It's business as usual at Bolton after Holdsworth's departure as director of football

Wanderers are determined to go about business as usual despite the departure of Dean Holdsworth as director of football.

Yesterday’s shock announcement that the club’s co-owner had withdrawn from the role he had occupied for just 22 days was a hot topic of discussion among the club’s supporters.

Whites chairman Ken Anderson believes the impact of Holdsworth’s exit will be minimal and will not affect Phil Parkinson’s preparations for the League One season.

“My own view is that Dean leaving as director of football will not adversely affect the club,” he told The Bolton News. “We will not be replacing him in the position and most of the duties performed by a director of football over the last couple of months have been absorbed by other members of club staff.”

It is unclear whether there will be any legal fall-out for the club to deal with, or whether Holdsworth’s long-term plan is to remain with Wanderers as a major shareholder.

The former striker teamed up with Anderson at the start of the year to buy Eddie Davies’s stake in Wanderers but the takeover process took much longer than expected, meaning the club was already heading towards League One by the time the Football League ratified his bid.

Holdsworth instigated a football review alongside consultant, Mark Taylor, a key member of Sam Allardyce’s backroom in the Premier League days, recommending ways the club could save money.

More than 20 professional players were trimmed off the wage bill and paid severance in July alongside coaching and medical staff such as Mark Leather, Iain Brunskill, Chris Short, Dave Dean and Bobby Mimms.

Selecting a new manager was also billed as a joint decision between the two owners – though there were some differences of opinion early in the process.

Anderson did hold interviews but the man who got the job, Parkinson, was unanimously agreed.

The negotiations to sell Rob Holding to Arsenal were primarily conducted by Anderson and club secretary Simon Marland, with Paul Aldridge closing the deal.

Wanderers’ four new signings – Mark Howard, Chris Taylor, Mark Beevers and Jamie Proctor – have all been overseen by Parkinson and his coaching staff.

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karlypants wrote:
Holdsworth instigated a football review alongside consultant, Mark Taylor, a key member of Sam Allardyce’s backroom in the Premier League days, recommending ways the club could save money.

More than 20 professional players were trimmed off the wage bill and paid severance in July alongside coaching and medical staff such as Mark Leather, Iain Brunskill, Chris Short, Dave Dean and Bobby Mimms.


Source

I still feel this was a short-sighted move by Deano.
It's easy to get rid of kids but the money saved is relatively small and to do it before the incoming managerial team have had a chance to cast their eye over them seems reckless - or desperate.

wanderlust wrote:

karlypants wrote:
Holdsworth instigated a football review alongside consultant, Mark Taylor, a key member of Sam Allardyce’s backroom in the Premier League days, recommending ways the club could save money.

More than 20 professional players were trimmed off the wage bill and paid severance in July alongside coaching and medical staff such as Mark Leather, Iain Brunskill, Chris Short, Dave Dean and Bobby Mimms.


Source

I still feel this was a short-sighted move by Deano.
It's easy to get rid of kids but the money saved is relatively small and to do it before the incoming managerial team have had a chance to cast their eye over them seems reckless - or desperate.

Or maybe Phillips and Lee, who have been developing them in the academy for the last three or four years have said that they aren't going to make it and Holdsworth (or whoever the next manager was going to be) obviously trusted and valued their opinion?

Just a thought.

sorry Sluffy i agree with Lusty, this should have been the managers decision. If some of them wanted to leave fair enough but i bet most would have stayed given the chance

Norpig wrote:sorry Sluffy i agree with Lusty, this should have been the managers decision. If some of them wanted to leave fair enough but i bet most would have stayed given the chance

We didn't have a manager though - and for quite a while we didn't look like appointing one either.

Even if we did wait for the manager what do you think the first thing he would do regarding the academy players - talk to the Director and staff and ask for their opinions of whether they would make it or not - after all they should know them inside out after several years of watching them grow up and develop not only as footballers but as adults too.

Of course players do kick on after a club lets them go but the vast, vast majority don't.

Can you think of many out of the dozens and dozens that have left the club who have done well for themselves - I can only think of Walters and he really was a Wigan academy development kid more than ours.

One or two have turned down contracts with us and moved on such as Mooy but apart from him I can't really think of anybody else who has and done well for themselves - can you?

fair enough Sluffy on the players that have left but i still think it was a big mistake letting the likes of Thomas (signed for Burnley), Maher and Threlkeld go, the last 2 especially as they looked to me as if they would be decent players in league 1

Title of the article says it all "Business as usual at BWFC"

Funny that every other BWFC forum has mentioned this story other than the LoV.

Wonder who their 'inside man' was?

Maher was offered a years contract by BWFC "said no" and was out much to his surprise, i guess having now accepting 12 months deal at Bury he regrets how he handled it.