Ken Anderson - update.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Sluffy wrote:You're no better than a wum these days Lusty - and an extremely poor one at that.

When are you going to understand that just because someone doesn't agree with you, it doesn't make them a "wum".

You did exactly the same thing to 1874 which cost us a great poster.

Forums work because people have differing opinions, they don't work if the mods insult everyone who doesn't agree with them.

I seem to have stumbled into some weird parallel universe.....

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I understand KAs position but suggesting that player bonuses will only be paid if SS and BM accept the deal he has offered is sailing close to blackmail IMO as it means that BM and SS are put in the invidious position of having to suck up whatever Ken is offering them or risk jeopardising the future of the club.

I don't like the idea of KA using the club as a bargaining tool.

I don't agree with your thinking at all.

Holdsworth it is known has not put anything into the club since he put in £4 million from the BluMarble loan (£1 million LESS than he borrowed remember!) and BM have never put anything directly into the club - so why do you think either one of them would be bothered if Anderson paid the bonuses or not?

BM has it's money tied to the assets of the club, so they know there money is ultimately safe and St Dean is probably holding out for as much as he can for his shares whilst not spending a penny in keeping the club going.

If anything it is the other way around and Anderson has been forced to pay the bonuses from his own pocket whilst the deadlock persists.

BM can't lose, at worst it will make Holdsworth Sport Shield bwfc out of business.

I assume Holdsworth's shares in the club are 'owned' by SSBWFC in which case the liquidator will sell them to the highest bidder I would imagine.

That being the case I would think Holdsworth is banking on Anderson not allowing that to happen and buying them off him directly before the final court hearing.


Anderson if anything is the hero in all of this - not the villain!

As I said, I understand his position.
That doesn't change the fact that there is an implication that KA will pay the bonuses provided his offers are accepted. We don't know whether he's made a reasonable offer or not - he might have put in a derisory offer - but using the club's reputation and stability as a bargaining tool in a private matter is unethical.
And yes I do think they'd be bothered if KA paid the bonuses or not especially Deano who was first to step up to the plate to save the club. He might not have gone about it the right way but we might not be here today but for his early intervention.
KA buying shares is a private matter and he shouldn't be using the club to bargain with.
It comes across as "accept the tenner or the baby gets it". Tacky.

And just because I feel uncomfortable about this particular move doesn't mean I am not grateful for the other work KA has done so far.

What on Earth are you on about?

What happens if Anderson did not pay the wages - nothing at all for weeks - the Football League and the players association would step in, shit would be thrown BUT that would take longer than the time the BluMarble v SSBWFC is back in court, in just over a weeks time.

Something has to happen on or before that date as its the final hearing!

There are still plenty assets to cover the players wages - indeed Anderson himself will pay them out of his own pocket - so he can't possibly have been 'blackmailing' BM or Holdsworth in the slightest.

As for Holdsworth being some sort of hero - what planet are you on?

Man with no money and in 'partnership' with someone later jailed for financial fraud, doggedly pursue ownership of club when no one else would - it all stunk at the time - and still stinks now!  

A £1 million set up fee!  

You're no better than a wum these days Lusty - and an extremely poor one at that.

I disagree.

The hearing could be adjourned - as if that is relevant to the point I made anyway - and I didn't suggest Deano was a hero. I just pointed out that he put money in to keep us afloat before Anderson came on the scene. You're the one who is throwing in all the value judgements which is why you're arguing with your own false logic again. But carry on by all means - it's amusing.

If you could throw in a few more "What planet are you on?"s and "wum"'s and find an emoticon throwing it's arms in the air in mock horror it would be perfect.

