Wigan Athletic have been hit with a second points deduction by the EFL in just a matter of weeks.
The former Premier League club had four points deducted from next season's League One total for two previous late payments, with a further four suspended. The club's owner Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi had been given extra time by the league to stump up 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill.
A deadline to do that had been set of Wednesday, with no payments having been lodged. An EFL statement confirmed an added sanction coming into force. It read: "Following the failure to ensure that an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill was deposited in a designated Club account by Wednesday 24 May, as per the order of an Independent Disciplinary Commission, Wigan Athletic Football Club has been deducted a further four points and will now start the 2023/24 season on minus eight points (-8).
"This follows a previous sanction of four points after failing to pay its players’ wages on time in March 2023 and May 2023. The EFL has spent the past 48 hours in dialogue with the Club in an attempt to find a positive outcome to the issue but as of 9am Friday morning, the required funds have not been deposited."
A statement from Wigan in response to the charge followed shortly after. It read: "We are extremely disappointed with this latest decision. The Football Club has been very transparent with the EFL who have had clear visibility of the eight-figure sum to finance the remainder of this season and the whole of next season.
"The Club will now consider all options open, including legal action in response to this, and will make no further comment at this time."
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The latest development caps off what has been a dramatic fall for Wigan since their Premier League heyday. The club enjoyed eight consecutive campaigns in the top-flight between 2005 and 2013.
They also won the FA Cup against the odds against Manchester City at Wembley, only to succumb to relegation to the Championship shortly after. Since then, Wigan have bounced between the second and third tiers of English football - winning the League One crown on three occasions in that time.
They also slipped into administration during that period with a takeover eventually completed in March 2021.
The club finished the 2022/23 season in last place in the Championship, with a three-point deduction for another failure to pay players all-but condemning them to demotion. Their task to earn an instant promotion looks extremely difficult with their latest eight-point deduction putting them firmly on the back foot.
