Ken Anderson - update.

boltonbonce wrote:

Norpig wrote:perhaps we should all have a thread of our own to share the delights of our favourite pastime, not sure how to do mine though without falling foul of obscenity laws 

You could get Specsavers to sponsor it.

 good idea i'll email them now, i'm sure they will we be up for it. Just need a name for the thread now, any ideas?

Norpig wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:

Norpig wrote:perhaps we should all have a thread of our own to share the delights of our favourite pastime, not sure how to do mine though without falling foul of obscenity laws 

You could get Specsavers to sponsor it.

 good idea i'll email them now, i'm sure they will we be up for it. Just need a name for the thread now, any ideas?

The Pulled Pork thread.

Norpig wrote: good idea i'll email them now, i'm sure they will we be up for it. Just need a name for the thread now, any ideas?

Norpig wanks over ALF.

It's catchy, it could go nationwide.

some good ideas on here i think the Procrasturbation thread or taking the sausage hostage thread?

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Sorry for interrupting but the Ken Anderson article has been updated (about the tweets from his son I think).

I post it in full just in case there was other stuff as well -


As by way of an update, it is frustrating to report that discussions between BluMarble and Dean Holdsworth are still unfortunately ongoing.
I had hoped that this situation would have been resolved a long time ago, but hopefully a resolution will be achieved this week before the next WUP hearing between Sports Shield and BluMarble that is listed for July 10.
I have made offers to both parties and I am optimistic that they will be acceptable, meaning that hopefully the matters will both be resolved this week. As always, l will keep you abreast of what is happening.
This lack of a resolution was the main reason why the bonuses owed to the players were not paid on time as I was reluctant to continue to solely fund the club with still no certainty of an agreement being reached with both parties.
However, as I have solely funded the club with substantial amounts during these ongoing discussions over the last few months, I have agreed to continue to do so for the time being, in the hope that an agreement will be reached with both parties in the short term.
Accordingly, the players will be paid the outstanding monies this week.
Going forward, I will be looking at how and when bonuses are paid in the future as the timing has an adverse affect on our cash flow as we are paying out the bonuses before we have received any monies from the EFL and at a time when little or no funds are being generated.
You can imagine the problem it would cause if we were fortunate enough to be promoted to the Premier League this season where bonuses at most clubs run into millions.
I have to say I thought the comments on social media from Dean Moxey were disappointing and unnecessary, particularly from a player who has been paid handsomely based on the number of games he started last season.
As far, as I am aware, the salaries have not been paid late every month as he has stated.
As regards the tweet posted by Lee, he did this with my full backing and once Dean went public, I see no reason why Lee should not respond.
After all, Dean's and the other players' salaries have effectively been paid through the financial support of Lee and his family.
All in all, it would have been better to have remained a private matter but Dean chose to go public and Lee responded accordingly.
Lee has feelings as well and I can assure you he is very passionate about the club and gets extremely upset when anyone criticises it or me.
That said, the players are entitled to be paid and on time and at the present time that will only happen because of the financial support of myself.
Going forward, hopefully the club will become financially sustainable and not have to rely on funding from its shareholders. That has been my target from the outset and continues to be my aim. 
Paul Aldridge, Paul Holliday and myself met with the Supporters Trust last week and we had a very productive meeting where a number of matters were discussed.
We informed them that we have appealed the Asset of Community Value (ACV) which they have applied for.
We believe that the ACV will prevent us from obtaining the necessary future funding for us to reacquire the car parks and office space that were sold to Michael James prior to my arrival at the club.
I believe that it is crucial that Bolton Wanderers Football Club owns these assets going forward.
In regards to an update on the embargo situation, the accounts will be filed this week and these will greatly assist in our efforts to try and come out of said transfer embargo.
Likewise, a resolution of the BluMarble issue and Dean’s shares will also help us in coming out of it.
We were delighted meanwhile to bring in Will Buckley on a two-year deal on Friday.
Will is a very talented player with plenty of Championship experience and will add a lot of quality to our squad.
The manager and our recruitment team have been busy re-signing players on new deals and have also brought in some new faces.
This is still ongoing and we are in discussions with a number of players, agents and clubs. Both Phil Parkinson and I believe we will have a strong and competitive squad for next season and that we will surprise a few people along the way.
With a little over a month to go until the start of the season, season ticket sales and corporate hospitality packages continue to increase.
However, it is important that supporters and customers continue to back the squad. The more people that watch us perform in the Championship next year, the better it will be for the players on the pitch and also improves our financial hand in recruiting quality players to the squad.
I would urge you to consider buying a season ticket as based on the matchday prices, they have been substantially discounted and are excellent value for money in my opinion. For more details, please CLICK HERE.
Also, please keep an eye out over the next week when the club will be launching our new kit for the forthcoming season. Again, your support in buying official merchandise will help our financial position.
I was pleased to see Bolton Kia join our increasing portfolio of well-known blue chip companies associating themselves with Bolton Wanderers and special praise must go to our commercial team for their work over the summer.
As a result, the West Stand will be known as the Bolton Kia West Stand over the next couple of years.
Please keep an eye out on the Whites Hotel website and social media sites for the events which are being held on site over the coming months. Apart from being great events, these generate important revenue for the business as a whole.
Finally, it is not long until that opening match against Leeds United and I for one am excited to see the return of Championship football at Macron Stadium and what better way to kick off a new season than against such an iconic team who no doubt will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season and undoubtedly will bring a large fan support with them?
How good would it be to start the season like we finished the last with a virtually full house too?
I hope you get to see the team during pre-season meanwhile and I shall see you all at Macron Stadium on Sunday 6 August.
Kind regards,
Ken