In response to an article published by the Bolton News on Friday afternoon, I would like to update you all on a few matters.
Both Dean Holdsworth and myself have now signed the accounts and they are with the auditors for filing. I hope this will assist us in getting the embargo lifted as soon as possible.
Negotiations with BluMarble are ongoing and we are still optimistic that a settlement will be achieved as they have agreed to my request for an adjournment of Monday’s Winding Up Petition hearing to enable both parties to continue negotiations.
Likewise, if and when this is settled it will greatly assist the club in getting the embargo lifted. I must emphasise the WUP relates to Sportshield BWFC and not the club or Inner Circle Investments Ltd as has been incorrectly reported elsewhere.
I have mentioned on several occasions before that the club has already embarked on a new era of financial stability and commercial prudence. It was very unfortunate that we had to let a number of players go at the end of last season but the facts are the club is not in a position to pay the salaries it has in the past and that we have to live within our budgets.
The days of paying players £20,000 per week are long gone for us and we are now working within affordable salary caps that have reduced the playing budget substantially.
Although we are now paying affordable salaries, in my opinion the quality and Championship experience of the players we now have is of a higher level than that of last season at a substantially reduced cost. Indeed, we have saved circa £5m on the players that have now departed even allowing for the cost of replacing the majority of them.
The pre-season fixtures start on Saturday with an away trip to our near neighbours Chorley. I’m sure quite a few of you will be in attendance and it will be good to see some of our new signings in action.
Next week, the players will be in Scotland for a training camp which will take in two fixtures against Arbroath and Dundee.
We have a few more friendly fixtures before we take on Stoke City at Macron Stadium later in the month prior to the start of the Sky Bet Championship.
I hope as many of you as possible support the team throughout the pre-season and start as we mean to go on throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
I’d like to welcome our latest acquisition, Stephen Darby, to the ranks. He’s a player Phil Parkinson knows really well from their time together at Bradford City.
One player who won’t be returning is Jay Spearing and I’d like to place on record our thanks for his service to the club over the past several years. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come up with an agreement for him to stay but we all wish him well for his future.
Following on from last week’s news about Bolton Kia sponsoring the West Stand, we were delighted to confirm that local firm Carrs Pasties will be the sponsor of the North Stand. Carrs Pasties are a Bolton institution and have been supporters of the Club for a very long time. We are really pleased that they have taken this sponsorship. Special credit must go to our commercial team for all their hard work in bringing in this type of revenue to the club.
We have already surpassed the number of season tickets we sold at this stage last year with over 10,000 of you confirming your commitment to the cause. We are all truly grateful for your support.
There is still time for you to take advantage of the fantastic value a season ticket offers by purchasing your ticket ahead of our opening league fixture against Leeds United. Please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to book your season ticket now.
Kind regards,
Ken

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As has been reported in the media today, the financial accounts for 2016 have now been filed.

It should be remembered that these accounts cover a period of nine months when neither Dean or l had any involvement in the running of the club and various businesses.

The report states that 'progress is being made to remedy Wanderers' financial problems'. I can assure you that a great deal of hard work has been put in by the entire team and this will be reflected in the next set of accounts.

There is still a long way to go before we can say the club is financially sustainable but everyone is striving to achieve this over the next year or so.

Indeed, revenues are increasing and costs are being reduced substantially. Some of the costs were a legacy from the past and were not able to be dealt with until the end of the 2017 financial year.

But steps have been taken to ensure that going forward the club will target financial stability through being prudent with expenses and salaries whilst at the same time looking to increase revenues across the board.

The continuing success of Whites Hotel was referred to, and Suzanne Speak and her team are to be congratulated on the fantastic job they are doing. As I have said many times in the past, the work and effort they all put into running the hotel and Premier Suite is to be applauded.

They continue to bring in new revenue sources and are frequently complimented by customers and corporates for the service they provide. I hope many of you will experience and enjoy the ongoing refurbishment of Whites in the future.

As regards to the comment that there are still some major issues to be resolved, this is correct and is reflected in the accounts, but since the 2016 year end a great deal has been achieved and whilst l do not wish to go into too much detail, l would make the following observations.

The Eddie Davies and Brett Warburton debts of £15.2m and £2.5m respectively do not reflect the true picture. For instance, Eddie wrote off another £5m during 2017 and the balance is very much tied into success on the pitch and in my opinion, further write-offs will be made which will effectively wipe out the debt which is contingent on a number of events.

Likewise, the £2.5m debt to Brett is not repayable until March 2018 and then it is £500,000 not the full £2.5m. I must emphasise that both Ed and Brett have been very supportive of the club and at no time have they ever put any pressure on our current finances and I am confident they will both continue to support the club in the future.

