Supporters' Trust could provide academy boost at Bolton Wanderers

Preliminary discussions have already taken place between co-owners Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth and members of the Trust’s steering group regarding ways they could provide financial assistance in the future.

Last summer the academy was scaled down from category one – the highest rank on the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan – to category two and currently costs around £1million a year to operate.

In recent years the club has had to rely more and more on home-grown players like Josh Vela, Rob Holding, Zach Clough and Tyler Garratt but faced with a need to cut costs, downgrading once again to the lowest level, category three, is now a real consideration.

That move would save £500,000 a year, could mean a further reduction in coaching hours for young players and a likely reduction in the number of full-time staff.

Members of the Trust have indicated they would be behind a move to sponsor academy players or provide financial assistance to maintain category two status, with 64 per cent voting in favour during the recent “12th man” survey of 1,800 people.

Anderson would welcome a partnership which could see the younger players continue to be coached at their current level.

“I have worked with Supporters’ Trusts at other clubs and I think if they really want to do something great, then why not come in and help with the academy?” Anderson told The Bolton News.

“Whether we are category two or three this season is going to be about funding.

“If the Supporters’ Trust feel they can put money into the football club and get a seat on the board then I have no problem with that at all.

“If not, they can come along to occasional board meetings as an observer and we will work with them to the best of our ability because they represent the fans, and that should be the most important thing to a football club.

“But I think if they really want to make an impression, the chance is there with the academy to make a significant financial difference.”

Despite the excellent results shown by the academy in recent years, reducing its funding is seen to be one of the simpler ways to cut costs for next season and help to bring Wanderers back into financial line.

It would, however, come at a cost to the quality of opposition faced by the youth teams on a weekly basis. Friendlies could be organised against the top clubs but entry into the Youth Alliance would be the most likely competitive fixture.

There, they would join the likes of Accrington Stanley, Fleetwood, Wrexham and Morecambe.

“Over the last few weeks I have spoken to parents of young players who are at Manchester United and Manchester City and they are not particularly happy with the opportunities their sons are getting,” Anderson said.

“But when we discussed Bolton they had concerns that if the club dropped from category two to three, the standard of opponent would also be lower.

“No disrespect but they want to see their children playing against the top teams and not a category three team like Bury.

“Of course, we would like to keep the academy as a category two but we are having to cut our cloth accordingly. If the Trust can help out and aid players’ development then I think that would be a very positive move.”

In a statement to The Bolton News, the BWFCST said they were examining ways in which they could assist the club in funding the academy but that more information would be required before they fully committed to the idea.

“The Supporters' Trust would confirm that the principle of introducing funds into an academy project was discussed briefly during the introductory meeting held with Mr Anderson on May 4, 2016. This particular subject was raised in light of the members' responses to our general survey. There was a large body of members’ opinion that was in favour of looking at some method of introducing funding from the BWFCST into the Academy.

“We specifically raised this point with Mr Anderson at our meeting and we are pleased to see that the co-owners are responsive to developing such an idea. We would, however, point out that, in line with the regulations in place governing the constitution of the Supporters' Trust as a Community Benefit Society, there will need to be far more detailed discussions held to ascertain the current financial sustainability of the club moving into the next season prior to any commitment on behalf of the BWFCST members. We trust that this discussions can begin with Mr Anderson and Mr Holdsworth together at their earliest availability.

“Whilst the Supporters' Trust will continue to monitor and comment on the ongoing developments at the club, we will also continue to focus on the main priority at this moment in time, which is the establishment of an elected BWFCST board.”