Ken Anderson - update.

Growler wrote:I'm just reading up on our next opponents Cardiff City.Their Chairman has stated there will be funds available for Neil Warnock in the January transfer window, no such positivity from Ken for the Bolton fans!

And a thought, if we used to get 20,000 in the 3rd Div last season as Ken keeps mentioning, and we havent spent 1p on transfer fees can we not spend last season's gate money?

That was long since spent as I seem to remember reading it was used to secure cashflow in advance of us earning it. The only source of the idea that we are getting the club back on to an even financial keel is Anderson himself and I also heard that Shaun McHugh isn't happy with Anderson's handling of the monies (hardly surprising given his track record) so we'll see how that plays out.

Don't be taking in by Wanderlust's hatred of Anderson Obs.

I'm sure Wanderers Finance Director is really personally going around telling Mr Armchair fan all about all Anderson doing dodgy stuff - if he really knew that he'd would have resigned a long time back and keep his professional integrity.

As for Wanderlust's exclusive that Anderson is embroiled in legal stuff from over a decade ago - well tell that to the fairy's it's that far fetchhed!

Sluffy wrote:Don't be taking in by Wanderlust's hatred of Anderson Obs.

I'm sure Wanderers Finance Director is really personally going around telling Mr Armchair fan all about all Anderson doing dodgy stuff - if he really knew that he'd would have resigned a long time back and keep his professional integrity.

As for Wanderlust's exclusive that Anderson is embroiled in legal stuff from over a decade ago - well tell that to the fairy's it's that far fetchhed!

Sluffy - Time will tell... but to see winding up petitions and the finance director leaving at the same time, do not bode well for the club.  KA's past indiscretions can only be viewed from afar.  We still don't have the real information on PG and ED either.  KA could be a saviour... and I truly hope that is so.  We can only hope that there is money to buy, loan or steal some players in January.  At the end of the day, we all want the club to survive and stay up this season!

On behalf of everybody at Bolton Wanderers Football Club, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and I hope that you all have a wonderful time with your loved ones over the festive period.
At this time of year there is always a great deal of discussion about bringing players in to strengthen the squad.
Often this is placed in the media by agents who are trying to move their players on who are not getting a game, or are not happy at their current club.
Experience has taught me that January is not the best time to bring new faces in, as unlike the summer window when you have the pre-season to settle them in and become familiar with their new team mates, there is not sufficient time in January for this.
Basically, they have to be ready and able to hit the ground running and settle in immediately, which is not always possible if they have not been playing regularly and they need time to get match fit and sharp.

Unfortunately, recruitment is not an exact science and again experience has taught me to take your time in deciding on which players and positions to bring in, particularly in January when often you have not been able to scout them in recent matches, as more often than not they have not been playing.
Generally speaking, it is a case of not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
In our current situation this has never been more important, as we already have an eligible squad of 33 players and l have to weigh up the ability of the manager being able to manage a squad of this size, let alone increase it and still keep the players happy when they are not being selected for the matchday squad.
A great deal of managers at all levels have commented on this over the years and generally speaking, the conventional wisdom is that 23/24 is a maximum ideal squad size.
I also have to take into account the great spirit and camaraderie that we currently have within the current group of players, which has been clear for everyone to see on match days and it is vitally important that we don’t lose this.
As l have previously stated the scouting and recruitment team have been actively scouting players for several months that the manager thinks will improve the squad and a short list has been produced.

I have set the ground rules running along the lines that any new player coming in has to be match fit and ready to challenge for a berth in the match day squad and to enhance immediately the quality we already have.
We don’t have the luxury of taking our time to acclimatise them or get them match fit.
I have also taken a great deal of time recently looking at the current squad statistics with particular emphasis on our recent recruitment and contract renewals to see if there is anything to be learnt.
The stand out statistic that l was looking for is the number of starts that each of these players has made.
To be honest, in several cases, the stats were generally disappointing and makes me realise that l need to take a long, hard look at future recruitment decisions, as in all honesty, a number of the players we recruited in the past 12 months have had very few starts.