The BluMarble and Dean issues continue in discussions and I as l keep saying. I am optimistic of amenable agreements being reached with both parties. The figures being bounded around are wide of the mark of what I believe the final outcome will be.

I am conscious that the £17.5m figure that is being attributed to Eddie on future success may not be portraying him in a good light and without going into detail, he and l have had a number of discussions on this matter and he has been extremely helpful.

In my opinion, it is highly unlikely this amount will ever be paid. Depending on the future success of the club on the field Ed will benefit, but this is a contingent liability and was known from the outset.

As regards to the embargo, we are working away at trying to get this lifted, but it is not an easy thing to do because of the legacy we inherited. The filing of the accounts ticks another box and goes a long way to helping us exit in the foreseeable future.

The comments on Prescott Business Park (PBP) and Michael James accurately reflect the situation but like Eddie and Brett, Mike has been extremely helpful and patient, and constructive and amenable discussions continue. Once again, this is a legacy issue that we inherited as the assets were sold prior to our arrival.

I have not said that the buyback of the assets and the refinancing is being prohibited by a council granted order on the land - what I said is that I do not think the order is helpful to the club going forward.

We have appealed the decision and are in dialogue with the council on the matter as l write. I would also mention that the tenants/neighbours and PBP are supportive of our appeal.

I do not intend to make any further comments on these issues and will now focus on giving the manager as much support as I can in getting a competitive squad together for the fast approaching season.

As I mentioned earlier on in this column, the hotel is continuing to drive additional revenue for the business with a whole range of events being accommodated over the coming months.

This weekend, we are a key venue for the Ironman UK tournament which is being held locally. The hotel and stadium will be the changeover point from the cycling to the marathon, while many of the international athletes are residing in the hotel.

The International Football Programme is continuing to grow apace and we will be accommodating teams from Saudi Arabia (Ittihad FC), United States, Kenya and Colombia over the coming weeks.

Indeed, we will also be sending out some of our own coaches, led by Danny Clarke, to San Francisco.

Please continue to support the hotel by attending their many events and by following them on their social media channels to keep up to date.

Finally, we will be revealing our home and away kits at 5pm this evening and I am certain that all Wanderers fans will be delighted by them.

It goes without saying that I hope as many of you wear your colours throughout the season, both home and away, to get behind Phil and the lads.

Every penny you spend at the club really helps us strengthen the team going forward.

Kind regards,

Ken

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Our pre-season campaign has got off to a very good start and it’s good to see the players back in action ahead of the start of our Sky Bet Championship campaign which is only a few weeks away.
We have been busy strengthening the squad and it’s been pleasing that we’ve managed to get a huge chunk of our business done early in the window.
We are still talking to several targets and we hope to get them over the line in the near future.

We were delighted to get Sammy Ameobi back at the club. He became a firm fans’ favourite during his spell with us last season and we all know what a match winner he can be.
We also managed to tie up a loan deal for Newcastle United’s Adam Armstrong. He’s an exciting young prospect whom Newcastle hold in the highest regard.
A lot of clubs were interested in getting him on loan and I’m pleased that Bolton Wanderers Football Club were entrusted to further his football education.

Alongside Sammy and Adam, we’ve also brought in Will Buckley, Stephen Darby and Mark Little as well as re-signing Jem Karacan, Adam Le Fondre, Dorian Dervite, David Wheater, Andrew Taylor, Filipe Morais and Gary Madine, who all played an integral role in our promotion back to the Sky Bet Championship.

Like I mentioned earlier, we are pleased that the bulk of our business has been done early on, but we are looking to strengthen even further before that opening game against Leeds United.

Elsewhere, I was delighted to hear about our club chaplain Phil Mason receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton for his amazing work with our local community.

As you know, Phil also heads up the Community Trust whose exceptional work across many fields is crucial to the town. Congratulations Phil on this great honour.

Off the field, season ticket and hospitality sales continue to soar with Bolton Wanderers fans getting behind the club in numbers.
We have already surpassed the total figure of season tickets sold the last time we were in the Championship while there are only a few Executive Boxes remaining.
If you haven’t already done so, please book your season ticket now by clicking here.
If you want to sample some of our gold standard, award winning matchday hospitality, download our hospitality brochure by clicking here or call our Sales Team on 01204 673761 for more information.