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I think this was Lee Anderson's tweet referred to -

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Dean Moxey should be ashamed, moaning he didn't get his bonus on time.

If I'd been as poor as him I wouldn't have had the cheek to take a bonus, never mind moan about it being a few days late.

The Exeter fans seem to be joyous that he's returning - they clearly haven't realised he is utter shit. One of the worst signings of the last 5 years.

i read Moxey's twitter feed and i bet he regretted commenting now, he got a roasting from Bolton fans 

I was discussing him with a Palace supporter yesterday,and he said he was a decent player down there. They must have sent us an lookalike.

boltonbonce wrote:I was discussing him with a Palace supporter yesterday,and he said he was a decent player down there. They must have sent us an lookalike.

Old mate of mine from Exeter told me he was pretty good when we signed him. Funny old game.

Griping about a late bonus for bench warming most of the season, I mean ffs the cheek, good riddance to another of Freedmans fucking disasters !!!

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Sluffy wrote:You're no better than a wum these days Lusty - and an extremely poor one at that.

When are you going to understand that just because someone doesn't agree with you, it doesn't make them a "wum".

You did exactly the same thing to 1874 which cost us a great poster.

Forums work because people have differing opinions, they don't work if the mods insult everyone who doesn't agree with them.

I seem to have stumbled into some weird parallel universe.....

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I understand KAs position but suggesting that player bonuses will only be paid if SS and BM accept the deal he has offered is sailing close to blackmail IMO as it means that BM and SS are put in the invidious position of having to suck up whatever Ken is offering them or risk jeopardising the future of the club.

I don't like the idea of KA using the club as a bargaining tool.

I don't agree with your thinking at all.

Holdsworth it is known has not put anything into the club since he put in £4 million from the BluMarble loan (£1 million LESS than he borrowed remember!) and BM have never put anything directly into the club - so why do you think either one of them would be bothered if Anderson paid the bonuses or not?

BM has it's money tied to the assets of the club, so they know there money is ultimately safe and St Dean is probably holding out for as much as he can for his shares whilst not spending a penny in keeping the club going.

