Wigan Athletic chairman Talal Al Hammad issues a statement on wages and funding after concerns from players, staff and fans.
Wigan’s remaining playing and non-playing staff have now been paid with it coming after some went more than a week without receiving their wages.
Their owners insist they’re fully committed to the club with the manager also backed to stay, but this is the fifth time in the last year that payments have been late.
Wigan’s remaining playing and non-playing staff have now been paid.
It’s after some went more than a week without receiving their wages.
Their owners insist they’re fully committed to the club.#WAFC pic.twitter.com/FrSMPaYYtC
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) May 16, 2023
🚨 | Wigan Athletic have now paid all the remaining wages – confirmed.
This was the fifth time the wages have been paid late, with June ‘22, July ‘22, October ‘22, March ‘23’ and now May ‘23.
Completely unacceptable. Now we need to hear explanations. Cannot happen again.#wafc
— Central Wigan (@CentralWigan) May 16, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
WIGAN ATHLETIC CAN PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING UPDATE IN REGARD TO WAGES AND THE FUNDING OF THE FOOTBALL CLUB.
All remaining playing and non-playing staff have now been paid.
The ownership group, Phoenix 2021 Limited, has committed a substantial seven figure sum to Wigan Athletic to secure the immediate future of the Club. The EFL has visibility of this amount.
Phoenix 2021 Limited under the ownership of Mr Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi and Wigan Athletic FC Chairman Talal Al Hammad insist they are fully committed to the Club.
Chairman, Talal Al Hammad, has released the following statement:
I firstly want to apologise again to all staff, players, fans and wider stakeholders for the stress this delay has caused.
As an ownership group we have invested well in excess of £20m since we came on board in 2021. Clearly mistakes have been made and this investment has not been spent in the right areas meaning finances this season have been difficult to sustain.
This latest payment will ensure our wage obligations are secured until we finalise a sustainable budget for next season. There will also shortly be announcements made regarding Board and Staff re-structures which will help us deliver this.
I finally again want to reassure all Wigan Athletic staff, players and fans that Mr. Al Jasmi and I are fully committed to the Club with Manager Shaun Maloney at the helm.
The Club will make no further comment at this stage.
– STATEMENT ENDS –
The Official Wigan Athletic Supporters Club said: “We are relieved at this news, but will continue to push for evidence and reassurances to be made available to all fans, that next steps are in place to secure the medium and longer term future of the club. #wafc”
@IndieLatics wrote: “Whilst apologies and assurances of funding are very welcome we would remind the chairman that he will now be judged on his actions
“More detail of the #wafc ownership group’s plans is required & we would remind Mr Hammad of his promise to hold a recorded interview to provide this.”
SEE MORE: Frustrated Wigan players and manager take another swipe at club’s owners over wage delays
Here’s the social media reaction as the Wigan chairman issues a much needed statement on lates wages and funding after players, staff and fans’ concerns…
@TillyB88472255: I’d love to be able to jump for joy at this announcement 😬 but like all other fans, etc.. it’s impossible to now trust anything ownership say ! I will keep my fingers crossed that they have now realised their errors and will manage the club effectively 🤞🤞✊💙🤍👍🏼
@JamesWAFC7: See you again in a few weeks then.
@CorporalSlow: Not good enough
@Thomas97450913: Once again like others have stated, be ready for this to happen again
@padclark1: Wonder what was sold this month to pay the wages
@chrisbuz: Like a stuck record these announcements
@dnmb00: See you in 3 weeks 🤠
@murphywigan: Phoenix OUT
@wafclew: Heard it all before. Time to sell the club please.
@Wigwam17451728: Thankfully the wages have finally been paid (AGAIN) . The owners seriously need to sort this mess out ASAP. I know people what them out , but I we go into admin again I don’t think we will survive this time. Phoenix just get your act together please 🙏
@Wigan53884043: Glad now been paid but actions speak louder than words – apologises the 1st, 2nd, 3rd lost count how many times now is it 6-7? Promised it won’t happen again yet nothing happens and happens again and again.
@faz42: 7 figures pays the wages and paye once….. Lie after lie after lie then you make this statement and say no further statements will be made yet you want us to trust you. Just put the club up for sale.
@Wafc1300: Mr “actions speak louder than words” has had quite a lot to say when shit goes tits up hasn’t he
@DeanGore24: It’s not enough… you’ve no actions and your all words… you’ve lost alot of faith in the fans… you’ll have to really pull it out the hat to get the fans back on board
@DannyLannon: Apparently funded by loans from Talals Friends not Al Jasmi. We should stop the abuse aimed at Talal he’s doing everything he can! It’s on Al Jasmi nobody else.
@WiganDicko: Load of shit, Get the fuck out of our club.
@IanCart59216988: Committed but no guarantee wages will be paid on time resulting in more points deductions #wafc
@davesarge4: What a shambles of a club we have turned into. Absolutely Pathetic. Talal, just do us a favour and sell up so we can get back on track and bring someone in who actually knows how to run a football club. #wafc
@SteTinsley: #wafc fans had to wait 12 days for this? It’s not @LaticsOfficial fault. We’ve no CEO, run by men who don’t have a clue about football from thousands of miles away. Shambolic running of the club & a pitiful explanation @TalalAlHammad32. We want to hear how you intend to sell up
@stevetannWAFC:
Not a shred of acknowledgement of the damage this has caused.
Couldn’t avoid relegation with both hands behind our backs
No reference to points deductions or further sanctions
Let alone the huge damage to the clubs reputation
A hollow apology to those affected #wafc
@Latics_WN6: Good news. Let’s hope that the board can get their shit together and give Maloney the foundations he needs to build a competitive team for next season. We have been here before and it’s hard to trust their words now, but they’re all we have so let’s just hope. #wafc
@oliverlawrenson: Lost for words. 😵💫🫠 #wafc
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