What damage has been done to Bolton after players strike?

THE hope on Friday night after Wanderers’ players had refused en-mass to play against St Mirren was that a point had been made, and that the club could move on quickly.
The whole squad reached the conclusion the only way they could make a statement to owner Ken Anderson about missing bonuses and, in one case, wages, was to down tools.
It was an unprecedented and drastic course of action – and one which was never going to be met with universal approval among supporters, not least the ones who had lost money travelling or buying tickets to the match.

It is also ambitious to believe the club will return to normality any time soon.
Anderson’s venomous reply on Saturday warned that “appropriate action” would be taken against those who instigated the strike. There was also a suggestion that players should recompense fans who had missed out on the trip.
Wanderers will also have to make financial amends to St Mirren, who have definitely been left out of pocket from this whole sorry affair.
As the squad returns to Lostock for training this morning, it is clear there is still plenty to sort.
The Professional Footballer’s Association are now involved and their input is likely to shape the players’ next step as they absorb the stinging retort from the chairman.

Phil Parkinson can ill-afford such distraction. His team defied the odds to survive last season but with just 27 days to go before the first game of the Championship campaign, he believes the squad is still eight players short.
One signing was close to completion on Friday, and a couple of others have progressed during the weekend. And that will come as good news for supporters who were worried the strike situation could put off potential new recruits.
But what damage has this whole affair done to the spine of the squad, carried through from last season? Team spirit was one of their biggest assets, so could this rift with Anderson affect much more than a summer friendly?

One of the main complaints from within the group of players is that there was no communication from the club at the end of June that bonus payments would not be paid.
When clarity was sought before the players travelled up to Scotland for a week-long training camp, players were instructed that the payments would be issued on Friday.
Anderson maintains the payments were ready and waiting before he was informed of the players’ decision to strike.
“The players gave me an ultimatum that unless these sums were received on Friday they would not take part in the game planned for Saturday against St Mirren,” said the club owner, adding that he would not be “blackmailed or threatened.”
The players claim they were only requesting the money due to them for securing the club another season in the Championship, a prize estimated at around £7m by Anderson himself a few months ago.
Anderson’s threat of further punishment does not give the impression there will be a swift conclusion to the misery for Bolton fans.
“It is very unfortunate that the players took the decision not to play today and the club will take the appropriate actions against those involved,” he said on Saturday.
The PFA are likely to be used as mediators, as they have at Wanderers in the past. Bolton old boy Gordon Taylor is said to be taking a personal interest in the problems at his former club.
All the while, manager Parkinson is caught in the middle of an incredible situation and must pick his way through six more friendlies and continue building a squad at least capable of repeating last year's survival effort.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16340969.what-damage-has-been-done-to-bolton-after-players-strike/?ref=mrb&lp=2

Ken should pay our players their wages and  bonuses before he pays St Mirren compensation!

Growler wrote:Ken should pay our players their wages and  bonuses before he pays St Mirren compensation!

Why shouldn't the platers pay St Mirren after all it was they that caused the match not to be played by going on (what is now seeming to be unofficial) strike action.

I'm sure they could easily afford it from the bonuses they picked up for being 'fourth shittiest' team in the league last season and which no doubt hit their banks today.

Sluffy wrote:

Growler wrote:Ken should pay our players their wages and  bonuses before he pays St Mirren compensation!

Why shouldn't the platers pay St Mirren after all it was they that caused the match not to be played by going on (what is now seeming to be unofficial) strike action.

The strike was in response to Anderson reneging on their contracts so surely it's Anderson that caused it as he initiated the whole fiasco.

Had the contracts been honoured, none of this would have happened.

And its Anderson who has offered bonuses for finishing 4th bottom of the 2nd tier.Maybe he should get bigger dreams?

wanderlust wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

Growler wrote:Ken should pay our players their wages and  bonuses before he pays St Mirren compensation!

Why shouldn't the platers pay St Mirren after all it was they that caused the match not to be played by going on (what is now seeming to be unofficial) strike action.

The strike was in response to Anderson reneging on their contracts so surely it's Anderson that caused it as he initiated the whole fiasco.

Had the contracts been honoured, none of this would have happened.

