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After the sounding of the final whistle at Craven Cottage yesterday afternoon Wanderers must now start proving they are no longer a club in crisis.
Nearly two months on from the takeover being ratified by the Football League, concern is still strong among supporters that even after being saved from the brink of the abyss once this year, the worst may not be over.
Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth earned a settling-in period because the mess they inherited was sure to take time to organise.
But a set of fans still tender from several months of financial torture, High Court hearings and sleepless nights are not going to wait around forever for their fears to be allayed.
Wanderers need to give people hope their stay in League One will be temporary and putting the onus on young, home-grown talents in the last few weeks has been a welcome distraction.
Naming a new manager would also focus minds on football, rather than accounts and spreadsheets, which have haunted my dreams since this whole sorry mess spiralled out of control last year.
As a result of the club’s brush with extinction the landscape has changed forever. Everyday fans have got to grips with some of the financial jargon which used to pass over their heads and so they are asking relevant questions pertaining to the sustainability of business plan, approved by the powers that be.
It is perhaps unfair to assess whether Anderson or Holdsworth have enough financial backing based solely on what details we dig up on Companies House. But while a transfer embargo remains in place, or club accounts remain unfiled, the levels of suspicion will not go away.
Although not yet announced officially, the appointment of ex-Bristol City and Nottingham Forest financial director John Pelling is a step in the right direction and his expertise should pave the way for more red flags to be removed.
If and when they are, one wonders what we will have left to talk about?
Staff around the club are understandably on edge following the announcement of a consultation process – two horrible HR words which almost inevitably mean job cuts on the football side of the operation. Perhaps it was an inevitable consequence of relegation but it is no more palatable as a result.
You can only hope the process is done swiftly, giving the whole club a chance to readjust over the quieter summer months.
There are signs that Anderson and Holdsworth have come to some agreed decisions this week which will make the club’s future path clearer. Two men will never agree on everything but – particularly with regard to the manager’s position – their next decision must be spot on.
Rumours have swirled around about disagreements between the pair on potential candidates but it has been tough to find two Wanderers fans who agree on the way ahead, let alone two with serious cash riding on the outcome.
For the good of the club these unresolved issues need to be ticked off, one by one, in the coming weeks. Perhaps only then we can really put this nightmarish season behind us.
***
WHETHER he was recalling the days of club-sponsored Ladas, topping the charts, or trying to explain to the Thai national team what he meant by the “back stick” – Peter Reid was clearly in his element talking to Wanderers fans on Thursday night.
It seems like a long time since I have paid due credit to the ownership at Bolton but bringing back the Burnden Park legend has proved a good move.
The interim coaching staff have not had a huge effect on results and, in truth, they were not really expected to – the survival ship had sailed under Neil Lennon. But both Reid and Jimmy Phillips have been around Wanderers long enough to be able to add a sense of perspective to the current problems, and in the former’s case, an overdue dose of good humour too.
Reid held court for a good hour at the BWSA (Bolton Wanderers Supporters' Association) meeting on Thursday night discussing all manner of topics and his passion for the club is patently clear. In fact, it makes you wonder why the Whites haven’t reached out for his services sooner?
Whether he sticks around or not beyond this season, who knows? But he has certainly got a lot more to offer on the coaching side.
Derik Osede and Rob Holding also gave a good account of themselves answering questions from a good-sized audience in the Platinum Suite.
It puzzles me why the BWSA gets stick from some quarters. Their social evenings are just that – thoroughly decent people who just want to share some time with their heroes.
Recent events have made us all cynical but isn’t that what it’s all about?
Source
Nearly two months on from the takeover being ratified by the Football League, concern is still strong among supporters that even after being saved from the brink of the abyss once this year, the worst may not be over.
Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth earned a settling-in period because the mess they inherited was sure to take time to organise.
But a set of fans still tender from several months of financial torture, High Court hearings and sleepless nights are not going to wait around forever for their fears to be allayed.
Wanderers need to give people hope their stay in League One will be temporary and putting the onus on young, home-grown talents in the last few weeks has been a welcome distraction.
Naming a new manager would also focus minds on football, rather than accounts and spreadsheets, which have haunted my dreams since this whole sorry mess spiralled out of control last year.
As a result of the club’s brush with extinction the landscape has changed forever. Everyday fans have got to grips with some of the financial jargon which used to pass over their heads and so they are asking relevant questions pertaining to the sustainability of business plan, approved by the powers that be.
It is perhaps unfair to assess whether Anderson or Holdsworth have enough financial backing based solely on what details we dig up on Companies House. But while a transfer embargo remains in place, or club accounts remain unfiled, the levels of suspicion will not go away.
Although not yet announced officially, the appointment of ex-Bristol City and Nottingham Forest financial director John Pelling is a step in the right direction and his expertise should pave the way for more red flags to be removed.
If and when they are, one wonders what we will have left to talk about?
Staff around the club are understandably on edge following the announcement of a consultation process – two horrible HR words which almost inevitably mean job cuts on the football side of the operation. Perhaps it was an inevitable consequence of relegation but it is no more palatable as a result.
You can only hope the process is done swiftly, giving the whole club a chance to readjust over the quieter summer months.
There are signs that Anderson and Holdsworth have come to some agreed decisions this week which will make the club’s future path clearer. Two men will never agree on everything but – particularly with regard to the manager’s position – their next decision must be spot on.
Rumours have swirled around about disagreements between the pair on potential candidates but it has been tough to find two Wanderers fans who agree on the way ahead, let alone two with serious cash riding on the outcome.
For the good of the club these unresolved issues need to be ticked off, one by one, in the coming weeks. Perhaps only then we can really put this nightmarish season behind us.
***
WHETHER he was recalling the days of club-sponsored Ladas, topping the charts, or trying to explain to the Thai national team what he meant by the “back stick” – Peter Reid was clearly in his element talking to Wanderers fans on Thursday night.
It seems like a long time since I have paid due credit to the ownership at Bolton but bringing back the Burnden Park legend has proved a good move.
The interim coaching staff have not had a huge effect on results and, in truth, they were not really expected to – the survival ship had sailed under Neil Lennon. But both Reid and Jimmy Phillips have been around Wanderers long enough to be able to add a sense of perspective to the current problems, and in the former’s case, an overdue dose of good humour too.
Reid held court for a good hour at the BWSA (Bolton Wanderers Supporters' Association) meeting on Thursday night discussing all manner of topics and his passion for the club is patently clear. In fact, it makes you wonder why the Whites haven’t reached out for his services sooner?
Whether he sticks around or not beyond this season, who knows? But he has certainly got a lot more to offer on the coaching side.
Derik Osede and Rob Holding also gave a good account of themselves answering questions from a good-sized audience in the Platinum Suite.
It puzzles me why the BWSA gets stick from some quarters. Their social evenings are just that – thoroughly decent people who just want to share some time with their heroes.
Recent events have made us all cynical but isn’t that what it’s all about?
Source