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Phil Gartside leaves an indelible mark on the modern history of Bolton Wanderers, one that is bound to be debated for years to come.
The man who presided over the club during two European campaigns and four successive top-eight Premier League finishes, negotiated deals for the likes of Youri Djorkaeff, Jay Jay Okocha and Fernando Hierro, and served as a respected member at the top table of the Football Association, passed away at the age of 63 yesterday after a battle against cancer.
The positive aspects of Gartside’s legacy were recent enough to be fresh in the memory. Yet somehow they have been clouded by decisions made on his watch, particularly over the last decade when his position has frequently been called into question by supporters.
Leigh-born, Gartside’s parents ran a mini-market in Lowton. He attended Leigh Grammar School and went on to become an accountant, specialising in the manufacturing and engineering industry.
He first became involved with the board at Wanderers in 1989, shortly before the Sherpa Van Trophy victory over Torquay United.
A self-confessed fan, Gartside told tales of screaming from the terraces for the head of manager Bill Ridding at Burnden Park.
He quickly assimilated himself into the fabric of the club, and with growing business interests at home, in China and Australia, he gradually became an influential figure as the club moved to the Reebok in 1997.
An influx of new directors with local connections such as Eddie Davies and David Speakman brought about a change in direction for the club and after Gordon Hargreaves left, Gartside was appointed chairman.
Colin Todd had just walked out, leaving Phil Brown as interim manager and the club faced a quandary.
Brown’s results had been excellent, winning three of four games and taking the club from 16th to ninth. But Gartside’s next decision undoubtedly went down as his best.
Rugged former Bolton defender Sam Allardyce was brought in from Notts County in October 1999, triggering an upward trajectory that would bring unprecedented attention to ‘Little Old Bolton’.
After one failed attempt, derailed by Barry Knight at Ipswich Town, Gartside and Allardyce were celebrating promotion to the Premier League with a victory over Preston North End in Cardiff.
The Whites chairman had been fiercely protective of his manager at times in the second tier, especially in his early days. And their relationship provided a solid base for what was to come.
Whether it was motivating his players with the threat of eating lamb’s testicles and sheep’s eyeballs or daring Allardyce to dress up as a clown and parade round the town centre, it is easy to forget that Gartside’s sense of fun was integral to the spirit that established Bolton as a top-flight club.
Allardyce was given an incredible 10-year contract in a blaze of publicity. But as Wanderers pushed on, those bonds started to stretch.
Allardyce claimed in his recent autobiography that his relationship with the chairman began to deteriorate after a disagreement before the 2004 League Cup final defeat to Middlesbrough.
Big Sam’s stock was climbing and as Wanderers punched further and further above their weight to challenge the Premier League establishment, disagreements between manager and chairman were becoming commonplace.
Both men rode the storm of a BBC Panorama documentary into football corruption but by April 2007 the bitterness that had developed was irreversible and as Bolton closed in on a second UEFA Cup qualification, Allardyce resigned and a war of words began.
Big Sam accused Gartside and owner Davies of lacking ambition and the chairman grew increasingly bitter at the number of backroom staff he lost when Allardyce took on the job at Newcastle a couple of weeks later.
Gartside reached out for what he thought was a safe pair of hands in Sammy Lee, who had been one of Allardyce’s trusted lieutenants. The appointment was a disaster and 11 games into the new season the Liverpudlian was sacked.
Gary Megson was the next appointment, straight out of left field. The straight-talking Yorkshireman saved Wanderers from relegation but, according to Gartside, Whites fans “never gave him a chance” and even more unpleasantness ensued.
Supporters had by this time turned against the chairman, seeing him as the reason for Allardyce’s departure. He hit back – describing them as “numpties” in a radio interview.
But away from the pitch Gartside was gaining traction as one of the English game’s most influential figures. Elected to the powerful FA Council ahead of Peter Kenyon in June 2004, he rubbed shoulders with elite movers and shakers like David Dein, Sir Dave Richards and David Gill in the corridors of power at Sloane Square.
On the same day he won the support of the regional associations to replace Blackburn Rovers’ Robert Coar as the Premier League representative on the FA Executive Board.
His expertise in running the plush new Reebok Stadium, as it was then known, prompted the FA to appoint him to the board of the new Wembley a year later.
He was a member of the FA Challenge Cup committee and was also asked to head the board tasked with finding a successor to Lord Triesman as FA chairman in 2010.
Gartside was not just able to ruffle the feathers of Wanderers fans. In 2008 his much-publicised two-tier Premier League plan caused consternation further down the Football League pyramid, with critics suggesting he was trying to create a closed shop.
The proposal – which included two divisions of 16 clubs, with the addition of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers and no relegation – was put up for discussion among Premier League chairmen but never went further. Four years later, Wanderers found themselves on the wrong side of the fence and looking up at the clubs Gartside wanted to ring-fence.
Owen Coyle breezed in as the acceptable face of Bolton Wanderers and briefly it appeared the chairman-manager dynamic was back.