Indeed, the actual playing time of a number of the players has also been very disappointing. We already have too many players who are regularly not making the match day squad and are on the periphery and we must ensure that we don’t add to this number when bringing players in.
I have made it absolutely clear to the manager that we need to have a balanced and manageable squad and before l can consider bringing players in he will need to trim the current squad size of those who have had little or no game time of late
Unfortunately, as it currently stands the reality is that we can no longer compare ourselves with the ‘big’ teams in the Sky Bet Championship, as we just don’t have their financial muscle.
For example, the average attendance at Championship clubs so far this season is 20,228 compared to ours of 15,343.

Obviously, the so called ‘big’ teams are getting even higher attendances than the average figure, which obviously makes the reality worse than the stats show.
To put this in to financial perspective, based on our crowds at the end of last season, we are missing out on circa £3million of potential income a season and it is this money that would help make the club financially sustainable and in a much better position to compete with these ‘big’ clubs.
As l have said in the past, my sole aim is get this club back to where it belongs. However, to achieve that, we need to first ensure that we retain our Championship status this season and build on it next season.

No one wants to be relegated and have to start the process all over again and that is why l am constantly urging everyone who supports the club to come along and get behind the team.
Marc IIes from The Bolton News made an interesting comment recently about the only way to get people coming back is by winning games. I cannot disagree with his comments, but it does bring to mind the old chicken and egg conundrum.

As has already been said, we have two important home games coming up and as always, the more of you who come along and get behind the team, the more intimidating it is for the opposition.
Let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get behind the boys.
Kind regards,
Ken

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Sounds like a right dig at Parkinson in there.

The way I read this is as follows.

Money is tight so we can't take a punt on signing players that don't immediately strengthen the team.

For that to happen they have to be match fit - and thus be playing in some other team as a first choice selection.

He's noted that we have players like Alf, Noone (two year contract), Karacan and Morais - who have been signed (and being paid!) who simply do not get picked to play - and this bothers him - three of them Parkinson had playing for him last season and Noone signed on a two year contract - why ask for them to be signed and then not even consider them to play?  [Yes Karacan started for most of the early games but not even in the squad anymore].

Of course you can't have everybody in the eleven on the pitch but you would expect some of these players used to freshen things up - even if off the bench.


I still think Anderson WILL bring some players in - but only after some of those we have leave first.

I'm sure some teams going for promotion in the division below would love to take the likes of these four (even if only on loan) - and some of our loans are for half season only - Armstrong for certain - so I do see a change of faces in January.

I'm sure Anderson will not want to get relegated and if we are still in with a shout of staying up I'm sure he will find some way of strengthening us - maybe someone like Lee or Clough returning on loan perhaps?

A lot of words from Ken which confirms what we suspect, he won't put any money into the team

But then again, if we could average 20,000 at the bottom of Div 2 which we never will, we would have £3 million to spend
The problem is there is next to no chance of building a successful Div 2 side with £3 million a year.
Ken should say nothing rather than tell us the short term future is a pile of shite

I hope that you all enjoyed the Christmas period and hopefully you were able to share it with your friends and families.

Over the recent festive period, it was fantastic to see so many of you in attendance at our Aladdin pantomime in the Premier Suite, with it very much a crowd pleaser with those who watched it.

With that in mind, we are also offering anybody who attended the panto but were unable to attend the Cardiff game and are still in possession of their ticket a free match ticket for our game against Hull City on New Year's Day, on the basis they did not take advantage of the same offer for our last home match.

This offer will cease to be available after the Hull game.

For more information, please CLICK HERE, visit Bolton Central in person or call 0844 871 2932.

There are tickets still available too for our New Year's Eve Family Extravaganza and Gala Ball, details of which can be found on Bolton Whites Hotel's Facebook page HERE.

