Latics latest

as you have probably heard there is alot of uncertainty at Latics at present
with unpaid wage bills and points deductions , the manager , Sean Maloney
flew out to Bahrain on saturday to have a meeting with the owner and chairman
this is the chairmans latest statement :

Statement from Talal:
It is my second full season as Chairman of Wigan Athletic, and this season has not progressed as any of us wanted. Mistakes have been made, some of which may take some time to repair, and for this, I apologise. But we are working to put things right. It is disappointing, but it is not unexpected that the EFL has confirmed that the suspended 3-point deduction has been actioned. All of our focus is now on rectifying all mistakes made, and to that end, I will be back in Wigan in the coming days.
I understand that the supporters expect - and deserve - a detailed explanation of the club’s position and our plans for the future.
Our immediate focus is to resolve the remaining wage issues. But as soon as these most pressing issues have been resolved, we will provide a full update for supporters.
I stand by our mantra that ‘actions speak louder than words’, and I expect to be judged on those actions. But given how much I know this club means to its community, I also felt it important to try to reassure you that Phoenix21 remains fully committed to Wigan Athletic.
In the days, weeks, months and years to come, we will do everything we can to make amends for this season’s mistakes and restore your faith - and we will share more details on this at the earliest opportunity.

It's a shame they had 3 points deducted.

Lisa Nandy says she is 'more confident' than she was about the future of Wigan Athletic after the players' wages were finally paid - because the situation 'is being taken seriously now' by the owners.

By Paul Kendrick
Published 26th Mar 2023, 19:48 BST- 4 min read
Updated 26th Mar 2023, 20:06 BST

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/lisa-nandy-mp-lifts-lid-on-wigan-athletic-situation-which-is-being-taken-seriously-now-4080083

This is some wage bill



FootballSky Bet Championship Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic 2023 - Player Wages
Wigan Athletic have a total of 63 players in their home squad. The highest earning player in the squad is Ashley Fletcher earning £18,000 per week.
Wigan Athletic play in the Sky Bet Championship, the second division of mens professional football in England.
The teams total wage bill is:
£7,899,320 per year
£151,910 per week



Active Squad:
Player Name Weekly Wage Yearly Salary Age Position Nationality
Ashley Fletcher £18,000 £936,000 26 AM RL, ST England
Charlie Wyke £12,000 £624,000 29 ST England
Graeme Shinnie £11,000 £572,000 30 DM Scotland
James McClean £8,100 £421,200 33 D/WB L, AM RL Ireland
Ryan Nyambe £8,000 £416,000 24 D RC Namibia
Martin Kelly £7,400 £384,800 32 RB England
Nathan Broadhead £6,900 £358,800 24 AM RLC, F C Wales
Joe Bennett £6,100 £317,200 32 D/WB L England
Ben Amos £5,500 £286,000 32 GK England
Jason Kerr £5,100 £265,200 25 D C Scotland
Josh Magennis £5,100 £265,200 31 ST N.Ireland
Tom Naylor £4,600 £239,200 31 D C, DM England
Anthony Scully £4,500 £234,000 23 AM RL, ST Ireland
Callum Lang £4,400 £228,800 23 AM RL, ST England
Jack Whatmough £4,100 £213,200 25 D C England
Jordan Cousins £4,100 £213,200 28 DM, M RC England
Max Power £3,900 £202,800 28 D R, DM England
Tom Pearce £3,600 £187,200 24 D/WB L England
Curtis Tilt £3,400 £176,800 30 D C England
Gwion Edwards £3,200 £166,400 29 WB R, AM RL Wales
Jamie Jones £3,100 £161,200 33 GK England
Tendayi Darikwa £2,600 £135,200 30 D/WB RL Zimbabwe
Rarmani Edmonds-Green £1,700 £88,400 23 D RC England
Thelo Aasgaard £1,600 £83,200 20 AM LC Norway
Will Keane £1,400 £72,800 29 AM/F C Ireland
Danel Sinani £870 £45,240 25 AM Luxembourg
Scott Smith £770 £40,040 21 M C Wales
James Carragher £760 £39,520 19 D C England
Chris Sze £580 £30,160 18 AM/F C England
Joe Rodwell-Grant £510 £26,520 19 ST England

That's some wage bill

It doesn't get any better for the latics, but they have
no one to blame but the owners.

Thomson Reuters
(Reuters) - Wigan Athletic will be deducted four points from next season's League One campaign after the club failed to pay player salaries this month, the English Football League (EFL) said on Friday.

A further four-point penalty has also been suspended until the end of the next season.

Wigan, who have been relegated from the second-tier Championship, were docked three points in March by the English Football League (EFL) for failing to pay salaries and were charged this season for late payments in June, July and October.


"The sanction will be applied at the start of the new league campaign with the club also receiving an additional four-point deduction for season 2023-24, which is to be suspended until June 30, 2024," the EFL said in a statement.

