NOW that Ken Anderson sits on top of the Wanderers tree unchallenged, a set of supporters wait to see what his next move will be.
The chairman played a canny game getting to the stage where he could increase his stake in the club to 95 per cent, giving him the same sure-footing Eddie Davies had enjoyed at the peak of his reign.
On the same day his rivals bidders were still claiming to be serious contenders in the battle to buy Dean Holdsworth’s shares, the former agent slipped in with little fanfare, did a deal with liquidator Andy Hoskings and renegotiated a loan with BluMarble.
We are still unclear on what financial pressures the new deal will place upon Anderson, the club or its assets in the future but, for now, a potentially volatile situation appears to have been calmed for the short term.
The next step is to make Bolton Wanderers operate like a normal club once again.
No more court cases, no more sanctions, no more ultimatums, a united cause intent on staying in the Championship this season and rallying behind Phil Parkinson and his squad.
Supporters have grown tired of reading about legal issues, heaven knows people like myself are sick and tired of writing about them.
While it is true to say there has never been a dull moment at Wanderers, those who have stuck by the team in the tough times are now desperate to see stability and gradual growth. It is the least deserved by the manager after last season’s success against the odds.
A quite unprecedented situation had unfolded at the Macron Stadium over the last year-and-a-half. Success on the pitch has made a mockery of the concerns off it. The term ‘crisis club’ usually goes hand-in-hand with someone struggling in the relegation zone but the Whites somehow managed to ignore the turmoil as they clinched promotion from League One.
“Now, with this issue fully resolved we can now all fully concentrate on supporting Phil Parkinson, his staff and the players without any distractions,” said Anderson on Wednesday, reiterating to The Bolton News that he now wanted to focus his attention to matters “on the pitch”.
Yesterday was a solid start. The signing of a proven Championship winger in Craig Noone was a valid addition to Parkinson's squad.
And while we did not see the wholesale removal of the embargo as the most optimistic of us had hoped for, there is the hope of more to come – suggesting Wanderers are intent on making a fist of survival.
Whatever your opinion of Anderson, and there have been a few bandied around on social media, there can be little dispute the club's internal structure is stronger now than when he arrived.
With assistance from the experienced footballing head of Paul Aldridge, the chairman has manufactured a good spine, albeit by making a number of “difficult decisions” which, put bluntly, have not helped his popularity in some quarters.
But he has carried on regardless, done things his way and earned a degree of popularity his predecessors never quite managed despite a lot more resources at their disposal.
Hopefully that attitude continues in the coming months when questions will be inevitably asked about the direction he intends to lead the club, and how he intends to accomplish his goals.
Even with such uncertainty over the ownership, Anderson had agreed weeks in advance to speak in front of the Lancaster Whites tomorrow night. He has often been described as the ‘man with a plan’ and it will be interesting to hear the details now he is out on his own.
Anderson has never claimed to have millions to spare and may well need to look elsewhere for the investment needed to take the club to the ‘next level’ – an act which is becoming more and more expensive with each passing transfer window.
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