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(More) trouble at Bolton

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  • @floyd said:
    Especially given those players were only signed ‘because the takeover is done,’ and it’s not.

    I’m really struggling to understand why Bolton are being allowed to play and Bury aren’t.

    Big club to big to fail with potential to survive. Little club less glamorous and unlikely to attract a money laundering foreign billionaire? Just off the top of my head...

  • I heard after reading the gasroom they've hired Frankie Boyle to do the half time announcements.

  • Sorry folks that should be on the halftime entertainment thread. I suspect Bury and Bolton problems - like my in ability to edit on the phone are bad enough without adding the above!

  • @Wendoverman That's what i think in my cynical moments.

  • @Wendoverman said:
    Sorry folks that should be on the halftime entertainment thread. I suspect Bury and Bolton problems - like my in ability to edit on the phone are bad enough without adding the above!

    He does a good line in cutting through the bs, some of his written stuff on politics is genius if a little sweary for some. I fear fixing feuding boardrooms and failed business models amongst northern league one clubs may be beyond him though. He'd get my vote over Shaun Harvey if it came to it.

  • Seemingly Bolton deciding not to fulfil the fixture unilaterally without the EFL permission.

    With the takeover seemingly stalled again, their survival must surely now be very much uncertain.

    really sad days.

  • doesnt this set a bit of a precedence, when someone from outside football calls a game off because the players are tired. While you have sympathy with the situation the clubs who were due to play are also effected and will now be fitting in games later in the season when they will be tired.

  • wont be long before those 3 points we gained will be expunged and Bolton expelled !!!

  • This is just awful. Feel so sorry for their and Bury's supporters.

  • @yorkyblue said:
    doesnt this set a bit of a precedence, when someone from outside football calls a game off because the players are tired. While you have sympathy with the situation the clubs who were due to play are also effected and will now be fitting in games later in the season when they will be tired.

    It should be a points deduction and 3-0 forfeit IMO for the exact reasons you outline.

  • @yorkyblue said:
    doesnt this set a bit of a precedence, when someone from outside football calls a game off because the players are tired. While you have sympathy with the situation the clubs who were due to play are also effected and will now be fitting in games later in the season when they will be tired.

    Not really, precedent setting is it? It's not that the players are tired, it's that they are (in most cases literally) boys playing against men. The longer the takeover takes the more you fear for Bolton.

  • @yorkyblue said:
    doesnt this set a bit of a precedence, when someone from outside football calls a game off because the players are tired. While you have sympathy with the situation the clubs who were due to play are also effected and will now be fitting in games later in the season when they will be tired.

    I feel Doncaster should just be awarded the points. The League surely cannot allow teams to postpone games at short notice just because their players are "tired". An awful precedent is being set here.

  • What a shambles.

  • Sadly I think this goes much more deeply than just the points for one game. I am sure Bolton would happily give those up.

    Seems the football club take over is conditional on the buyers also being able to buy the hotel and that deal is far from certain.

    https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/17845283.takeover-bolton-whites-hotel-administrators-say-sale-delayed/

    Hate to say it because decent supporters dreams are tied up here, but time surely near now when both teams are expelled. Maybe with a carrot that they can start again next year in the conference if certain conditions are met. Looks like Lg1 might have to be a 22 team league this season with all the disruption and blank saturdays that will now entail.

  • (one of) the problems with expulsion is that it would make both teams even less attractive to potential buyers.

  • @yorkyblue said:

    doesnt this set a bit of a precedence, when someone from outside football calls a game off because the players are tired.
    Not quite, as I read it. Calling the game off is done after consulting with the clubs medical staff, essentially saying the kids' future welfare" is at stake, which I can empathise with TBH.
    Helping people with their injuries, I can see similar reasoning behind introducing Wheeler slowly back on to the football field. We haven't rushed back Sido or Thompson unnecessarily, we swapped a young Maskell for JJ, rested Bayo and not hurried Darius straight in to action on Saturday. These footballers are human after all, not machines, (which also need regular maintenance & servicing), as such, I can understand why. Even if they played, a loss is the likely outcome anyway, so better to have the deduction of three points and give the young lads a chance to recuperate for Saturday.
    I also realise that it could be ploy to give more time for the takeover to take place, but the original reasoning is still valid in my opinion.

  • Not sure I agree, if you allow this you could have the situation where we could call a game off because the players are tired the week before an important cup game. While accepting the EFL are a joke and have handled this very poorly they must be the only ones to rule on wether a game is called off.

  • But, again, @yorkyblue these are kids, not even yet full-time pros.

  • Ok, I accept that, but the real point is someone from outside football is deciding what is happening, this cannot be right whatever the situation.

  • Not sure you have quite got it right with your “someone from outside football” comment @yorkyblue. The administrators of Bolton are the current management of the club.

    On one level they are absolutely right to prioritise the interests of their young employees. Indeed perhaps surprising that they should put those interests over the financial benefits of playing a game.

    On the other hand though clubs in a league should not be able to pick and choose which games to fulfill. That is the leagues case. It can only be assumed that the league didn’t agree that there was a material welfare issue to justify cancelling the game.

    Desperately difficult situation. I don’t think the comment above that the EFL have managed the Bury and Bolton situations badly is fair to be honest. I think they were right to give both clubs time and every chance to survive. Not sure what else the EFL could have done.

    Sadly I think that time is very close to running out for both. Very very sad.

  • Just when you thought Bolton were on the right path.
    Calling a game off the day before has to be a default on the points. Otherwise like others say anyone could pull similar.

  • I would like Wycombe to postpone the Pompey home game as I will be on my holidays. I'm free any day the following week.

  • We are somewhat fortunate, even if we lose the points - we at least got the bumper home gate. Many clubs stand to lose two home gates, and this could have the knock on effect of putting more clubs on the edge.

    Sad times indeed, for all of football.

  • I agree with you there @yorkyblue apparently so do the EFL

    EFL is not happy with Wanderers calling off the game without giving notice to the league or - perhaps more importantly - their opponents. #bwfc

    — Marc Iles (@MarcIles) August 19, 2019
  • edited August 2019
  • You could argue that the Brentford game was called off because the players were on strike, and this is different...but I think he’s right.

    It’ll be a moot point if something doesn’t change soon.

  • The EFL could make omlettes for a small country, based on the amount of egg it has on it's face.

  • Right @Shev. Eventually the EFL have to make a decision. Either provide Bury and Bolton with the funds to play until the takeovers are sorted out or expel them from the league. This limbo helps no one.

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