If anything it is the other way around and Anderson has been forced to pay the bonuses from his own pocket whilst the deadlock persists.

BM can't lose, at worst it will make Holdsworth Sport Shield bwfc out of business.

I assume Holdsworth's shares in the club are 'owned' by SSBWFC in which case the liquidator will sell them to the highest bidder I would imagine.

That being the case I would think Holdsworth is banking on Anderson not allowing that to happen and buying them off him directly before the final court hearing.


Anderson if anything is the hero in all of this - not the villain!

As I said, I understand his position.
That doesn't change the fact that there is an implication that KA will pay the bonuses provided his offers are accepted. We don't know whether he's made a reasonable offer or not - he might have put in a derisory offer - but using the club's reputation and stability as a bargaining tool in a private matter is unethical.
And yes I do think they'd be bothered if KA paid the bonuses or not especially Deano who was first to step up to the plate to save the club. He might not have gone about it the right way but we might not be here today but for his early intervention.
KA buying shares is a private matter and he shouldn't be using the club to bargain with.
It comes across as "accept the tenner or the baby gets it". Tacky.

And just because I feel uncomfortable about this particular move doesn't mean I am not grateful for the other work KA has done so far.

What on Earth are you on about?

What happens if Anderson did not pay the wages - nothing at all for weeks - the Football League and the players association would step in, shit would be thrown BUT that would take longer than the time the BluMarble v SSBWFC is back in court, in just over a weeks time.

Something has to happen on or before that date as its the final hearing!

There are still plenty assets to cover the players wages - indeed Anderson himself will pay them out of his own pocket - so he can't possibly have been 'blackmailing' BM or Holdsworth in the slightest.

As for Holdsworth being some sort of hero - what planet are you on?

Man with no money and in 'partnership' with someone later jailed for financial fraud, doggedly pursue ownership of club when no one else would - it all stunk at the time - and still stinks now!  

A £1 million set up fee!  

You're no better than a wum these days Lusty - and an extremely poor one at that.

I disagree.

The hearing could be adjourned - as if that is relevant to the point I made anyway - and I didn't suggest Deano was a hero. I just pointed out that he put money in to keep us afloat before Anderson came on the scene. You're the one who is throwing in all the value judgements which is why you're arguing with your own false logic again. But carry on by all means - it's amusing.

If you could throw in a few more "What planet are you on?"s and "wum"'s and find an emoticon throwing it's arms in the air in mock horror it would be perfect.

In response to an article published by the Bolton News on Friday afternoon, I would like to update you all on a few matters.
Both Dean Holdsworth and myself have now signed the accounts and they are with the auditors for filing. I hope this will assist us in getting the embargo lifted as soon as possible.
Negotiations with BluMarble are ongoing and we are still optimistic that a settlement will be achieved as they have agreed to my request for an adjournment of Monday’s Winding Up Petition hearing to enable both parties to continue negotiations.
Likewise, if and when this is settled it will greatly assist the club in getting the embargo lifted. I must emphasise the WUP relates to Sportshield BWFC and not the club or Inner Circle Investments Ltd as has been incorrectly reported elsewhere.
I have mentioned on several occasions before that the club has already embarked on a new era of financial stability and commercial prudence. It was very unfortunate that we had to let a number of players go at the end of last season but the facts are the club is not in a position to pay the salaries it has in the past and that we have to live within our budgets.
The days of paying players £20,000 per week are long gone for us and we are now working within affordable salary caps that have reduced the playing budget substantially.
Although we are now paying affordable salaries, in my opinion the quality and Championship experience of the players we now have is of a higher level than that of last season at a substantially reduced cost. Indeed, we have saved circa £5m on the players that have now departed even allowing for the cost of replacing the majority of them.
The pre-season fixtures start on Saturday with an away trip to our near neighbours Chorley. I’m sure quite a few of you will be in attendance and it will be good to see some of our new signings in action.
Next week, the players will be in Scotland for a training camp which will take in two fixtures against Arbroath and Dundee.
We have a few more friendly fixtures before we take on Stoke City at Macron Stadium later in the month prior to the start of the Sky Bet Championship.
I hope as many of you as possible support the team throughout the pre-season and start as we mean to go on throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
I’d like to welcome our latest acquisition, Stephen Darby, to the ranks. He’s a player Phil Parkinson knows really well from their time together at Bradford City.
One player who won’t be returning is Jay Spearing and I’d like to place on record our thanks for his service to the club over the past several years. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come up with an agreement for him to stay but we all wish him well for his future.
Following on from last week’s news about Bolton Kia sponsoring the West Stand, we were delighted to confirm that local firm Carrs Pasties will be the sponsor of the North Stand. Carrs Pasties are a Bolton institution and have been supporters of the Club for a very long time. We are really pleased that they have taken this sponsorship. Special credit must go to our commercial team for all their hard work in bringing in this type of revenue to the club.
We have already surpassed the number of season tickets we sold at this stage last year with over 10,000 of you confirming your commitment to the cause. We are all truly grateful for your support.
There is still time for you to take advantage of the fantastic value a season ticket offers by purchasing your ticket ahead of our opening league fixture against Leeds United. Please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to book your season ticket now.
Kind regards,
Ken

