Was it really only March of this year that Wigan Athletic Football Club supporters read headlines such as 'Wigan Athletic hail progress after escaping Administration and gaining promotion despite near £8m losses'? It warms the heart doesn't it? That 'small club raises above adversity and looks over the battlements towards a bright new future' type of announcement?
Well, scratch that. It was announced at 4.00pm this afternoon (Monday) that 'HMRC lodges winding-up petition against League One club'. The English Football League had already, last week, placed the Latics under a transfer embargo for breaching league rules on tax payment.
"At least we now know the worst and can move on from here," one of their distraught but positively-minded supporters said at the time.
Oh.
Wigan had been deducted eight points to start the new season in League One and then, worse, discovered it was only 16 miles away from Bolton. Now it has to face Administration. Much of this is due to the fact that money is owing to HMRC following last month's payment of salaries and now has to rely upon a payment plan being agreed or someone with no knowledge of British geography (or football) buying the club.
One embittered fan standing outside the DW Stadium this afternoon looking bereft said: "Well, at least I have my second love, London Irish Rugby Club to turn to for comfort."
Oh.
The West London-based professional rugby union football club established in 1898 which competes in the Premiership, has also entered Administration. NTI's friends Lee Manning and Simon Jagger of ReSolve have been appointed Joint Administrators.