I'd like to take this opportunity to place on record my sincere gratitude to all the staff at Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Bolton Whites Hotel for their continued hard work, especially at this stage of the year when we are all preparing for a new and long season ahead.
They are all a credit to the club and I'm sure all our supporters appreciate their hard work as much as I do.

Our Commercial team have also worked exceptionally to bring in new sponsors as well as strengthening bonds and relationships with long standing partners.
I would like to welcome all our new sponsors on board as well as convey my gratitude to all our existing partners whose continued support is invaluable.

I read with interest the results of The Bolton News’ Bolton Wanderers fans’ survey and it was pleasing to note the confidence you all have in the team for next season. It is clear there is an air of excitement at Macron Stadium.

Ever since I came to the club, I’ve been impressed by Wanderers supporters but towards the end of the last campaign it was stunning how you all came together as one to help the lads get over the line.
Those last few matches at Macron Stadium where our crowds were in excess of 20,000 were simply sensational. I will never forget the atmosphere that was generated.

We’ve got some huge matches coming up in the opening stages of the season: Leeds United on Sunday 6 August, Derby County on Saturday 19 August, Middlesbrough on Saturday 9 September, and Sheffield United on Tuesday 12 September.

By helping to make Macron Stadium a fortress like you did last season, you will continue to play an important role for the club and turn our home into a loud, imposing and intimidating venue for the visiting teams.

Help us spread the word whether that be in person or on social media. Get your friends, families and colleagues to come and cheer on Bolton Wanderers. We are a great sporting town and have been an institution here for over 140 years.

The bigger our support is, the easier it becomes for us to persuade top players to come and play for us.

Admittedly, it has been a very difficult a job due to the legacy we inherited but because of the fantastic backing of our supporters, l had no hesitation in doing what was required and it was the enthusiasm, loyalty and support from you all and the wider community that has made it all worthwhile.
With your continued support, I am sure we will all see the light at the end of the tunnel and get the club back where it belongs.

Last week we launched our brand new kit for the coming season which is inspired by the kit our players wore 20 years ago when the stadium first opened.
I’ve been really pleased with the feedback from you all regarding the new designs and it’d be great to see as many of you as possible wear your colours at home and on your travels this season.
Shirts are now available to pre-order online by clicking here or visiting Bolton Central in person.

Finally, our last friendly of the pre-season takes place in just over a week’s time when we take on Premier League side Stoke City at Macron Stadium on Saturday 29 July.
I am looking forward to seeing as many of you here as possible and start as we mean to go on.
Tickets are just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and you can book them by clicking here or again, visiting Bolton Central.
Kind regards,

Ken

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Work is continuing extensively behind the scenes by everybody to try and get several more players on board before the start of the season.
As the manager has already stated, our aim is to make sure we have cover in every position but also that extra quality and having greater tactical flexibility to master a number of systems.
We are all focused on getting a good squad together that will hopefully stand us in good stead for the forthcoming season in the Sky Bet Championship and I think Phil's recent comments have clearly indicated the hard work that is going on at the training ground and the thinking and logic behind the team selections in the recent friendly matches.
Elsewhere around the club, we were delighted to be able to announce our charity partners for the coming season this morning, details of which can be found here.
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All five organisations are extremely worthwhile causes and I look forward to seeing them benefit from our support during the next year.
I feel it important meanwhile to clarify our position on the departure of Shaun McHugh who was Head of Finance and the reference to three members of staff in that position as having left in the past 12 months.
The facts are that Anthony Massey, who was in position prior to the takeover, made it clear at the time of Dean and I acquiring the club that he would be resigning.
Anthony stayed on for longer than his period of notice and as far as I am aware, he left on good terms. Indeed, he has been of assistance to us on a number of matters and attended a number of matches last season.
We were all very disappointed when John Pelling left but his reasons for doing so were completely understandable, in that he left to join a Premier League club with the obvious benefits and it also being closer to home.
Again, John left on very good terms and is in regular contact with the club and has helped us out on a number of issues.
As regards to Shaun McHugh, it was our decision not to continue his employment at the end of his probationary period. We all wish Shaun the best in his future employment and are thankful for the work he did whilst with us.
I have made it very clear on a number of occasions that the legacy we inherited was always going to make things very difficult both financially and on the pitch, and that as they say, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'.
But against all expectations, we are making progress and despite all the obstacles along the way, we achieved our main aim of returning to the Championship at our first attempt.
We are still working on improving our finances and are slowly making progress.
Yes, for sure, there will be problems along the way and the last few months were always going to be the most challenging and a stern test, as they are for many clubs at this time of the year, with little or no income and large end of season expenses, but l truly believe that we are gradually improving the club's situation.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at our pre-season friendly against Stoke City on Saturday 29 July at Macron Stadium. Tickets are currently on sale and can be bought on line by clicking here.
The brand new shirts are also now available to pre-order as are the stylish new training wear range which I'm sure will prove to be very popular among our supporters.
Please continue to support the club by wearing your colours both home and away. Visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for more information.
Kind regards
Ken