If the strike (and withdrawal of labour) was held illegally then it's certainly not Anderson's fault that the match didn't go ahead and St Mirren incurred costs.

The players had formal channels to go down in respect of their grievance - unofficial strike is not one of them.

TBH I'm more interested in what possible reason Anderson had for NOT paying them what he had agreed.

It couldn't be anything to do with not having the money to pay as Sluffy has constantly referenced what a great job Anderson is doing in managing the business and the "business plan" he claims to have in place would have included all the commitments he made - so why?

Growler wrote:And its Anderson who has offered bonuses for finishing 4th bottom of the 2nd tier.Maybe he should get bigger dreams?

He did have bigger dreams for this season in the improvement in player recruitment we were aiming at - pity if an apparent petty, vindictive, unofficial strike has put paid to all of that because the millionaire players couldn't wait a single working day more for their bonuses to hit their banks.

wanderlust wrote:TBH I'm more interested in what possible reason Anderson had for NOT paying them what he had agreed.

It couldn't be anything to do with not having the money to pay as Sluffy has constantly referenced what a great job Anderson is doing in managing the business and the "business plan" he claims to have in place would have included all the commitments he made - so why?

Delay's in payments beyond the 5th July allow a bit more financial flexibility because of the delayed payment dates of PAYE. I've no doubt he had the money to pay the bonuses but he was stretching things out to create a bit of wriggle-room for the club and himself I would suspect.

(Thanks to Frensic Fred for that insight).

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:TBH I'm more interested in what possible reason Anderson had for NOT paying them what he had agreed.

It couldn't be anything to do with not having the money to pay as Sluffy has constantly referenced what a great job Anderson is doing in managing the business and the "business plan" he claims to have in place would have included all the commitments he made - so why?

Delay's in payments beyond the 5th July allow a bit more financial flexibility because of the delayed payment dates of PAYE.  I've no doubt he had the money to pay the bonuses but he was stretching things out to create a bit of wriggle-room for the club and himself I would suspect.

(Thanks to Frensic Fred for that insight).

That is a financial justification for doing it, but appalling business - and especially PR practice.

If that's what happened, then the correct course of action would be to approach the players concerned and say "excuse me but do you mind waiting a few days for the payment as it would help the club out?" and undoubtedly most would have seen that as reasonable and would have agreed.

What is not acceptable is to go ahead and do it without any consultation, and then attempt to justify breach of contract in the public domain which will do more to damage the club's reputation than anything.

“apparent petty, vindictive, unofficial strike“

Ha here we go, so one eyed it’s unreal.

wanderlust wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

wanderlust wrote:TBH I'm more interested in what possible reason Anderson had for NOT paying them what he had agreed.

It couldn't be anything to do with not having the money to pay as Sluffy has constantly referenced what a great job Anderson is doing in managing the business and the "business plan" he claims to have in place would have included all the commitments he made - so why?

Delay's in payments beyond the 5th July allow a bit more financial flexibility because of the delayed payment dates of PAYE.  I've no doubt he had the money to pay the bonuses but he was stretching things out to create a bit of wriggle-room for the club and himself I would suspect.

(Thanks to Frensic Fred for that insight).

That is a financial justification for doing it, but appalling business - and especially PR practice.

If that's what happened, then the correct course of action would be to approach the players concerned and say "excuse me but do you mind waiting a few days for the payment as it would help the club out?" and undoubtedly most would have seen that as reasonable and would have agreed.

What is not acceptable is to go ahead and do it without any consultation, and then attempt to justify breach of contract in the public domain which will do more to damage the club's reputation than anything.

There must have been consultation (just not directly with Anderson).

I say there must have been because the players wanted their bonuses 'available' for the Friday, whilst it seems it was only being paid in - and not cleared for the Friday but the Monday instead (at least that's how I understand how things went).

So clearly the club had been communicating with them - but they seemingly decided to throw their toys out of the pram and go on (unofficial?) strike - on the same day that England were playing.

The players were no doubt making a point but doing it such a public way as certainly not been helpful to anyone - including themselves.

If because of their actions we can't fill the 8 remaining squad places we so desperately need then I sincerely doubt the players who went on strike will be picking up many bonuses with us this time next season - do you!

Why is the strike unofficial all of a sudden?

T.R.O.Y wrote:Why is the strike unofficial all of a sudden?

