Ken Anderson - update.

In relation to the Bolton News article which has been published online this evening, I feel it is important that I clear up some points.
No new directive was issued to us last week and we never made an appeal to the EFL last week.
Also, I am not sure where the figure quoted of £11,500 a week for 2015/16 has originated from.
I have regular dialogue with the EFL on a number of matters but there are no plans to meet up at the present time.
I would like to reassure you all that I am continuing to work very hard to get the embargo lifted as previously stated.
As always, I will keep you fully informed on any progress via the club's channels.
Kind regards,
Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Tweet from Iles -

KA passed message via his comms dept at 5.30pm to say he'd be speaking with EFL tomorrow. Other #bwfc staff backed up salary cap changes.

This is how it sounds to me -

Anderson and the EFL closely involved with each other over the embargo for a considerable time and with players being signed as recently as last week. it seems everything was as good as could be.

Away from this a body at the EFL has come up with a new ruling (last week) on embargo's in general and have circulated it to clubs (and the press).

Anderson and whoever he's been involved with at the EFL believe the details of the new ruling doesn't apply in our case.

Iles believes it does and gone ahead with the story (it seemed the club knew he was going to run it and told him to hang fire whilst they checked that their understanding that everything was ok, was the right one).

Anderson issues a 'Keep Calm and don't Panic' statement and belatedly seeks a meeting with the EFL to understand exactly what the score is.

Supporters Trust 'like' Iles story and the Anti Anderson boys such as Smurf having a grand time -

mark heap‏ @Marcus1EH
5 hours ago

I see the BWST has liked this article ! Can anyone tell me one progressive thing the Trust has done for supposedly their club ?

bwfc smurf
26th July ‎09‎:‎08‎ ‎PM

Just read the chairman's post on the club website, which totally contradicts the info in this BN article. To say I am angry does not get anywhere near describing how I really feel. One of you is obviously lying and I think to treat the good folk who follow BWFC like this is down right vile. I hope you get everything you deserve for treating us like your play thing.

Whitesmurf
26th July ‎10‎:‎31‎ ‎PM

Kens is, let me put this delicately, mistaken . I've seen the EFL statement and Mark Iles is right. I also hear that our Ken is speaking to the EFL tomorrow....



I can't understand why Iles didn't offer to hold off printing the story one more day to allow Anderson time to establish with the EFL if this new ruling effects teams like us who are already under EFL embargo monitoring or just for new embargo's that may be issued from the date of the ruling onwards.

I certainly don't think Iles is helping anyone for breaking what could hopefully be a non-story if the current Anderson/EFL dealings are left unaffected by this - most of all himself.

Almost as though Iles is in the anti-Anderson camp himself.

Anderson remember - being the only one keeping the club solvent at the moment!

