A soft drinks entrepreneur, 21, is reportedly trying to buy Wigan after seemingly struggling to get the Morecambe takeover.
Sarbjot Johal has been trying to close a deal for the Shrimps, first making contact with them at the beginning of the year, when its owner Bond Group Investments put them up for sale.
Concerns emerged surrounding his financial situation, leading to a meeting with Bond Group’s Jason Whittingham, and Shrimps Trust’s fans group.
The EFL said that it also sought additional information from Johal regarding his proposed takeover, and in the last week, according to Lancashire Post, minutes of a meeting held between the Morecambe Board and the Shrimps Trust were published with the EFL still lacking what was required.
Sarbjot Johal, 21, from Solihull is trying to take over at crisis club Wigan Athletic #wafc
Players still haven’t been paid + bills are stacking up so urgent investment is needed.
Exclusive @TheAthleticFC w/@mjshrimper https://t.co/0mKp1kvSMQ
— Gregg Evans (@greggevans40) June 5, 2023
This is indeed the name I was told this morning…not sure which side leaked it but it’s out there now…
As tweeted earlier, need the EFL and stakeholders to take as long as it needs to do their checks…critical this decision is the right one… #wafchttps://t.co/CAu7oMxrMy
— Paul Kendrick (@PKendrickWIG) June 5, 2023
Wigan Athletic’s ownership group confirmed that a deal had been reached to sell the League One team to “a buyer”.
Lets face it, there is never a normal day when it comes to Wigan lately, but Sunday was like on another level or bizarre.
This announcement came just hours after two directors resigned from the board growing concerns over the financial health of the club.
Wigan are to begin 2023-24 with a minus eight point score after failing to pay wages, and there were concerns that further punishment was to come before the season kicked off as thing hadn’t looked like improving.
Current owners claim that the new buyer is “committed” to resolving any outstanding liabilities as soon as possible with the short statement saying that “EFL approval is required” for any agreement.
On Sunday, Tom Markham and Oliver Gottmann departed after the “promises made by the ownership group”, which were to be paid on the 2nd of June, still hadn’t materialised.
They stated that “there is no way to know when the funds will arrive”, and their position was unsustainable, with just chairman Talal al Hammad remaining on the board.
Manager Shaun Maloney, who is massively concerned about the current situation the club find themselves in, was given assurances over funding by Al Hammad and Wigan’s ultimate owner Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi during face-to-face talks in Bahrain in May.
With HMRC owed money, a winding-up petition could be filed to find out if the owners were willing to continue to fund the club. However, the sudden appearance of a buyer would prevent this scenario.
In 2020, the Latics had been put into administration by owners who refused to invest any more money into a club that loses money.
On Friday, Wigan fans demanded that the current owners sell their club.
The alleged sale is said to be still ongoing, but “further information” will be provided “in due course”.
The situation is simple: despite claiming to have lots of money, none of Johal’s UK businesses show any significant profits. The main ones are a drinks “empire” which sells a drink you can’t buy and where two companies are late with their accounts.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
Finally, there is https://t.co/ZAqowouv3Y, a crypto ponzi scheme, which uses the PE company’s branding. Johal has made no public comment on why an active fraud is using his company’s identity, but is reported to have denied any connection in a meeting with Morecambe supporters.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
Johal has already done massive damage to Morecambe. The club has been for sale for over nine months. For about six of them, he and the owner have been trying to get the EFL to ok an offer for the club which, as I understand it, is at least twice what other bids were.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
If he walks away now, the club will have lost crucial time to prepare for the new session. The delay in resolving matters has been hugely damaging and divisive. Johal, meanwhile, has given no interviews since his early burst of publicity. It’s a terrible mess.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
For anyone seeking a little background on would-be Morecambe *and* Wigan owner Sarbjot Johal, here’s a little on his business ’empire’.https://t.co/zyYYPY7wMv
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
Here’s two of the key drinks companies missing their accounts filing dates.https://t.co/KbLSVgsiyx
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
And here’s a minor celebrity connection.https://t.co/tznSMCwJK9
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
PS: I have emailed Mr Johal for an explanation as to what on earth is going on with his bids for Morecambe and Wigan. He has never yet responded to one of my many requests for answers, but perhaps this time will be different.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
Was asked how I think this plays out. Guesswork, but if he was going to pass the ODT, he’ve probably done so by now.
