Caulker accuses Wigan of lying after failures to pay players

The Wigan defender Steven Caulker has hit out at the club’s hierarchy, accusing them of lying and “absolutely scandalous” behaviour after he and his teammates failed to receive their wages four times this season.

Wigan’s players were absent from training yesterday in protest at the club’s financial crisis, which has already led to them being hit with a three-point deduction by the English Football League. The uncertainty at the Championship’s bottom-placed club has now led to one of their senior players speaking out.

“The lies us as players have been told by Wigan is absolutely scandalous,” said Caulker, the former Tottenham, QPR, Liverpool and England centre-back. “There may be reason for late payment once or twice but for the boys to have experienced this five times [sic] this season is completely unacceptable.

“We are told as players every day that the money is on its way and will ‘hopefully’ reach our account by the afternoon. Fourteen days later the money hasn’t arrived. Furthermore, what is more concerning is that we are due to be paid again on 7 April and the club are unable to confirm whether they will have enough funds for this.

“I have seen the players and backroom staff work tirelessly to try to keep this club in the Championship. It’s really painful to now see that task become harder and harder each day.”

The Bahraini businessman Abdulrahman al-jasmi fronted a takeover of Wigan in 2021 after they had gone into administration in 2020.

Late yesterday Wigan’s chairman, Talal Al Hammad, announced the club’s players have now been paid.

In an open letter to supporters, Al Hammad wrote: “I can now confirm our players’ wages have been paid. 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.

“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.”

Al Hammad also revealed that the chief executive, Malachy Brannigan, has left the club.