Throughout the episodes of misfortune and grim ownership that have beset so many football clubs in recent times, it is difficult to recall a chairman being quite so damning of another as Forest Green Rovers’ Dale Vince was of the Bolton owner, Ken Anderson, this week. However dismal or destructive a regime has been perceived by fans, there has tended to be some solidarity or sympathy, at least in public, even from more responsible owners. The Football League’s new policy, that owners and directors should face sanctions for disreputable conduct, was adopted last summer after a quiet review of the rules, following outcries by supporters of several clubs.
Vince did not hold back about Anderson’s failure to pay the wages of Christian Doidge, the Forest Green forward on loan at Bolton since August, saying Anderson had taken on the contract without the money to honour it and broken all his promises. Vince said Anderson effectively told him he could not force Bolton to pay, because even if Forest Green sued and put Bolton into insolvency, Anderson has security, a charge, for any loans he has put in, while Forest Green do not, so might receive only 10p in the pound.
Written by David Conn
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/09/bolton-ken-anderson-efl-ownership-forest-green-christian-doidge under the title “Bolton’s ‘rogue chairman’ Ken Anderson puts EFL ownership rules under scrutiny”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
