Shola Ameobi offers to play for free - but cash-strapped Bolton Wanderers cannot sign him!

WANDERERS are unable to accept an offer from Shola Ameobi to play for free for the rest of the season, The Bolton News understands.

A transfer embargo was put on the club in late December which prevents any contracts being registered with the Football League.

The harsh sanctions were taken because Wanderers were unable to give financial forecasts to satisfy Financial Fair Play regulations – but unlike those at Nottingham Forest and Fulham, they apply to all incoming transfers.

Ameobi’s contract expired after he scored in Saturday’s 3-1 win over MK Dons and Neil Lennon had hoped to speak with the former Newcastle United striker about a new deal.

The only way a deal would be possible is by making a special request to the Football League – but that would only be likely if Wanderers suffered a major injury crisis which left them unable to select a match-day squad of 17 players with senior appearances.

Wanderers may be able to apply to have the transfer ban lifted once they satisfy the outstanding £2.2million tax bill owed to HMRC, with a High Court hearing scheduled on February 22.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/14230720.Ameobi_has_offered_to_play_for_free___but_cash_strapped_Wanderers_cannot_sign_him_/

Fair play to Ameobi, I did say last week he should play for free as it will keep him in the shop window.

Perhaps not a total ponce after all.

the people supposedly running our club want shooting, you can't make this kind of thing up

Can't understand how Forest, Blackburn, and Fulham can sign free agents, yet we can't

2 different types of embargo, one caps the amount of money can be spent on wages, the other is a blanket ban on all transfers. We have the latter.

We are in sad shape my friends.

What a gesture though. Fair play to ameobi.

Surely the FL would grant permission for this? He's a free agent offering to play for nothing! Come on, someone ask them for crying out loud. It shouldn't take more than a minute to send an e-mail saying "Can Ameobi play for us at zero cost to the club?" and the Fl a minute to send back "Sure if he really wants to." 

It's not exactly a complex question is it?

And Shola, top man mate, hope someone gives you the green light fast. 

bwfc1874 wrote:2 different types of embargo, one caps the amount of money can be spent on wages, the other is a blanket ban on all transfers. We have the latter.

If Ameobi played for us, would it be a transfer? Technically he's a free agent and he wouldn't be transferred from anywhere as his last contract was with us.

wanderlust wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:2 different types of embargo, one caps the amount of money can be spent on wages, the other is a blanket ban on all transfers. We have the latter.

If Ameobi played for us, would it be a transfer? Technically he's a free agent and he wouldn't be transferred from anywhere as his last contract was with us.

technically I think it is a transfer as registering a contract is technically a transfer in football speak, and he currently has no contract. I hope the club explored extending contract before it expired as I think there is a loophole which would have allowed this, as it wasn't a new contract requiring registering.

Maybe Big Trevor will offer to buy him some pudding n Chips after each game.  And he can get a kip on the team bus overnight......it's the least he can do IMO.