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Should Dean Holdsworth’s Sports Shield consortium get the go-ahead from the Football League this week, they will be faced immediately with a decision to stick or twist.
Wanderers were not cast further adrift after Saturday’s defeat against Burnley but the damage done to belief inside and outside the dressing room was considerable.
Many fans have already resigned themselves to the idea of League One football next season. The question is, have the new owners?
If Holdsworth’s group believe the season can still be salvaged then they can attempt to arrest the slide in two ways: Change the manager, or move to lift the embargo and bring in new players as quickly as possible.
If they feel there is not enough time to preserve the club’s Championship position then Sports Shield may extend Lennon’s purgatory until the end of the season and make their decision in the summer, when less costly.
Lennon is hoping he gets a chance to do the job he was brought to the Macron Stadium to do, although he freely admits the new owners may have other ideas.
There is a degree of sympathy among the Wanderers support about how little support he has been given by the club’s board and owner since walking through the doors in October 2014 – but that does not entirely excuse the team’s performances.
Should Wanderers be placed higher than 23rd, given the players Lennon has at his disposal? Many supporters would argue, ‘yes’.
The manager has come under fire for all manner of tactical and selection decisions, especially since the turn of the year. But he has managed to improve performances in the last month – even if the gap to safety has remained roughly the same.
Replacing the first-team coaching staff would require a seven-figure investment, especially if the replacement manager was already in position at another club.
And a new man would almost certainly require his own players, which would hike up that price once again.
Fans are now more aware than ever that owning Bolton Wanderers is a costly business. The scale of player contracts, the overheads, even the administrative staff wages have all been thrust into the public domain in the last few months and yet the nature of supporting a football club still has people asking: “But what can they spend?”
The takeover itself requires a bit more explaining in the eyes of the Football League, who have asked to see detailed business plans in the event of relegation and survival.
Dropping into League One would mean a loss of £5million in sponsorship and TV money and Sports Shield must prove they have the funds to keep the club solvent and ensure a 12-point deduction next season doesn’t enter into the equation.
Sports Shield have are confident they have planned for all eventualities but with the adjourned High Court case due to be heard next Monday, time is of the essence.
Should the Football League defer their decision – or outright decline the takeover – then Wanderers would have to find a Plan B very quickly indeed.
The contractual situation would be a messy one as Sports Shield have already agreed the deal with Eddie Davies and have ownership of the shares.
The club would almost certainly be heading back to London pleading for more time and would by no means be guaranteed another reprieve.
Source
Wanderers were not cast further adrift after Saturday’s defeat against Burnley but the damage done to belief inside and outside the dressing room was considerable.
Many fans have already resigned themselves to the idea of League One football next season. The question is, have the new owners?
If Holdsworth’s group believe the season can still be salvaged then they can attempt to arrest the slide in two ways: Change the manager, or move to lift the embargo and bring in new players as quickly as possible.
If they feel there is not enough time to preserve the club’s Championship position then Sports Shield may extend Lennon’s purgatory until the end of the season and make their decision in the summer, when less costly.
Lennon is hoping he gets a chance to do the job he was brought to the Macron Stadium to do, although he freely admits the new owners may have other ideas.
There is a degree of sympathy among the Wanderers support about how little support he has been given by the club’s board and owner since walking through the doors in October 2014 – but that does not entirely excuse the team’s performances.
Should Wanderers be placed higher than 23rd, given the players Lennon has at his disposal? Many supporters would argue, ‘yes’.
The manager has come under fire for all manner of tactical and selection decisions, especially since the turn of the year. But he has managed to improve performances in the last month – even if the gap to safety has remained roughly the same.
Replacing the first-team coaching staff would require a seven-figure investment, especially if the replacement manager was already in position at another club.
And a new man would almost certainly require his own players, which would hike up that price once again.
Fans are now more aware than ever that owning Bolton Wanderers is a costly business. The scale of player contracts, the overheads, even the administrative staff wages have all been thrust into the public domain in the last few months and yet the nature of supporting a football club still has people asking: “But what can they spend?”
The takeover itself requires a bit more explaining in the eyes of the Football League, who have asked to see detailed business plans in the event of relegation and survival.
Dropping into League One would mean a loss of £5million in sponsorship and TV money and Sports Shield must prove they have the funds to keep the club solvent and ensure a 12-point deduction next season doesn’t enter into the equation.
Sports Shield have are confident they have planned for all eventualities but with the adjourned High Court case due to be heard next Monday, time is of the essence.
Should the Football League defer their decision – or outright decline the takeover – then Wanderers would have to find a Plan B very quickly indeed.
The contractual situation would be a messy one as Sports Shield have already agreed the deal with Eddie Davies and have ownership of the shares.
The club would almost certainly be heading back to London pleading for more time and would by no means be guaranteed another reprieve.
Source