It was great to bring the curtain down on our pre-season with a very good performance against Premier League opposition.
Stoke City were by far and away the toughest test we have faced in our build-up to the league campaign getting underway next week and I thought we more than held our own against an established top flight team.
We were in front – thanks to Adam Le Fondre’s great goal -  for a large portion of the contest and only two late goals denied us a win.
That said, it was a great game of football and the performance was very pleasing going into the Leeds United game next Sunday.
Pre-season as a whole has given the manager Phil Parkinson and his staff plenty of food for thought.
As well as allowing our new signings to gel, it also has given us an opportunity to cast our eye over some of the younger players within our ranks, some of whom will get a chance to make their professional debuts over the course of the season.
There has been a great deal of commentary over the past few days concerning the sustainability of the monies currently being spent on players in the Premier League and Championship.
I fully endorse the view that it is not sustainable and over the last few months, we have been working hard towards getting ourselves in a position to achieve a sustainable business plan going forward.
When l look at our squad costs for this coming season, we now have one of the lowest budgets in the Sky Bet Championship and compared to our budgets for the past two seasons, we have made great headway in replacing the 'big hitters' with more affordable players without sacrificing the quality needed for the challenges ahead.
I also believe we now have a better balanced squad and cover in all positions.
That said, if we had the financial resources of the recently-relegated Premier League clubs, we would be in a position to bring in even more players. Like Mick McCarthy at Ipswich said, it’s a position we would love to have been in!
It was a shame that we had to loan Ben Amos out, but unfortunately, as our most expensive player, it made prudent financial sense, even though the loan fee only goes a short way to covering his costs.
With three other keepers in the squad, Ben’s going makes football sense as well as it frees up another much-needed squad place.
We all wish Ben well for the season and in my opinion, it's important that he gets game time this season.
In the meantime, we are all continuing to look to improve the depth and quality of the squad and I am confident of three or four more signings in the coming weeks before the window closes.
It’s just a week until our opening game of the Sky Bet Championship when Leeds United visit Macron Stadium for a match in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Everybody connected with the club is looking forward to this fixture and there is an air of excitement around the town.
Tickets and hospitality are still available for this game and can be purchased online by visiting here.
Season tickets sales are already ahead of the last two seasons we spent in the Championship and there is still time for you to make big savings when compared to buying tickets on a match by match basis. If you haven’t already done so, please purchase yours by clicking here.
Let’s continue to make Macron Stadium a fortress where our opponents are greeted by a constant cauldron of noise. Let your passion for the club shine as you get behind the lads from kick-off until final whistle.
Let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get Macron Stadium rocking.
Kind regards,
Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were all celebrating our return to the Sky Bet Championship following that final day victory against Peterborough United at Macron Stadium in April.

The role you all played, throughout the season right up until the end, helped the club to achieve its ultimate ambition of an automatic return to the second tier.

And here we are, about to savour the fruits of our collective hard work by facing Leeds United in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Sunday for the start of the campaign.

This is where we wanted to be when the season kicked off last year and I am pleased that the club has made the progress we all wanted it to.

But the hard work doesn’t stop, and for us all to continue to make this upward progress, we all need to continue working together, as we have been doing.

Towards the end of last season we played in front of some crowds at Macron Stadium that were in excess of 20,000 spectators.

This proves that the town of Bolton is very passionate about its football club, and I know that we have supporters from all over the country and overseas too who travel long distances to come and support us.

I would like to thank everybody who has purchased a season ticket for this campaign. Your commitment is valued and appreciated by us all.

We have sold just over 11,000 at the moment and anticipate that this figure will surge before Sunday. We have already sold over a thousand more than last season and more than our past two campaigns in the Championship.

Being a season ticket holder offers great value and you can make a huge saving on the cost of watching Wanderers compared to buying on a match by match basis.

If you haven’t yet bought your season ticket, there is still time to get the greatest value possible by purchasing it before Sunday. You can buy online now by clicking here.

Come and join 11,000 of your fellow Wanderers and fuel the passion for every single home game during the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship. Let’s make Macron Stadium the fortress it was last season.

Season ticket holders can also experience our award winning matchday hospitality at a special price throughout the season.

It is a good opportunity to experience the match in a different way and sample our offering. For the upgrade fee of just £50, you can watch this Sunday’s game from the Lion Of Vienna Suite.

As well as excellent food and pre-match entertainment, you can watch the game from a cushioned seat on the halfway line of the Nat Lofthouse Stand Upper Tier.

Please contact our Sales Team on 01204 673761 or email [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to discuss all our excellent hospitality packages for the remainder of the season.

I’m pleased to say that the brand new home and away kits have proved to be very popular and it’s been great to see you wear your colours throughout the pre-season campaign. Get your kits today and help enhance the matchday atmosphere home and away.

I’m happy to report that a number of local businesses have got behind the club to take out sponsorships, partnerships and advertising packages.

These are the ideal ways to associate their brands with their town’s local football club. Again, our Sales Team are available to discuss all our options so please give them a call on 01204 673761.

We are very confident that we’ll add to the squad over the next couple of days with some more quality additions. Signing players is a difficult job but the club’s football department have worked assiduously this summer to enhance the squad and we are still looking to bring in more recruits ahead of the transfer deadline at the end of the month.

