KEN Anderson has warned action could be taken against players who refused to play in today’s friendly against St Mirren.

Wanderers’ squad took an unprecedented step to down tools on Friday night after a dispute over unpaid wages and bonus payments.

Their decision was announced in a statement to The Bolton News and is the first occasion in the club’s history that a fixture has been cancelled in such a fashion.

Hundreds of supporters were expected to watch the game in Paisley, many travelling up to Scotland the night before.

Anderson launched a scathing attack on the players’ actions, insisting he would not be “blackmailed or threatened”.

He also said in a personal statement on the club’s official website that those involved could now face punishment.

“It is very unfortunate that the players took the decision not to play today and the club will take the appropriate actions against those involved.

“Hopefully the players who chose not to play today will personally reimburse the supporters for their loss and inconvenience caused by their actions.”

Anderson had voiced his concern at cash-flow issues at this stage of the season last year when the late payment of player and staff bonuses for promotion hit the headlines.

The sale of Gary Madine in January – and a bonus payment received from Cardiff City for their promotion to the Premier League – was thought to have steadied the financial ship for Wanderers in the last few months.

But Anderson says the money has been used to keep the club running and that he has not changed his mind on when player bonus payments should be paid.

“Of course, contracts are contracts, but as often happens in business and in life generally things happen that affect all manner of contracts. As we are all aware, these same contracts are often ignored by players as well when it suits them.

“I stated last summer about my views on paying players’ bonuses in June, long before the club receive their bonus in August and my views on this have not changed. The same cash flow problems will continue to occur in the quiet non-playing months when there is little or no revenue for many clubs and businesses, as long as ‘Football Creditors‘ are treated differently to anyone else and as everyone knows, the players are always guaranteed payment one way or the other and before anyone else. Hopefully, in the future players’ contracts will address this problem so that they are paid at the same time as the clubs.

“As regards, the comments about the player sales, these funds have been used to keep the club alive over the last two years due in the main to the excessive and unsustainable salaries previously paid to and for players. As long as l am involved, I will continue to do my best to run the club in a commercially prudent manner to try to ensure that going forward the club will not again suffer from the same mistakes of the past and work to eradicate the trading losses that caused these financial problems.”