A Wanderers season ticket holder was warned he would not be able to enter the Reebok Stadium for a match — if he did not rectify a blunder which was none of his doing.

Stephen Ormerod, from Tonge Moor, received a letter from Bolton Wanderers informing him he was one of a “small number” of season ticket holders whose monthly payment of £33.40 was not processed in August.

The letter, from the club’s sales team, was sent in September and stated the outstanding money would have be paid or the season ticket would be blocked for the Whites’ clash against Leeds last Tuesday. Mr Ormerod was forced to pay two instalments in one month or risk missing the game.

The 52-year-old probation worker said: “If the club didn’t take an instalment out and notified us a month later you would have thought they would give people another month to pay. I had to put the money on my credit card. The season ticket payments are due to finish in January. The club could have taken the extra payment in February.

A club spokesman said 5,000 fan signed up to the direct debit scheme with Bolton Central.

They added: “There are always a small number of payment queries each month. These can result from changed bank accounts, failed payments as well as non-collected payments.

“We employ a full-time direct debit administrator and it is her job to assist the supporters with their payment queries and ensure the smooth running of the scheme.

“In regards to the additional payment being taken in September, we start a new set of direct debit payments in March/April and our supporters might otherwise end paying two lots of payments in one month.”