Wigan officially relegated to League One after losing appeal - with a familiar Portsmouth face holding the reins after Paul Cook's departure

Wigan have officially been relegated to League One.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Latics’ 12-point appeal by has today been rejected after the club entered administration last month.

Despite climbing away from the relegation zone to finish 13th in the table, Wigan’s points deduction sees them drop to League One.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Paul Cook’s side needed to beat Fulham on the final day of the Championship season last month but drew 1-1.

Meanwhile, Barnsley pulled off an unlikely victory at Premier League-chasing Brentford to survive.

An EFL statement said: ‘An independent Arbitration panel has ruled that Wigan Athletic’s 12-point deduction for entering administration last month will stand after dismissing the Club’s appeal against the sporting sanction.

‘The insolvency event occurred on the 1 July 2020 and under EFL Regulation 12.3, the Club was subject to a 12-point sanction; yet the timing of the deduction could only be determined once the final games of the season had been played.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘The reason for this approach was due to the administration taking place after the fourth Thursday in March. In such circumstances EFL Regulations state that, in the event a Club is relegated by virtue of their final position following the conclusion of the league campaign, then the deduction would apply in the following season.

Leam Richardson, right, shakes hands with Pompey boss Kenny Jackett. Picture: Joe PeplerLeam Richardson, right, shakes hands with Pompey boss Kenny Jackett. Picture: Joe Pepler
Leam Richardson, right, shakes hands with Pompey boss Kenny Jackett. Picture: Joe Pepler

‘As the Club was not in the relegation places following the last round of Championship fixtures, the sanction was then applied to their 2019/20 total which resulted in a 23rd placed finish.

‘In cases of insolvency, the panel does not determine the timing of the sanction as it can in independent disciplinary proceedings.

‘The decision of the arbitration panel is final and legally binding.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘The EFL will continue to engage with the Administrators to provide its full support in all ongoing matters with the aim of achieving a long-term future for the Club.’

It means all 24 teams who will be in the third tier for the 2020-21 season have now been confirmed.

Hull and Charlton have also dropped down from the Championship with Wigan, while Swindon, Crewe, Plymouth and Northampton were promoted from League Two.

Several familiar faces could visit Fratton Park when the Latics travel to Pompey next term.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His long-time assistant Leam Richardson is currently holding the reins.

Former fans' favourites Jamal Lowe and Kal Naismith are currently under contract at the DW Stadium, while Gary Roberts has played for the club for the past three years since leaving PO4.

However, there are doubts over Lowe’s future and whether he’ll be sold by the administrators to recoup funds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The winger only left Pompey for the Latics last summer in a deal worth £2.5m.

Pompey have a 20 per cent sell-on clause with the ex-Hampton & Richmond man but he would need to depart Wigan for more than what they paid for him.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.