Much has been written about the transfer embargo and the consequent salary cap over recent days and we are still having to work under these constraints.

We will be having dialogue with the EFL this week, so I don’t really want to make any further comment on this. Please be assured though that we will always continue to fight to get what is best for the club.

Sports Shield will be in the High Court on Monday to face the winding up petition brought by BluMarble. Dean Holdsworth and I have reached an agreement in principle but this is contingent on the winding up petition being dismissed.

Again, as the hearing is forthcoming, I cannot add any further comments.

Regarding the recent filing of the accounts, there has been some comment as to why they show the group as making a paper profit which of course is not an accurate reflection of the trading.

We are all immensely grateful for Eddie Davies’ generosity in waiving the loans and for his ongoing support. In the meantime we continue to work our way through to improve the trading results.

Over recent weeks, we have met with a number of parties and individuals who have expressed an interest in investing in the club but nothing has yet come to fruition.

My door will always remain open to speak with those who express a genuine interest and I will of course update you all as and when any progress is made.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Macron Stadium are a very attractive proposition and we are club steeped with heritage throughout the course of our 140-year history.

We present an attractive opportunity for investors. As I have said from day one, if somebody was able or willing to come in and provide the necessary funding to take the club onto the next level and into the Premier League then I would be willing to pass the baton on.

But in the meantime, I am really enjoying my time as Chairman and cannot wait until Sunday for our opening game of the season.

Kind regards,

Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Although the result wasn’t the one we wanted, it was great to be back in competitive action back at Macron Stadium for our opening game of the Sky Bet Championship against Leeds United.
We were caught off guard in the first half and to concede the goals in the manner we did was a little bit disappointing as the manager has noted in his post-match comments.
That said, it was a much improved second-half display where our players showed immense character and battling qualities to almost salvage a point against a side that I believe will be in contention for promotion to the Premier League at the end of the campaign.
We now need to dust ourselves down and move on to the next game. The key is not to dwell on what has happened but to learn from the mistakes and take a positive attitude into the forthcoming games. 
We suffered a setback before a ball was kicked with the news that Sammy Ameobi and captain Darren Pratley were not available for selection due to injury and illness respectively.
Sammy won’t be available for up to six weeks as he recovers from minor knee surgery.
We’ve had bad luck with injuries and to lose Josh Vela and David Wheater during the game was a massive blow.
Josh will be having a scan on Monday morning, but the injury does not look good I’m afraid.
This would be terrible news considering how well he has done recently and when you take into account Sammy's injury, it is a body blow before the season has got going.
I thought our crowd was magnificent on Sunday and helped to generate another fantastic Macron Stadium atmosphere.
It was good to see you all back at home and if we can continue to have crowds like that for the rest of the season, then I’m sure it will have a positive impact on our performances.
Tickets and hospitality are on general sale for our next home league game against Derby County and can be bought by clicking here
We’ve got the opportunity of bouncing back from defeat almost immediately with a short trip to Crewe Alexandra on Wednesday night for our first foray in the Carabao Cup.
I’m sure the manager will make some changes to the team in view of the frenetic start to the campaign, and it will give the opportunity for some of the squad to stake a claim for the trip to Millwall at the weekend.
Crewe will provide a stern challenge though and we’ll have to be on our guard if we are to progress to the next round.
Sales for the new kit have been very encouraging and it was pleasing to see so many of you wearing the home and away shirts.  If you haven’t already bought yours, please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to order yours today.

Sports Shield BWFC’s (SSBWFC) Winding Up Petition hearing in the High Court today with Blu Marble was adjourned again for a further 14 days to enable the EFL  to consider the several options put to them by Blu Marble lawyers.
Once again, l must emphasise that the hearing is not anything to do with the club. Neither the club or l have any control over this matter as it relates solely to SSBWFC, Dean Holdsworth and Blu Marble and not the club.
I have, however, expressed the club’s preferred settlement option and this is now with the EFL for consideration. Hopefully, the issues will finally be resolved at the hearing on the August 21, until then neither the club or l will be making any further comment. 

