Bolton enter administration and are hit with 12-point deduction for next season 

Bolton Wanderers were relegated to League One after a tricky season on and off the field
Bolton Wanderers were relegated to League One after a tricky season on and off the field Credit: Reuters

Bolton Wanderers will start next season in League One with a 12-point deduction after becoming the first EFL club for six years to be placed into administration.

In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, Bolton said they hoped the appointment of administrators would “ensure the continued existence of the club” after one of the darkest periods in their history.

They become the first EFL club since Coventry City in 2013 to go into administration.

The appointment comes after notices of intention to appoint administrators was filed last week by Fildraw Ltd, a company which represents the trust of former owner, Eddie Davies. Davies loaned Bolton £5 million only days before his death last September to help the cash-strapped club to avoid administration.

Paul Appleton and Asher Miller of the London-based insolvency firm, David Rubin and Partners, have been appointed as joint administrators.

The news follows a failed takeover bid by former Watford owner, Laurence Bassini, as he sought ownership of Bolton from Ken Anderson, the club’s deeply unpopular chairman whose three-year reign has been beset by problems.

Bolton had been given two weeks to appoint an administrator after last Wednesday’s latest High Court over an unpaid £1.2 million tax ball. The players have still to be paid their salaries for March and April and the club - who were unable to fulfil their home fixture against Brentford, who were awarded a 1-0 win - have numerous other outstanding debts.

Appleton said: “This has obviously been a long-running situation and it is vitally important that we quickly establish the position of both the football club and the holding company. It has got to the stage where the Trust could not sit back and allow the club to go into liquidation. Decisive action had to be taken and the Trust believes the decision is in the best interests of Bolton Wanderers. Everybody at the club as well as the supporters need a sense of clarity and that is what I will be seeking to provide as quickly as possible.”

The EFL confirmed in a statement that Bolton would be subject to a 12 points deduction in League One next season and that they would commence talks with the administrators.

License this content