Gartside spoke of his pride at reaching the FA Cup semi-finals with a memorable victory over Birmingham City at St Andrew’s and of picking up bargains like US midfielder Stuart Holden. But the following season the Whites went into freefall.
Fabrice Muamba’s dramatic collapse at White Hart Lane hit Gartside particularly hard. He remained at the midfielder’s side for several days until his miraculous recovery, writing an open letter in The Bolton News to thank supporters for their solidarity.
Though a tough businessman, Gartside’s emotions were never far from the surface.
As Wanderers tumbled out of the Premier League he made severe cuts to the workforce at the stadium, dispensing with the services of some long-serving members of staff.
He eventually sacked Owen Coyle too, after a poor start to the season, and after speaking with Mick McCarthy, elected to appoint another young boss in Dougie Freedman.
After just missing out on the play-offs, Gartside was once again faced with cost-cutting measures. Though the age of austerity felt severe at the time, we have since discovered that the savings were nowhere near as widespread as they should have been.
Gartside’s financial management really came under the microscope in the last 12 months as Freedman gave way to Neil Lennon, and long-time funder Davies withdrew his support.
Fans had called for the chairman to stand down in Freedman’s stormy final games but he dug in his heels and said he would do the job as long as Davies wanted him to do it.
A court case stretching back eight years involving agent Tony McGill was finally put to rest – but the stresses had clearly taken a physical toll on Gartside.
With Davies planning to sell, Gartside had been tasked with negotiating on his behalf. But several buyers came and went, leaving Wanderers to inch further and further towards the financial mire.
Frustrations grew stronger on the terraces as the chairman continually refused to explain the situation in public despite dozens of requests.
The relationship between Davies and Gartside had by now deteriorated too. But as his illness rendered him unable to perform his duties any longer, the true scope of the problems became apparent.
Wanderers had reached unimaginable heights and lived the Premier League dream. Now they were enduring the nightmare of a club that had over-reached and failed to plan for the future. In both cases, Phillip Andrew Gartside will forever be intrinsically linked.
Gartside leaves behind a wife, Carol, a daughter Beverley, and a son, Andrew.
Phil Gartside life and career
Age: 63
From: Leigh
Profession: Accountant, businessman.
School: Leigh Grammar
Joined board: 1989
Became chairman: 1999
Appointed managers: Sam Allardyce, Sammy Lee, Gary Megson, Owen Coyle, Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon
Elected to FA Council and Premier League representative on the FA Executive Board: 2004
Elected to Wembley board: 2005
Proposed two-tier Premier League plan: 2008
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The man who presided over the club during two European campaigns and four successive top-eight Premier League finishes, negotiated deals for the likes of Youri Djorkaeff, Jay Jay Okocha and Fernando Hierro, and served as a respected member at the top table of the Football Association, passed away at the age of 63 yesterday after a battle against cancer.
The positive aspects of Gartside’s legacy were recent enough to be fresh in the memory. Yet somehow they have been clouded by decisions made on his watch, particularly over the last decade when his position has frequently been called into question by supporters.
Leigh-born, Gartside’s parents ran a mini-market in Lowton. He attended Leigh Grammar School and went on to become an accountant, specialising in the manufacturing and engineering industry.
He first became involved with the board at Wanderers in 1989, shortly before the Sherpa Van Trophy victory over Torquay United.
A self-confessed fan, Gartside told tales of screaming from the terraces for the head of manager Bill Ridding at Burnden Park.
He quickly assimilated himself into the fabric of the club, and with growing business interests at home, in China and Australia, he gradually became an influential figure as the club moved to the Reebok in 1997.
An influx of new directors with local connections such as Eddie Davies and David Speakman brought about a change in direction for the club and after Gordon Hargreaves left, Gartside was appointed chairman.
Colin Todd had just walked out, leaving Phil Brown as interim manager and the club faced a quandary.
Brown’s results had been excellent, winning three of four games and taking the club from 16th to ninth. But Gartside’s next decision undoubtedly went down as his best.
Rugged former Bolton defender Sam Allardyce was brought in from Notts County in October 1999, triggering an upward trajectory that would bring unprecedented attention to ‘Little Old Bolton’.
After one failed attempt, derailed by Barry Knight at Ipswich Town, Gartside and Allardyce were celebrating promotion to the Premier League with a victory over Preston North End in Cardiff.
The Whites chairman had been fiercely protective of his manager at times in the second tier, especially in his early days. And their relationship provided a solid base for what was to come.
Whether it was motivating his players with the threat of eating lamb’s testicles and sheep’s eyeballs or daring Allardyce to dress up as a clown and parade round the town centre, it is easy to forget that Gartside’s sense of fun was integral to the spirit that established Bolton as a top-flight club.
Allardyce was given an incredible 10-year contract in a blaze of publicity. But as Wanderers pushed on, those bonds started to stretch.
Allardyce claimed in his recent autobiography that his relationship with the chairman began to deteriorate after a disagreement before the 2004 League Cup final defeat to Middlesbrough.