Finally, I would encourage as many of you as possible who are members of the Supporters Trust to fill in the survey they recently issued. The information will prove to be very insightful as we look to strengthen the relation between the Club and Trust going forward.
Kind regards,
Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Helping advertise the ST survey? 

Things must have mellowed with the change of leadership i presume?

Norpig wrote:Helping advertise the ST survey? 

Things must have mellowed with the change of leadership i presume?

Or he wants them onside whilst he's trying to get that Community Asset Order against the ground lifted!

Hadn't thought of that Sluffy but i'll bet that's it. Once he has it lifted he'll tell them to do one 

Or, he's expecting a poor, or damaging, response, which may strengthen his hand in the future.

It feels a long time since our season opener against Leeds United, but that is simply down to the relentlessness of the season, particularly early on in the campaign.
I am sure, like myself however, that you are all thoroughly enjoying being back in the thick of it and are relishing what lies ahead for us.
It has been great meanwhile to see our new recruits making their mark in the team from the outset, with a number of sterling performances from them in recent weeks.
As a unit though, the players have looked impressive as they have picked up hard-earned points on the road against Millwall and Birmingham City and last time out here against Leeds United, although we ended up losing the match, the passion and determination to try and force a result from a difficult position was extremely pleasing.
Come the final whistle, you could sense your appreciation towards the players and that will mean a lot to them as they pit their wits against some tough opponents throughout 2017/18.
We have however been hit once again with an injury jinx, with a number of key players being sidelined in the first few matches.
We are no stranger to this though and I am sure, as we proved last season, that our team spirit and passion will shine through and those players who have perhaps not figured prominently so far will step up to the plate.
We were also pleased to be handed a home time in the Carabao Cup this coming Tuesday against Sheffield Wednesday as reward for beating Crewe Alexandra last week.
The players’ efforts against Crewe were very pleasing – to come from behind to win in any game, regardless of the level of opposition – is no mean feat and everybody at the club was pleased to get that first win under our belts, albeit in cup action.
I hope to see as many of you as possible back down here at Macron Stadium on Tuesday for our second round tie against the Owls.
Tickets are currently available from Bolton Central, by phoning 0844 871 2932 or visiting [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
For those of you wishing to experience our award winning hospitality for this fixture, please contact our Corporate Sales team on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or 01204 673 761.
Although the campaign is now underway, season tickets are still available to purchase, with fans able to enjoy much better value with one compared to buying tickets on a match-by-match basis. Details of such can be found at HERE or by contacting our retail outlet directly.
Enjoy the game tomorrow and as usual, let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get behind the team.
Kind regards,
Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

