ACT in haste, repent at leisure – a phrase which rang true in more than one sense at Wanderers this week.

As detail emerged of two winding up petitions from HMRC on Wednesday night, the natural reaction among supporters was one of concern.

Promotion from League One had been a lovely distraction, yet this was a sobering reminder there is plenty of work left to be done before the Whites can truly call themselves financially stable.

Such petitions are becoming more and more frequent in the lower leagues and barely a week goes by without some famous footballing name being listed in the London Gazette alongside an overdue creditor.

But as we all remember 14 months ago, HMRC are among the most vigorous debt-collectors in the beautiful game and any mention of them in regard to money owed is always going to bring Bolton fans out in a cold sweat.

Wanderers’ reaction on Thursday morning came via an official statement.

“It is important to note that the Club and Burnden Leisure have not been issued with any petitions at this moment,” read the first line.

A matter of minutes after the statement was issued the petitions did indeed arrive through the letterbox – but no amendment was made, and some major news sources, including the BBC, had already made their own interpretation.

“Bolton Wanderers: League One side reject winding-up petition claims,” still reads the top headline on the widely-read BBC Sport website.

The rest of the statement suggested Wanderers had things in hand, which was met with widespread relief.

Even mention of a third winding-up petition, linked with a previous dispute with catering partners Heathcote’s, was explained by the club as a clerical error with the matter now sorted.

The final line: “Wanderers will be making no further comment on these matters,” was spoiled slightly as Ken Anderson released a column a few hours later to expand on his thoughts.

At the same time, the Bolton Wanderers Supporters’ Trust put out an email to their members to register their concerns.

“The BWFC Supporters' Trust remains committed to finding a solution for the club,” part of the message read. “The last 14 months have seen the club lurch from one crisis to another. The problems surrounding the finances of the club have been masked by the success on the field.”

The tone of their comment clearly riled Anderson, who after making personal assurances the HMRC problems were in hand, launched into a very detailed condemnation of the Trust’s actions.

Poor timing aside, it did feel a touch on the harsh side to claim most of Anderson’s stint as owner had seen the club lurch from “one crisis after another” – and it was not long before the BWSA also had their say.

“We do not believe this is the time to destabilise the club further by raising concerns about its financial state, particularly without any concrete evidence to go on,” read part of their statement, available on their Facebook page.

The online backlash to the Trust’s comments has been considerable and while they argue ‘raising concern’ was actually written in their mandate voted by their members back in December, it should nevertheless make them think twice about releasing such a reactionary message.

That should have been the end of the matter. Yet things took a bizarre twist yesterday, as Anderson’s column was twice edited to remove any trace of the Trust or indeed the chairman’s assurances on the HMRC winding up petitions.

Had the point been sufficiently made? Had the column been rushed out without the right legal vetting and consequently amended?

Ken's son, Lee, issued an explanation of sorts on Friday evening, saying the club wanted to prolong the positive vibe after promotion. A very commendable point - but again, a little bit too late.

It isn't the first piece of club communication which has prompted some concern. In March the club issued another official statement to confirm an agreement had been reached between Anderson’s Inner Circle Investment company to assume control of Dean Holdsworth’s shares in Sports Shield BWFC. Again, it was carried by several major news sources as gospel.

The Bolton News added a caveat, that there was still some work to do before the deal was complete. And so it has proved.

The deal did not go through and, as things stand, is in the hands of the lawyers with a High Court hearing due on May 22 over a winding up petition from BluMarble.

Wanderers’ more open approach, from ownership down, has been widely praised and is a marked improvement on the previous regime.

Anderson has been approachable and has fronted up to the local media on many occasions - again a significant step up on the men he replaced.

Opinion is fine, so long as Wanderers' fans view it as such. Columns are entertaining, so long as they do not replace the scrutiny of the press. Openness is a two-way street.

When it comes to statements, however, the club’s official channels need to be unimpeachable if they are to be regarded as a definitive source of information.