Wigan have become embroiled in a fresh racism row following the appointment of Malky Mackay as manager, with a shirt sponsor severing ties with the clubs and chairman Dave Whelan being quoted as saying Jewish people “chase money more than everybody else”.
Mackay was confirmed as the Sky Bet Championship club's new boss on Wednesday despite an ongoing English FA investigation into racist, sexist and homophobic text messages he sent during his time as Cardiff manager.
The move has caused controversy and kitchen firm Premier Range, who sponsors the back of Latics' shirts, has now announced it is ending its association with the club because it feels its position is "untenable".
"Unfortunately, [Wigan’s] recent appointment of Malky Mackay has put us in a position that we find untenable,” the company said in statement.
"The texts Mr Mackay has admitted to sending are wholly unacceptable - and the thoughts expressed within them are a shocking reminder of a past we thought football had left behind.
“There is nothing bad about [calling Chinese people chinks]. It is like calling the British Brits, or the Irish paddies" - Dave Whelan
"A team that would employ a man who expresses views such these is not the kind of team Premier Range wish to deal with."
Whelan, meanwhile, was quoted by the Guardian as saying it was not offensive to call Chinese people chinks, or to believe that Jewish people chased money more than other people.
In the texts for which he is being investigated, Mackay said of a football agent, “Nothing like a Jew that sees money slipping through his fingers.”
Speaking on Thursday, Whelan said: "Do you think Jewish people chase money a little bit more than we do? I think they are very shrewd people."
He said that he did not believe this reference was offensive, and went on to say, “I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else. I don’t think that’s offensive at all.”
He did not think there was “a lot wrong” with Mackay texts, the Guardian reported.
Asked about Mackay’s use of the word “chink” was not offensive, though he said “we’re all against racism in football” and that it had been right that Mackay attended diversity education classes.
He said he had used the word “chink” to describe Chinese people when he was young.
“If any Englishman said he has never called a Chinaman a chink he is lying,” he said. “There is nothing bad about doing that. It is like calling the British Brits, or the Irish paddies.”