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In just under a fortnight's time, we will be ready for our opening Sky Bet Championship fixture against Leeds United in front of the Sky Sports cameras and a rocking Macron Stadium.

On Saturday, we had our toughest workout of the pre-season so far against a Fleetwood Town side whom we know performed very well last season in League One and fought all the way.

That said, it was disappointing that we didn't create many chances and couldn't maintain our unbeaten run.

However, there are a couple of more fixtures before the game against Leeds including the match against Stoke City at Macron Stadium on Saturday - our one and only pre-season friendly on home soil - where I know the players will be working hard to earn their place in the starting XI.

Tickets are still available and can be bought by CLICKING HERE.

Although the game at Highbury featured our senior players, the pre-season as a whole has given the younger players from our squad, including players who have progressed from our Academy, the opportunity to play alongside their more senior colleagues to garner some valuable experience.

There have been some notable performances which I am sure will give the manager a welcome boost and some food for thought when the Sky Bet Championship season gets underway.

Over the past two seasons, more playing time in the first team has been afforded to Academy graduates than at any other point over the previous 13 years. I see no reason why this cannot continue going forward.

It is important that a club like ours continues to develop young players and provide them with the chance to make a career out of the game.

Special praise must go to Jimmy Phillips and the Academy staff as a whole for their sterling work in developing young players.

Meanwhile, off the field, the hearing regarding our challenge to the Asset of Community Value (ACV) has been deferred until a later date at the request of Bolton Council.

I welcome the hearing which will give all parties an opportunity to put their cases forward.

However, as I have mentioned in previous columns, I believe that the ACV on the stadium, hotel and land is not good for the club.

With the Leeds United game being broadcast live, as I mentioned earlier, it will be the ideal time for businesses to take advantage of our broad range of advertising and sponsorship opportunities which we have available.

Whether that is an advertisement on our big screen or on our perimeter LED boards, please give our Sales Team a call on 01204 673761 to discuss the options and associate your brand with Bolton Wanderers Football Club.

If you haven’t already experienced our award-winning, gold standard match day hospitality, then why not try it out for the Leeds United game?

If you are a season ticket holder, you can upgrade to the Lion of Vienna Suite for just £50 or you can buy a place for just £80.

Click here to buy your place now. Alternatively, please call our Sales Team on 01204 673761 if you wish to book one of our Executive Boxes or watch the game from any of our other luxurious suites.

As a reminder, there is still time for you to buy a season ticket if you haven't already done so and make big savings. Please CLICK HERE for more details.

Having big crowds last year really helped to get us over the line and your continued passionate support is very much appreciated by everyone at the club.

With the purple away shirt proving popular, the home shirts are available to pre-order so that you can wear them before they go on general sale later in the week.

The training kit is also available too, with more information is available here.

I look forward to seeing you all back home at Macron Stadium this Saturday for our friendly against Stoke.

Kind regards,

Ken

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Let's have the Leeds scum!

EFL slapped a 4.5K per week cap on wages.

