"He's a legend" - Bolton Wanderers announce plans to bring Super John back home

Wanderers have offered legendary striker John McGinlay an official role as club ambassador.

Football Ventures have confirmed that the former Scotland international, who scored 118 goals for the club, is to be given a post to strengthen club relations with the University of Bolton’s sports courses and improve links with other ex-players.

McGinlay finished playing for Bolton in 1997 and has previously worked with Wanderers in matchday hospitality and with the Community Trust.

Speaking to The Bolton News, chief executive Emma Beaugeard believes the 55-year-old's appointment on a permanent basis will be a big benefit to Wanderers.

“John is valued and loved by everyone at the club,” she said. “He is coming aboard to cement the already strong relationship with the university’s sports courses and making them more valuable to us.

“He is also coming back to the club to assist us in an ambassadorial role, in a more meaningful way.

“It is a more formalised role and we hope he will be able to use his contacts with former players who might have been forgotten or not acknowledged in the right manner down the years. We want to try and bring them home. He is a legend and we think it’s a great appointment for us.”

Meanwhile, Wanderers confirmed yesterday that Tottenham winger Anthony Georgiou has linked up with the squad in full training at Lostock.

The Cypriot wide man suffered a minor injury after returning to Spurs from a loan spell at Ipswich Town in January and then another setback when he agreed to come to Bolton a couple of weeks later on deadline day.

Georgiou is expected to be included in the squad travelling to AFC Wimbledon this weekend.

Wanderers are yet to confirm the severity of the hamstring injury suffered by Jack Hobbs in the goalless draw with Accrington Stanley last weekend but the experienced defender is considered unlikely to travel to London. Yoan Zouma could be called in as a replacement.

Source

About time! Will he have to give up his commentary on the radio though? He has been critical of KH recently when i've listened after matches.

Norpig wrote:About time! Will he have to give up his commentary on the radio though? He has been critical of KH recently when i've listened after matches.

Maybe I'm being cynical but it seems more likely that he's simply being used to keep fans 'on board' with the club.

What I mean is how does an old football player most young students moving to the town to study at the University make the courses being run more valuable to the club and how does it benefit us by having 'forgotten' and 'not acknowledged in the right way (Kevin Davies do they mean?)' ex-players brought back to the club???

Sounds complete bollocks to me.

On the other hand McGinlay was used as a figure head by those who rallied against the club over the last few years, most notably the ST -where he is listed as their 'Ambassador' (conflict of interests now perhaps?), BBC Manchester's 'kangaroo court' where he sat with Iles on the panel and called for the club to go into Administration, and finally the fans protest organised by Manning's mates at the LoV, where he led the crowd march.

Maybe the thinking is that there isn't going to be much success around the club for a number of season's now and FV want to keep the attendances up (and thus money coming in) as much as they can for as long as they can, and it is better to have a 'focal point' for fans to follow on the side of the club rather than being on the outside and against it?

He's hardly going to bad mouth the manager and/or owners in future if he thinks it will put his cosy little job on the line is he?

Why do you have to overthink everything Sluffy? You can't deny he is a club legend so where's the harm in having him involved in any role in the club? I'll take whatever feel good factor is going with BWFC at the moment.

Didn't he have a big role in youth coaching when he was in America for many years?

And yes you are being cynical Sluffy 

Norpig wrote:Why do you have to overthink everything Sluffy? You can't deny he is a club legend so where's the harm in having him involved in any role in the club? I'll take whatever feel good factor is going with BWFC at the moment.

Didn't he have a big role in youth coaching when he was in America for many years?

And yes you are being cynical Sluffy 

Just my way I guess, I've always tended to think first and speak later.

Don't you find it odd about the reasons given by FV for his appointment - I did, which led me to think if those aren't the real reasons, then what might they be?

I am cynical, you are correct about that but that comes from learning not to be gullible.

I don't think McGinlay has any significant coaching experience in particular - he's certainly not gone down that way as a career path as such, more of a 'hanger on' so to speak, picking up jobs from his mates - wasn't he both at Wigan and Ross County under Coyle for instance?

I don't get the connection between being a good footballer and being some sort of 'most be good at everything else as well' type belief that many football fans seem to adhere to.

People do seem to want to follow him though, so it might be the thinking of FV to give him a role at the club and keep him onside with them, rather than be used by others against them in the future, like he was before?

I also wonder if FV have some thoughts in their heads to arrange a few cash raising events such as testimonials for the likes of Kevin Davies and Campo perhaps - feel good things that fans will flock to and hopefully help sell a few more season tickets perhaps?

Or is that just me being cynical again?

Super John loves the club, and I'm happy to see him knocking about in any capacity.

Mind you, Norpig and I are probably gullible.

It sounds like he will be more involved as an ambassador for the club but i'm pretty sure he did a lot of coaching at various youth levels in the States.

Testimonials for Campo and SKD would be a good idea, anything that can improve the morale and mood around the club and us fans can only be a good thing after the last few years surely?

Norpig wrote:It sounds like he will be more involved as an ambassador for the club but i'm pretty sure he did a lot of coaching at various youth levels in the States.

Testimonials for Campo and SKD would be a good idea, anything that can improve the morale and mood around the club and us fans can only be a good thing after the last few years surely?

I don't tend to think that way myself.

I've never been one to get excited about meaningless and fake games with the aim of giving wealthy players a golden handshake for something they've been paid handsomely for in wages already.

More so if Z rated celebrates are also drafted in to play and make up the numbers.

Each to there own and all that but I don't think the improved mood of the fans will last more than a few games into the season if we start badly.

Banning Hill from public speaking would do more for improving my morale!

Hopefully this means he  will not be being doing anymore matchday radio work as he usually talks a load of absolute bollocks on his match coverage.

Plus that other guy won't keep telling us for that 49th time that Super John McGinlay is with us this afternoon.


For Christ's sake let's move on, not stuck in the mud of past glories!!!!

Maybe Emma took it on board when she came to the last Lancaster Whites meeting.
i.e. John McGinlay did more to transform the fortunes of BWFC than any player in the last half a century.

Pity SJM lined up with the useless pain in the backside that is the ST, but nobody's perfect.

Bob's out of bed again.

boltonbonce wrote:Bob's out of bed again.

boltonbonce wrote:Super John loves the club, and I'm happy to see him knocking about in any capacity.

Mind you, Norpig and I are probably gullible.

100% correct, Boncey.

SJM loves BWFC to bits and you and Norpig are gullible. No probably about it though.

A bit like a pair of pit ponies, if you ask me.
 
Spent so long in the dark that you can't handle any light.

Sluffy wrote:

Norpig wrote:It sounds like he will be more involved as an ambassador for the club but i'm pretty sure he did a lot of coaching at various youth levels in the States.

Testimonials for Campo and SKD would be a good idea, anything that can improve the morale and mood around the club and us fans can only be a good thing after the last few years surely?

I've never been one to get excited about meaningless and fake games with the aim of giving wealthy players a golden handshake for something they've been paid handsomely for in wages already.

Me neither, Sluffy, but I did attend Tom Finney's testimonial, in truth mainly because Lofty was playing in it.

Modestly paid one club men deserved it, but those days are long gone.