LONDON (AFP) - Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan on Monday accepted a Football Association misconduct charge over racially insensitive remarks in a British newspaper interview.

The FA reported in a statement: "We can confirm Mr Whelan has accepted the charge and has requested a non-personal hearing but no date has been set for that."

In The Guardian last month, Whelan defended his appointment of manager Malky Mackay, who is being investigated over claims he sent racist and anti-Semitic text messages to a colleague during his time at Cardiff City.

Referring to remarks allegedly made by Mackay, Whelan was quoted as saying it was "nothing" to call a Chinese person a "chink" and also said: "Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else."

He subsequently apologised for any offence caused and declared that he was not a racist. He vowed that he would "immediately resign" as chairman of second-tier Wigan if found guilty by the FA.