Is an important deadline looming in Bolton Wanderers' attempts to clear their transfer embargo?

Such was the fear sweeping around the Macron at the time, not being able to sign players in the winter window was the least of people’s concerns.

But some 500-plus days, one takeover, one relegation and one promotion later the Whites remain in the special measures imposed by the EFL and faced with the challenge of proving themselves in the second tier once again.

How then do Wanderers rid themselves of the restrictions and allow Phil Parkinson greater freedom to improve his squad?

“Bolton Wanderers remain under the terms of a transfer embargo due to a default in their filing obligations alongside the failure to provide additional financial information which is required under EFL regulations,” explained a spokesman in March.

The remedy is simple: The EFL want to see a sustainable business plan and proof of funding for the season ahead. Getting the required information to fulfil those requirements has been considerably more difficult than the new ownership initially thought.

Last summer’s headlines were dominated by two topics – the manager hunt and continuous speculation on when the embargo would be removed. Anderson undoubtedly got the first one right, yet ensuring his new man could work freely in the transfer market did not go according to plan.

“That [embargo] was the key part of my conversation, that’s going to be dealt with,” Parkinson said in his first press conference.

“Ken’s got a meeting in the next week or so and he’s confident that will be dealt with and we can move forward quickly and get some players in.”

As we now know, the embargo did not prevent Wanderers making signings and success has been achieved despite the restrictions staying in place another 11 months from that day.

It turns out Parkinson is not the first manager to achieve promotion under EFL special measures. Eddie Howe did the same with Bournemouth in League Two in 2010. Former Wanderer Phil Brown also led Southend United into League One having spent part of a campaign under embargo. Other managers may have done similar as embargoes increasingly come and go without attracting widespread attention.

So what is stopping Wanderers presenting the EFL with what they want? Firstly, the accounts for the most recent financial year must be filed.

New auditors Cowgill Holloway are working on it and it is hoped within the club they will be available by the end of the month.

Concerns have been raised, however, by previous auditors Deloitte, who on submitting their resignation to Companies House on March 30 explained they were unable to express an opinion on the previous year’s accounts owing to insufficient evidence being available to them.

Another significant hurdle could be negotiated in a week’s time as a winding-up petition issued to Sports Shield BWFC is heard at the High Court.

The case has been brought by BluMarble, the finance company who provided Dean Holdsworth with a £5million loan to facilitate the takeover of Eddie Davies’s 94.5 per cent control in the club last March. It emerged at the start of this year repayment on the debt, plus interest, is now overdue.

It is vital to understand this is not a case which could directly threaten the club, or risk it going into administration. It nevertheless could play a big role in whether Anderson wins his battle to become sole owner and by extension, how long the embargo stays in place.

How the loan was arranged has been a bone of contention between Anderson and Holdsworth since the first day of the takeover and a resolution outside the courtroom now looks unlikely.

Wanderers announced shares owned by SSBWFC were to be transferred to Anderson’s Inner Circle Investments company in March but it has since transpired only part of the deal was done.

Anderson confirmed to The Bolton News this weekend he had bought a portion of the shareholding and “substantial monies had changed hands”.

With the winding-up petition looming, the ownership of SSBWFC is a key factor. In a worst-case scenario the shareholding could end up in the hands of liquidators.

Should the court decide to adjourn next Monday’s hearing, or reschedule, it will prolong the agony and the chances of an embargo being lifted.

Another more recent complication has been the two winding-up petitions filed by HMRC to Burnden Leisure Ltd and the club (Bolton Wanderers Football and Athletic Company) for the non-payment of tax and VAT.

Anderson has assured fans the matter is in hand but the timing could hardly have been worse with the BluMarble situation coming to a head.