Big Sam’s stock was climbing and as Wanderers punched further and further above their weight to challenge the Premier League establishment, disagreements between manager and chairman were becoming commonplace.
Both men rode the storm of a BBC Panorama documentary into football corruption but by April 2007 the bitterness that had developed was irreversible and as Bolton closed in on a second UEFA Cup qualification, Allardyce resigned and a war of words began.
Big Sam accused Gartside and owner Davies of lacking ambition and the chairman grew increasingly bitter at the number of backroom staff he lost when Allardyce took on the job at Newcastle a couple of weeks later.
Gartside reached out for what he thought was a safe pair of hands in Sammy Lee, who had been one of Allardyce’s trusted lieutenants. The appointment was a disaster and 11 games into the new season the Liverpudlian was sacked.
Gary Megson was the next appointment, straight out of left field. The straight-talking Yorkshireman saved Wanderers from relegation but, according to Gartside, Whites fans “never gave him a chance” and even more unpleasantness ensued.
Supporters had by this time turned against the chairman, seeing him as the reason for Allardyce’s departure. He hit back – describing them as “numpties” in a radio interview.
But away from the pitch Gartside was gaining traction as one of the English game’s most influential figures. Elected to the powerful FA Council ahead of Peter Kenyon in June 2004, he rubbed shoulders with elite movers and shakers like David Dein, Sir Dave Richards and David Gill in the corridors of power at Sloane Square.
On the same day he won the support of the regional associations to replace Blackburn Rovers’ Robert Coar as the Premier League representative on the FA Executive Board.
His expertise in running the plush new Reebok Stadium, as it was then known, prompted the FA to appoint him to the board of the new Wembley a year later.
He was a member of the FA Challenge Cup committee and was also asked to head the board tasked with finding a successor to Lord Triesman as FA chairman in 2010.
Gartside was not just able to ruffle the feathers of Wanderers fans. In 2008 his much-publicised two-tier Premier League plan caused consternation further down the Football League pyramid, with critics suggesting he was trying to create a closed shop.
The proposal – which included two divisions of 16 clubs, with the addition of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers and no relegation – was put up for discussion among Premier League chairmen but never went further. Four years later, Wanderers found themselves on the wrong side of the fence and looking up at the clubs Gartside wanted to ring-fence.
Owen Coyle breezed in as the acceptable face of Bolton Wanderers and briefly it appeared the chairman-manager dynamic was back.
Gartside spoke of his pride at reaching the FA Cup semi-finals with a memorable victory over Birmingham City at St Andrew’s and of picking up bargains like US midfielder Stuart Holden. But the following season the Whites went into freefall.
Fabrice Muamba’s dramatic collapse at White Hart Lane hit Gartside particularly hard. He remained at the midfielder’s side for several days until his miraculous recovery, writing an open letter in The Bolton News to thank supporters for their solidarity.
Though a tough businessman, Gartside’s emotions were never far from the surface.
As Wanderers tumbled out of the Premier League he made severe cuts to the workforce at the stadium, dispensing with the services of some long-serving members of staff.
He eventually sacked Owen Coyle too, after a poor start to the season, and after speaking with Mick McCarthy, elected to appoint another young boss in Dougie Freedman.
After just missing out on the play-offs, Gartside was once again faced with cost-cutting measures. Though the age of austerity felt severe at the time, we have since discovered that the savings were nowhere near as widespread as they should have been.
Gartside’s financial management really came under the microscope in the last 12 months as Freedman gave way to Neil Lennon, and long-time funder Davies withdrew his support.
Fans had called for the chairman to stand down in Freedman’s stormy final games but he dug in his heels and said he would do the job as long as Davies wanted him to do it.
A court case stretching back eight years involving agent Tony McGill was finally put to rest – but the stresses had clearly taken a physical toll on Gartside.
With Davies planning to sell, Gartside had been tasked with negotiating on his behalf. But several buyers came and went, leaving Wanderers to inch further and further towards the financial mire.
Frustrations grew stronger on the terraces as the chairman continually refused to explain the situation in public despite dozens of requests.
The relationship between Davies and Gartside had by now deteriorated too. But as his illness rendered him unable to perform his duties any longer, the true scope of the problems became apparent.
Wanderers had reached unimaginable heights and lived the Premier League dream. Now they were enduring the nightmare of a club that had over-reached and failed to plan for the future. In both cases, Phillip Andrew Gartside will forever be intrinsically linked.
Gartside leaves behind a wife, Carol, a daughter Beverley, and a son, Andrew.
Phil Gartside life and career
Age: 63
From: Leigh
Profession: Accountant, businessman.
School: Leigh Grammar
Joined board: 1989
Became chairman: 1999
Appointed managers: Sam Allardyce, Sammy Lee, Gary Megson, Owen Coyle, Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon
Elected to FA Council and Premier League representative on the FA Executive Board: 2004
Elected to Wembley board: 2005
Proposed two-tier Premier League plan: 2008
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