Wigan goes into administration

[RobinLFC]

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Sad news. First of many?

 

[Samid]

Shame. Used to be my favourite opponent for a few years. Easy 4-0 win both home and away while rivals were struggling against them.

 

[Drainy]

So it begins

 

[duffer]

2nd time in about 6 years for them I think.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

This just after results have picked up. They're now well free of the drop zone having been mired there pretty much all season. A 12 point deduction would have them bottom, four points from safety, so staying in the division this season is still a possibility but worrying times at the club for sure.

 

[SilentWitness]

I’m surprised they haven’t folded sooner. I remember when they were in the PL they barely had any supporters.

 

[RobinLFC]

I’m surprised they haven’t folded sooner. I remember when they were in the PL they barely had any supporters.

How come? Too close to both Liverpool and Manchester to have their own strong fan base?

 

[acnumber9]

How come? Too close to both Liverpool and Manchester to have their own strong fan base?

It’s a Rugby town.

 

[Oggmonster]

How come? Too close to both Liverpool and Manchester to have their own strong fan base?

That's a factor definitely, I know 3 people from Wigan (I know small sample) 2 support Liverpool and one supports United so it's a reason it's also more of a rugby town as well traditionally than football as well.

I think there will be more going, they won't be the last.

 

[SilentWitness]

How come? Too close to both Liverpool and Manchester to have their own strong fan base?

That and they have a bigger rugby fan base.

 

[RobinLFC]

It’s a Rugby town.

That's a factor definitely, I know 3 people from Wigan (I know small sample) 2 support Liverpool and one supports United so it's a reason it's also more of a rugby town as well traditionally than football as well.

I think there will be more going, they won't be the last.

That and they have a bigger rugby fan base.

Ah hadn't heard about that at all, makes sense then. Cheers.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

How come? Too close to both Liverpool and Manchester to have their own strong fan base?

Probably plays a part. Only a town with around 300k in terms of population, and given the success they've had in Rugby League, the loyalty seems stronger there rather than in football.

 

[11101]

I'd think any of the recently relegated PL teams could be in danger. Some PL costs still there without the revenues.

 

[SilentWitness]

Had a quick look at avg attendances for the DW Stadium which they share with the Wigan Warriors and it seems like the only time the football team has a higher average is when they’re in the PL. when they are in the Championship and League 1 the attendance is awful which shows people are just going to watch a PL game rather than being a fan and they are proper fans of the rugby side.

 

[Brophs]

The 12 point penalty and the offence that sets it out are subject to an appeal on the grounds of force majeure, so if they can convince the FL that Covid constitutes as FM for the purposes of this offence, then they may be able to avoid the penalty.

 

[Mark Pawelek]

This just after results have picked up.

Over the past 6 games their results are the best in that league!

 

[Nickelodeon]

I'd think any of the recently relegated PL teams could be in danger. Some PL costs still there without the revenues.

They were relegated 7 years ago. Don't think they had any big money signings particularly during their PL stint. Teams like Villa are the ones which I fear for, they have spent big on extremely average players. If and when they do get relegated, I don't see a lot of saleable assets.

 

[pascell]

They've kept 7 clean sheets in a row now in the league, looked set to beat the drop. Is there anyway they still might survive?

 

[Aboutreika18]

Shame. Used to be my favourite opponent for a few years. Easy 4-0 win both home and away while rivals were struggling against them.

I think it's something like 18 wins and 1 loss against them. And of course, the defeat in 2011/12 cost us the league...

 

[simonhch]

Points deductions for administration should be waived during covid, period.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Shame. Used to be my favourite opponent for a few years. Easy 4-0 win both home and away while rivals were struggling against them.

Except for 2012, when they turned it on against us towards the end of the season. That and the 4-4 two weeks later cost us the title.

For years they'd be shite for about 32 games and then play out of their skins in the last few weeks of the season to avoid the drop.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Had a quick look at avg attendances for the DW Stadium which they share with the Wigan Warriors and it seems like the only time the football team has a higher average is when they’re in the PL. when they are in the Championship and League 1 the attendance is awful which shows people are just going to watch a PL game rather than being a fan and they are proper fans of the rugby side.

Eight years in the top league and the FA Cup win made them a more attractive prospect for local kids to get behind than they were before and families all went along to watch the games in numbers never seen in the town. On the other hand it's true a decent proportion of their season ticket take-up in the PL was United and Liverpool fans wanting to see Premier League football cheaply and locally, and the residual effect of their time at the top has lessened through some tough years in the wake of their relegation and Dave Whelan selling up. The problem they've had recently is that many of their top players were loanees who have returned to their parent clubs after a good season with the Tics, and those that were permanent have been snapped up by other clubs, meaning they start every season pretty much from scratch with an unfamiliar squad.

In terms of the rugby league impact we have traditionally been more of a rugby town but both teams have their own hardcore support base who would rather be seen dead than at the DW during the other team's matchday. The truth is both teams are finding it difficult to get arses on seats (support in UK rugby league generally is in decline) and the Tics outside of the PL have always had it very tough with big draws in United and Liverpool (now City, and of course Everton) in close proximity.

 

[Stack]

Will the coronavirus have a contributing factor and if so are the resulting penalties fair?

 

[Chairman Steve]

Dave Whelan ploughed almost everything from his JJB Sports wealth into them to get them to the Premier League, but because it’s a Rugby League town and the North West is saturated with clubs, it’s difficult to get in there and establish them with a sizeable fan base and match going crowd to a level like Bolton say, let alone Utd and City.

