Holdsworth resigns from all positions at Bolton Wanderers

Burnden Leisure Limited can today confirm that with immediate effect Dean Holdsworth has resigned as a Director from all group companies including Bolton Wanderers Football Club.

No further comments in relation to this matter will be made.

Not a surprise - it was quite obvious that he wasn't involved anymore, but guess they had to make it official. Hopefully hear more news today regarding ownership.

BOLTON Wanderers have confirmed the resignation of Dean Holdsworth from all positions held at the club.

The former striker owned 37.5 per cent of the shares in Wanderers’ parent company Burnden Leisure up until his own company, Sports Shield BWFC, was liquidated last Monday.

Holdsworth chased hard to buy the club from former owner Eddie Davies in February 2016, eventually entering into a joint venture with Ken Anderson’s company Inner Circle Investments.

He was initially installed as director of football but stepped down from the role last July after a row over his contract.

It was the first of several high-profile run-ins between himself and Anderson, and the 48-year-old withdrew from any day-to-day work at the Macron Stadium.

It was later revealed by the club Holdsworth had entered into an arrangement which saw 10 per cent of the shares transferred to Anderson – although the fact has since been disputed.

Anderson had looked to buy Holdsworth’s remaining stake but failed to come to an agreement. A £5million loan taken out to purchase Wanderers from finance company BluMarble fell into default and eventually led to a winding-up order on Holdsworth’s company, Sports Shield BWFC, last Monday.

Just 555 days after Holdsworth proclaimed he had saved the club and “kept its heart beating,” his official resignation has been confirmed.

"Burnden Leisure Limited can today confirm that with immediate effect Dean Holdsworth has resigned as a Director from all group companies including Bolton Wanderers Football Club," a statement read.

"No further comments in relation to this matter will be made."

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Statement from Holdsworth -

In a statement released to The Bolton News, Holdsworth said: “It is with regret that I announce that I have resigned as a director of Burnden Leisure Limited and Bolton Wanderers Football Club following the liquidation of Sports Shield BWFC Limited. This company was used to acquire shares in Burnden Leisure Limited in March 2016 and is presently co-owned by myself and Ken Anderson.
“As stated at the time of the acquisition, exchanging papers at the court room doors was an emotional experience and something never to be forgotten.
“I was excited and extremely proud by the opportunity to be involved with the club again and the chance to help take the club back to its former glories, thankfully we achieved promotion in the first season and much needed confidence back into the club, for the fans and the people who work so hard behind the scenes.

“Unfortunately, due to well publicised matters out of my control, my involvement in the running of the club has been limited over the past year, but I am pleased to see the club back in the Championship and hope that the ownership issues are swiftly resolved and that the club is able to find an owner with a commitment and the ability to invest the much needed cash in the football club to ensure BWFC's financial stability to compete at this level.

“Thank you to all the people who have given me support and I send my best wishes to the management and staff at the club and the fantastic support from the fans.”

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Can't help but feel for him in some small way

Kane57 wrote:Can't help but feel for him in some small way

I think a big problem many of us have is how a £5 million loan he took out only ended up as £4 million being received by the club?

I think if he explained that (in the way that Anderson put it into the public domain) then perhaps more people might just look on him a bit more sympathetically because on the face of it someone at SSBWFC got a very healthy £1 million commission for apparently just doing a bank transfer which left the club with lack of funds from day one.

Also his former partner in ending up in jail for fraud doesn't help his public image very much either.

Just my opinion though.

We are still in a pickle but we would have been belly up if not for Deano stepping in.  He is not a business man that's the route of the current saga.
But I believe he is still a BWFC fan at heart.

terenceanne wrote:We are still in a pickle but we would have been belly up if not for Deano stepping in.  He is not a business man that's the route of the current saga.
But I believe he is still a BWFC fan at heart.

Anybody could have taken out a loan and secured it against the club assets.

Just because Holdsworth did doesn't mean that he saved the club from going bust.  It simply means that for whatever the reason, he was Davies choice to do it.

Of course he is a business man - If you think about it Davies wrote off millions, Anderson hasn't taken anything out of the club yet Holdsworth seems to have made £1 million on fixing up the loan, plus has had Anderson investing for a share in SSBWFC. Plus for a time he was the highest paid employee at the club (excluding players).  In fact he seems the only one to have made anything out of the club!

I also don't think for a second Holdsworth gives a toss about the club, its just a place he worked at for a time.

No doubt he will be crying all the way to the bank over his time at BWFC!