Ex-United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon advising Bolton owners

Bolton. Deal maker Peter Kenyon been hanging around in recent days. Wonder what that’s all about

— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) January 17, 2020

Peter Kenyon has had a hand in Wanderers' affairs of late - I'll go into some detail soon... has been brewing for a while.

Club have just confirmed: “Peter Kenyon is a friend of the Board and is helping with football matters.”#bwfc

— Marc Iles (@MarcIles) January 17, 2020

FORMER Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has been assisting Football Ventures in their rebuild at Bolton Wanderers.

It is understood the businessman, who was also linked with takeover attempts at both Bolton and Newcastle United, has been advising Sharon Brittan and the board on several issues – including recruitment - for a number of weeks.

A club spokesman told The Bolton News this evening: “Peter Kenyon is a friend of the board and is helping with football matters.”

Football Ventures took over in late August and left a 48-hour scramble to recruit first team players primarily to Hill and his assistant David Flitcroft. But moves have now been made to restructure the football operation.

Keith Hill has hinted in recent days that he is working with a different model of recruitment and we have learned that the restructure could even include the appointment of a director of football.
Speaking about bringing players to the club and negotiating new contracts, the Bolton boss told us this week: “It’s a joint decision, it is not an individual one, as it always has been for me in previous roles.

“I have made the final call, I have made the final decision on finances and recruitment, player releasing, length of contracts, money offered etc.

“It’s a different process but it’s one I know that works because the majority of the football world actually uses that model. It’s not something that concerns me at all, it’s just make sure that as a joint decision we get the right players, the right length of contracts and the right money.

“If you don’t make an assertive move on recruitment or on retaining players you end up doing nothing and nothing can sometimes be your worst enemy.”

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/18169763.ex-united-chelsea-ceo-peter-kenyon-advising-bolton-owners/

Why on earth would he have an interest in a league two club


Oh yeah money.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:Why on earth would he have an interest in a league two club


Oh yeah money.

Correct.

Also why as a 'league two' club brought in the ex Manchester United and Chelsea backroom 'superstar' now?

Is this next part of their 'planned' financial business plan or has something gone badly wrong?

It's certainly not simply just to keep Hill in check as is being implied.

Sluffy wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:Why on earth would he have an interest in a league two club

Oh yeah money.

Is this next part of their 'planned' financial business plan or has something gone badly wrong?

Better ask Alan Nixon, Sluffy. He always seems to break the news first, even though its the full-time job of the esteemed one.

Ten Bobsworth wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:Why on earth would he have an interest in a league two club

Oh yeah money.

Is this next part of their 'planned' financial business plan or has something gone badly wrong?

Better ask Alan Nixon, Sluffy. He always seems to break the news first, even though its the full-time job of the esteemed one.

You've got to laugh really - it seems Kenyon has been here for months but Iles hadn't even noticed!!!

Taken from Iles matchday blog today -

Question - Have you found out anything more about why Kenyon is at Bolton?

Iles -

1:25pm

Been an associate of Football Ventures for quite some time. The moment the last transfer window ticked over he was brought in to help start the football restructure.

1:26pm

He's here on a consultancy level at the moment and helping Football Ventures put together their longer-term plan for the club which - at first listen today - sounds pretty good.

Question - Does Kenyon have a full time role at the club or just a consultant.?
will there be any possibility of him being involved with FV as a shareholder or something in the future?

Iles -

1:39pm

Entirely as a consultant, for now.


Oh and we haven't given up hope of staying up - even though we are playing virtually the whole of January without a defence (part of the master plan obviously!)

Question - Any new potential signings inbound?

Iles -

Yes. Short answer is they have NOT given up on staying up this season. They anticipate that there will be players through the door by the time they next play against Bristol Rovers on the 28th.


Lose today and we could be 17 points off safety and maybe as many as 20 depending on other results.

We would have played 24 games out of a 44 games season (due to there being no Bury games to play) and thus need to win 7 out of 20 simply to match the points that Wimbledon (20th place) and MK Dons (19th place) already have now.

