Wanderers are laying down a solid foundation
2:00pm Wednesday 4th November 2009 in Sport By Marc Iles
STABILITY has come at a price for Wanderers — but chief executive Allan Duckworth claims the shoots of recovery are starting to emerge.
Despite reporting a record £13.2million loss in the last financial year, there is a sense at the Reebok that things are now moving back in the right direction, even in the midst of recession.
Uncertainty had crept in at every level of the club after Sam Allardyce’s departure in 2007, both on the pitch where a battle against relegation was met with falling crowd figures, and off it, where massive staffing changes threatened Wanderers’ very infrastructure.
It is anticipated that next year’s figures could make even harder reading, as the financial climate bites hard into the corporate arm of the club and Gary Megson’s first team rebuilding job continues apace.
But Duckworth reckons the continued support of owner Eddie Davies, coupled with a sound plan for the future, should see Wanderers make a complete recovery.
“We are fortunate that we have a very supportive and committed owner, who has been with us 10 years now, and who continues to back us to the hilt and has seen us through this period of change,” he told The Bolton News.
“That is the real test of any owner or any management team, it’s how you manage through a period of difficult change.
“At the end of this, people will look back and say ‘yes, it was difficult getting through it, but from the playing side and the non-playing side, we did it.’ We have all been very focused, and very committed about what the goals and objectives were. We are now seeing the beginnings of the benefits.”
On the pitch, Duckworth hailed the job done by manager Megson since his arrival a little over two years ago.
Over 30 players have left the club, leaving what he considers a squad more capable of keeping the club in the Premier League for a 10th successive campaign.
“We are adding quality now,” he said. “Our squad now is younger, and the quality of the squad is stronger than it was — and they are probably the two key ingredients.
“We have got some younger players coming through now, both those we have bought and those already in our squad.
“All in all, the change that we have had to go through on the playing side is starting to show through. We are still in transition in our style, we are more resilient, we are more flexible — we can adapt our style better than we used to do.
“If we play Stoke, we set a side out for Stoke, if we play Chelsea, we set a side out for Chelsea.
“All the signs on the playing side are again for the long term.
“That has been the key to what we have done over the last couple of years, we have not just done them for today, but we have planned ahead.
“We have to have some patience, and that’s what Gary and the chairman have been calling for.
“People are beginning to see that now and certainly the fans are now reacting a lot more positively. They can see we are heading in the right direction.
“We haven’t got there yet, but we are getting there.”
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