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Agence France-Presse

English Football League chairman Rick Parry has pledged to probe the circumstances around Wigan’s administration after claiming English football has been treated with “disrespect”.
Championship club Wigan were placed into administration by new Hong Kong-based owners Next Leader Fund, headed by Au-yeung Wai-kay, just a month after they took over.
The Latics, FA Cup winners in 2013, have appealed against a 12-point penalty which could see them relegated at the end of the season.
Parry, who confirmed that the group passed the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test, said he was shocked by the decision to call in the administrators.
Hong Kong-owned Wigan Athletic enter into administration; face 12-point deduction
“It was a tremendous shock, a bolt from the blue. Normally if a club is facing administration, you get warning signs,” Parry told the BBC on Wednesday.
“Generally they don’t pay HMRC, they don’t pay the players, there are problems with creditors and it happens gradually.
It was a tremendous shock, a bolt from the blue. Normally if a club is facing administration, you get warning signs
Rick Parry, English Football League chairman
“It is really unprecedented for an owner to put his own club into administration, literally overnight.
“It is completely unprecedented for an owner who has only just acquired the club for £40 million (HK$391 million) to put his prized asset straight into administration and therefore destroy its value to him.
Hong Kong-owned Birmingham City under EFL investigation
“It makes absolutely no sense to us. It’s a real mystery. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
Parry, who played down rumours that the club may have been at the centre of a betting scam, admitted the EFL’s powers to call the owners to account may be limited.
But he promised to do all he can to investigate the matter.
“We want to and we are determined to. How confident can you be when it is thousands of miles away with limited jurisdiction? It will be challenging,” Parry said on the day Wigan beat QPR 1-0 in their latest Championship fixture.
“We want to try to get to the bottom of this because, on the face of it, the Wigan staff, the fans, the players, the town ... English football has been treated with disrespect in this.”



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English Premier League

EFL chief says Hong Kong owners of Wigan have disrespected English football, vows to get to the bottom of administration row

English Championship club Wigan Athletic went into administration four weeks after a Hong Kong-based consortium took over. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong-owned Wigan Athletic enter into administration; face 12-point deduction

Wigan Athletic have entered administration following a takeover by a Hong Kong-based consortium. Photo: AFP

epa08520708 (FILE) - General view of the DW Stadium before the English Premier League soccer match between Wigan Athletic and Chelsea FC in Wigan, Britain, 26 September 2009 (re-issued on 01 July 2020). English Championship soccer club Wigan Athletic have gone into administration four weeks after a Hong Kong-based consortium took over, English media reports claimed on 01 July 2020. EPA-EFE/CLIVE LAWRENCE *** Local Caption *** 01875601

Hong Kong-owned Birmingham City under EFL investigation

A fan is restrained by a steward and players after invading the St Andrews pitch in the derby between Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Football


Championship club Wigan were placed into administration by new Hong Kong-based owners Next Leader Fund just a month after they took over



Championship club Wigan were placed into administration by new Hong Kong-based owners Next Leader Fund just a month after they took over.


EFL chief says Hong Kong owners of Wigan have disrespected English football, vows to get to the bottom of administration row

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Championship club Wigan were placed into administration by new Hong Kong-based owners Next Leader Fund just a month after they took over

Championship club Wigan were placed into administration by new Hong Kong-based owners Next Leader Fund just a month after they took over