Disputed by Ken Anderson

In relation to the Bolton News article which has been published online this evening, I feel it is important that I clear up some points.
No new directive was issued to us last week and we never made an appeal to the EFL last week.
Also, I am not sure where the figure quoted of £11,500 a week for 2015/16 has originated from.
I have regular dialogue with the EFL on a number of matters but there are no plans to meet up at the present time.
I would like to reassure you all that I am continuing to work very hard to get the embargo lifted as previously stated.
As always, I will keep you fully informed on any progress via the club's channels.
Kind regards,
Ken

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Tweet from Iles -

KA passed message via his comms dept at 5.30pm to say he'd be speaking with EFL tomorrow. Other #bwfc staff backed up salary cap changes.

This is how it sounds to me -

Anderson and the EFL closely involved with each other over the embargo for a considerable time and with players being signed as recently as last week. it seems everything was as good as could be.

Away from this a body at the EFL has come up with a new ruling (last week) on embargo's in general and have circulated it to clubs (and the press).

Anderson and whoever he's been involved with at the EFL believe the details of the new ruling doesn't apply in our case.

Iles believes it does and gone ahead with the story (it seemed the club knew he was going to run it and told him to hang fire whilst they checked that their understanding that everything was ok, was the right one).

Anderson issues a 'Keep Calm and don't Panic' statement and belatedly seeks a meeting with the EFL to understand exactly what the score is.

Supporters Trust 'like' Iles story and the Anti Anderson boys such as Smurf having a grand time -

mark heap‏ @Marcus1EH
5 hours ago

I see the BWST has liked this article ! Can anyone tell me one progressive thing the Trust has done for supposedly their club ?

bwfc smurf
26th July ‎09‎:‎08‎ ‎PM

Just read the chairman's post on the club website, which totally contradicts the info in this BN article. To say I am angry does not get anywhere near describing how I really feel. One of you is obviously lying and I think to treat the good folk who follow BWFC like this is down right vile. I hope you get everything you deserve for treating us like your play thing.

Whitesmurf
26th July ‎10‎:‎31‎ ‎PM

Kens is, let me put this delicately, mistaken . I've seen the EFL statement and Mark Iles is right. I also hear that our Ken is speaking to the EFL tomorrow....



I can't understand why Iles didn't offer to hold off printing the story one more day to allow Anderson time to establish with the EFL if this new ruling effects teams like us who are already under EFL embargo monitoring or just for new embargo's that may be issued from the date of the ruling onwards.

I certainly don't think Iles is helping anyone for breaking what could hopefully be a non-story if the current Anderson/EFL dealings are left unaffected by this - most of all himself.

Almost as though Iles is in the anti-Anderson camp himself.

Anderson remember - being the only one keeping the club solvent at the moment!

It was great to bring the curtain down on our pre-season with a very good performance against Premier League opposition.
Stoke City were by far and away the toughest test we have faced in our build-up to the league campaign getting underway next week and I thought we more than held our own against an established top flight team.
We were in front – thanks to Adam Le Fondre’s great goal -  for a large portion of the contest and only two late goals denied us a win.
That said, it was a great game of football and the performance was very pleasing going into the Leeds United game next Sunday.
Pre-season as a whole has given the manager Phil Parkinson and his staff plenty of food for thought.
As well as allowing our new signings to gel, it also has given us an opportunity to cast our eye over some of the younger players within our ranks, some of whom will get a chance to make their professional debuts over the course of the season.
There has been a great deal of commentary over the past few days concerning the sustainability of the monies currently being spent on players in the Premier League and Championship.
I fully endorse the view that it is not sustainable and over the last few months, we have been working hard towards getting ourselves in a position to achieve a sustainable business plan going forward.
When l look at our squad costs for this coming season, we now have one of the lowest budgets in the Sky Bet Championship and compared to our budgets for the past two seasons, we have made great headway in replacing the 'big hitters' with more affordable players without sacrificing the quality needed for the challenges ahead.
I also believe we now have a better balanced squad and cover in all positions.
That said, if we had the financial resources of the recently-relegated Premier League clubs, we would be in a position to bring in even more players. Like Mick McCarthy at Ipswich said, it’s a position we would love to have been in!
It was a shame that we had to loan Ben Amos out, but unfortunately, as our most expensive player, it made prudent financial sense, even though the loan fee only goes a short way to covering his costs.
With three other keepers in the squad, Ben’s going makes football sense as well as it frees up another much-needed squad place.
We all wish Ben well for the season and in my opinion, it's important that he gets game time this season.
In the meantime, we are all continuing to look to improve the depth and quality of the squad and I am confident of three or four more signings in the coming weeks before the window closes.
It’s just a week until our opening game of the Sky Bet Championship when Leeds United visit Macron Stadium for a match in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Everybody connected with the club is looking forward to this fixture and there is an air of excitement around the town.
Tickets and hospitality are still available for this game and can be purchased online by visiting here.
Season tickets sales are already ahead of the last two seasons we spent in the Championship and there is still time for you to make big savings when compared to buying tickets on a match by match basis. If you haven’t already done so, please purchase yours by clicking here.
Let’s continue to make Macron Stadium a fortress where our opponents are greeted by a constant cauldron of noise. Let your passion for the club shine as you get behind the lads from kick-off until final whistle.
Let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get Macron Stadium rocking.
Kind regards,
Ken