As many of you will be aware, the BluMarble winding-up application against Sports Shield BWFC came before the court today and culminated in them being wound up.
Once again, l would like to reiterate that the application was against Dean Holdsworth’s company Sports Shield BWFC and not the club, although l accept that there could be detrimental knock-on effects for the club, but l am doing my upmost to ensure this does not happen. 
Over the last couple of months, l have had a number of approaches from both UK and international prospective buyers/investors to sell my shares in the club and in order to ensure that these offers are dealt with in a professional and business-like manner and with the club’s best interests in mind, l asked Paul Aldridge to manage the various discussions.
As l have said in the past, if someone with the wherefore and financial resources to take the club forward comes along, then l am always happy to meet with them.
So far, however, the various people who have said they are in a position to do so have been unable to provide financial proof of funds and to be honest, have wasted a great deal of our time.
Furthermore, the vultures and pariahs need not apply as this club has achieved a great deal over the last 18 months and is not in the financial position it was when l first became involved.
It is a much more attractive proposition on the field as well having achieved promotion from League One at its first attempt, which in itself is a major achievement and even more so when you consider the transfer embargo.
As l have said in the past, the efforts and achievements by the management, staff and supporters in achieving this should never be forgotten. 
That said, l fully appreciate that Bolton Wanderers is and always will be a big club and that will automatically mean that there will be a great deal of interest in this fantastic club.
This was only reiterated by Harry Redknapp’s recent comments regarding our manager and also our stature as a football club in England.
For someone of his experience in the game to give us such high praise is something we should be very proud of. The club has moved a long way forward from those dark days of 2015/16 when it was relegated and in dire financial straits.  
That is not to say that we are out of the woods, but we can say that we do see light at the end of the tunnel and with the continued support of our staff, sponsors and supporters, anything is possible. You only have to look at Huddersfield Town to see proof of that.
The financial position of the club today is at its best since l became involved and the sustainable business plan will be completed by the end of this season, albeit that it is a long way from what l inherited and whilst some of my actions have not always been pleasant, they have been necessary to ensure the club has a sustainable future. 
We are in a very good place on the field as has been evidenced with the manager and Steve Parkin signing their new contracts and strengthening the squad throughout the summer months with numerous talented players.
I would also like to acknowledge the support that our Supporters’ Trust are giving to the Academy Fund and we endeavour to work closely with them from hereon in for the benefit of this great football club.
I have every confidence in the people who run the club, hotel and associated businesses on a daily basis, however, and I can honestly say that they are all doing an excellent job in getting the club back where it belongs and on a sustainable footing for the future.
I will do my best to keep everyone abreast of the consequences of the SSBWFC winding up over the next few days, but as always l am optimistic on the outcome.
Together, we will succeed. 
Ken

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Great to see he is carrying on with the great communication but still lots of unanswered questions we need answers to i think.

Who is interested in the club?
Will the EFL punish us for this?
Is KA planning to buy the liquidated shares?
If one of the interested parties buys these shares would he sell his share to them?

Will the EFL punish us for this? - The EFL will discuss this in September according to the BBC story I posted on the liquidation thread

So many questions to be answered.

It sure is frustrating being in the dark,  especially the EFL position on this fiasco.

BoltonTillIDie wrote:Will the EFL punish us for this? - The EFL will discuss this in September according to the BBC story I posted on the liquidation thread

Surely watching the shite on the pitch is punishment enough.

Talk about stringing it out, we have to wait until sometime in September? We need to know what we are faced with as soon as possible! The whole future of the club could depend on whether the EFL effectively sends us back down to league 1 and the knock on effects of putting off potential interested parties.

Obviously I'm not in the know about much of this but my best guess at answering some of your questions are -

Points Deduction?

George Bower who does know a thing or two about this has done a bit of research that seems to suggest we won't suffer any points deduction for SSBWFC being liquidated.

The EFL's key wording seems to revolve around the 'Group' business being unable to trade - that is Burnden Leisure.

Although Holdsworth owns a third of the 'group' (or did until today) it is still solvent (trading) so the EFL points deduction is not applicable.

Who is interested in the club?

I strongly suspect the current ST Board would be - don't forget they went for Preferred Bidder Status to buy it from Davies.

Anderson says that interest is both domestic and foreign but up to now nobody as shown they have any money to buy or invest into the club.

Until someone does - or we fall into Administration nothing much will change in respect of the ownership of which Anderson is the majority share holder.

Will KA buy the shares from the liquidator?

If he offers most for them he will.

It's hard to know who might be interested in them and what they would pay.

As it is only a minority shareholding, I doubt many investors will see them being an attractive buy - thus leaving Anderson with a better chance of getting them.

Would KA sell his shares to whoever buys the Holdsworth's ones.

I'm sure he would - and he could ask top dollar for them because he is in a position of strength owning the majority of the clubs shares.

I can't see someone buying Holdsworth shares then seeking to buy Anderson's shares would make much sense. If they wanted full share ownership it would be better to make an agreement with Anderson first.


Hope this helps.

Don't think the ST have a pot to piss in unless they come begging for money from its members and even then they still have no chance.

Norpig wrote:Don't think the ST have a pot to piss in unless they come begging for money from its members and even then they still have no chance.

Didn't they have access to 'high net worth individuals and business's' only last year?

Or so they claimed.

Surely they wouldn't have told any porkies would they?