"That sanction will come into effect if the club's owner, Mr Abdulrahman Al Jasmi, fails to deposit an amount equal to 125% of the club's forecast monthly wage bill in a designated club account ... by Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

"The suspended deduction will also be activated if the club fails to pay its players on time between now and the end of June 2024."

Wigan spent eight seasons in the Premier League before in the 2012-13 campaign becoming the first club win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

A disgraceful state of affairs.

Wigan Athletic release the following in response:

Wigan Athletic accepts the sanctions from the EFL and intend to fully comply with the conditions. A detailed statement will be made public once owner, Mr Abdulrahman Al Jasmi adheres to the terms of the Agreed Decision and deposits an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill.

Paul Kendrick
@PKendrickWIG
·
6m
Not heard anything to suggest that is the case. Still no communication/clarity/reassurances despite numerous attempts. And know Supporters Club been similarly frustrated. Wish there was more positive news. #wafc
Quote Tweet
Matt
@ThatMattyG23
·
17m
@PKendrickWIG any news on whether Al Jasmi has coughed up the dough yet

THE CHAIRMAN HAS PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING UPDATE ON THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND FUTURE PLANS...
After a difficult 12 months on and off the field and with much speculation in the media and on social media, I wanted to take this opportunity to add some clarity on the circumstances of the past, as well as outline our plans for the upcoming season.

Thank you to all Wigan Athletic staff, players and fans for your efforts and commitment over what has been an extremely challenging year for all involved.

Firstly, I want to confirm that an eight-figure sum is currently being processed and is due to land in the Club account imminently. This funding will also ensure financial stability for June and the 2023/24 season. We have been transparent with the EFL who have had full visibility of this amount throughout the process following Friday’s [19 May] statement.

It is important to address the numerous late wage payments. As I have previously stated, I recognise this is totally unacceptable. Since Phoenix 2021 acquired Wigan Athletic in 2021, the ownership group will have invested over £30m into the Club to date. In the first year, we invested a large proportion of that to transform a squad of three players into a squad capable of competing for promotion back to the Championship within two seasons. This investment paid off as we gained promotion at the first time of asking, but it also meant we had a much-increased wage budget to fund this season.

As time went on and with the realisation we needed to strengthen again in the summer and in the January Transfer Window, the wage budget was unfortunately becoming more and more unmanageable. The inflated wage bill resulted in cash flow issues which meant we could not adhere to the Agreed Decision with the EFL in January. However, everything possible was done to ensure wages were paid. Delays are a common occurrence with overseas transactions, but that is not and cannot be an excuse for late payments.

Clearly, the change of Managers, which we felt needed to happen, did not have the desired impact on results. Mistakes were clearly made, but we now have the right manager in charge in Shaun Maloney. That has been clear in his short time with us. Shaun and his staff have worked extremely hard and although we did not retain our Championship status, we have all seen the improvement in the squad and individuals. His knowledge of Wigan Athletic and desire to succeed has brought the connection between the manager, players and fans back to this Club.

We have learnt from the unsustainable wage budget of this season and consequently have developed a more sustainable strategy for the Club, focused on the development of younger players, especially those that have come through the 3PL Wigan Athletic Academy. A new CEO and Sporting Director will be announced over the coming weeks to ensure these plans are properly implemented. The Board will also commit to having regular meetings with fan representatives who can input into strategic club decision-making.

The Club, this week announced our annual retain list. I want to pay tribute to all players who will leave Wigan Athletic as well as our loan players returning to their parent Clubs. As an ownership group, Board and of course with Shaun’s input, we are positive the squad will evolve throughout the summer with a mix of both young and more experienced players, in line with a sustainable wage budget. Our recruitment process is already vastly improved in previous years, with more modern processes and structures being implemented. This will continue over the coming weeks, months and seasons ahead.

After meetings with the Board and Technical Board, the wage budget for this coming season has been agreed upon. It will be over 65% less than what it was this season, making it a much more sustainable budget from an ownership perspective. We know, however, that this will still be a competitive budget in League One.

A pre-season training camp will also shortly be announced alongside a number of high-profile friendlies as Shaun prepares his squad for the new campaign. There is also a huge amount of hard work going on off the field and we look forward to announcing a number of commercial partnerships ahead of next season. The Latics Store will this summer undergo a refurbishment which we are providing funds for. The Latics Store will more than double in size and this will allow for greater revenue. There is also work going on behind the scenes to ensure the purchasing of tickets is a smoother process for all fans.

There have been many questions about the owners’ commitment to the Club. He is fully committed to Wigan Athletic. As an ownership group and Board, we recognise we have a lot of trust to rebuild and this starts again now. I will also be in attendance more regularly this season and the communication from the Board needs to be much clearer in this new era.

We will start next season with a points deduction and that we truly regret and apologise to all fans and stakeholders. This is a culmination of the struggles of the past season. We cannot change the past, but what we can do is look to the future. We recognise we must rebuild trust with you.