Elsewhere, it was fantastic to see our staff members' Sweet Caroline video on Christmas Day. It certainly made me proud and very much brought a smile to my face when I first saw it.

2017 was certainly a year for the history books of Bolton Wanderers as the club returned to the second tier of English football at the first time of asking, very much against the odds.

And as we approach the end of the year, the hope is that 2018 will be another memorable one for the football club for all the right reasons.

As a collective, we are under no illusions as to the challenge that lies in front of us over the course of the next 22 league games, but I know that the manager, his players and staff are all up for the fight and with your superb backing, we can achieve our collective ambition of retaining our Sky Bet Championship status.

In our last home game, the team put in one of their most resolute and dogged performances of the campaign to date to not only beat promotion-chasing opposition in the form of Cardiff City, but to also keep a clean sheet which was hugely pleasing.

I am sure that all of you who were in attendance that day will have seen the determination etched on the faces of the players as they ground out a result which will no doubt have made those across the league look up and notice Bolton Wanderers once again.

Only a couple of months ago, people were very much writing us off, but fast forward to the turn of the year and we are well and truly in the mix alongside four or five other sides down in the lower reaches of the league table.

Of course, our Boxing Day defeat to Middlesbrough was a disappointment, but as we have said on numerous occasions, single results do not define a season – it is a marathon and not a sprint and there will be times between now and May where we will pick up points and get the results that our performances deserve.

We however need you, our brilliant supporters, to be right behind both the team and the club as a whole as we fight tooth and nail and give absolutely everything we have got to remain a second-tier outfit come the season’s conclusion.

I have been very pleased with the uptake of half season tickets meanwhile and as you proved once again in our last home game against Cardiff City, your vocal backing can be influential and draw the team towards goal, particularly when we are attacking towards the Carrs Pasties North Stand.

I firmly believe however that we can crank the atmosphere up to another level still, so please encourage everybody you know to get down to Macron Stadium and support the team this term.

We will then be taking a break from our league exploits after Monday's game against Hull City meanwhile as Premier League outfit Huddersfield Town arrive for our Emirates FA Cup third round tie – something which makes gaining results from our next two games even more important with our next Championship game not for almost two weeks.

To book tickets for any of our upcoming fixtures, please CLICK HERE.

Following on from what will undoubtedly be a tough game against Sheffield United this Saturday, we then host Hull City just two days later where we will be coming up against a side who have not enjoyed the most fruitful of campaigns to date and will definitely arrive at Macron Stadium looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack down the bottom of the table.

And with that in mind, we need to make sure that we pull them even closer to the mire with a positive result.

As always, let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get behind the team.

Kind regards,

Ken

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It has certainly been an enjoyable few weeks for the most part here at Bolton Wanderers, with the team having taken nine points from a possible 12 in their four fixtures over the festive period.

The only blemish on that record was our result up at Middlesbrough, but had you offered anybody here at the club that return prior to Christmas, I am sure that they would have snatched your hands off.

Monday’s victory over Hull City meanwhile sees us enter this coming weekend and the third round of the Emirates FA Cup sitting 20th in the Sky Bet Championship which, given where we found ourselves at the end of September, is an extremely pleasing sight.

The result over Nigel Adkins’ side simply epitomised the strength, determination and passion that this group of players have – this was undoubtedly summed up by the fact that inside the closing stages, Gary Madine was clearing a header out of his own six-yard box one minute and then narrowly missing an opportunity to double our advantage the next.

Coupled with our wins over Cardiff City and of course, Sheffield United, where we ended our long wait for an away win at this level – results which no doubt sent out a statement of intent to the rest of the league – we have been able to start the calendar year in probably as strong a position as we could have hoped for given our opening few months of the campaign.

We continue to prove our doubters wrong and I am sure I speak for the manager Phil Parkinson and his players when I say that their dismissal of us inside the early months of the season merely added fuel to our fire and now we are in a position to build on our efforts and push on.

We have also brought more teams into the mix down at the lower end of the league table, all while showcasing our ability to play in a variety of formations with a number of players who haven’t figured as much as they would have liked so far this term stepping up to the plate.

