Town’s 5-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday could prove to be the Trotters’ last ever game with their takeover deal having collapsed on the morning of the match and the club appearing in real danger of being liquidated on Wednesday.

The takeover by Football Ventures was close to being completed on Friday but with no news the EFL issued a statement on Saturday evening outlining its concerns regarding the delay in the completion of the deal and giving all parties until 5pm on Tuesday to conclude the sale or put “credible plans in place for the club to continue the season in administration”.

A statement this morning from joint-administrator Paul Appleton says that as things stand the deal has broken down and the club is currently in no position to continue: “At 5pm on Friday 23rd August, the completion of the sale of the football club and the hotel had been agreed by all parties and undertakings had been issued by all solicitors except those of Ken Anderson.

“Devastatingly, on Saturday morning that deal collapsed. At this stage, there seems little point in apportioning blame because that makes no difference to the staff, players, management, supporters and the community who have once more seen their club taken back to the brink.

“My team have spent the last 48 hours working around the clock, striving to get a deal back on track and trying to convince the parties still in conflict that the very fate of Bolton Wanderers depends on them finding a compromise.

“The EFL have made their position clear by insisting on a 5pm deadline on Tuesday for a deal to be completed or give compelling reasons for an extension. They have also written to everybody concerned in the process to underline that sense of urgency.

“On Sunday evening, there was some tentative dialogue but we are still some way from reaching a solution. Therefore, I am appealing to those parties whose position seems intractable to do everything to reach a compromise.

“In just over 24 hours, the club will have its membership of the EFL revoked. Over and above that, the club is currently not in a position to carry on trading and, as such, the process of closing down the company will commence on Wednesday.

“This will ultimately lead to its liquidation, the expulsion of the club from the EFL and the inevitable loss of over 150 jobs. More than that, it will devastate a community for whom the football club is a beacon of hope and expectation.

“I reiterate, unless there is a change of position from any of the parties involved, the process of closing down the club and ultimately placing Bolton Wanderers into liquidation will begin this week.”

If that were to happen, Bolton’s results for the season would be expunged and the Blues’ 5-0 goal victory at the weekend would count for nothing with the division continuing with 23 teams, 22 if Bury were to succumb to their own financial problems.

As things stand Town would drop to seventh but with a game in hand over everyone above them bar Coventry.

The Shakers also have to meet a Tuesday deadline as they seek to complete a last-ditch takeover.

Photo: Action Images

BlueArrow added 17:53 - Aug 26 Football league dragging their heels should all have been sorted within two weeks of season starting. Not good enough to either parties. Pay up or look big
2

roystevensonsrocket added 19:11 - Aug 26 Oh well I can say I was at the last game of Bolton wanderers . I'd better keep the programme.
3

MVBlue added 19:22 - Aug 26 We have many footnotes in football in this country that created it. Now we will be he last team to play Bolton as well as the last team to play at the old Wembley with Barnsley.
3

ITFCsince73 added 19:56 - Aug 26 Myblue....last team to play at old Wembley wasn't Ipswich.
-2

OwainG1992 added 20:02 - Aug 26 Honestly horrible to see this happening to the likes of Bolton and Bury. A sign of what can go wrong in football. Also shows we need to respect what Evan's does for us.
1

Taricco_Fan added 22:00 - Aug 26 A desperately sad situation, completely of Bolton's own making, but you have to feel for the fans of a proud club, similar in stature to ourselves. The Premier League shouldn't be blamed for this but the disparity between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' in English football is a result of the success of the Premier League. Bolton won't be the last club to end up in this mess, living beyond their means to try to get back to the top table.

1

Skip73 added 23:05 - Aug 26 Prebbs. What is your business called? And the portfolio of other businesses? I'm only asking as you sound like a real professional with whom I may be able to benefit from if only I knew what you were offering. Please let me know. Many Thanks.
1

carlo88 added 08:48 - Aug 27 One of the interesting things about football is you sometimes discover weird football rivalries, and until now I never realised how much Wolves and Bolton hate each other. Wolves fans are pretty happy about their current state it would appear from the forums!
0

ChrisFelix added 10:29 - Aug 27 Bolton are not the only team to suffer from mis management of the premiership. Portsmouth, Bradford Blackpool are a few names which come to mind. It's all about spending 'to keep up with Jones' Strange but I can remember Man City being in dire straights arround 30 years ago. During the days of Peter Swailes
1

itfcblue27 added 10:50 - Aug 27 If the liquidation goes ahead is it clear yet how it will affect our points/ goal difference? Is there a chance they will be scrubbed out?
0

itfcblue27 added 10:51 - Aug 27 If the liquidation goes ahead is it clear yet how it will affect our points/ goal difference?
0

Blue041273 added 15:25 - Aug 27 I still have cold sweats when I think back to our situation in 2009. (Was it really only 10 years ago?) The difference between us and Bolton/Bury is that we were still a viable business especially in football terms. We were short of operating capital and were struggling to meet the usual day to day obligations. Not a good situation but not terminal or unmanageable even if unpalatable to local business. In comparison Bolton/Bury are financial basket cases and their problems are not going to disappear even with substantial cash injections. They have no players and no recruitment policy is going to work now! Both clubs are drifting towards oblivion and while in my heart I feel desperately for the fans and hope fervently that there is a solution out there, my head tells me salvation is unlikely. It just underlines the fact that we got away with it in 2009! It could easily have been us!

0

happybeingblue added 18:25 - Aug 27 Boltons ex chairmen phil gartside wanted to abolish relegation and have a 2 tier premier league back in the day when they were in the prem,i always remember that,thinking at the time thats such a selfish outlook but i guess they had £ issues then,i really hope bolton are saved though as its all about the fans,and my favourite ever game at portman rd was the play off semi,even more exciting than the uefa cup final of 81 although i was only 11 for that :) . tbh even winning 5 nil saturday was strange it didnt sit right celebrating for me anyway

0

Dissboyitfc added 18:28 - Aug 27 itfcsince73... Ipswich played in the last competitive club match at wembley,
1

BurleysGloryDays added 23:04 - Aug 27 Well said Gilesy Can't begin to imagine my devastation if it was us going under right now : ( Real cash Evans spends, and it's his money that keeps us going. Has had a tough time owning us, made mistakes... but stood firm, stuck it out, and intends to see us return to happier times. I and the massive majority of fans am grateful, it's a journey we're all on together and hopefully the more myopic amongst us remain a tiny, largely irrelevant minority.

1

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls