Wigan Athletic takeover voted through at EGM

Club owners International Entertainment Corporation held an EGM today in which the takeover was unanimously voted through.

It paves the way for the formalities to be completed for a partner group owned by IEC chairman Stanley Choi to take control - which could take place by the middle of next week.

Confirmation was posted on the IEC website, along with the appointments of IEC's new board.

The development is not a surprise.

IEC, which bought the club from the Whelan family in 2018, announced last November its intention to transfer power.

One of the reasons cited for the sale was the "income and the profitability of the club were not significantly improved as expected".

Latics executive chairman Darren Royle has recently highlighted the "crucially important" support IEC have provided during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite taking advantage of the government’s furlough scheme for non-playing staff, Royle says the club has ‘lost a significant amount of income’ during the pandemic.

“It’s crucially important to have that support (from the owners),” Royle has said.