' DAVE WHELAN SAYS '

Monday 24th November 2014

Dave Whelan has issued a brief statement in response to the Football Association’s decision to investigate the Wigan owner over comments made last week that were deemed by many to be both racist and anti-Semitic

Whelan says he is ‘taking the matter very seriously’ and that 'Wigan's reputation is at stake,' having been criticised following his remarks made to The Guardian newspaper last week.

Since being told by the FA that he was being investigated, Whelan has threatened to resign as chairman of the Latics if found guilty of racism by English football’s governing body.

The story has unfolded over the past week and began when Whelan was publicly criticised by appointing Malky Mackay as Wigan’s new manager.

Mackay was a controversial choice because the Scot is still under investigation by the FA for allegedly exchanging racist and anti-Semitic texts with a colleague during his time as boss of Cardiff City.

"Wigan Athletic’s reputation is at stake" he said

He was then accused by his counterpart at Cardiff, Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan, as being a racist after which the FA decided to investigate Whelan’s comments.

And now Whelan, who turned 78 on Monday, told Sky Sports New HQ in a statement: “Wigan Athletic’s reputation is at stake and I take the matter very seriously.

“I've never used any language derogatory to Jewish and Chinese people. They are hard-working people and I respect them enormously."

The FA, who wrote to Whelan to ask him for his observations, had earlier released a statement which read: "The FA is very concerned to read about the comments that have been attributed to Dave Whelan. We take all forms of discrimination seriously.

"As with all such cases, this will be dealt with as a priority. The investigation is already under way and The FA's Governance Division have written to Mr Whelan. He has three working days to respond."

In the article last week, when he was asked to respond to Mackay's original tweets, Whelan told The Guardian: “I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else. I don't think that's offensive at all.”

Dave Whelan is No racist.

Jewish people are good at making money seems to be blown a bit out of proportion

Jewish people are good at making money seems to be blown a bit out of proportion

scumbags as well, you said in a thread about israel.

jews are fair game according to people like you and whelan.