Wigan Athletic victim of major global scandal, says MP Lisa Nandy

The Shadow Foreign Secretary has also urged the English Football League to rescind the 12-point penalty imposed on the club.

The Latics went into administration on Wednesday, less than a month after the takeover of the club by the Next Leader Fund was formally completed.

Nandy said the situation at the Championship club was "disgraceful" and in a letter to Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), she wrote: "It is only four weeks since a new ownership model was approved by the English Football League (EFL) and in the last 24 hours its chairman (Rick Parry) has been filmed discussing the possibility that the crisis facing Wigan Athletic is linked to 'a bet in the Philippines on them being relegated'.

"With this, and the details of the transfer of ownership, (it) is starting to become clear that Wigan Athletic has been the victim of a major global scandal whose details are still emerging, with wider implications for football as a whole.

"You must ensure there is a full and comprehensive investigation into how this could have been allowed to happen."

Nandy was referring to a video posted on social media, where EFL chairman Rick Parry was unknowingly filmed discussing rumours surrounding the change of ownership and the decision to place the club in administration.

At this stage there is no evidence that Wigan's plight had anything to do with gambling.

Wigan face a 12-point penalty for entering administration, which Nandy says must be rescinded in these circumstances.

She told PA: "The EFL must immediately rescind the threat of any points penalty. Not only does this make the situation more difficult for the club in the short term, but it cannot be right that the same body who approved the new ownership model for Wigan Athletic can - just weeks later - punish the club for its failings.

"Our priority now is to ensure that Wigan Athletic is able to fulfil its remaining fixtures and complete the season, and a fit and proper buyer found quickly to secure the long-term future of the club.

"The government, EFL and administrators must ensure that funds are available to allow us to complete the 2019-20 season and that terms are applied to the sale to prevent a repeat of the scenario that faced Bury FC, where one bad buyer was replaced with another."