Whites aim to change their image

Reebok chiefs are determined to effect an image change to turn Wanderers into a fashionable club.

The club, which will break with tradition by unveiling a new all-white home strip, are stepping up their fight to entice more young supporters to the Reebok.

Despite the massive modernising strides Wanderers have made in recent years with the move to the Reebok Stadium, the progress into the Premiership and the attracting of world class players, Bolton still carries a 'grim up north', mill town image in many parts.

It is that unglamorous image which prevents many fashion-concious youngsters from following the club.

"The challenge for us is to become cool and successful," commercial manager Gareth Moores explained.

The greater profile Wanderers have received in the media from signing big name talent like Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo has helped their cause.

And they are taking a radical step in losing the club's traditional navy blue shorts with their new strip which also features hardly any blue and red trim.

Football is changing, Mr Moores says, and Wanderers have to change with the times without ever forgetting their past.

"You want to be a fashionable football club because you want to attract new fans," he added.

"You do want to shake off the traditional image, to a certain extent, that people may have of Bolton Wanderers.

"It is important never to forget your tradition and heritage and also not to become entrenched in the past.

"If we want to compete successfully we have to change with the times. In time we are becoming more fashionable.

"When you have fantastic players in your team like Jay Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo you start to generate levels of exposure both overseas and at home.

"We have the most cosmopolitan team in the country with 14 or 15 countries represented and that raises the profile of the club at home and overseas. Spain sits up and takes notice of us because we have two high profile Spanish players and we have the African player of the year.

"All of a sudden Bolton Wanderres has come to the fore.

"Because of the calibre of the players we have and as we cement our position as a sustained Premiership club the level of exposure we will get on TV will grow and we will create more interest."

Wanderers aim to build on their success of the last two years by persuading up to 8,000 more youngsters to becoming Bolton fans in the next 12 months.

They are making their junior members club free of charge in a bid to increase membership from the current 2,000 to between 7,500 and 10,000 in the first year. They will benefit from discounted prices for selected matches and be able to take part in special events and coaching sessions.

Mr Moores added: "Hopefully after being a member for a couple of years we will have won them over as supporters, because when you have become a Bolton fan you will always be a Bolton fan.

"Clubs like Manchester United, City and Liverpool are mopping up these youngsters as fans because of their profile. Clubs like ours have to work harder to build our support. We are fighting for profile but now, because of the quality of the players we have - and some of their haircuts - it is cool to support Bolton.

"Sam has brought in players who have got the kids talking. We have a team that is full of household names, that roll off the tongues of children in playgrounds all over the country. We have characters and entertainers and that captures the imagination of youngsters and puts the name of Bolton Wanderers into their minds.

Mr Moores says Wanderers have become a bigger club in recent years and he offered hope for the future that the club's £40 million debt will be reduced.

"We have gone from being a top 30 club to being a top 20 club and hopefully we can get further up that ladder and cement a place in the top 15 which, for a town the size of ours, would be a big achievement."

"We are a Premiership club from top to bottom and we have to be successful commercially and grow our income streams across the entire business.

"We are competing against other football clubs and if we can grow all aspects of the business we will climb that ladder and establish a postion where we are very much an established Premiership club throughout the business.

"There are costs of staying in the Premiership, the costs of bringing players in on loan and we have taken some of the television money for August early.

"Nobody wants to have a debt burden but inevitably the club's business plan will bring that debt burden down.

"We have made investment in the stadium, hotel, offices and in the team and if we can continue to build on the squad and be successful on the field it should start to deliver tangible results."