I WOULD like to highlight an experience I had at the Bolton Wanderers club shop.

I visited the shop to have a name and number put on a Bolton goalkeeper’s top that I had purchased elsewhere.

However, when I enquired about this I was told by the shop assistant in an abrupt manner that the cost would be £16, instead of the £8 advertised, due to the fact that the top was purchased at another retailer.

I was offered no other explanation and no proof of this was on show in the shop. I felt quite upset that this was how a fan was treated. I was also left very embarrassed and left the shop extremely disappointed.

I have been a season ticket holder for about 14 years, since before the Reebok was built. I usually spend on average £15 to £20 a game. I also buy a lot of merchandise, play the club lottery, travel to a lot of away matches (including European games) and go to all the home F.A. Cup and Carling Cup matches. I would estimate that I spend about £1,250 a year supporting my team.

In the current financial climate it is hard for fans to continue to follow their team and buy the merchandise, so to be forced to walk away from the club shop feeling like that just shows what a fan actually means to the club.

What really annoys me is that I bought the top as a Christmas present for a child who is also a season ticket holder; he will now get a top with no name and number on his back!

I have now raised an official complaint to Bolton trading standards as I feel that the pricing policy employed by the club shop is a two tier system specifically designed to ensure that you shop there and pay over the top charges for club merchandise.

I could not see any visible signage stating this policy.

I have deemed this serious enough to raise this complaint. I also wanted to review this concern against the club’s own customer charter, but it appears to have not been updated on the website since June, 2008.

Paul Smith, A totally disgruntled Bolton fan