Wigan MP speaks to sports minister about Latics going into administration

Ms Nandy, who is also the shadow foreign secretary, took to social media to say she had approached the Government about the issues around Wigan Athletic's financial predicament.

Following the administration announcement the Centre For Towns, the think-tank Ms Nandy co-founded, released a blog post calling for sweeping reforms to the way football is managed.

She was not the only politician to speak about the club's plight on Wednesday afternoon, with Wigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux saying the news was a blow for the town.

He referred to the difficult economic situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in his comments.

Ms Nandy wrote on Twitter: "I’ve just spoken to the Sports Minister and his team to urge them to support efforts to find a buyer and to raise wider concerns about football finance and regulation. Grateful to him for the efforts his team have agreed to make."

Ms Nandy then spoke about Wigan Athletic on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday evening, saying it was not just a sports club but "the beating heart of the town".

Coun Molyneux said: "As a major sporting institution in our town, the news that Wigan Athletic Football Club has entered into administration today is extremely sad.

"The economic impact of Covid-19 has been significant, affecting many businesses, organisations and individuals in Wigan borough and across the country.

"I hope the administrators can find a way to avoid closure and we will of course provide our full support."

Ms Nandy also thanked the local authority for its efforts on Twitter.

In its blog post the Centre For Towns said major changes needed to be made to the current football set-up where the biggest clubs in the top division have the majority of the money.

It suggested the Government should set up an independent regulator to manage the sport's pyramid in a more integrated way.

It said clubs should be at the heart of their communities and supporters should have a greater say in how they are run.