Nobody but the players, the PFA and probably the club knows for sure but it's very unlikely given the period of time between them giving Anderson their ultimatum and Friday when their deadline was up that they had time to follow the governments guidelines for holding one.

https://www.gov.uk/industrial-action-strikes

Iles also tweeted this morning -

The @PFA have confirmed they are currently working with #bwfc and @EFL to find a solution to player pay dispute.

Which seemed an unnecessary thing to say if they had been there all the time mediating on the players behalf in the background with the club/Anderson and the EFL, and that they had supposedly organised an official strike in accordance with legislation.

That's why I (and others) have wondered out loud if the strike had indeed been legally organised and sanctioned by their union in the first place.

Interesting, maybe we’ll find out at some point. Good to see the PFA are involved (no matter how long they have been for). Most important thing now is to repair the damage this has done and pay the bonuses.

T.R.O.Y wrote:Interesting, maybe we’ll find out at some point. Good to see the PFA are involved (no matter how long they have been for). Most important thing now is to repair the damage this has done and pay the bonuses.

I strongly suspect the bonuses have been paid - Anderson said the money was there and was being paid in on Friday (whereas the players wanted it cleared and in their banks for the Friday). Also there is no mention anywhere on social media from any of the players saying they haven't received payment or the Atherton Colls match (tomorrow) is any in doubt.

The damage though may have been terminal for the clubs chances this season if we can no longer recruit the calibre of players we were hoping for before the needless strike. I guess we will find that out in the remaining three weeks of the transfer window (and the additional week of the loan window).

Anderson said what he did after the news had broke, even you can’t know what he would have done without that pressure.

One thing we agree on is the damage to recruitment, although we were fishing for desperates before I’d suspect most of that pool will be willing to risk it anyway. Ken better hope so anyway.

T.R.O.Y wrote:Anderson said what he did after the news had broke, even you can’t know what he would have done without that pressure.

One thing we agree on is the damage to recruitment, although we were fishing for desperates before I’d suspect most of that pool will be willing to risk it anyway. Ken better hope so anyway.

Anderson (or the club) had clearly told the players prior to them going on strike that the money was going in on Friday and not before - because their ultimatum was to have their money in their banks available to them for Friday - hence their strike action. Do you really think no one in the club knew when payments were to be made nor the players to ask when they would be getting paid?

As for players we were linked seriously with the likes of Wyke and Teixerira before the strike so we weren't exactly fishing for 'desperates' as you suggest.

Time will tell who we eventually end up with - if it is a bunch of 'desperates' then clearly the strike would have had quite an impact on our prospects this season.

The suggestion from the players was that there had been no communication from Ken. The fact is you’ve no idea what Ken was planning to do.

Teixeira was decent for Brighton, but hasn’t been up to much since breaking his leg. I was sceptical Wyke was legitimate, as the fee seemed high to me for our budget - the fact Ken can’t afford to pay the squad their survival bonus suggests that’s true. So yes not sure missing out on those two would prove your point?

T.R.O.Y wrote:The suggestion from the players was that there had been no communication from Ken. The fact is you’ve no idea what Ken was planning to do.

Teixeira was decent for Brighton, but hasn’t been up to much since breaking his leg. I was sceptical Wyke was legitimate, as the fee seemed high to me for our budget - the fact Ken can’t afford to pay the squad their survival bonus suggests that’s true. So yes not sure missing out on those two would prove your point?

I've no idea what Ken was going to do true but the admin staff paying their wages would know when to action them and clearly the players would have been asking them don't you think?

Also the fact Anderson delayed payment of the bonuses doesn't mean he didn't have the money to pay them nor that he hasn't got the money to make a bid for Wyke.  My point was not we were/are going to sign those particular players but more the level of signings we were hoping to attract.

The signing of Oztumer and Lowe (ask your mate Natasha how high he is actually rated) gave an evidence of the improved standard of players we were targeting (with Donaldson to be the Wilbraham type back-up rather than the Madine replacement).

EDIT - after posting this it seems Lee Anderson has done one of his list of emoticoms (or whatever they are called) indicating a signing in - so maybe we will soon find out if the strike as really thrown a spanner in the works or not.

Here's hoping it's a good one coming in!