So:
-Morecambe: positive if it finally forces the owner to seek a new buyer
-Wigan: negative if he’s the only buyer or his bid puts off other bidders— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) June 5, 2023
This is what fans said after hearing a soft drinks entrepreneur, 21, is trying to buy Wigan after a struggle to get the Morecambe takeover…
@DominicR26: The same one who can’t provide an explanation for where his money has come from who has been “taking over” morecambe for about the last year? Yeah, avoid like the plague Wigan
@AdamONeillio: If things couldn’t get any worse than they already are
@MrCheapSeats: There’s nothing fishy about this. Nothing fishy at all.
@WiganUTFT: No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and finally no
@BazGreenwood69: Just go on companies house, his Tax returns are late. That’s how he passed the interview to take over the club. Lateness
@laticsian: Is someone having a fucking laugh with our club. Never have I seen such delusion from owners even when running the club, and then trying to sell it to the Rola Cola of the Coca Cola world. Surely someone has to step in and stop this madness. Its a fucking mess! #wafc
@Jordan_wafcV2: He’s not got a pot to piss in, absolute chancer.
@WiganTours:
My advice to any potential #wafc owner
1 Buy the club because you love #football not because you love money
2 Always pay the players & staff on time
3 Treasure the supporters and the #Wigan community
4 Only buy it if you can afford to run it
5 Don’t overpromise
6 Keep Shaun
@KENIRLRN: Not surprised Oliver and Tom quit then. Another absolute chancer. He’s failed to provide the EFL with the necessary information to buy Morecambe. Hopefully he’ll fail again.
@emwafc_27: What’s the fucking point hahahahahahahahahahahaha Good GOD this fucking club 😂😂😂😂😂 nobody will ever convince me we’re not some sort of social experiment #wafc
@NoseyLatic: I’ve just been reading up on him, sounds like frying pan into the fire if you ask me. Sounds like he’s one of these who claims this and that but there is no hard evidence of his wealth, it’s just on balance sheets. Doesn’t look good if you ask me
@WAFCFAN2013: No chance in hell he gets EFL passed if he’s failed at Morecambe, sounds like a ruse. #wafc
@redned76: Has this guy not been able to purchase Morecambe has he hasn’t yet passed EFL tests ?
@gemchris1977: He can’t even buy Morecambe
@AspeyBrad: We’re so fuckin done for #wafc
@pne_jamie: Got contents of my sock drawer older than this guy. Desperate times for Wigan. When will football wake up to the fact player wages are forcing clubs to the wall… In what other industry does this ever happen?
@Worly82: Doesn’t seem credible at all.
@Jorc94: I’m sure the absolutely completely 100% competent EFL will block this takeover at a very early stage in the interests of one of it’s member clubs. Especially with all the evidence that this guy is a total grifter… right, lads? …Lads? @EFL #wafc
@LeeWolv: Jesus almighty
@L00nyTooon: Turning into a joke now this. Sky sports chirp up and tell everyone we are being bought and the best we have is a KID who’s run a fizzy pop wholesalers for a few years and was judged not fit to buy the club he supports! MAGNIFICENT 👍
@WafcHugh: Oh how fantastic! 🙄
@KTics90: Can we just fold it now. Reform a non league club, ban the SC and get on with tearing the north west counties apart? #wafc
@bmxcommentator: Car crash waiting to happen…. #wafc
@gullivers1982: Haha 😂😂😂 can’t pass fit and proper for Morecambe lol 🤣🤣🤣 come back @TalalAlHammad32 😂😂😂
@spwafc88: Doesn’t seem credible
@IanCart59216988: Can’t see him getting EFL approval
wigan in the last 24 hours #wafc https://t.co/pz5Nd9XkNe pic.twitter.com/GyTG1KnvN7
— oli (@OliWAFC) June 5, 2023
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