Bolton will work with competitive budget in League One next season

Wanderers can be competitive in League One despite plans to nearly halve their wage budget over the summer, says co-owner Ken Anderson.

Discussing budget plans for next season, the Whites chairman says he is keen to avoid mistakes made by the previous ownership and resist the urge to spend beyond the club’s means.

It is expected the wage budget will shrink from around £12million to between £5-7m next season depending on the number of high-earning players the club can shed over the summer.

While drastic measures are being lined-up, Anderson insists promotion is still the aim. And the planned budget – up to £2m lower than the one predicted by the Football League – will still put Wanderers among the bigger spenders in the division.

“If you look at the budget, and I’ve been through them in the Championship and League One since 2013/14, our planned budget we’ve inherited is higher than most of the other clubs,” he told The Bolton News. “It is probably the same as Wigan, who have the highest budget in League One at the moment.

“The Football League tell me my budget, rather than me telling them, which I don’t like very much. But they told me our budget would be £7m. I think it will be £5m or £6m.

“And I look at Bradford, third in the league, and their budget is £2m. They have over-performed. I see no reason why we can’t perform equally well.”

Anderson hopes Wanderers’ first season in the third tier for 23 years will be their last for the foreseeable but has also spoken about his longer-term vision for the club.

Pointing to the example of Bournemouth, who emerged from financial oblivion in League Two to reach the Premier League, the chairman has not given up hope on taking the club to the big time once again.

“I’d like to think about next season first,” he said. “I’d like to be promoted again.

“Next season that is the task. Being realistic I would like to get back into the Championship and build a team over the next two to three years that can challenge again for the Premier League.

“It’s much more difficult now with the teams that come up and down with parachute payments but if we could emulate what Bournemouth did in 2012/13, that’s where we’re going to be next season.”

Source

It's a positive and encouraging message but I still can't work out how they are going to bring down the salaries to that sort of level so I don't think it's realistic. You can't force players on good contracts to go, it's that simple.

I hope he's genuine when he says he wants to do what Bournemouth did.

Because their owners shelled out a fortune to get them into the Prem.

And none of it was loaned to the club, a la Saint Edwin of Davies, it was straightforward investment in players so it wasn't a debt.

Good on ya, Kenneth!

I take back all the nasty stuff I've said (and thought) about you and your motives because you're obviously a top guy with deep pockets!

Breadman wrote:I hope he's genuine when he says he wants to do what Bournemouth did.

Because their owners shelled out a fortune to get them into the Prem.

And none of it was loaned to the club, a la Saint Edwin of Davies, it was straightforward investment in players so it wasn't a debt.

Good on ya, Kenneth!

I take back all the nasty stuff I've said (and thought) about you and your motives because you're obviously a top guy with deep pockets!

He might have deep pockets but short arms .....

He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

talking of season tickets, when are they announcing prices? I heard a rumour they were going down in price

Natasha Whittam wrote:He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

He's talking pie in the sky bollocks about getting promoted straight back up and building a team over the next two or three years which is capable of challenging to get back into the Prem.

It's all utter shite designed to pander to the happy-clapping morons who lap this shit up with a spoon.

We'll be lucky if we avoid Administration next season, let alone get straight back up.

Pull your head out of your (admittedly pert and well proportioned) arse and stop talking bollocks.....

Natasha Whittam wrote:He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

Cheer up! Its Friday.

Breadman wrote:

Natasha Whittam wrote:He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

He's talking pie in the sky bollocks about getting promoted straight back up and building a team over the next two or three years which is capable of challenging to get back into the Prem.

It's all utter shite designed to pander to the happy-clapping morons who lap this shit up with a spoon.

We'll be lucky if we avoid Administration next season, let alone get straight back up.

Pull your head out of your (admittedly pert and well proportioned) arse and stop talking bollocks.....

He's just bought the club and has big plans, why the fuck would he come out and say  that we are shit, we have no money and we're going down to league two? 

how can you call anyone a moron yet state that the guy who runs the club is talking "pie in the sky bollocks"

Breadman wrote:

Natasha Whittam wrote:He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

He's talking pie in the sky bollocks about getting promoted straight back up and building a team over the next two or three years which is capable of challenging to get back into the Prem.

It's all utter shite designed to pander to the happy-clapping morons who lap this shit up with a spoon.

We'll be lucky if we avoid Administration next season, let alone get straight back up.

Pull your head out of your (admittedly pert and well proportioned) arse and stop talking bollocks.....

I agree, but I will let it go at this point. Backing these, urm, business men fully. Got to give them a chance.

Breadman wrote:
He's talking pie in the sky bollocks about getting promoted straight back up and building a team over the next two or three years which is capable of challenging to get back into the Prem.

