Unpaid Bolton players eyeing exit in January transfer window as club's financial turmoil continues

Not sure a nobody from Twitter’s opinion is what matters here.

The PFA will speak to senior players at Bolton Wanderers this morning to see if they will be required to provide financial assistance towards wages during the current turmoil.

Frustration in the Whites’ camp is high after players and coaching staff have been left waiting for their November salary by under-fire club owner Ken Anderson.

A pledge to pay by Thursday was not honoured and the players’ union could now organise loans to help bail the club out.

The Wanderers squad will travel by coach to an away fixture at Norwich City this morning, stopping for a training session en route.

Reports suggesting members of staff could go on strike have been vehemently denied within the camp and preparations will continue for the match at Carrow Road as normal, despite another unwanted distraction.

Anderson has come in for heavy criticism for his handling of the situation and penned a lengthy response on the club’s official website on Wednesday, blaming local media ‘negativity’ and a shortfall of 2,000 supporters for the plummet in cash-flow which has contributed to the problem.

Once the club pay a salary run they will also be obliged to pay tax and national insurance – and some sources suggest the due date of this payment could be linked to the delay.

Phil Parkinson tried hard to play down the problems at his weekly press conference yesterday but admitted the wage issues were “hardly ideal”.

“We are in regular dialogue with Ken and Paul Aldridge, and I had a good chat with him the other night to talk us through what is going on,” he said.

“I think there will be a positive resolution.

“I had a brief chat with the lads this morning to explain the situation but I have touched base with Ken and he is looking to sort it.”

Anderson claimed earlier this week that this was the first time the “majority” of players – many of whom were signed in the summer – had experienced pay problems at Bolton.

But while senior stars have been able to draw on savings, the hardest-hit are understood to be first year professionals, who have not had the same earning power.

A source told The Bolton News yesterday: “It’s not nice for any of us but the younger lads don’t have money saved up so it’s a big problem to them.”

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I don't think any of the players will be on the breadline because of this but it doesn't help team morale does it?

Norpig wrote:I don't think any of the players will be on the breadline because of this but it doesn't help team morale does it?

Our players showed in summer that they want their money paying on time by going on strike.It's crazy that Ken told them he'd pay their November wages on Thursday but then didn't pay them.That is asking for trouble

T.R.O.Y wrote:Not sure a nobody from Twitter’s opinion is what matters here.

He's Daily Mail's football news reporter.

Millionaires getting "financial assistance" christ.

Surely the club is in breach of contract and the players can walk if they haven't been paid? They'll no doubt all be on the lookout for new clubs in the January window but will need to receive offers before heading out, which I'm sure the majority will find difficult - especially in the Championship. Most of them will be better off sitting tight especially if they have been given guarantees of a quick resolution. It's all far from ideal but I don't think we can start blaming the performances on this situation. They're shit at this level and have ended up at Bolton, in it's current plight, for a reason. No one else wants them.

finlaymcdanger wrote:Surely the club is in breach of contract and the players can walk if they haven't been paid? They'll no doubt all be on the lookout for new clubs in the January window but will need to receive offers before heading out, which I'm sure the majority will find difficult - especially in the Championship. Most of them will be better off sitting tight especially if they have been given guarantees of a quick resolution. It's all far from ideal but I don't think we can start blaming the performances on this situation. They're shit at this level and have ended up at Bolton, in it's current plight, for a reason. No one else wants them.

Ken will pay good 3rd tier wages (thanks to the  revenue we generate) and we have got some decent 3rd tier players.We could do with the likes of Oztumer and Doidge staying next season because they should be good at the level below.

Sluffy wrote:

T.R.O.Y wrote:Not sure a nobody from Twitter’s opinion is what matters here.

He's Daily Mail's football news reporter.

Why should he be impartial then? Journalists are paid to write their opinions.

Players' union to provide partial wage bail out at Bolton

The PFA has stepped in with an emergency loan to ease the pay crisis at Wanderers.

It is understood around half of the outstanding money – £400,000 – will be paid into players’ accounts this morning.

The rest must be supplied by under-fire Bolton Wanderers owner Ken Anderson but should that payment not be made by December 14, this Friday, then playing contracts would become null and void and players could walk away for nothing.

