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Jimmy Phillips can remember the days when applause echoed around Burnden Park in the early-to-mid 1980s and the playing budget was supplemented by a manager running half-marathons.
English football was in a poor state when Philips was cutting his teeth as a senior professional alongside other homegrown products like Simon Rudge, Wayne Foster, Neil Redfearn, Steve Thompson and Warren Joyce.
On December 11, 1982, Nat Lofthouse strode out of the tunnel at half time to address the supporters and ask for their help in saving the club. The net result, the Lifeline Lottery, continues today as a beacon of hope in some similarly dark times.
For three successive seasons between 1984 and 1987 Wanderers averaged fewer than 5,000 supporters but Phillips, who had two spells with the club as a player and is now in interim charge following Phil Parkinson’s resignation, believes the current situation is far bleaker than anything faced back then.
“It’s sad to see,” he told The Bolton News. “I did play in the early to mid-80s when we had dwindling crowds at Burnden and times were very hard.
“John McGovern, my first manager, used to run marathons to raise transfer funds. He bought players out of non-league in order to get a team together.
“The difference then, though, was that we had a board of directors. Someone was in charge of the club and we always felt there was someone trying to do their best for the club. That’s the biggest thing right now.”
Saturday’s crowd against Ipswich Town was the lowest for a league game since the opening of the new stadium in 1997 and the first sub-6,000 crowd since Bruce Rioch’s early days at Burnden in 1992.
Phillips completely understands the waning enthusiasm from supporters who, at time of writing, are still unable to buy a season ticket.
Yesterday’s statements and counter-statements between the principal players in the takeover served to further cloud the water and he, as much as anyone, is praying for a speedy resolution.
“There have been so many false dawns on this takeover going through,” he said. “It appears it has come down to the legal people and whether all parties can agree. It would appear one party has changed his mind after an agreement has been made. It is very disappointing for everyone connected to the club.
“Everyone wants to see new owners in this club, the sooner the better.
“The fans have been great, backed us to the hilt, but how long will they continue to watch this if we continue to put out a young team?
“Not every fan wants to see their team lose week upon week, and as players and coaches we don’t want to be in that situation.
“We need something to change very quickly because time is of the essence.”
The effect Saturday’s 5-0 defeat against Ipswich might have on some of the younger players is also one Phillips will examine this week as he prepares a side to travel to Gillingham.
“The players who potentially have a weaker mental side are the ones who might go under,” he admitted. “As coaches we know them and that’s where we’ll perhaps have to make team selections in the future based upon the ones we think are strong enough to keep going through this.
“It’s not great for any players, young or old, to be on the end of a 5-0 defeat.
“But the one way around it is to try and work around it. We’re in from Monday morning at the training ground to try and get a better shape, defensively.”
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English football was in a poor state when Philips was cutting his teeth as a senior professional alongside other homegrown products like Simon Rudge, Wayne Foster, Neil Redfearn, Steve Thompson and Warren Joyce.
On December 11, 1982, Nat Lofthouse strode out of the tunnel at half time to address the supporters and ask for their help in saving the club. The net result, the Lifeline Lottery, continues today as a beacon of hope in some similarly dark times.
For three successive seasons between 1984 and 1987 Wanderers averaged fewer than 5,000 supporters but Phillips, who had two spells with the club as a player and is now in interim charge following Phil Parkinson’s resignation, believes the current situation is far bleaker than anything faced back then.
“It’s sad to see,” he told The Bolton News. “I did play in the early to mid-80s when we had dwindling crowds at Burnden and times were very hard.
“John McGovern, my first manager, used to run marathons to raise transfer funds. He bought players out of non-league in order to get a team together.
“The difference then, though, was that we had a board of directors. Someone was in charge of the club and we always felt there was someone trying to do their best for the club. That’s the biggest thing right now.”
Saturday’s crowd against Ipswich Town was the lowest for a league game since the opening of the new stadium in 1997 and the first sub-6,000 crowd since Bruce Rioch’s early days at Burnden in 1992.
Phillips completely understands the waning enthusiasm from supporters who, at time of writing, are still unable to buy a season ticket.
Yesterday’s statements and counter-statements between the principal players in the takeover served to further cloud the water and he, as much as anyone, is praying for a speedy resolution.
“There have been so many false dawns on this takeover going through,” he said. “It appears it has come down to the legal people and whether all parties can agree. It would appear one party has changed his mind after an agreement has been made. It is very disappointing for everyone connected to the club.
“Everyone wants to see new owners in this club, the sooner the better.
“The fans have been great, backed us to the hilt, but how long will they continue to watch this if we continue to put out a young team?
“Not every fan wants to see their team lose week upon week, and as players and coaches we don’t want to be in that situation.
“We need something to change very quickly because time is of the essence.”
The effect Saturday’s 5-0 defeat against Ipswich might have on some of the younger players is also one Phillips will examine this week as he prepares a side to travel to Gillingham.
“The players who potentially have a weaker mental side are the ones who might go under,” he admitted. “As coaches we know them and that’s where we’ll perhaps have to make team selections in the future based upon the ones we think are strong enough to keep going through this.
“It’s not great for any players, young or old, to be on the end of a 5-0 defeat.
“But the one way around it is to try and work around it. We’re in from Monday morning at the training ground to try and get a better shape, defensively.”
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