FOLLOWING your report of Mr Gartside's plans for Bolton Wanderers outlined to Burnden Leisure shareholders, it is now evident that there is more 'spin' coming from the Reebok than Millbank!

Perhaps Mr Gartside could elaborate his statement that the club has risked things in the past? Since first gaining promotion to the Premiership under Bruce Rioch, Bolton Wanderers have only spent money on new players after they have sold players.

Sell for £4m buy for £1m. Some risk there then!

During the three turbulent years of promotion and relegation, the Wanderers' sales and acquisitions matched almost exactly. Very risky.

During the last two seasons, the same risk venture has seen the club sell players for around £16m while spending less than £1m. This high risk strategy is no doubt the product of Bolton becoming a 'trading club' rather than a 'selling club'.

While Mr Gartside informs shareholders of the TV monies for clubs like Leicester, he neglects to say how much Bolton received during their two years in the higher division or what happened to it.

It is also worth pointing out that taking a risk does not mean spending £20m now to get £20m next year, but rather investing money now to get £20m for the next 10 years or more.

Ambitious clubs don't sell two of their best players within weeks of promotion, (Stubbs and McAteer). Nor do they sell their two leading goalscorers while supposedly seeking promotion (Blake and Gunnlaugson).

Most realistic supporters who have witnessed 90 minutes of Jaaskelainen kicking the ball to the opposition goalkeeper will remain doubtful of claimed 'ambitions' and borrow a phrase used by a certain Bolton manager concerning transfer rumours of former Bolton players -- "going nowhere". Apart from individual players, of course, they could be going anywhere at any time. Is it a coincidence that Mr Allardyce currently values Ricketts at exactly the cost of the new hotel?

K Ewbank

White Horse Close

Horwich