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It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were all celebrating our return to the Sky Bet Championship following that final day victory against Peterborough United at Macron Stadium in April.

The role you all played, throughout the season right up until the end, helped the club to achieve its ultimate ambition of an automatic return to the second tier.

And here we are, about to savour the fruits of our collective hard work by facing Leeds United in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Sunday for the start of the campaign.

This is where we wanted to be when the season kicked off last year and I am pleased that the club has made the progress we all wanted it to.

But the hard work doesn’t stop, and for us all to continue to make this upward progress, we all need to continue working together, as we have been doing.

Towards the end of last season we played in front of some crowds at Macron Stadium that were in excess of 20,000 spectators.

This proves that the town of Bolton is very passionate about its football club, and I know that we have supporters from all over the country and overseas too who travel long distances to come and support us.

I would like to thank everybody who has purchased a season ticket for this campaign. Your commitment is valued and appreciated by us all.

We have sold just over 11,000 at the moment and anticipate that this figure will surge before Sunday. We have already sold over a thousand more than last season and more than our past two campaigns in the Championship.

Being a season ticket holder offers great value and you can make a huge saving on the cost of watching Wanderers compared to buying on a match by match basis.

If you haven’t yet bought your season ticket, there is still time to get the greatest value possible by purchasing it before Sunday. You can buy online now by clicking here.

Come and join 11,000 of your fellow Wanderers and fuel the passion for every single home game during the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship. Let’s make Macron Stadium the fortress it was last season.

Season ticket holders can also experience our award winning matchday hospitality at a special price throughout the season.

It is a good opportunity to experience the match in a different way and sample our offering. For the upgrade fee of just £50, you can watch this Sunday’s game from the Lion Of Vienna Suite.

As well as excellent food and pre-match entertainment, you can watch the game from a cushioned seat on the halfway line of the Nat Lofthouse Stand Upper Tier.

Please contact our Sales Team on 01204 673761 or email [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to discuss all our excellent hospitality packages for the remainder of the season.

I’m pleased to say that the brand new home and away kits have proved to be very popular and it’s been great to see you wear your colours throughout the pre-season campaign. Get your kits today and help enhance the matchday atmosphere home and away.

I’m happy to report that a number of local businesses have got behind the club to take out sponsorships, partnerships and advertising packages.

These are the ideal ways to associate their brands with their town’s local football club. Again, our Sales Team are available to discuss all our options so please give them a call on 01204 673761.

We are very confident that we’ll add to the squad over the next couple of days with some more quality additions. Signing players is a difficult job but the club’s football department have worked assiduously this summer to enhance the squad and we are still looking to bring in more recruits ahead of the transfer deadline at the end of the month.

Much has been written about the transfer embargo and the consequent salary cap over recent days and we are still having to work under these constraints.

We will be having dialogue with the EFL this week, so I don’t really want to make any further comment on this. Please be assured though that we will always continue to fight to get what is best for the club.

Sports Shield will be in the High Court on Monday to face the winding up petition brought by BluMarble. Dean Holdsworth and I have reached an agreement in principle but this is contingent on the winding up petition being dismissed.

Again, as the hearing is forthcoming, I cannot add any further comments.

