WANDERERS bosses say they are hoping for Bolton Council’s help in reducing their financial burden.

Chairman Ken Anderson said he and colleague Paul Aldridge had met with council leader Cliff Morris and chief executive Margaret Asquith last week to ask for help in reducing the amount the club pays in business rates.

In a statement published on the club’s website on Monday, Mr Anderson told fans that the Whites had sought the council’s support in getting the club’s rates reduced, claiming that they are currently set at the level a Premier League club would be expected to pay.

A council spokesman confirmed that the meeting had taken place, but reiterated that central government is responsible for setting business rate levels rather than local councils.

Mr Anderson said: “Paul Aldridge and I had a meeting last week with Cllr Morris and Margaret Asquith at Bolton Council to see if anything can be done to help us with the very high level of rates that the club and hotel are paying whereas other nearby clubs and hotels/businesses are paying a fraction of this. Unfortunately, this is because of an ambiguity of the rates system and we are still being rated as a Premier League club.

“The Council are being very supportive and hopefully a solution will be achieved, which would go a long way to helping us achieve a financially sustainable base.”

Wanderers were relegated from the Premier League in 2012, following a decade in the top flight, and slipped into English football’s third tier last season.

In December, Mr Anderson revealed a plan to make the club self-sustainable next summer, vowing to slash salary costs even if Phil Parkinson’s side are promoted back to the Championship.

Mr Anderson added: “Where possible, I want to keep everyone up to date and aware of what’s really happening off the field, as well as on the field, at the club - particularly when a great deal of what is being said on social media sites is inaccurate.

“As I said at the Q and A last year, we inherited a great deal more problems and contracts when we took over in March 2016 than we had envisaged.

“In my opinion, these were not in the best interests of the club and hotel and are not commercially prudent.

“Since then we have slowly been working away at restructuring the club financially and whilst a lot has been achieved, there is still a great deal to be done if we are to achieve our aim of getting the club and hotel in a sustainable financial position by the end of next season.

“Many of the decisions we are taking now are not pleasant, but are absolutely necessary if we are to have any chance of being successful, both on and off the field in the future, and we hope you will continue to support us and understand why this course of action is being taken.

“Sometimes you have to take the medicine in order to get better, even if it is unpleasant.”

Mr Anderson said he would shortly be announcing details of another Q and A session in which fans will be able to question him on the state of the club’s finances, as well as other matters.