They are currently 14th, and if they stay out of the bottom three with on-field results the deduction will be applied to their final tally this season. If they are relegated, they would be docked the points at the start of their 2020-21 League One campaign.

Wigan are the first club to go into administration since the suspension of English football due to the coronavirus pandemic, with joint administrator Gerald Krasner saying the impact of the outbreak on the club had been "significant".

Another administrator, Dean Watson, said his firm Begbies Traynor was contacted by the club's legal team.

The club were FA Cup winners as recently as 2013, under former owner Whelan who sold to the Hong Kong-based International Entertainment Corporation (IEC) in November 2018.

Whelan expressed his shock at the news but said he would see what he could do to help.

"I'll have to stick my nose in a little and have a look, to see if I can find out what's caused it, how much are they in liquidation for," he said.

"I'll have to just try because the people of Wigan will be in absolute shock, because I am.

"Wigan is Wigan and I built the stadium, so I am going to have to see if I can help in any way, shape or form."

Administrator Watson confirmed there had already been expressions of interest.

"It's very fluid, very fast-moving," he said.

"We've got interested parties already getting in touch with us. I'm stood on the pitch now and you've only got to look at it, see what an impressive stadium they've got, a good fan base, and the team are on a really good run. So we're quite positive."

Watson and his colleague Paul Stanley both said it was too soon to ascertain the full financial position of the club.

The chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee Julian Knight called for "leadership from the very top of the pyramid", saying the Premier League had to step in and provide assistance.

"It would be tragic if a club that has been in existence for nearly 90 years is forced to the wall," Knight said.

"We know that 10-15 clubs could find themselves in the same position. What's needed now is leadership from the very top of the pyramid to help save the Wigan side and the jobs of those who work for it.

"Yesterday the DCMS Committee sought clarification from Richard Masters at the Premier League on what action it was taking to provide extra money for clubs at risk – he told us that the EFL hadn't asked for extra funding and the PL hadn't provided it. That's a situation that has to change."

Premier League chief executive Masters told MPs on Tuesday that his competition had already made good on its 2019-20 commitments to the football pyramid, and that there had not yet been any "specific approach" for further help from the EFL.

Wigan were in the Premier League as recently as 2013. They dropped down into League One in 2015 but made an immediate return to the Championship.

The club recorded a net loss of £9.2million in their most recent annual accounts for the year ending June 30, 2019. That was an increase of £1.5m on the previous year.

There was a change of ownership at the club on May 29 of this year, when IEC divested its ownership to Next Leader Fund.

IEC said in a letter to fans its decision came "after thorough assessment of several factors, including the club's financial position, management team and objectives, particularly the promotion to the Premier League".

The letter added: "There are areas of misalignment in expectations which we feel may hinder our partnership going forward.

"Combining with the outbreak of the Covid-19 has created more uncertainty around the financial position of the EFL and the football business as a whole."