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As has been reported in the media today, the financial accounts for 2016 have now been filed.

It should be remembered that these accounts cover a period of nine months when neither Dean or l had any involvement in the running of the club and various businesses.

The report states that 'progress is being made to remedy Wanderers' financial problems'. I can assure you that a great deal of hard work has been put in by the entire team and this will be reflected in the next set of accounts.

There is still a long way to go before we can say the club is financially sustainable but everyone is striving to achieve this over the next year or so.

Indeed, revenues are increasing and costs are being reduced substantially. Some of the costs were a legacy from the past and were not able to be dealt with until the end of the 2017 financial year.

But steps have been taken to ensure that going forward the club will target financial stability through being prudent with expenses and salaries whilst at the same time looking to increase revenues across the board.

The continuing success of Whites Hotel was referred to, and Suzanne Speak and her team are to be congratulated on the fantastic job they are doing. As I have said many times in the past, the work and effort they all put into running the hotel and Premier Suite is to be applauded.

They continue to bring in new revenue sources and are frequently complimented by customers and corporates for the service they provide. I hope many of you will experience and enjoy the ongoing refurbishment of Whites in the future.

As regards to the comment that there are still some major issues to be resolved, this is correct and is reflected in the accounts, but since the 2016 year end a great deal has been achieved and whilst l do not wish to go into too much detail, l would make the following observations.

The Eddie Davies and Brett Warburton debts of £15.2m and £2.5m respectively do not reflect the true picture. For instance, Eddie wrote off another £5m during 2017 and the balance is very much tied into success on the pitch and in my opinion, further write-offs will be made which will effectively wipe out the debt which is contingent on a number of events.

Likewise, the £2.5m debt to Brett is not repayable until March 2018 and then it is £500,000 not the full £2.5m. I must emphasise that both Ed and Brett have been very supportive of the club and at no time have they ever put any pressure on our current finances and I am confident they will both continue to support the club in the future.

The BluMarble and Dean issues continue in discussions and I as l keep saying. I am optimistic of amenable agreements being reached with both parties. The figures being bounded around are wide of the mark of what I believe the final outcome will be.

I am conscious that the £17.5m figure that is being attributed to Eddie on future success may not be portraying him in a good light and without going into detail, he and l have had a number of discussions on this matter and he has been extremely helpful.

In my opinion, it is highly unlikely this amount will ever be paid. Depending on the future success of the club on the field Ed will benefit, but this is a contingent liability and was known from the outset.

As regards to the embargo, we are working away at trying to get this lifted, but it is not an easy thing to do because of the legacy we inherited. The filing of the accounts ticks another box and goes a long way to helping us exit in the foreseeable future.