It's all utter shite designed to pander to the happy-clapping morons who lap this shit up with a spoon.

We'll be lucky if we avoid Administration next season, let alone get straight back up.

Pull your head out of your (admittedly pert and well proportioned) arse and stop talking bollocks.....

I thank you for the compliment about my rear end, you are quite right.

The rest of your post is bollocks. Absolute bollocks. We've had years of shite, it's his job to try and create a positive vibe. I'm guessing "it'll be another year of losing every week" won't sell many season tickets or shirts.

Breadman wrote:

Natasha Whittam wrote:He could give away free season tickets and some folk would moan that transport wasn't included.

Fuck off.

He's talking pie in the sky bollocks about getting promoted straight back up and building a team over the next two or three years which is capable of challenging to get back into the Prem.

It's all utter shite designed to pander to the happy-clapping morons who lap this shit up with a spoon.

We'll be lucky if we avoid Administration next season, let alone get straight back up.

Pull your head out of your (admittedly pert and well proportioned) arse and stop talking bollocks.....

Correct you are Breadman .... there is no evidence of any other outcome as it stands today.  If events change in the off season or money magically appears then the predictions can be modified accordingly.  Today it's just BS for public consumption.

terenceanne wrote:

Correct you are Breadman .... there is no evidence of any other outcome as it stands today.  If events change in the off season or money magically appears then the predictions can be modified accordingly.  Today it's just BS for public consumption.

You clearly have no idea about business.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

terenceanne wrote:

Correct you are Breadman .... there is no evidence of any other outcome as it stands today.  If events change in the off season or money magically appears then the predictions can be modified accordingly.  Today it's just BS for public consumption.

You clearly have no idea about business.

Thank you......

While I digest that statement could you possibly reveal to us dumb ol' boys what actual facts have been presented to give you hopes of joy and happiness. Not just interviews but actual facts, similar to these if you will....
1. Half the senior players will be gone or loaned out.
2. The kids are nowhere near good enough.
3. We still have a transfer embargo and no manager.
4. SS seem not to have a pot to piss in and are late with various tax
    filings apparently.
5. Five million in TV payments for the Champs...Gone
6. Diminished crowds more than likely.
7. Your club captain saying a double relegation is possible.

This is off the top of my head.......

Love the attitude of some fans on here, moan about managers not playing kids for years on end. Couple of kids get thrown in and we don't win every game at which point all of the kids are nowhere near good enough.

Give it a rest TA.

bwfc1874 wrote:Love the attitude of some fans on here, moan about managers not playing kids for years on end. Couple of kids get thrown in and we don't win every game at which point all of the kids are nowhere near good enough.

Give it a rest TA.

Fair enough 1874.

But the banter is related to the earlier post....not moaning for the sake of it.

A competitive budget in League 1 is having a wage bill one ninth of what we currently spend - because that's what the current average is for a League One club.

With around 10 or 12 high earners still in contract next season, we will have to pay at least £6 or 7 million in player wages so the budget for that is likely to be the highest in League One by a mile - not just "competitive".

I don't think Anderson mentioned any new money coming into the equation - in fact he's committed elsewhere to trying to get rid of some of the high earners before their contracts expire - so he's effectively doing everything he can to make the budget less competitive than it currently is. 

Ironic really.

I appreciate the sentiments he's offering but I can't see how he's going to be able to make any of it happen. As my dad would say, "He talks a good game." 

Sadly, based on the facts we've seen so far that's all it can be at this time: talk.

I note that Jimmy Philips is still talking about next season as if he already knows he's going to be in the hot seat and I note too that Mr Anderson is still "Hoping" to shed some of the high earners over the summer but gives no clear indication of (a) how he plans to do that or (b) whether or not it's even a realistic proposition. 

The embargo is still in place, there is still a cloud over Sportshield's own tax returns and I just don't see how anyone can expect us to come straight back up to the championship or even be truly competitive next season as things stand. 

Please don't bother to talk to me about what this squad should be capable of doing on paper, they've proven on the field that they aren't good enough time and time again. I don't see us doing any better than tenth in League One next term and if nothing changes I fully expect to see us in the bottom six or seven, maybe even the bottom four and down to League Two.

luckyPeterpiper wrote:
Please don't bother to talk to me about what this squad should be capable of doing on paper, they've proven on the field that they aren't good enough time and time again. I don't see us doing any better than tenth in League One next term and if nothing changes I fully expect to see us in the bottom six or seven, maybe even the bottom four and down to League Two.

You really are a miserable sod. No wonder Wendy took up with the milkman.

Nat you used that insult weeks ago. I appreciate you're probably just trying to be 'green' but isn't that taking recycling just a little bit far?