Sheffield United’s Championship rivals discover punishment after late wage payments

Sheffield United’s Championship rivals Wigan Athletic have been handed a suspended points deduction after being late to pay wages three times in 2022.

The Latics paid employees late in June, July and October 202, subsequently being charged by the EFL with misconduct for failing to comply with Regulation 64.7.

The club and the EFL entered an ‘agreed decision’, to conclude the matter, with a three point deduction to be activated immediately if the club break Regulation 6.7 again before the end of this year.

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Wigan also agreed the following sanctions:

• the club’s owner deposits an amount equal to 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill in a designated club account for calling upon by the club in the event of any future delays in processing of overseas payments, with obligations around reporting on the operation of the account, an obligation to maintain it at appropriate levels and a time limit for its operation (until 31 December 2023, provided there has been no call on the amounts during that period), the full terms of which have been set out in an agreement between the EFL and the club.
• the Club agrees to bear the costs of ratification of the Agreed Decision; and
• the Agreed Decision is to be published in this format on EFL.com.

In a statement, the club said: “Wigan Athletic accepted the sanctions proposed by the EFL. The Club will be making no further comments on this matter.”

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