Wigan Athletic Enter Administration

[Untouchable]

Obviously adds a new dimension to the game.

Presumably a 12 point deduction to follow which makes it must win for Wigan.

https://news.sky.com/story/wigan-athletic-football-club-goes-into-administration-12018790

 

[TW3Bee]

Isn't it 12 points?

 

[Banana]

Will they play if there's a doubt over getting paid?

 

[TW3Bee]

Will they play if there's a doubt over getting paid?

Might do a Bolton.

 

[Gee Bee]

Will they play if there's a doubt over getting paid?

Don't know how many they might have out of contract that might now not be too keen to play.

 

[Nada Bee]

Obviously adds a new dimension to the game.

Presumably a 12 point deduction to follow which makes it must win for Wigan.

https://news.sky.com/story/wigan-athletic-football-club-goes-into-administration-12018790

I personally think they'd be hard pushed to go through with a 12 point deduction given the circumstances.

 

[High Street Bee]

Bottom of the league and 4 points off safety if the points deduction is imposed as it should

 

[psg150]

They are going to be up for this now...

 

[Indian Bee]

Isn't it 12 points?

Normally yes but if the cause is C-19 related a legal argument for them not to be deducted points.

 

[SlumanBee]

Wow - this was out of the blue!

 

[EarleyBee]

Hopefully Thomas just gets the team focusing on the match and leaves the speculation to the GPG

 

[Nada Bee]

Wow - this was out of the blue!

I think they know they're safe, they wont be given 12 point deduction, now is prob the right time.

 

[badgerbee]

They are going to be up for this now...

.....or a "distraction" they could do without....

 

[Brigadier Gerard]

They are going to be up for this now...

I would be more worried about getting paid than putting a shift on the pitch. Don’t think going into admin is a motivator imho.

 

[SlumanBee]

I think they know they're safe, they wont be given 12 point deduction, now is prob the right time.

Why won't they get the deduction?

 

['Ayes B]

I think they know they're safe, they wont be given 12 point deduction, now is prob the right time.

They have to be given the points deduction or the EFL will be sued by the relegated club that could have survived.

Wonder if they managed to extend any contracts by 30th

 

[TW3Bee]

I think they know they're safe, they wont be given 12 point deduction, now is prob the right time.

Clubs have tried that in the past and still had a points dedution.

I think Boston United did it at half time during their final game of the season, thinking they were safe, but were still given a points deduction.

 

[Nada Bee]

Clubs have tried that in the past and still had a points dedution.

I think Boston United did it at half time during their final game of the season, thinking they were safe, but were still given a points deduction.

Clubs have gone into administration during a worldwide pandemic before and still been given a 12 point deduction?

 

[wibs]

think it would be v harsh, its nothing they have done wrong as such

 

[Untouchable]

From BBC sport 5 days ago re player contracts:

 

[North London Bee]

Might any points deduction come into effect next season rather than this?

 

[Banana]

Why won't they get the deduction?

Well, according to the rules, if a club goes into administration after for 4th week in March then the deduction would apply in the following season. Obviously that rule wasn't written with an enforced mid-season break....

It's also July 1st today, which is, of course, "next season"

There is also a force majeure rule which could mean the deduction is never imposed. Covid-19 is probably force majeure...

 

[hanworthbee]

Can't imagine this will be done intime to effect this season...

 

[liverbee]

Doesn’t seem to have phased the players recently. They looked pretty weedy a few months ago and we are stronger now, so it will hopefully be played.

 

[Brentford Bob]

They only stopped getting parachute payments two years ago..... unbelievable mismanagement.

 

[DidntYouUsedToBee]

I expect the players will be rather confused about it. Do they take it easy to avoid injury if they are to be sold on, do they see themselves as in the shop window so play to the max, will they get paid, will they lose points and be at risk of relegation..can't help their psychological state can it?

 

[TW3Bee]

They only stopped getting parachute payments two years ago..... unbelievable mismanagement.

I may have got this all wrong, wouldn't be the first time, but didn't Dave Whelan, I played in a cup final you know, hand over the running of the club to his his son, who had a pie shop at the ground that went out of business?

 

[mhead bee]

Hopefully Thomas just gets the team focusing on the match and leaves the speculation to the GPG

You don't think he is going to call all the players into a meeting to speculate over this then?

 

[badgerbee]

EFL has just put out a statement saying 12 points will be deducted this season if WA not in relegation places at season end.
*Will be deducted next season if they get relegated. *

 

[hanworthbee]

Doesn’t seem to have phased the players recently. They looked pretty weedy a few months ago and we are stronger now, so it will hopefully be played.

They only went into administration today

 

[The Pipe]

Current owners only in place a few weeks and club losing circa £9m pa so need significant funding. By going into administration they will significantly reduce their liabilities.

Simon Jordan does not accept Covid-19 as a reason and believes it to be somewhat sharp practice, points out missing just a few home games only amounts to a small amount of money in comparison with the overall losses.

 

[AB]

Well, according to the rules, if a club goes into administration after for 4th week in March then the deduction would apply in the following season. Obviously that rule wasn't written with an enforced mid-season break....

It's also July 1st today, which is, of course, "next season"

There is also a force majeure rule which could mean the deduction is never imposed. Covid-19 is probably force majeure...

I haven’t read the rule in question but have spent a LOT of time recently looking at force majeure clauses. They tend to kick in when the FM event makes performance of contractual obligations impossible rather than merely expensive or inconvenient. Most FM clauses do not obviously cover Covid-19 directly but only to the extent that eg government prohibitions prevent performance. It’d be an interesting argument to see if the suspension of the league and requirement to play behind closed doors was enough to trigger it- it would probably depend on whether WAFC would genuinely otherwise have been solvent.

