Wigan is in administration: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53247333 I bet they won't be the last......
Shame I also feel for the L1 and L2 clubs that must be a lot worse off than Wigan and won't be getting any income either. Depends how the FA play this and if Wigan face a points deduction of 10 or more points they'll go from mid-table obscurity to having a real chance of being relegated.
Seems to me they need to review the automatic points deduction rules. They were designed to stop clubs being poorly run and over spending. These are exceptional times and can you blame clubs who get caught by unforeseen circumstances?
If the EFL do not apply the normal 12 points deduction for going into administration which may mean that Wigan are relegated, there will almost certainly be legal action from the club that is relegated as a result of the EFL’s change of policy.
Apparently the 12 point deduction has been applied leaving Wigan on 38 points and bottom of the Championship.
I thought it wasn't applied to the end of this season if they finish outside the bottom 3, or, applied next season if they get relegated?
That is correct. The sanction is only applied at the end of the season if they finish outside the relegation places. It amounts to the same thing though - although they keep their current points total and continiue to accumulate them for the remaining 6 games, they are effectively on 38 points right now to all intents and purposes. Only if they drop into an automatic relegation spot will the points deduction be applied next season in League 1 - in other words, they would start on -12.
It could be a big reprieve for the likes of Huddersfield, Boro and Stoke, or us the way our form is.....
The way they're playing at the moment, I wouldn't be surprised if they avoided the drop even with a 12 point deduction. I don't think they've been beaten in the last 9 games and they head the form tables at the moment (even better than Brentford). They've also got some very winnable fixtures left to come - could be a close call for the teams you mention (not you of course). https://www.transfermarkt.com/championship/formtabelle/wettbewerb/GB2
Shambles, Dave Whelan didn't sell the club that long ago, the EFL and their fit and proper persons test is a complete joke, you just have to look at the likes of Bury, Blackpool, Charlton, Hull and many other down the years to see how useless they are. I have no doubt Dave Whelan will help them out though
Just read an article from somebody at the club, he said this has nothing whatsoever to do with the pandemic, he also said that the club is really well run, he then went on to say that the new owners from Hong Kong have not sent the money that the club was promised and were expecting and had now made themselves uncontactable.
I agree this is exceptional times - however the well run clubs will not go into administration. if you are Barnsley with one of the smallest budgets in the league - which you set to be financially responsible and you see Wigan, a club with smaller crowds but I believe a bigger budget go into administration and not get a points deduction you would be very unhappy. It would appear Wigan's issues are not due to Covid - but the point is valid - if 10 clubs enter admin because of Covid and get no punishment and 62 do not how is that fair? Remember by going into admin a club can greatly reduce its debt.