Bolton Wanderers to appeal EFL wage cap ruling

WANDERERS potentially face losing out on their top summer transfer targets if they fail in an appeal against EFL salary cap changes.
A new directive issued last week more than halves the wage Phil Parkinson’s side will be able to offer new signings.
The Whites will be limited to contracts of £4,500-a-week, which is a significant drop on the £600,000-per-annum (£11,500-a-week) level set previously at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
Wanderers were able to offer better deals as a League One club last season – and chairman Ken Anderson is set to argue his case with league officials on Thursday.

If he is unable to reach a compromise, the new directive will apply to any new signings until the club is able to clear the embargo altogether.
The rules, which apply to any Championship clubs in an embargo, also state Wanderers will be limited to a staff of 23 players and will only be able to loan players for half a season.
They are also unable to pay loan fees and cannot contribute more than 100 per cent of a player’s contracted wage with his parent club.
Although Wanderers have managed to stock their squad well so far this season, bringing in the likes of Sammy Ameobi, Will Buckley and Adam Le Fondre, there are still areas in which it looks painfully in need of reinforcement.

Andy Taylor remains the only senior left-back in the squad, while a replacement has not yet been found for Jay Spearing.
Steve Parkin admitted the recruitment process has been an arduous one for manager Parkinson, with Wanderers’ budget eclipsed by the vast majority of their rivals in the second tier.
“It is difficult,” he told The Bolton News. “We are still trying to bring players in and in an ideal world we’d have three or four more just for the base strength of the squad. I think that would benefit the ones we’ve already got as well as make us a lot stronger.
“He can’t try any harder. But it is a lot more difficult to get players in the Championship than it is in League One. The level of wages are much higher and it’s a difficult job to get the ones you want.”

Salary caps have also been reduced in League One and Two to £1,300 per week and £800 per week, respectively.

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The £600,000 pw as referred to above (and which is queried in Anderson's reply) seems to be from -

6 Consequences of non-fulfilment of the Fair Play Requirement of these Rules (effective 1st December 2014)


6.1.3 has less than 24 Established Players, but these will only be allowed where the annual Employee Cost of the Player coming in is no more than £600,000 per annum (or pro-rata for shorter contract lengths);



It would seem the 'new' amounts have either not yet commenced or the EFL's own website is not up to date on this matter? -

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The £600k came from the EFL Press Office so seems like their website might be the issue.

Kane57 wrote:The £600k came from the EFL Press Office so seems like their website might be the issue.

Have you seen the EFL Press Office statement, if so what exactly does it state - in particular when does the reduced 'wages' take effect?

What I'm guessing is that they are notification of a reduction - not that a reduction has already happened.

Maybe the club still has a narrow window to bring a player or two in before the reduction takes effect?

(This would also explain why their web site still shows the amount it does £11,500 per week - and not the amount now proposed of £4,500 pw - as the date for the decrease as not yet arrived).

I've seen a screenshot. Safe to say they've shifted the goalposts massively since 2015.

When o when will this fooking mess be sorted out. File the fooking paperwork and get out of the embargo or sell the club to somebody with a pot to piss in. 
In looking at the league table this morning to find three teams potentially worse than us...Barnsley,
Burton, Preston..... all the others have spent money or have more wherewithal than us.  It's looking a little scary at the moment.  IMO

Preston have finished around the 10th or 11th position since they went up to the Championship.

I know they've lost Grayson, but  I will be surprised if we finish above them in the coming season.

Cajunboy wrote:Preston have finished around the 10th or 11th position since they went up to the Championship.

I know they've lost Grayson, but  I will be surprised if we finish above them in the coming season.

Probably right ....but where does that leave us then ...... 3rd bottom 

You never know though....we could be the surprise of the division...... a Fleetwood of the Champs perhaps.

Finally there are some significant consequences to the embargo and unfortunately KA doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to get it lifted.


I think that KA has not been taking the prospect of finding a new owner seriously, seeming content to consolidate his shareholding, but maybe this will encourage him to look at what the club really needs.

It amazes me that the club thinks any of these twats are worth more than £4,500 per week.

Does this mean that we won't be able to get the lads from West Ham?