 

[grutter]

Before today's announcement - we needed to beat them on Saturday.
After today's announcement - we still need to beat them on Saturday.

Nothing changes for BFC - remain focused on the win, whoever they play against and whatever the circumstances.

 

[Banana]

EFL has just put out a statement saying 12 points will be deducted this season if WA not in relegation places at season end.
*Will be deducted next season if they get relegated. *

I don't believe the rules, if interpreted literally, permit the EFL to follow this course of action.

 

[Banana]

I haven’t read the rule in question but have spent a LOT of time recently looking at force majeure clauses. They tend to kick in when the FM event makes performance of contractual obligations impossible rather than merely expensive or inconvenient. Most FM clauses do not obviously cover Covid-19 directly but only to the extent that eg government prohibitions prevent performance. It’d be an interesting argument to see if the suspension of the league and requirement to play behind closed doors was enough to trigger it- it would probably depend on whether WAFC would genuinely otherwise have been solvent.

Indeed, hence why I find it difficult to believe that we will have a final view on this today. The EFL have been very poor deciding on how it will be handled when the rules (as written) don't even permit it.

 

[Invipai]

Yep indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if Wigan tried multiple tricks in order to get this points deduction to either not happen, or not happen this season. There are enough mitigating circumstances! The timing likely isn't coincidental though, but seems to have caught everyone off guard! Even those close to the club.

I have no idea what it will do for Saturday, it could demotivate them, it could just change their focus. Either way we were playing a team who hadn't let in a goal since mid-Feb so their form can't get much worse for us. We'll just have to focus on our part and hopefully put them to the sword, and then hope that they sort out their plight after that.

 

[SpiderBee]

EFL has just put out a statement saying 12 points will be deducted this season if WA not in relegation places at season end.
*Will be deducted next season if they get relegated. *

Would have thought they will strive for as many points as possible to offset any points deduction then.
Saturday will be even tougher now!

 

[Invipai]

Nope...they have games against those around them coming up, including Charlton and Hull. They're good enough to win those and start to pull up. Our aims are too important for us right now to be the one to give them a favour, they have 5 games afterwards to do that.

 

[Ealing Bee]

think it would be v harsh, its nothing they have done wrong as such

Their troubles might have been exacerbated by the virus, but if it can be shown they were spending money they didn't have and running up big debts previously, while handing out new contracts to players at unrealistic wages, then the virus may go towards mitigation, without providing a defence. Otherwise every club would be going bust.

Perhaps the usual 12 pts deduction might be reduced a little due to the virus?

 

[Banana]

Would have thought they will strive for as many points as possible to offset any points deduction then.
Saturday will be even tougher now!

Hopefully they've cancelled all training and are in player meetings all week. And on the phone to their agents to get a new club

 

[ladbroke]

No.
Why should we miss out on 3 points because the relatively new owners messed up and so did the efl in the fit and proper test. It plays into the hands of our challengers.

 

[rebus]

They have to be given the points deduction or the EFL will be sued by the relegated club that could have survived.

Wonder if they managed to extend any contracts by 30th

From the Sky story:

“If the club are relegated by on-field results, the sanction would be applied in League One next season.

If the club stay outside of the bottom three, the sanction would be applied to the 2019-20 table.

If the sanction were applied currently, the Latics would be bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety.“

 

[Banana]

EFL should apply 1-0 victories to Wigan's opponents for the rest of the season.

Job done.

Well, except for their Fulham fixture...of course.

 

[Vid]

his son, who had a pie shop at the ground that went out of business?

In Wigan this is serious mismanagement. Who ate all the pies ?

 

[Vid]

Championship side Wigan have been placed into administration.

A statement said Paul Stanley, Gerald Krasner and Dean Watson from Begbies Traynor had been appointed as joint administrators of the club on Wednesday.

The EFL have today handed the club a 12-point deduction. If the club finish outside the relegation places this season, that penalty will be applied this season. If they finish in the relegation places, the penalty will be applied next season in League One.

 

[kevalutonbee]

Clubs have tried that in the past and still had a points dedution.

I think Boston United did it at half time during their final game of the season, thinking they were safe, but were still given a points deduction.

I thought they did it on the basis they knew they were down so thought what the hell have we got to lose and that is why EFL now carry the deduction over if they think the loss of points may not have a detrimental effect

 

[TW3Bee]

Before today's announcement - we needed to beat them on Saturday.
After today's announcement - we still need to beat them on Saturday.

Nothing changes for BFC - remain focused on the win, whoever they play against and whatever the circumstances.

It can go either way.

It may give Wigan even further reason impetus (sp), or may totally demoralise them.

Either way we have to stay focused and concentrate on our game.

 

[Eieieio]

oh my word. and they were on such a good run too! that is really disappointing for them.

also potentially bad news for us - they will be desperate to finish 12 points clear of relegation obviously now. They'll have 4 points to make up currently... and based on their current run they will totally believe they can do it. They'll be playing for their lives.

 

[Griffingreen]

Would have thought they will strive for as many points as possible to offset any points deduction then.
Saturday will be even tougher now!

Don't we prefer clubs who come looking to win rather than park the bus?

 

[TeeJayBee]

Hopefully this might remove any temptation to "park the bus", and on current form I'd back us against any team which tries to go "toe to toe".