The takeover is complete – Championship first target
Good time to return?
Last night it was finally announced that Wigan Athletic are out of Administration and the quest to return to the Championship starts today (hopefully by beating Gillingham)
The Club Statement read:
The Club is delighted to announce that Phoenix 2021 Limited has today become the new owner of Wigan Athletic Football Club. Phoenix 2021 Limited has now completed all of the technical information required and received confirmation that all matters associated with membership of the EFL have been concluded.
On a historic day for Wigan Athletic Football Club, incoming chairman Mr. Talal Al-Hammad said:
“This is the start of a new chapter in the history of Wigan Athletic. We feel extremely proud and happy at Phoenix 2021 Limited, in having completed the acquisition and I would like to congratulate Mr. Al Jasmi and everyone who participated in completing this new and promising acquisition.
“Personally, I feel excited and happy to start this new challenge. When I read messages from the supporters, I automatically feel positive and optimistic about the club’s future. I thank all the fans who stood by the club, especially in the last nine months. Wigan Athletic fans are no different from a family standing together through thick and thin.
“All of the staff and players have gone to great lengths for this club despite the limited resources and tools in recent months. For the sacrifices of all the staff – not just the football staff – we are very thankful because they are the real heroes here. We can only thank them for all they have provided and for supporting the club in such circumstances.
“As a group, we have been looking forward to this day for what seems an eternity. The day has now come and I must thank the Wigan Athletic Official Supporters’ Club and Wigan Council for their excellent support. Our communication has been extremely encouraging, as has the dialogue with our local MP, Lisa Nandy. I would also like to place on record my thanks for the efforts of Rob Turner and his team at Brabners LLP.
“Above all, the encouragement we have received from all Wigan Athletic supporters everywhere has been overwhelming and heartfelt, underlining that the decision to be part of Wigan Athletic’s future is the right one. The fans have stayed with the Club through a very dark period and we will do all we can to make sure the future of the Club is a much healthier and stable one.”
The Board of Phoenix 2021 Limited – the UK-based company owned by Mr Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi through his investment company Europa Point Investment Corporation (EPIC) – will consist of Talal Al-Hammad as chairman, Tom Markham and Oliver Gottmann as non-executive directors, finance director Richard Bramwell and chief executive Malachy Brannigan.
Back on July 1st, Wigan Athletic Football Club’s world collapsed with the announcement that we had been put into Administration. No warning, no time to sort it out ourselves, just a straight administration, whilst the club at that time had no debt.
We can speculate about it being lost in a game of poker, or the much more realistic view that we were doing well and the owners put a bet on us to get relegated, enough to recoup his losses and some.
In time there will hopefully be an investigation and the truth will out, even the EFL will have to answer to why a banned director and bankruptee passed that OADT (Owners and Directors test).
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