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Encouraging news emerges regarding futures of crisis clubs Wigan and Southend

Encouraging news emerges regarding futures of crisis clubs Wigan and Southend, and for both, quite possibly the most hopeful yet.

The EFL punished the Latics for multiple late payment of wages in the past 12 months. This has included points deducted from last season’s Championship total and also to their League One total, meaning they will start on -8.

Al-Jasmi has now agreed to sell after months of turmoil and this game supporters hope that the light at the other end of the tunnel.

The Bahrani owner put the club on sale with a statement last week saying that they had reached a deal with businessman Sarbjot Johal, subject to EFL approval. However, Sarbjot Johal has struggled in trying to takeover Morecambe recently.

Mike Danson, a familiar name to the area of Wigan, has now entered the race with The Athletic saying that he has recently held discussions with Phoenix 2021 and wants to buy the club and DW Stadium. He is also the EFL’s preferred candidate if a deal goes through.

Danson was born and raised in Wigan, but later moved to Bury in Greater Manchester. He then went on to Oxford University.

Data mogul Danson co-founded GlobalData in 2000 after founding Datamonitor, a company he sold 17 years later for a staggering £507million.

In 2020, Danson bought a 25% stake in Rugby League team Wigan Warriors who share the DW Stadium with the Latics.

Danson, who was ranked 128th in wealth in the United Kingdom in 2021 with an estimated £1.17 billion and is giving Wigan fans careful optimism that he is the one to take over the club and put it in the hands a local businessman.

Alan Nixon reported on Monday afternoon that the tax man is starting to move to wind up Wigan.

HMRC are reportedly serving them a winding up petition notice with the owners yet to ‘settle a tax bill and in the week the club hopes to find cash to pay wages.’

He adds that the tax issue is around £1m, but fans feel this news is nothing they haven’t heard before.

What makes it more official though is, according to Simon Stone, the hearing date is set for 26th July meaning leas a deadline has now been set to try and move these proposed takeovers swiftly on to completion should we get there.

SEE MORE: Several Wigan players are considering quitting the club as situation worsens

Meanwhile, the Kimura-led group has been granted exclusive rights to purchase National League side Southend United with their future looking increasingly safe.

For several weeks now, Echosport report that the group headed by Simon Jackson and Kris Tremaine as well as Integral Sports Management members have been discussing to purchase the club, and the FA have sent them the fit and proper check paper.

The group will carry out due diligence now on the club, but Jackson hinted that a deal was near by posting the Blues’ logo to his Instagram account along with a handshake and captioned it “wallop!” as can be seen below…

Chris Phillips tweeted: “No announcement is imminent for those asking. Still bits to be done and sorted out but pleasing to see progress being made.”

If and when the deal is finalised, Ray Winstone could also be appointed to the club’s Board, with the report adding that they will look at the plans for a new stadium at Fossetts Farm, as well as hope maintain the club’s Academy.

Ron Martin revealed he if selling the Shrimpers in March with some staff members at the club not getting their wages since then.

The club are also under a transfer embargo due to unpaid money to HMRC since September and manager Kevin Maher can’t offer contracts to players until these restrictions are lifted, with Southend having until July 12th to pay a tax bill of £250,000.

Here’s what fans are saying as encouraging news emerges regarding futures of crisis clubs Wigan and Southend…

ON SOUTHEND:

@glentiesbhoy: Should be easy to fill out ‘Not Ron Martin’

@LiamK1998_: Hopefully the club will be saved

@beardywxm: Made up for Southend fans, onwards and upwards, see you in the EFL soon.

@SonnyGilbert12: We’re fucking back 💙💙💙

@davethe81282486: Southend to get there club back ❤️ with the management team already in place, on top of the new owners , is looking like a bright future, let’s hope the stadium can be filled all season, to show true support and lets back the new owners let’s face it they have saved the club

@CharlieMullard: Holy shit! It’s happening 🦐🔵⚪️

@JamiefSquires: Well done really pleased for the Southend fans, look forward to you been competitive next season, hopefully we will be again too, always have good games vs you guys, like to see teams get over having shocking owners we had same a few years ago

@LauraBlenes: The unofficial official one… Cannot bloody wait for the OFFICIAL announcement 😭💙🦐

@euanbassmusic: Getting there

ON WIGAN:

@pskl73: Never normal at the latics, hopefully some good news this week which gives us hope.

@flatcapmon: Take anything at the moment…. just want a club to support.

@brittonc97: Praying it gets done, nothing more satisfying than a local businessman potentially back in control of us 🙏🏻Biggest advice to Danson’s group would be to not appoint a CEO that goes and spunks the budget on a league 1 squad averaging late 20s

@_KieranStaggs_: Gimme a statement saying it’s done then I’ll celebrate until then im keeping calm just incase 🤣

@joeh50: Everybody’s Danson in the moonlight 🕺🏻

@JackRourke15: Rich Arab ❌ Rich Wiganer ✅

@johnmcp66: Hoping that the potential sale goes through prior to thus, would be sad to see almost 100 years of history get washed down the toilet thanks to the horrendous mismanagement by owner Au Yeung Wai Kay and then Talal Al Hammad.

@Fairygodlawyer: Hopefully if the noises are half right then this would be a very good outcome for both @LaticsOfficial and @WiganWarriorsRL and antithapy of the last 30 years can be put behind supporters of both. Wigan isn’t a huge town and the teams need all the support they can get.

@im_martinholden: We are down to the nitty gritty now …. a firm deadline for all interested parties to work to … hopefully done by then, hopefully, it gets sorted. How many times have we said that in these last 6 months? #wafc

@faz42: Can we all agree, if the club is sold that no matter who the new owner is we don’t go jumping balls deep calling them a saviour or wanking ourselves dry over them like some did with the bahranis. #wafc

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