MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 11:57:42| >> :600:364083:364083:

Dave Whelan steps down as chairman of Wigan Athletic

Dave Whelan leaves his role as Wigan Athletic chairman after 20 years at the club.

Dave Whelan has resigned as Wigan Athletic chairman after 20 years at the club.

The 78-year-old remains owner of the Championship side, but will no longer be involved in the day-to-day running of the club, handing the chairman role to his 23-year-old grandson David Sharpe.

In a club statement, Whelan said: "The time has now come to hand over the reins. I am approaching 80 years old and spend an increasingly long time abroad, and cannot make it to games. It is a decision I have been mulling over for some years and I believe David is now ready.

"Contrary to some suggestions, there are no plans to sell the club, which will remain in family hands and I have every confidence that David, along with chief executive Jonathan Jackson, will lead us forwards with wisdom.

"In making this announcement, I would like to say huge thank you to the board of directors, all the staff at the club, and of course the wonderful supporters of Wigan Athletic, who have helped make the journey over the past 20 years such an exciting and memorable one."

Whelan's stepping down comes during a turbulent season for the both him and the Latics.

Last year, on New Year's Eve, he was banned from football activity for six weeks and fined £50,000 by the Football Association for making offensive comments about Chinese and Jewish people in a newspaper interview.

On the pitch, Wigan are in the thick of a relegation battle in the Championship as they look to avoid a second demotion in three seasons.

With 12 games of the season remaining, the Latics are nine points from safety and without a win at home since August.

The club's progress under Whelan on the whole, however, has been extremely successful.

When Whelan arrived the Latics were bottom of the old fourth division in February 1995 and a little over 10 years later they had achieved promotion to the top flight.

They spent eight years in the Premier League and went on to win the FA Cup, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, just days before their relegation back to the Championship was confirmed in May 2013.

"The club would like to officially place on record its immense and everlasting gratitude for everything Dave Whelan has done for Wigan Athletic over the last two decades," Wigan added on their website.

"He has created a legacy that will last for many generations."

Wigan's first game without Whelan comes tomorrow when they travel to in-form Norwich City, who have won six games in a row. Their first home game, where there are sure to be plentiful tributes, is on Saturday against Leeds United.

ID:208874: cacheID:208874:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4387:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Cardiff manager Malky Mackay prior to kick-off in the match against Manchester United on November 24, 2013
Read Next:
Wigan MP warns club against Mackay appointment
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Portsmouth392411463323183
2Derby CountyDerby39246969343578
3Bolton WanderersBolton39228971432874
4Peterborough UnitedPeterborough38218974462871
5Barnsley382011770482271
6Oxford UnitedOxford Utd391891262521063
7Lincoln CityLincoln3916131056332361
8Stevenage3817101149381161
9Blackpool391791357421560
10Leyton Orient391610134444058
11Wigan AthleticWigan39177155348550
12Wycombe WanderersWycombe381311145049150
13Bristol Rovers38148164857-950
14Northampton TownNorthampton39148175060-1050
15Exeter CityExeter39138183352-1947
16Charlton AthleticCharlton391015145758-145
17Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury39135212955-2644
18Reading39139175557-242
19Burton Albion38109193150-1939
20Cambridge UnitedCambridge38109193255-2339
21Cheltenham TownCheltenham3798203050-2035
22Fleetwood TownFleetwood39713194161-2034
23Port Vale3789203561-2633
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle3858253367-3423

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!