Anderson, who has come in for heavy criticism of his handling of the situation, last week blamed a drop in attendances for the current cashflow problems, which meant he could not pay November salaries to players and coaching staff.

He has refused to comment on whether December’s salary could also be affected.

Under such circumstances, Parkinson was proud of his players’ performance at Norwich, despite an injury-time goal from Teemu Pukki meaning they left Carrow Road empty-handed.

“The perfect answer would have been a result,” he said. “Really, when you take the emotion out of it, in the cold light of day, Sammy got sent off and there’s 30 seconds to go, the ball goes into the box and we didn’t react quickly enough to the second ball.

“That’s what hurts more than anything. I should be stood here applauding the lads for the way they played against the top of the league.”

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There are a number of fringe players who haven't featured recently who we wouldn't miss if they weren't paid and decided to void their own contracts, but given that we are a team that's struggling it wouldn't make any sense for them to do that unless they were guaranteed a game and comparable wages at a lower league club which would seem umlikely. 
With the team in trouble, surely they won't get a better chance to hit form and force themselves back into the reckoning?

Surely the Players Union should only be paying the wages of players in crisis, i.e. those at risk of their homes being repossessed or not having money to put food on the table. Not millionaire players with mansions and flash cars.

Yes, the club owes these players money, but let's not pretend this is a humanitarian crisis.

Players Union aren’t short of cash judging by what Gordon Taylor takes home.

Nat. It's Christmas. How would you feel if your monthly wage of over 25k didn't come in.

You'd have to fall back on your million pounds of savings. 

Not really nice to say to the kids that Santa isn't going to arrive is it.

Ken Anderson: No truth in fire sale reports at Bolton Wanderers


Championship clubs are eyeing potential bargains next month as Bolton’s much-publicised cashflow problems continue.

Players went a 10th successive day unpaid yesterday despite a deal being struck between Anderson and PFA chief Gordon Taylor to subsidise half of the overdue November salary.

Should the drama extend beyond the end of the week players could automatically become free agents – although that scenario looks highly unlikely now that the paperwork has been signed on the PFA loan.

Anderson painted a rosier picture yesterday as he dismissed wage problems to claim Wanderers would be looking to strengthen in the winter window.

“To make it absolutely clear all our players are under contract with the exception of Stephen Ireland and Gary O‘Neill, whose contracts end early January and we will discuss the position with both of them over the next few weeks,” he said. “There has been some media speculation about a fire sale in January, but l can assure you that there is absolutely no truth or financial need for this and we will review what we do in the window nearer the time when the management team and l will discuss what has and hasn’t worked so far and what we all think is needed to strengthen and improve the squad for the run in to give us the best opportunity of retaining our Championship status.”

Meanwhile, Leeds United will bring 4,500 supporters to the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday as Marcelo Bielsa’s side look to return to the top of the Championship.

Encouraged by his side’s performance in defeat at Norwich City, Phil Parkinson hopes his players will be able to bounce back quickly.

“It’s a confidence booster in one way because we’ve come to a team that everyone is talking about, riding high at the top of the league, played well and deserved something out of the game," he said.

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T.R.O.Y wrote:Players Union aren’t short of cash judging by what Gordon Taylor takes home.

You have to feel sorry for poor old Gordon coming under pressure from his own members whilst trying to make ends meet on a salary of £2.29million p.a.

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Ten Bobsworth wrote:

T.R.O.Y wrote:Players Union aren’t short of cash judging by what Gordon Taylor takes home.

You have to feel sorry for poor old Gordon coming under pressure from his own members whilst trying to make ends meet on a salary of £2.29million p.a.

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You should be supporting our former heroes

It's good that ken has set the record straight. He's not been known to talk shite as far as I'm concerned.

wanderlust wrote:

Ten Bobsworth wrote:

T.R.O.Y wrote:Players Union aren’t short of cash judging by what Gordon Taylor takes home.

You have to feel sorry for poor old Gordon coming under pressure from his own members whilst trying to make ends meet on a salary of £2.29million p.a.

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You should be supporting our former heroes

I was empathising with him just like I empathised with Deano for not getting the £100K he wanted (allegedly) out of Xpro Management Services Ltd.

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So pleased that Deano seemed to make up his loss from somewhere else.

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So what's this about a hitch in the plans for the PFA bailout?