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Known for being the most eco-aware club in the Football League, Wanderers found out to their cost a couple of years back that the environment at Forest Green Rovers can be far from friendly.
Phil Parkinson had tried to wrestle striker Charlie Wyke from Bradford City’s clutches for nearly a month as he looked to spend his modest remaining budget on a striker in late summer 2018.
He gave up as a bad job on deadline day, reviving interest in FGR’s goal-getter Christian Doidge and lodging a bid which – it was claimed within the Bolton camp – could reach £1million.
When the deal went ahead it became clear that Wanderers owner Ken Anderson had not paid the money up front, choosing instead to loan Doidge until January when an agreement was (presumably) put in place to make the deal permanent.
Welshman Doidge was a friendly figure, and though he did not set the world alight in his first few months there were signs that he was getting up to speed in the Championship when the world came tumbling in for everyone involved.
Anderson’s efforts to sell the club had fallen short. Wage payments became inconsistent and the squad – who had already boycotted a pre-season friendly that year over bonus payments – were not pleased with that was unfolding.
With hindsight, it was the beginning of the end for Ken. When Doidge and Remi Matthews and were left marooned because of an EFL transfer embargo placed on the club for failing to pay football creditors.
Forest Green’s owner Dale Vince went on the offensive, threatening legal action against Bolton and Anderson for failing to pay the player’s wages throughout the loan.
Poor Doidge was dragged back to League Two and a bitter PR battle ensued between Dale and Anderson – won rather convincingly by the former, who even sold T-shirts to Bolton supporters emblazoned with the logo ‘No Ken Do’.
There was a happy ending for Doidge, who after a decent spell with FGR earned a move to Hibs in Scotland, where he thrives to this day. An international call-up for Wales cannot be far away.
Football Ventures, who bought Wanderers out of administration, mopped up the legal mess left by their predecessor during a peace-making envoy last year, so the mood in the directors’ box is likely to be cordial again this Saturday.
On the pitch it is going to be competitive. Since promotion to the Football League in 2017 the Gloucestershire club has risen from 21st to fifth. They now have genuine designs of League One football and a new stadium in the offing - carbon neutral, of course.
Mark Cooper has added some experience to a young squad this summer including Wimbledon's Scott Wagstaff, Grimsby's Elliot Whitehouse and MK Dons' Jordan Moore-Taylor and rattled 14 goals in five pre-season games.
Danger man: Jamile Matt – The 6ft 4ins striker joined from Newport County to add a touch of pace and power to the FGR front line.
He can be a handful, just as Leicester City, who found themselves dumped out of the FA Cup at Newport’s hands last January, with Matt heading the opening goal in a 2-1 win.
Last time they met: Aside from the peace-keeping treaty which travelled down to Stroud last year, the two teams have never met in competitive battle.
Stat of the day: Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin became Forest Green’s second-biggest shareholder recently after first becoming aware of the club’s environmental ethos during an FA Cup game six years ago.
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Phil Parkinson had tried to wrestle striker Charlie Wyke from Bradford City’s clutches for nearly a month as he looked to spend his modest remaining budget on a striker in late summer 2018.
He gave up as a bad job on deadline day, reviving interest in FGR’s goal-getter Christian Doidge and lodging a bid which – it was claimed within the Bolton camp – could reach £1million.
When the deal went ahead it became clear that Wanderers owner Ken Anderson had not paid the money up front, choosing instead to loan Doidge until January when an agreement was (presumably) put in place to make the deal permanent.
Welshman Doidge was a friendly figure, and though he did not set the world alight in his first few months there were signs that he was getting up to speed in the Championship when the world came tumbling in for everyone involved.
Anderson’s efforts to sell the club had fallen short. Wage payments became inconsistent and the squad – who had already boycotted a pre-season friendly that year over bonus payments – were not pleased with that was unfolding.
With hindsight, it was the beginning of the end for Ken. When Doidge and Remi Matthews and were left marooned because of an EFL transfer embargo placed on the club for failing to pay football creditors.
Forest Green’s owner Dale Vince went on the offensive, threatening legal action against Bolton and Anderson for failing to pay the player’s wages throughout the loan.
Poor Doidge was dragged back to League Two and a bitter PR battle ensued between Dale and Anderson – won rather convincingly by the former, who even sold T-shirts to Bolton supporters emblazoned with the logo ‘No Ken Do’.
There was a happy ending for Doidge, who after a decent spell with FGR earned a move to Hibs in Scotland, where he thrives to this day. An international call-up for Wales cannot be far away.
Football Ventures, who bought Wanderers out of administration, mopped up the legal mess left by their predecessor during a peace-making envoy last year, so the mood in the directors’ box is likely to be cordial again this Saturday.
On the pitch it is going to be competitive. Since promotion to the Football League in 2017 the Gloucestershire club has risen from 21st to fifth. They now have genuine designs of League One football and a new stadium in the offing - carbon neutral, of course.
Mark Cooper has added some experience to a young squad this summer including Wimbledon's Scott Wagstaff, Grimsby's Elliot Whitehouse and MK Dons' Jordan Moore-Taylor and rattled 14 goals in five pre-season games.
Danger man: Jamile Matt – The 6ft 4ins striker joined from Newport County to add a touch of pace and power to the FGR front line.
He can be a handful, just as Leicester City, who found themselves dumped out of the FA Cup at Newport’s hands last January, with Matt heading the opening goal in a 2-1 win.
Last time they met: Aside from the peace-keeping treaty which travelled down to Stroud last year, the two teams have never met in competitive battle.
Stat of the day: Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin became Forest Green’s second-biggest shareholder recently after first becoming aware of the club’s environmental ethos during an FA Cup game six years ago.
Source
