they were in the bottom tier, they were attracting home crowds of only 2000.

Re: ‘ EFL WIGAN ATHLETIC STATEMENT ‘

Fri May 26, 2023 1:10 pm

WIGAN ATHLETIC RELEASE THE FOLLOWING IN RESPONSE TO THE EFL’S LATEST CHARGE OUTLINED BELOW...

We are extremely disappointed with this latest decision. The Football Club has been very transparent with the EFL who have had clear visibility of the eight-figure sum to finance the remainder of this season and the whole of next season.

The Club will now consider all options open, including legal action in response to this, and will make no further comment at this time.

Re: ‘ EFL WIGAN ATHLETIC STATEMENT ‘

Fri May 26, 2023 1:38 pm

Forever Blue wrote:WIGAN ATHLETIC RELEASE THE FOLLOWING IN RESPONSE TO THE EFL’S LATEST CHARGE OUTLINED BELOW...

We are extremely disappointed with this latest decision. The Football Club has been very transparent with the EFL who have had clear visibility of the eight-figure sum to finance the remainder of this season and the whole of next season.

The Club will now consider all options open, including legal action in response to this, and will make no further comment at this time.


The club may have had visibility of the 8 figure sum to finance the rest of the season but the EFL only wanted 125% of the monthly wage bill to be held in the event that a further non-payment taking place

Annis posted the weekly wage bills in a different post
https://cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=233705

This weekly bill of £151,910 amounts to £658,276 (£151,910 x 52 then divide by 12) so the club needed to deposit £822,845 by the 24th May.

They knew about it. They did nothing about it. The fans suffer yet again.