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Wanderers legend Gudni Bergsson is concerned more of the club’s family silver could be sold if the wrong buyer is selected by Eddie Davies or if the club goes into administration.
The Icelandic defender, who made more than 300 appearances in a distinguished eight-year stay, has pleaded to Davies to ensure the next owner of the Whites does not look to strip assets.
Wanderers have already cashed in on car park land and offices to fund themselves in the short-term, and could yet choose to sell the training ground to local rivals Wigan Athletic.
Bergsson is worried that if administrators are called in that the situation could get even worse – and has called on Davies to take action.
“I would appeal to Mr Davies to find a way to secure the club’s future and leave it in the hands of someone which we can trust to rebuild it,” he told The Bolton News.
“It is absolutely vital that assets like the hotel, training ground and stadium are not sold off separately as this might hinder the chances of this great club thriving again.”
Bergsson would like to see a new owner work alongside the newly-created Supporters' Trust and has appealed for fans to pledge £10 via the website bwfcst.co.uk for membership.
The former defender, now working in Iceland as a lawyer, has voiced his preference for a European-style board and management system at Wanderers in the past, and believes moves to set up a trust that could potentially have a stake in the club is also positive move.
“I like the idea that the supporters have a role in running their club,” he said.
“As we know, this is the way they do it in Germany with good effect and it provides a right balance when it comes to managing the clubs and making the right decisions for the future of each club.
“I know there are offers on the table and I would like to think they could work alongside the supporters for the best interests of the club’s future.”
The BWFCST moved beyond the 2,400 membership mark yesterday, eclipsing the number of people signed up for the Portsmouth Trust – on which they have modelled themselves – in their first 24 hours.
The trust is in the process of being registered by the FCA after which it will look to contact more than 300 people who submitted expression of interest forms to explain how they can help going forward.
A steering group will then be created with the help of Supporters Direct with the aim of establishing a board, which will be completely elected by the trust members.
It is not yet clear exactly what form the trust will take, although it is understood it has also received pledges of financial backing and advice from a number of local businesses, which has further sped up their progress and could give them options if the club moved into administration.
Wanderers are working hard to find an outright buyer and are still in talks with three consortia – which makes the next decision made by Davies the most important in the club’s recent history and to a large extent will determine his legacy, according to Bergsson.
“I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation but the responsibility on Mr Davies and the board is great,” he said. “They are the custodians.
“The club is an old institution and a big part of the community and I hope they find a way to deliver it to new owners in as good state as possible.
“After this ordeal the new owners – and I would like to think a Supporters’ Trust too – must find a way to get back to the good times.
“They need to learn from the problems the club has encountered and become a better club for it.
“I and many others would be very willing to help with that.”
Two other former players, Kevin Davies and John McGinlay, are looking to boost subscriptions to the Supporters’ Trust before next Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay against Eastleigh.
The two former strikers will compete to see who can sign up the most fans at the Macron Stadium prior to kick-off.
Source
The Icelandic defender, who made more than 300 appearances in a distinguished eight-year stay, has pleaded to Davies to ensure the next owner of the Whites does not look to strip assets.
Wanderers have already cashed in on car park land and offices to fund themselves in the short-term, and could yet choose to sell the training ground to local rivals Wigan Athletic.
Bergsson is worried that if administrators are called in that the situation could get even worse – and has called on Davies to take action.
“I would appeal to Mr Davies to find a way to secure the club’s future and leave it in the hands of someone which we can trust to rebuild it,” he told The Bolton News.
“It is absolutely vital that assets like the hotel, training ground and stadium are not sold off separately as this might hinder the chances of this great club thriving again.”
Bergsson would like to see a new owner work alongside the newly-created Supporters' Trust and has appealed for fans to pledge £10 via the website bwfcst.co.uk for membership.
The former defender, now working in Iceland as a lawyer, has voiced his preference for a European-style board and management system at Wanderers in the past, and believes moves to set up a trust that could potentially have a stake in the club is also positive move.
“I like the idea that the supporters have a role in running their club,” he said.
“As we know, this is the way they do it in Germany with good effect and it provides a right balance when it comes to managing the clubs and making the right decisions for the future of each club.
“I know there are offers on the table and I would like to think they could work alongside the supporters for the best interests of the club’s future.”
The BWFCST moved beyond the 2,400 membership mark yesterday, eclipsing the number of people signed up for the Portsmouth Trust – on which they have modelled themselves – in their first 24 hours.
The trust is in the process of being registered by the FCA after which it will look to contact more than 300 people who submitted expression of interest forms to explain how they can help going forward.
A steering group will then be created with the help of Supporters Direct with the aim of establishing a board, which will be completely elected by the trust members.
It is not yet clear exactly what form the trust will take, although it is understood it has also received pledges of financial backing and advice from a number of local businesses, which has further sped up their progress and could give them options if the club moved into administration.
Wanderers are working hard to find an outright buyer and are still in talks with three consortia – which makes the next decision made by Davies the most important in the club’s recent history and to a large extent will determine his legacy, according to Bergsson.
“I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation but the responsibility on Mr Davies and the board is great,” he said. “They are the custodians.
“The club is an old institution and a big part of the community and I hope they find a way to deliver it to new owners in as good state as possible.
“After this ordeal the new owners – and I would like to think a Supporters’ Trust too – must find a way to get back to the good times.
“They need to learn from the problems the club has encountered and become a better club for it.
“I and many others would be very willing to help with that.”
Two other former players, Kevin Davies and John McGinlay, are looking to boost subscriptions to the Supporters’ Trust before next Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay against Eastleigh.
The two former strikers will compete to see who can sign up the most fans at the Macron Stadium prior to kick-off.
Source
