BOLTON Wanderers' Premiership survival has received the seal of approval from the club's main sponsor -- the multi-national sportswear giant, Reebok.

Dave Singleton, managing director of Reebok UK -- whose long links with the club were set in stone when they bought the naming rights when the £30 million stadium opened in 1997 -- hinted at a longer, more lucrative partnership at the club's Player of the Year awards ceremony.

"You have to make commercial decisions on the performance of the team, the management and the directors," he said, "and the future is bright."

Mr Singleton, a Wanderers fan and honorary vice-president of the club, did not go into detail but made it clear his company, which has massive sponsorship deals with the world's top sports stars and clubs, is proud to have its name associated with the success story at the Reebok Stadium, where the universally recognised brand name is worn on the team shirts.

"Bolton is the spiritual home of Reebok," he acknowledged, tracing his company's roots back to the days when Joseph Foster made spiked running shoes in the town. "It has been part of the town for 107 years."

The awards night, staged for the first time at the Reebok's Premier Suite as a glittering, Oscars-style celebration, saw defenders dominate the honours with Simon Charlton receiving the Player of the Year trophy, Mike Whitlow acknowledged by his team-mates as the Players' Player and Gudni Bergsson collecting the first Lion of Vienna Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Kevin Nolan won the award for Young Player of the Year and the 2-2 home draw with Leicester in December, when Wanderers recovered from 2-0 down with nine men, was selected as Performance of the Season by manager Sam Allardyce, who also picked up the Blooper of the Year prize for the colourful language that had to be bleeped out when the game featured in a 'fly-on-the-wall' TV documentary on the stress of football management.

The fans' poll, which included nominations from readers of the Bolton Evening News, saw Michael Ricketts voted top attacker, Nolan top midfield player and Bruno N'Gotty best defender. Goal of the season, voted for on the night, was Ricketts' winner in the 2-1 Premiership triumph at Manchester United in October.

Roll of Honour

Player of the Year - Simon Charlton

Players Player - Mike Whitlow

Outstanding Achievement - Gudni Bergsson

Media Player of the Year - Simon Charlton

Young Player of the Year - Kevin Nolan

Forward of the Year - Michael Ricketts

Midfielder - Kevin Nolan

Defender - Bruno N'Gotty

Best performance - Wanderers 2, Leicester 2 (December 29)

Goal of the Season - Michael Ricketts (Manchester United 1, Wanderers 2 - October 20)

Best Blooper - Sam Allardyce on Tonight with Trevor McDonald

Fan of the Year - Daniel Roberts