The comments on Prescott Business Park (PBP) and Michael James accurately reflect the situation but like Eddie and Brett, Mike has been extremely helpful and patient, and constructive and amenable discussions continue. Once again, this is a legacy issue that we inherited as the assets were sold prior to our arrival.

I have not said that the buyback of the assets and the refinancing is being prohibited by a council granted order on the land - what I said is that I do not think the order is helpful to the club going forward.

We have appealed the decision and are in dialogue with the council on the matter as l write. I would also mention that the tenants/neighbours and PBP are supportive of our appeal.

I do not intend to make any further comments on these issues and will now focus on giving the manager as much support as I can in getting a competitive squad together for the fast approaching season.

As I mentioned earlier on in this column, the hotel is continuing to drive additional revenue for the business with a whole range of events being accommodated over the coming months.

This weekend, we are a key venue for the Ironman UK tournament which is being held locally. The hotel and stadium will be the changeover point from the cycling to the marathon, while many of the international athletes are residing in the hotel.

The International Football Programme is continuing to grow apace and we will be accommodating teams from Saudi Arabia (Ittihad FC), United States, Kenya and Colombia over the coming weeks.

Indeed, we will also be sending out some of our own coaches, led by Danny Clarke, to San Francisco.

Please continue to support the hotel by attending their many events and by following them on their social media channels to keep up to date.

Finally, we will be revealing our home and away kits at 5pm this evening and I am certain that all Wanderers fans will be delighted by them.

It goes without saying that I hope as many of you wear your colours throughout the season, both home and away, to get behind Phil and the lads.

Every penny you spend at the club really helps us strengthen the team going forward.

Kind regards,

Ken

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Our pre-season campaign has got off to a very good start and it’s good to see the players back in action ahead of the start of our Sky Bet Championship campaign which is only a few weeks away.
We have been busy strengthening the squad and it’s been pleasing that we’ve managed to get a huge chunk of our business done early in the window.
We are still talking to several targets and we hope to get them over the line in the near future.

We were delighted to get Sammy Ameobi back at the club. He became a firm fans’ favourite during his spell with us last season and we all know what a match winner he can be.
We also managed to tie up a loan deal for Newcastle United’s Adam Armstrong. He’s an exciting young prospect whom Newcastle hold in the highest regard.
A lot of clubs were interested in getting him on loan and I’m pleased that Bolton Wanderers Football Club were entrusted to further his football education.

Alongside Sammy and Adam, we’ve also brought in Will Buckley, Stephen Darby and Mark Little as well as re-signing Jem Karacan, Adam Le Fondre, Dorian Dervite, David Wheater, Andrew Taylor, Filipe Morais and Gary Madine, who all played an integral role in our promotion back to the Sky Bet Championship.

Like I mentioned earlier, we are pleased that the bulk of our business has been done early on, but we are looking to strengthen even further before that opening game against Leeds United.

Elsewhere, I was delighted to hear about our club chaplain Phil Mason receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton for his amazing work with our local community.

As you know, Phil also heads up the Community Trust whose exceptional work across many fields is crucial to the town. Congratulations Phil on this great honour.

Off the field, season ticket and hospitality sales continue to soar with Bolton Wanderers fans getting behind the club in numbers.
We have already surpassed the total figure of season tickets sold the last time we were in the Championship while there are only a few Executive Boxes remaining.
If you haven’t already done so, please book your season ticket now by clicking here.
If you want to sample some of our gold standard, award winning matchday hospitality, download our hospitality brochure by clicking here or call our Sales Team on 01204 673761 for more information.

I'd like to take this opportunity to place on record my sincere gratitude to all the staff at Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Bolton Whites Hotel for their continued hard work, especially at this stage of the year when we are all preparing for a new and long season ahead.
They are all a credit to the club and I'm sure all our supporters appreciate their hard work as much as I do.

