Fears are growing that Bolton Wanderers could be put into administration.
On Monday the club announced that the November wages for the first team squad had been ‘delayed’ although staff and youth team players on less than £500 a week have been paid.
Since Monday’s announcement Gordon Taylor of the PFA and football finance expert Trevor Birch have taken over from Neil Lennon as the hub of the club.
Sugar daddy Eddie Davies is prepared to write off his £180m soft loan that has kept the club afloat but even Davies can’t put off HMRC who are owed around £300,000 in PAYE.
After allowing Rangers (IL) to accumulate five months of arrears before forcing administration on the club in February 2012 HMRC are expected to act if the November bill isn’t settled by December 15.
Administration would trigger a 12 point penalty that would almost certainly consign the club to League One football for next season and also make a takeover less appealing.
A year after arriving at the club Lennon finds himself in uncharted waters as he attempts to motivate and discipline players who are unlikely to be paid before Christmas with the former Celtic manager in the same situation.
While sitting at the bottom of the table with just one win to their name Bolton are only four points adrift of fourth bottom Charlton having drawn nine of their 18 league matches to date.
On Monday night they drew 1-1 at home to Brentford but the action on the park took a back seat to the financial problems revealed earlier in the day.
“I’ve said time and time again that all these things are out of my control,” Lennon stated after the draw with Brentford. “I can only try to keep the players hungry and challenging them all the time to try and improve the position they are in. That’s all that I can do.”
On Saturday Bolton are at home to Cardiff City who will include loan signing Tony Watt in their strike force.
