Wigan Athletic sale 'relatively unaffected' by appeal decision - administrator

Wigan Athletic’s success in overturning their 12-point deduction imposed by the EFL for being placed into administration should have little effect on attempts to find a buyer.
Paul StanleyPaul Stanley
Paul Stanley

That's the view of administrator Paul Stanley – of Begbies Traynor – who believes the chances of selling the club will be relatively unaffected by the decision of the independent panel.

“Somebody could come back to us before the decision and say they’ve looked at it, on balance, and they’re not bothered which league we’re in,” he told the Wigan Observer.

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“To be fair, most of the people we’ve been speaking to are after medium-to-long-term investment, a 10-to-15-year association with the club.

"In that respect, I don’t really understand why anyone would be really bothered about which league you’re starting in.

“Over a 10-to-15-year period, you’ll end up where you’re going to end up.

“And from a purchaser’s point of view, I can see why they might even prefer to come into a League One scenario, where you take a year to get to know the place, get promoted, and go up then fully in control.

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“On the flip side, you start in the Championship, and you’re playing catch-up right from the off, because you’re in a situation you don’t really understand to begin with.

“Equally, to an investor with more money, I can see why you’d want to stay in the Championship, getting extra TV money, and being in a better position to push on.

“It all depends on how instant you want the success. But if you’re in it for the long haul, it shouldn’t really make much of a difference.

“The infrastructure is here, and it’s only a matter of time then.

"If somebody comes in and puts their money on the table, we’ll do it.

"If they’re all waiting, there’s not a lot we can do about it for now.”