24 March 2023 , 16:03
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Wigan star Steven Caulker has hit out at the Championship club because his team-mates did not receive last month's wages on time.
Wigan, who won the FA Cup as a Premier League side just a decade ago, were deducted three points by the English Football League on Monday for failing to pay the players and other staff members on time. It is the fourth this has happened in the last nine months.
Wigan's chair Talal Al Hammad has apologised for the chaos and confirmed the players have now been paid. Al Hammad has promised to speak to the club's stakeholders about the situation and wants to plot a new strategic direction for the future. Wigan's chief executive Malachy Brannigan has also left the club in the wake of the saga.
"Dear Wigan Athletic fans... I can only apologise for the delay and the stress it’s caused the players and staff involved as well as you, the fans and wider stakeholders," read Al Hammad's open letter. "This issue has now been resolved and I can assure you that the late payment of wages will not happen again. It simply cannot happen again."
Caulker, who joined Wigan on a short-term deal in January, criticised his employers for the "lies" his team-mates were told before the owed wages were paid. Wigan's players were forced to go on strike due to the dispute and missed training on Friday.
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Sierra Leone international Caulker, who has previously played for Tottenham, Southampton and Liverpool, took to LinkedIn on Friday to make his feelings clear. "This lies us as players have been told by Wigan Athletic FC is absolutely scandalous," he wrote.
Steven Caulker has slammed Wigan's treatment of their staff (Getty Images)What's your thoughts on Wigan's situation? Let us know in the comments below!
"There may be reason for late payment once or twice, but for the boys to have experienced this five times this season is completely unacceptable. We are told as players everyday that the money is on its way and will 'hopefully' reach our account by the afternoon. 14 days later, the money still hasn't arrived.
"Furthermore, what is more concerning is that we are due to be paid again on the 7 April and the club are unable to confirm whether they will have enough funds for this.
"Since I arrived at this club I have seen the players and backroom staff work tirelessly to try keep this club in the championship. It's really painful to now see that task become harder and harder each passing day.
"As the famous saying goes, 'Being silent while witnessing an injustice makes you guilty of the oppression as well'. Well my position is clear, I stand with the honest hard working staff and players, whose mental health is now being affected by this."
Wigan have endured a tumultuous period since their FA Cup triumph a decade ago. The Latics have experienced four relegations and three promotions, and they entered administration in July 2020 - two years after long-term owner Dave Whelan sold up.
The Phoenix 2021 consortium led by Al Hammad completed a takeover of Wigan two years ago, which brought initial optimism. The club survived relegation to the fourth tier in 2020/21 before achieving promotion to the Championship last term.
Yet Wigan's return to the second tier has not gone to plan. Leam Richardson was sacked as manager in November, with his replacement Kolo Toure failing to win any of his nine games in charge. Maloney then stepped into the hot seat in January.
Wigan's chaos off the pitch has hampered results on it. They are rock bottom of the Championship and eight points from safety.
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