Their rise and fall is no different to Blackburn with Jack Walker, and Gretna with Brooks Mileson in a very extreme case.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Over the past 6 games their results are the best in that league!

Amazing. The amount of late goals they've conceded this season has been heartbreaking, they've thrown away something like 30 points in the last ten minutes of matches. Now they're getting it together they're hit by this shite.

 

[stubie]

Dave Whelan was due to make a statement about it but got sidetracked into talking about how he once broke his leg!

 

[The Boy]

Points deductions for administration should be waived during covid, period.

Couldn’t agree more, very unfair to impose this in the exceptional circumstances

 

[Klopper76]

I remember when Paul Jewell was their manager in 2005 and they were 2nd in the PL several games in.

They won’t be the only club having to deal with this.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Couldn’t agree more, very unfair to impose this in the exceptional circumstances

Think they will need to do something or they could end up with a division with 40 teams in it.

 

[Jippy]

Points deductions for administration should be waived during covid, period.

Yeah if that doesn't constitute an exceptional circumstance, nothing will. God knows how many others must be teetering on the brink.

 

[SilentWitness]

Eight years in the top league and the FA Cup win made them a more attractive prospect for local kids to get behind than they were before and families all went along to watch the games in numbers never seen in the town. On the other hand it's true a decent proportion of their season ticket take-up in the PL was United and Liverpool fans wanting to see Premier League football cheaply and locally, and the residual effect of their time at the top has lessened through some tough years in the wake of their relegation and Dave Whelan selling up. The problem they've had recently is that many of their top players were loanees who have returned to their parent clubs after a good season with the Tics, and those that were permanent have been snapped up by other clubs, meaning they start every season pretty much from scratch with an unfamiliar squad.

In terms of the rugby league impact we have traditionally been more of a rugby town but both teams have their own hardcore support base who would rather be seen dead than at the DW during the other team's matchday. The truth is both teams are finding it difficult to get arses on seats (support in UK rugby league generally is in decline) and the Tics outside of the PL have always had it very tough with big draws in United and Liverpool (now City, and of course Everton) in close proximity.

Cheers for that background info mate. I wonder if the same will happen to Bournemouth if they get relegated as they are surely the same in terms of the local kids/families. I know from a few people who went to Bournemouth Uni that they regularly went to watch games because it was fairly cheap and easy for a student.

 

[Scarecrow]

I'd think any of the recently relegated PL teams could be in danger. Some PL costs still there without the revenues.

They do get the parachute payments though, which are normally around 40 million in the first year. I’m not sure if those would be affected now but I wouldn’t think so, as they come from the PL broadcasting revenue.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

The takeover of Wigan Athletic has been completed by Next Leader Fund, a limited partnership headed by Hong Kong businessman Au Yeung Wai Kay.

The sale, marking the Latics' second change of ownership in two years, was confirmed more than six months after International Entertainment Corporation said it would offload the club.

Wigan's executive chairman Darren Royal said the new owners "will enable" the club to "negate some of the immediate" financial challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wigan's first-team players and senior staff agreed in April to defer part of their wages for three months amid the public health crisis which has forced the suspension of football in England.

Early June, Wigan were taken over for the second time in 18 months.
A month later they are now in administration

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Cheers for that background info mate. I wonder if the same will happen to Bournemouth if they get relegated as they are surely the same in terms of the local kids/families. I know from a few people who went to Bournemouth Uni that they regularly went to watch games because it was fairly cheap and easy for a student.

Yeah there are many clubs, even at the lower end of the PL, living hand to mouth. What I would hope for the likes of Bournemouth and to a lesser extent Norwich is that they are on slightly sounder footing having been part of the recent TV money bonanza; Wigan just missed out on the 2013/14 deal which saw a near-doubling of revenue after BT Sport came to the table (though they were parachuted) and the subsequent deals which have grown further still. What's more though I could certainly use some education on the fan demographics of both locales Bournemouth are the second biggest team on the south coast and Norwich are top dogs in East Anglia so they hopefully have a bit more sway with the kids and young adults near them than Wigan, though maybe southerners who want a bit of glory just pick a London club.

Students can be a big thing for football clubs, it's cool your mates picked up Bournemouth and hopefully the next generation of local alumni seek them out when the covid disruption is over.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[12OunceEpilogue]

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Thanks for these. Further down one of those threads is a piece that goes into more detail on the club's finances and ownership situation. It sounds like the owners have put money in here and there but were gambling on quick promotion to the PL. Quite why they thought this was a goer when Wigan have been struggling to consolidate their place in the Championship recently is worth asking.

 

[Tiber]

'The fit and proper test' allows everyone from KGB figures to fools with no money to buy clubs.

What exactly does the test involve? Checking for a pulse? One of these days obscure, unaccountable companies from every corner of the world have to be stopped from taking over football clubs, they don't give a shit

 

[Big Ben Foster]

That and they have a bigger rugby fan base.

Are people in England usually one or the other? Just wondering because here in the states, people typically follow multiple sports (granted, not all of them have overlapping seasons/schedules).

 

[Man of Leisure]

Points deductions for administration should be waived during covid, period.

Can someone explain the logic of having points deducted by being in administration in the first place? Does being in administration mean that players and staff aren't getting paid?