Finally, I want to thank you, the fans for your patience. Thank you to the almost 4,000 fans who have already shown their unwavering support to the Latics through the purchase of 2023/24 Season Tickets. This is an increase in numbers at the same time last season which is incredible. I would encourage everyone else to please support Shaun Maloney and his squad by purchasing your season tickets now. Fans are the lifeblood of clubs and without your support, we would not have a Club.

Talal Al Hammad

Paul Kendrick
@PKendrickWIG
·
48m
Wow.

Latics ‘will now consider all options open, including legal action in response to’ the additional four-point deduction…

“We are extremely disappointed with this latest decision. The club has been very transparent with the EFL.” #wafc

Just when you think you've hit rock bottom



Football
Major sponsor pulls out of Wigan Athletic partnership due to 'trust and confidence' concerns
Wigan Athletic have been dealt a massive blow with the withdrawal of support from local firm 3PL - the principal sponsors of the club's Academy.
By Paul Kendrick
Published 26th May 2023, 20:19 BST- 2 min read

Latics were already reeling from the blow of seeing their four-point deduction next season doubled to eight, having failed to satisfy a requirement from the governing body for future fund.

And this latest blow will only exacerbate concerns among the fanbase regarding the future of their club.



"Following much deliberation, and despite the most recent club announcement, it is with regret and sadness that we confirm our decision to end our long standing commercial association with Wigan Athletic," said a 3PL spokesman.

"As a result we have terminated our official partnership with Phoenix 2021 Limited.

"Following the well-publicised difficulties in prior seasons, we rightly sought and received reassurance from senior figures at the club ahead of the 2022/23 season.

"This led to a renewed optimism in committing our continued support of the famed 3PL Wigan Athletic Academy, who once again have done an amazing job in such difficult circumstances.

"In further extending our association, we had high hopes of a bright and stable future for the football club.

"Regretfully the off-field headlines have taken centre stage in recent months, and subsequent events have fallen below our minimum standards.


"Trust and confidence are essential ingredients to lasting relations and on closer reflection we feel that our business values are no longer aligned.

"The ongoing uncertainty and instability surrounding the club would make ongoing sponsorship increasingly challenging, leading us to withdraw our support indefinitely as we take a temporary break from sponsorship.

"We wish to duly recognise the continued endeavours and respectful resilience of all those associated with the club including the fans, the staff, the suppliers and the wider footballing community.

"You truly embody the very principles of our club motto: 'Progress with Unity'.


"As a business with deep ties to the town and our football club, we remain hopeful of a brighter future and a fresh start in whatever guise that may be, where the focus is back on the pitch and not off the pitch.

"Finally we would like to place on record our thanks to Phoenix 2021 Limited for the opportunity to be officially associated with Wigan Athletic Football Club.

"The company will be making no further comment at this stage."

Paul Kendrick
@PKendrickWIG
·
3m
Confirmed from club:

"A deal has been agreed in principle for the sale of Wigan Athletic Football Club to a prospective new buyer - subject to EFL approval. The prospective new owners have committed to resolving all outstanding liabilities at the earliest opportunity." #wafc

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/june/04/club-statement-ownership-of-Wigan-Athletic/

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/wigan-athletic-fans-group-meets-with-club-owner-abdulrahman-al-jasmi-after-takeover-green-light-4169031

This doe's not look good at all.
   

Wigan Athletic were placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL for breaches of tax commitments, and now face a winding-up petition

His Majesty's Revenue & Customs has lodged a winding-up petition against Wigan Athletic over unpaid tax bills, with a hearing date of 26 July.
evenue & Customs has lodged a winding-up petition against Wigan Athletic over unpaid tax bills, with a hearing date of 26 July.

It follows the English Football League placing the Latics under a transfer embargo last week for breaching league rules on tax payment.

Wigan will begin the League One season after relegation with an eight-point deduction for late payment of salaries.

It also understood money is outstanding from last month's salary payments.

The club has said it is in the process of being sold but one of the interested parties, 21-year-old businessman Sarbjot Johal, failed to gain EFL approval for his proposed purchase of Morecambe earlier this year.

Winding-up petitions can be resolved by payment of debt or by arrangement of a payment plan with the creditor, in this case HMRC itself.

The takeover of Wigan Athletic has been agreed – with confirmation on the way as early as tonight.

Wigan-born billionaire Mike Danson – who holds a 25 per cent stake in the Warriors – is understood to be the new man in charge.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/wigan-athletic-takeover-over-the-line-despite-late-scare-4182934


Paul Kendrick
@PKendrickWIG
·
14m
Wigan Athletic first-team players have been paid their overdue wages after takeover goes through. Great news, hopefully back too normality now. #wafc

Club Statement

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/june/14/club-statement-a-company-backed-by-mike-danson-acquires-wigan-athletic-football-club/

Wigan Athletic braced for battle to prevent prized assets walking for free
Wigan Athletic face a fight to prevent some of their prize assets walking away for FREE – as the financial problems that put paid to the last ownership group threaten to derail the new regime.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/football/wigan-athletic-braced-for-battle-to-prevent-prized-assets-walking-for-free-4195664