• Championship

Dave Whelan resigns as Wigan chairman

Dave Whelan took over Wigan in 1995, when the club were bottom of the fourth tier © PA Photos

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Dave Whelan has resigned as Wigan chairman, with his 23-year-old grandson David Sharpe replacing him.

Whelan, 78, still owns the club he bought 20 years ago, but will no longer serve in a hands-on role.

Under Whelan's stewardship and heavy investment, Wigan rose from bottom of the fourth tier in 1995 to a high of 10th in the Premier League in 2006, before relegation tempered their FA Cup triumph in 2013. As well as success on the pitch, Whelan also funded the construction of a new 25,000 all-seater stadium, which opened in 1999 at a cost of around £30 million.

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 was banned from football-related activities for six weeks by the FA in December over comments he made regarding Jewish and Chinese people.

He accepted an aggravated misconduct charge from the FA and was fined £50,000, warned as to his future conduct and ordered to undertake a mandatory education programme.

However the club issued a statement saying that according to the full findings of the case the commission was satisfied that Whelan "is not a racist."

The club currently sit 23rd in the Championship, nine points adrift of safety with 12 games left to play this season.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd