Welsh players Lee Evans and Kieffer Moore have both been relegated to Sky Bet League One – after Wigan Athletic had their 12-point deduction appeal dismissed by the EFL.
Wigan Athletic were the first professional club to enter into administration amid the coronavirus pandemic, and it has now ultimately cost the club a place in the Sky Bet Championship next season.
The Latics had appealed the penalty, after they were relegated on the final day of the season, following a 1-1 home draw with Fulham at the DW Stadium, but it came to no avail.
The EFL issued a statement after the news broke that Wigan Athletic had lost their battle to win the appeal against the 12-point deduction.
It read as follows: “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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Wales striker Moore was one of the Latics stand-out players throughout their 2019/2020 Sky Bet Championship campaign, as the 27-year-old bagged 10 goals and four assists in 36 outings.
The Welshman has also netted two times for Wales in five appearances and has been heavily linked with a move to Cardiff City, who reportedly had a fee of £2.3 million rejected for the striker back in January.
Evans is the other Welshman who suffers relegation with the Latics. The 26-year-old featured 32 times for the Greater Manchester outfit, with 14 of them coming from the substitutes bench – scoring two goals and chipping in with one assist.
The Newport-born midfielder has also made four appearances for the Red Dragons. He made his debut in November 2017 as a second-half substitute in a friendly against Panama, with the game finishing in a 1-1 draw.
(Featured Image: Reading Tom)
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