WANDERERS have confirmed some key details for the upcoming FanZone, which will be in place for late July.

Built in conjunction with the Supporters’ Trust, the new facility will offer supporters new food and drink options outside the stadium before games.

CEO Neil Hart has confirmed that the FanZone will be open three hours before kick-off on Saturdays and is on track to open before the first home game of the season.

“We looked at options during the season but Autumn-Winter time didn’t really feel like the right time to launch it,” he told The Bolton News.

“We have had some issues around the ground in terms of space and licensing, as we’ll be selling food and beverages, but it will be located in the directors’ car park adjacent to the bridge and have a capacity of up to 1,000.

“We will have food outlets and a bar with various forms of cover in case it rains.

“We wanted to do it properly and well. We have a working group within the football club who are working on different elements including sponsorship, food and beverage and also safety elements that might need to be put in. It is a bigger project than people might realise and we have worked closely with the council on licensing and safety.

“We are now 99 per cent confident it will be open and ready for the start of the season and also be a great space for supporters to go in before kick-off.”

Wanderers have plans for the food and drink they will offer initially, but Hart stressed that the range will improve as time goes on – and he is keen to hear from vegan supporters what sort of offerings they would like to see at the UniBol.

“We want to diversify what we offer,” he said. “Hopefully supporters feel we have started to do that with what we offer on the kiosks now, we’ve added some additional beer lines and food options.

“I will say that where the FanZone is as a starting point will not be where it is in six, 12 or 18 months’ time. As a football club we are all about adding and enhancing things all the time to improve what we offer.”