Bolton Wanderers chief explains shift in contract policy

A homegrown player who has been with the club since the age of seven, and one who has made a remarkable impact since breaking into the first team at the start of this season, adding another three years to his existing contract was widely viewed as a positive step.

Conway is not the only player who has been tied down to a long deal since the summer, and there has been notable shift in Bolton’s recruitment policy since the end of last season which has seen them hand out an unprecedented number of three and four-year contracts to new signings.

Thierry Gale, Sam Dalby, Ethan Erhahon, Xavier Simons, Richard Taylor – all players brought in on a permanent basis, who are contracted to 2028 and beyond.

The policy is very deliberate, and though it places more pressure on the recruitment department to deliver a greater number of hits than misses, it also puts Bolton into a secure position when it comes to player trading.

David Ray, the club’s newly appointed CEO, believes it will play a major part in moving Wanderers back towards a more sustainable existence.

Whether the Whites’ recent record as a selling club bears scrutiny is a matter of much debate. Sub £1million fees for popular strikers Aaron Collins and Dion Charles – who had topped goalscoring charts in the previous three seasons – provoked a degree of criticism this year but the £1.2m gained for George Thomason, who had joined Bolton for virtually nothing could be viewed as pure profit.

Prior to that, the £500,000 fee gained for Dapo Afolayan’s departure to St Pauli in early 2023 also left fans feeling cold, especially as he has since carved out a good career in the German top-flight.

Fergal Harkin’s appointment as sporting director in the summer signalled a change in tack for Bolton, and Ray believes bringing in players on longer contracts will ensure the club will hold a stronger hand in the future.

“As well as being successful on the pitch we want to build value for the squad, which helps towards that sustainable model and helps us grow over time,” he told The Bolton News.

“I think some of the things that Fergal did in the summer around the contracts that were given and also the age profile and where on the pitch we invest money. I think that's all towards creating that value over time.

“I think we've seen the first step on a journey there. Player trading is important, and especially where Bolton Wanderers want to be as quickly as possible, the Championship.

“At that level it becomes a key part of how all clubs operate and model.

“Recruitment becomes massively important and I know how much hard work goes into that, with Fergal (Harkin) and Steven (Schumacher) working hard with the recruitment team and Jimmy Dickinson, doing due diligence on players.

“They look into every aspect of the player, all the data, they watch the signings, they look into the character of players and ask whether they are getting the right person as well as what you see on the pitch.

“All that hard work is about making sure that over time you make better decisions and delivering long-term value for the football club, so we can be as successful as we can possibly be.”

Wanderers’ average attendances have climbed in each of the four seasons since Covid, from 15,439 in 2021/22 to 21.325 as things stand today.

Even in the title-winning 1972/73 season, Bolton had never experienced support as a third-tier club quite like they are now, but Ray insists that they are far from hitting a ceiling, especially if the club can get promotion.

“I would be confident that Bolton Wanderers could have a sustainable model in the Championship,” he said. “I think we would need to get the matchday fan experience right in doing that, so that more people want to come, but I see no reason why we couldn’t attract even bigger crowds to games.”

A fan survey is soon to be launched, which will gauge some of the areas where Wanderers could improve on a matchday and the upcoming Q&A in November will also give folk a chance to ask questions of the CEO and sporting director Fergal Harkin face-to-face, with all feedback welcome.

“I want to listen to what they have to say, good and bad, I want to know what they would like to see at the stadium on a matchday whether that’s a certain type of beer we don’t do or a food offering,” he said. “As well as getting the results right on the pitch and playing attractive football – which I think we are – it is vital that you get things right off the pitch as well, get the experience right.

“That’s why I have initiated these things, to hear what they want to change, direct to me, because I don’t think there is a better way.”

Ray spent five years as a member of the executive team at Plymouth Argyle helping to grow their business, but he admits the scale of the job at Bolton is quite different.

“The biggest thing is the stadium itself,” he said. “But that is a positive for us. There is just so much potential.

“I have talked about matchdays, and I think there is a lot we can still do to make the place somewhere even more people want to do – but on non-matchdays we also have to make sure we are making the most out of all the spaces in the stadium.

“The Premier Suite, as an example. Is that being used in the best possible way for us, going forward? The hotel, how we optimise it, how we use it. The spaces in the hotel, can we collaborate better with local businesses? 

“There is just so much scope for growth, improvement, and ultimately that's what will drive that sustainable model that we really want to get towards.

“But it's a journey, and it's not going to happen overnight. It takes time to get these things right. 

“It is about generating money to make sure that the team on the pitch is driving the club forward. That is what it is all about, and that’s what my message will always be.

“How do we make it as efficient as possible? How do we generate as much income as we possibly can, income hat doesn't leave the football club, it goes on to the football pitch, to try and make us as successful as we possibly can be.

“I think there are good signs at the moment.”