Our Commercial team have also worked exceptionally to bring in new sponsors as well as strengthening bonds and relationships with long standing partners.
I would like to welcome all our new sponsors on board as well as convey my gratitude to all our existing partners whose continued support is invaluable.

I read with interest the results of The Bolton News’ Bolton Wanderers fans’ survey and it was pleasing to note the confidence you all have in the team for next season. It is clear there is an air of excitement at Macron Stadium.

Ever since I came to the club, I’ve been impressed by Wanderers supporters but towards the end of the last campaign it was stunning how you all came together as one to help the lads get over the line.
Those last few matches at Macron Stadium where our crowds were in excess of 20,000 were simply sensational. I will never forget the atmosphere that was generated.

We’ve got some huge matches coming up in the opening stages of the season: Leeds United on Sunday 6 August, Derby County on Saturday 19 August, Middlesbrough on Saturday 9 September, and Sheffield United on Tuesday 12 September.

By helping to make Macron Stadium a fortress like you did last season, you will continue to play an important role for the club and turn our home into a loud, imposing and intimidating venue for the visiting teams.

Help us spread the word whether that be in person or on social media. Get your friends, families and colleagues to come and cheer on Bolton Wanderers. We are a great sporting town and have been an institution here for over 140 years.

The bigger our support is, the easier it becomes for us to persuade top players to come and play for us.

Admittedly, it has been a very difficult a job due to the legacy we inherited but because of the fantastic backing of our supporters, l had no hesitation in doing what was required and it was the enthusiasm, loyalty and support from you all and the wider community that has made it all worthwhile.
With your continued support, I am sure we will all see the light at the end of the tunnel and get the club back where it belongs.

Last week we launched our brand new kit for the coming season which is inspired by the kit our players wore 20 years ago when the stadium first opened.
I’ve been really pleased with the feedback from you all regarding the new designs and it’d be great to see as many of you as possible wear your colours at home and on your travels this season.
Shirts are now available to pre-order online by clicking here or visiting Bolton Central in person.

Finally, our last friendly of the pre-season takes place in just over a week’s time when we take on Premier League side Stoke City at Macron Stadium on Saturday 29 July.
I am looking forward to seeing as many of you here as possible and start as we mean to go on.
Tickets are just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and you can book them by clicking here or again, visiting Bolton Central.
Kind regards,

Ken

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Work is continuing extensively behind the scenes by everybody to try and get several more players on board before the start of the season.
As the manager has already stated, our aim is to make sure we have cover in every position but also that extra quality and having greater tactical flexibility to master a number of systems.
We are all focused on getting a good squad together that will hopefully stand us in good stead for the forthcoming season in the Sky Bet Championship and I think Phil's recent comments have clearly indicated the hard work that is going on at the training ground and the thinking and logic behind the team selections in the recent friendly matches.
Elsewhere around the club, we were delighted to be able to announce our charity partners for the coming season this morning, details of which can be found here.
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All five organisations are extremely worthwhile causes and I look forward to seeing them benefit from our support during the next year.
I feel it important meanwhile to clarify our position on the departure of Shaun McHugh who was Head of Finance and the reference to three members of staff in that position as having left in the past 12 months.
The facts are that Anthony Massey, who was in position prior to the takeover, made it clear at the time of Dean and I acquiring the club that he would be resigning.
Anthony stayed on for longer than his period of notice and as far as I am aware, he left on good terms. Indeed, he has been of assistance to us on a number of matters and attended a number of matches last season.
We were all very disappointed when John Pelling left but his reasons for doing so were completely understandable, in that he left to join a Premier League club with the obvious benefits and it also being closer to home.
Again, John left on very good terms and is in regular contact with the club and has helped us out on a number of issues.
As regards to Shaun McHugh, it was our decision not to continue his employment at the end of his probationary period. We all wish Shaun the best in his future employment and are thankful for the work he did whilst with us.
I have made it very clear on a number of occasions that the legacy we inherited was always going to make things very difficult both financially and on the pitch, and that as they say, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'.
But against all expectations, we are making progress and despite all the obstacles along the way, we achieved our main aim of returning to the Championship at our first attempt.
We are still working on improving our finances and are slowly making progress.
Yes, for sure, there will be problems along the way and the last few months were always going to be the most challenging and a stern test, as they are for many clubs at this time of the year, with little or no income and large end of season expenses, but l truly believe that we are gradually improving the club's situation.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at our pre-season friendly against Stoke City on Saturday 29 July at Macron Stadium. Tickets are currently on sale and can be bought on line by clicking here.
The brand new shirts are also now available to pre-order as are the stylish new training wear range which I'm sure will prove to be very popular among our supporters.
Please continue to support the club by wearing your colours both home and away. Visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for more information.
Kind regards
Ken