Confidence and belief is sky high in the camp and as you have been all season long, you all got firmly behind the players over the Christmas period and were rewarded for your support with a number of superb results.

That needs to continue however and so brings us to this coming weekend's Emirates FA Cup game against Huddersfield Town, while I hope many of you will take advantage of our reduced prices of £15 and £5 for this fixture.

Tickets can be bought HERE, by phoning 0844 871 2932 or visiting Bolton Central in person.

Coming up against Premier League opposition on Saturday will undoubtedly be an indication of our progress of late and although the manager may use the game as an opportunity to give a number of players game time, they all have points to prove if they are to force their way into his reckoning during the second half of the campaign.

With the transfer window now open meanwhile, the month may see changes in playing personnel with us keen to give those who have not figured regularly the chance to do so elsewhere alongside strengthening in specific areas.

The January window is always a difficult one to contend with as you very much need to recruit players who are ready to hit the ground running, but our scouting team and the manager have been working hard to identify those that they believe could make a positive impact on the team.

This month will no doubt be an interesting one, but come its conclusion, we need to make sure that we are as strong as we can possibly be for the final months of the season.

Finally, I’d like to remind you all of our half season tickets, with the time period to purchase them having been extended up to the Ipswich Town game on January 20.

For just £15.45 per match or just £5.45 for Under-18s, you can show your support for the team in our last ten games of the 2017/18 campaign whilst spreading the cost with our Direct Debit scheme.

As I have said on so many occasions, your backing is vital and with you right behind the team, we know we can achieve our collective dream of remaining in this division come May 6.

To purchase yours, please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] phone 0844 871 2932 or speak to our staff members in person at our retail outlet.

As always however, let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get behind the team.

Kind regards,

Ken

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As I approach 22 months of being involved at Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Bolton Whites Hotel, I am able to look back with a great sense of pride at what all the loyal and supportive staff, players, management, community trust, sponsors, partners and you, our supporters, have helped us achieve both on and off the pitch.
This Bolton Family has stayed in unison and proved that at even the most challenging of times we are all stronger together.

We are making steady progress but there is so much more we can still achieve together.

Our Academy is operating well and we have a number of young, talented players who are coming through and knocking on the first team door. Recently, we were all delighted to see the dome installed at our Lostock training ground, which has already enhanced our training facilities and will continue to do so for many years to come. The dome is also being used by our Community Trust which offers the people of Bolton the opportunity to use the facilities in all weathers.

Our hotel business has grown from strength to strength, and in what is a fiercely competitive market, we are proving to be very successful. Our occupancy levels are regularly full and the range and scope of the conferences and events are increasing year on year, which brings in vital income 365 days a year.

Having been relegated from the Championship and subsequently being automatically promoted back at the first attempt after just one season, despite being in a transfer embargo and against the backdrop of the horrendous financial black holes and illogical commercial contracts which we inherited, all of which have been well documented in the past, is in my opinion as close to achieving a miracle as there possibly can be in football.

I don’t need to remind you all about the disappointing start we had to life back in the Sky Bet Championship but recent results have epitomised the tremendous camaraderie and indomitable attitude we have in the camp. This belief, shared by us all, will stand us in good stead as we move into the second-half of the season with our destiny firmly in our own hands.

Since I took hold of the reins, we have vastly improved the situation where the expenditure outweighed the income by nearly three to one, and the businesses were haemorrhaging cash at an alarming rate.

With a great deal of hard work and effort by everyone involved, this problem is being gradually addressed to a situation where at long last we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a great deal of work to be done to ensure the businesses become financially sustainable, but slowly and surely l am confident we will get there.

There is a great deal spoken and written about the club’s level of debt, but when l look around the league at other clubs, the reality is that our level of debt and expenditure is now substantially less than most other clubs. Furthermore, we own one of the best stadiums, training grounds and hotels in all of the leagues and the overall loan to value rate is far less than that of many other clubs.