Regarding the recent filing of the accounts, there has been some comment as to why they show the group as making a paper profit which of course is not an accurate reflection of the trading.

We are all immensely grateful for Eddie Davies’ generosity in waiving the loans and for his ongoing support. In the meantime we continue to work our way through to improve the trading results.

Over recent weeks, we have met with a number of parties and individuals who have expressed an interest in investing in the club but nothing has yet come to fruition.

My door will always remain open to speak with those who express a genuine interest and I will of course update you all as and when any progress is made.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Macron Stadium are a very attractive proposition and we are club steeped with heritage throughout the course of our 140-year history.

We present an attractive opportunity for investors. As I have said from day one, if somebody was able or willing to come in and provide the necessary funding to take the club onto the next level and into the Premier League then I would be willing to pass the baton on.

But in the meantime, I am really enjoying my time as Chairman and cannot wait until Sunday for our opening game of the season.

Kind regards,

Ken

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Although the result wasn’t the one we wanted, it was great to be back in competitive action back at Macron Stadium for our opening game of the Sky Bet Championship against Leeds United.
We were caught off guard in the first half and to concede the goals in the manner we did was a little bit disappointing as the manager has noted in his post-match comments.
That said, it was a much improved second-half display where our players showed immense character and battling qualities to almost salvage a point against a side that I believe will be in contention for promotion to the Premier League at the end of the campaign.
We now need to dust ourselves down and move on to the next game. The key is not to dwell on what has happened but to learn from the mistakes and take a positive attitude into the forthcoming games. 
We suffered a setback before a ball was kicked with the news that Sammy Ameobi and captain Darren Pratley were not available for selection due to injury and illness respectively.
Sammy won’t be available for up to six weeks as he recovers from minor knee surgery.
We’ve had bad luck with injuries and to lose Josh Vela and David Wheater during the game was a massive blow.
Josh will be having a scan on Monday morning, but the injury does not look good I’m afraid.
This would be terrible news considering how well he has done recently and when you take into account Sammy's injury, it is a body blow before the season has got going.
I thought our crowd was magnificent on Sunday and helped to generate another fantastic Macron Stadium atmosphere.
It was good to see you all back at home and if we can continue to have crowds like that for the rest of the season, then I’m sure it will have a positive impact on our performances.
Tickets and hospitality are on general sale for our next home league game against Derby County and can be bought by clicking here
We’ve got the opportunity of bouncing back from defeat almost immediately with a short trip to Crewe Alexandra on Wednesday night for our first foray in the Carabao Cup.
I’m sure the manager will make some changes to the team in view of the frenetic start to the campaign, and it will give the opportunity for some of the squad to stake a claim for the trip to Millwall at the weekend.
Crewe will provide a stern challenge though and we’ll have to be on our guard if we are to progress to the next round.
Sales for the new kit have been very encouraging and it was pleasing to see so many of you wearing the home and away shirts.  If you haven’t already bought yours, please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to order yours today.

Sports Shield BWFC’s (SSBWFC) Winding Up Petition hearing in the High Court today with Blu Marble was adjourned again for a further 14 days to enable the EFL  to consider the several options put to them by Blu Marble lawyers.
Once again, l must emphasise that the hearing is not anything to do with the club. Neither the club or l have any control over this matter as it relates solely to SSBWFC, Dean Holdsworth and Blu Marble and not the club.
I have, however, expressed the club’s preferred settlement option and this is now with the EFL for consideration. Hopefully, the issues will finally be resolved at the hearing on the August 21, until then neither the club or l will be making any further comment. 

Finally, I would encourage as many of you as possible who are members of the Supporters Trust to fill in the survey they recently issued. The information will prove to be very insightful as we look to strengthen the relation between the Club and Trust going forward.
Kind regards,
Ken

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Helping advertise the ST survey? 

Things must have mellowed with the change of leadership i presume?

Norpig wrote:Helping advertise the ST survey? 

Things must have mellowed with the change of leadership i presume?

Or he wants them onside whilst he's trying to get that Community Asset Order against the ground lifted!

Hadn't thought of that Sluffy but i'll bet that's it. Once he has it lifted he'll tell them to do one 

Or, he's expecting a poor, or damaging, response, which may strengthen his hand in the future.