August 5 – It’s all over for Wigan Athletic who have been controversially relegated to the third tier of English football as a result of the club’s Hong Kong owner disgracefully pulling the plug on further funding.
Wigan’s demotion to League One has been confirmed after they lost their appeal against a 12-point deduction for going into administration.
They had appealed against the punishment on the grounds of ‘force majeure’. But an independent arbitration panel ruled against them, meaning they will swop places with Barnsley who stay in the Championship.
Last month Wigan fans launched a petition calling on the government to strengthen the owners and directors test. The club sat comfortably in mid-table going into the final round of matches and in fact lost just one of their final 15 games yet were relegated because of the 12-point penalty.
Owner Au Yeung Wai Kay’s claim that the Covid-19 crisis was to blame for the lack of funding has been ridiculed by the head of the English Football League, Rick Parry and has brought into sharp focus the need for greater scrutiny of unreliable owners.
In a statement, Wigan said: “The club put forward a strong case and naturally we are disappointed at the decision. The first-team management will now prepare the team for next season’s League One campaign.”
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