Generally speaking, our revenues have improved year on year, but there is still a great deal of room for improvement. With this in mind, it is imperative that we focus particularly on increasing our match day revenues through increased attendances, sponsorship and hospitality throughout the club and hotel, and this is where we need the Bolton family to get involved and come along and continue to support the club and hotel.

At this time of the year, there is always a great deal of talk and speculation about the transfer window and bringing players in to strengthen or freshen up the squad. In an ideal world, there is nothing that would give me more pleasure, but unfortunately, l have to balance this up against our budgets and the ever increasing change of circumstances with players and ensure we don’t rush in too early.

A clear example of this is that the manager and l had discussed areas that we needed to strengthen, but then both Karl Henry and Darren Pratley unfortunately picked up injuries that now mean we may have to change our recruitment priorities. I have also previously stated that we are not financially able to support a squad of more than 25 players, which is also the number that is considered by most managers to be the optimum squad number and l see no reason to change this.

Unfortunately, we are still at this time unable to compete financially with the so called BIG clubs in our division, but I am ever hopeful that with your continued support, we will be able to do so in the not too distant future.

You may recall that we offered the opportunity of free match tickets for the Cardiff City and Hull City games to those who attended the performances of the Aladdin pantomime. This proved to be a very successful initiative with just over 1,000 people taking advantage of the scheme, which will hopefully bolster the loyal and supportive Bolton Family for a long time to come.

We have also extended our half season ticket deadline until the Ipswich Town match later this month. Supporters taking advantage of this will be able to watch the final ten home games for a low price compared to buying tickets on a match by match basis. There is also a low price monthly direct debit facility which offers great flexibility when purchasing half season tickets. I encourage you to take up this offer as we focus on moving up the table. Your support is never underestimated by the players and staff! You can click HERE to buy a half season ticket and support the team for the second half of the season.

I am very conscious about preserving our season ticket guarantee, which ensures that the value of a season ticket will never be diluted by other offers and schemes. With that in mind, we will shortly be announcing a special promotion for season ticket holders for the Bristol City game, which of course is being televised live on Sky Sports and it would be fantastic to show the world a full Macron Stadium and how far the club has come since the grave threat to its very existence just over 22 months ago.

Finally, we take a slight detour from the travails of league action on Saturday when we entertain Premier League Huddersfield Town in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup. I know that the FA Cup means so much to the Bolton family. From the cup winning teams of 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1958 to the giant slayers of the 1990s, it is a competition that is held dear by you all.

This tie, just like the Crystal Palace matches last season, will allow us to pit our wits against a top flight team. It is an exciting prospect and one that I know you’ll all be looking forward to. Tickets have been reduced to just £15 for adults and £5 for concessions and I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Tickets can still be purchased online and at Bolton Central, while cash turnstiles will also be in operation on the day. You can click HERE to buy your tickets for tomorrow's game online and print from home.

Let’s be loud, let’s be proud and let’s get behind the boys because we are all stronger together.
Kind regards,
Ken

wonder what the offer will be to us season ticket holders? Choice of Bolton Belle or free pie and a pint?

Norpig wrote:wonder what the offer will be to us season ticket holders? Choice of Bolton Belle or free pie and a pint?

Is Nat the Bolton Belle (nd)?

PM me your address Johnny so I can come round and end you.

  I was actually thinking the same thing as Johnny! 

If I turned up in a short skirt no one would be interested in the football.

Natasha Whittam wrote:If I turned up in a short skirt no one would be interested in the football.

Thats because they would be staring at your hairy balls peaking out instead.

Norpig wrote:wonder what the offer will be to us season ticket holders? Choice of Bolton Belle or free pie and a pint?

Buy a ticket for someone else for a fiver.This puts a few hundred on the gate

You can't give them away, nevermind a fiver!

Aye, a Friday night in February against Bristol on  Sky isn't the easiest one to sell on £5 tickets for a healthy profit