Realistically to match and better the points the other teams will be picking up we need to win around another 6 or 7 more games (Wimbledon have won 6 this season and MK Dons 7 but from 25 and 26 games respectively)- so that would require us to win 14 games out of the 20 games to edge in front of them assuming they keep the form they've had through the season so far.

To put that into some context, Rotherham who currently sit at top of the division as I post, have only won 13 games themselves - and that was from 25 games.

All this of course will require doing with the kids and any frees and loans we can pick due to the transfer window embargo.

It is not going to happen is it.

So if the club/Kenyon is talking a good game about us staying up - and it is really just bollocks to keep the fans turning up for another month or two more to keep the cash flowing in, do we really believe the club/Kenyon when they tell us (Iles/Hill) that we've got a wonderful 10 year plan?

I personally think not.

I wonder if Hill and Flitcroft are part of the plan?

Sluffy wrote:

Ten Bobsworth wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:Why on earth would he have an interest in a league two club

Oh yeah money.

Is this next part of their 'planned' financial business plan or has something gone badly wrong?

Better ask Alan Nixon, Sluffy. He always seems to break the news first, even though its the full-time job of the esteemed one.

You've got to laugh really - it seems Kenyon has been here for months but Iles hadn't even noticed!!!

Taken from Iles matchday blog today -

Question - Have you found out anything more about why Kenyon is at Bolton?

Iles -

1:25pm

Been an associate of Football Ventures for quite some time. The moment the last transfer window ticked over he was brought in to help start the football restructure.

1:26pm

He's here on a consultancy level at the moment and helping Football Ventures put together their longer-term plan for the club which - at first listen today - sounds pretty good.

Question - Does Kenyon have a full time role at the club or just a consultant.?
will there be any possibility of him being involved with FV as a shareholder or something in the future?

Iles -

1:39pm

Entirely as a consultant, for now.  


Oh and we haven't given up hope of staying up - even though we are playing virtually the whole of January without a defence (part of the master plan obviously!)

Question - Any new potential signings inbound?

Iles -

Yes. Short answer is they have NOT given up on staying up this season. They anticipate that there will be players through the door by the time they next play against Bristol Rovers on the 28th.


Lose today and we could be 17 points off safety and maybe as many as 20 depending on other results.

We would have played 24 games out of a 44 games season (due to there being no Bury games to play) and thus need to win 7 out of 20 simply to match the points that Wimbledon (20th place) and MK Dons (19th place) already have now.

Realistically to match and better the points the other teams will be picking up we need to win around another 6 or 7 more games (Wimbledon have won 6 this season and MK Dons 7 but from 25 and 26 games respectively)- so that would require us to win 14 games out of the 20 games to edge in front of them assuming they keep the form they've had through the season so far.

To put that into some context, Rotherham who currently sit at top of the division as I post, have only won 13 games themselves - and that was from 25 games.

All this of course will require doing with the kids and any frees and loans we can pick due to the transfer window embargo.

It is not going to happen is it.

So if the club/Kenyon is talking a good game about us staying up - and it is really just bollocks to keep the fans turning up for another month or two more to keep the cash flowing in, do we really believe the club/Kenyon when they tell us (Iles/Hill) that we've got a wonderful 10 year plan?

I personally think not.

BN readers will swallow any old tripe, Sluffy, and Marc Iles just keeps on serving it up.

PK's a consultant is he? You bet he is. Who'd want the legal responsibilities of being a director of a loss-making company?

Can't say I'm agin it though; the experience of 'the board' in running a football club is, with the best will in the world, a bit on the thin side. It also makes more sense concentrating on the prospects for next season than any doe-eyed daydreaming about this one.

P.S. Interestingly, I cannot find a trace of this Peter Kenyon ever being a company director but I see that the Grauniad had a go at him a few years back.

I also note that, according to North East newspaper the Chronicle in September 2019 'it is believed Kenyon is working with US-based GACP, who also own Ligue 1 side Bordeaux'.

September 2019 is not very long ago. Do you think it possible that the Chronicle has better sources than the esteemed one, Sluffy?