Wigan Athletic have been taken over by the local billionaire businessman Mike Danson in a deal which will see funds coming into the stricken club
Danson already owns a 25 per cent stake in Wigan Warriors
In a statement the club said that a new company backed by Mike Danson has today completed the acquisition of 100% of Wigan Athletic Football Club.
All requisite clearances have been obtained from the English Football League “EFL”. A new board, along with a Chief Executive of the Club will be announced in due course. First Team Manager Shaun Maloney, will remain at the Club.
Funds have been paid into the Club to cover all outstanding debt. All players and staff will be paid immediately, along with other creditors.
Wigan are currently due to start next season on minus eight points as punishment for failing to pay their players on time on six separate occasions in 2022-23. They were also deducted three points last season, as they finished bottom of the Championship.
who was born in Wigan and grew up in Bury has released a statement where he talks about his “delight” over the deal.
“I am delighted to become involved in Wigan Athletic Football Club.
“I was born in Wigan, I grew up locally and the community of the town is close to my heart.
“I want to recognise that the Club has a hugely important part to play in the local community, not just for players, but for fans, employees and all its suppliers, business partners and numerous community groups.
“We have worked hard to provide the EFL with a realistic financial plan to stabilise operations.
“We look forward to a fresh start for the Club and planning for the upcoming season.”
The Official Wigan supporters club said in a statement
We are pleased to see the fantastic news today that Mike Danson has agreed terms to buy Wigan Athletic.
Over recent weeks we have worked with a number of people to support the process. These include club staff, Lisa Nandy, Wigan Council representatives as well as the proposed new owner and his team. Huge thanks are due to everyone who has pulled together to bring about this crucial solution in the almost impossible timescales.
We would also like to extend our thanks to the staff at the club who have kept Wigan Athletic operational during this challenging and worrying time.
This change of ownership was essential to restore stability to the club. We are confident that the new owners will provide all stakeholders, especially staff and supporters, with reassurance that the uncertainty of recent times will be replaced with a much more sustainable future. We will now seek to hear more details and we look forward to working with the new ownership to bring a clear direction to the club.
