Former Latics chairman's cash offer and rallying call to save the club

Mr Kenyon, who owns several North West businesses including Holland Hall Hotel, was speaking as administrators updated fans on the state of play with potential buyers on Thursday.

He said: "In football, we all know finishing is the toughest part: so when the crowdfunding figure reaches £495,000 I'll be topping it up with £5001 to make sure we hit the back of the net.

"The Wigan Athletic Supporters Club has kicked it off, now we need to score the winner, and I need to be the finisher. I am fortunate enough to have the resource, but I want to put money in with the certainty we'll meet the target.

"Wigan Athletic has been a breeding ground for many great careers in football, with many former Wigan players who made it into the higher divisions in the UK and abroad earning as much in a month, or even a week, as Wigan Athletic needs in total to survive.

"Equally, former investors and shareholders in the club are successful business people, and over the years there have been some big sponsors with community links who vcan undoubtedly afford to make a contribution.

"£500,000 is a drop in the ocean to some of the big North West clubs who have benefitted from players coming through Wigan Athletic, so there are all sorts of links into the highest levels in football.

"We need to be mindful of the way other northern clubs have fallen, and the impact those falls have had on their communities."