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In just under a fortnight's time, we will be ready for our opening Sky Bet Championship fixture against Leeds United in front of the Sky Sports cameras and a rocking Macron Stadium.

On Saturday, we had our toughest workout of the pre-season so far against a Fleetwood Town side whom we know performed very well last season in League One and fought all the way.

That said, it was disappointing that we didn't create many chances and couldn't maintain our unbeaten run.

However, there are a couple of more fixtures before the game against Leeds including the match against Stoke City at Macron Stadium on Saturday - our one and only pre-season friendly on home soil - where I know the players will be working hard to earn their place in the starting XI.

Tickets are still available and can be bought by CLICKING HERE.

Although the game at Highbury featured our senior players, the pre-season as a whole has given the younger players from our squad, including players who have progressed from our Academy, the opportunity to play alongside their more senior colleagues to garner some valuable experience.

There have been some notable performances which I am sure will give the manager a welcome boost and some food for thought when the Sky Bet Championship season gets underway.

Over the past two seasons, more playing time in the first team has been afforded to Academy graduates than at any other point over the previous 13 years. I see no reason why this cannot continue going forward.

It is important that a club like ours continues to develop young players and provide them with the chance to make a career out of the game.

Special praise must go to Jimmy Phillips and the Academy staff as a whole for their sterling work in developing young players.

Meanwhile, off the field, the hearing regarding our challenge to the Asset of Community Value (ACV) has been deferred until a later date at the request of Bolton Council.

I welcome the hearing which will give all parties an opportunity to put their cases forward.

However, as I have mentioned in previous columns, I believe that the ACV on the stadium, hotel and land is not good for the club.

With the Leeds United game being broadcast live, as I mentioned earlier, it will be the ideal time for businesses to take advantage of our broad range of advertising and sponsorship opportunities which we have available.

Whether that is an advertisement on our big screen or on our perimeter LED boards, please give our Sales Team a call on 01204 673761 to discuss the options and associate your brand with Bolton Wanderers Football Club.

If you haven’t already experienced our award-winning, gold standard match day hospitality, then why not try it out for the Leeds United game?

If you are a season ticket holder, you can upgrade to the Lion of Vienna Suite for just £50 or you can buy a place for just £80.

Click here to buy your place now. Alternatively, please call our Sales Team on 01204 673761 if you wish to book one of our Executive Boxes or watch the game from any of our other luxurious suites.

As a reminder, there is still time for you to buy a season ticket if you haven't already done so and make big savings. Please CLICK HERE for more details.

Having big crowds last year really helped to get us over the line and your continued passionate support is very much appreciated by everyone at the club.

With the purple away shirt proving popular, the home shirts are available to pre-order so that you can wear them before they go on general sale later in the week.

The training kit is also available too, with more information is available here.

I look forward to seeing you all back home at Macron Stadium this Saturday for our friendly against Stoke.

Kind regards,

Ken

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Let's have the Leeds scum!

EFL slapped a 4.5K per week cap on wages.

Disputed by Ken Anderson