Bolton vs Brentford: Match postponed after squad refuses to play due to unpaid wages

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Bolton‘s Championship fixture against Brentford has been postponed 16 hours before kick off after the squad refused to play unless they received unpaid wages for the past month.

The club, who have already been relegated, avoided a winding-up petition over a £1.2m unpaid tax bill in March after outgoing chairman Ken Anderson agreed the sale of the club to former Watford owner Laurence Bassini.

“Significant funds” were promised as part of the deal to pay wages and creditors, however, the players and five members of the coaching staff are still yet to be paid and released a statement on Friday afternoon saying the financial situation was ”creating mental, emotional and financial burdens for people through no fault of their own”.

A statement released on the Bolton club website read: “Bolton Wanderers Football Club regrettably confirms that Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Brentford has been called off.

“The club would like to apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.”

The English Football League confirmed the news and released their own statement which read: ”Following the failure of Bolton Wanderers to provide formal confirmation of its ability to meet its obligation to fulfil its Championship fixture against Brentford on Saturday (27 April), the game will not go ahead as planned.

“Earlier on Friday, the playing staff at the Club issued a collective statement confirming that they had decided not to fulfil the remaining fixtures of the season unless they received monies owed to them.

“As a result of these disappointing developments, the League has been forced to suspend Saturday’s fixture and under EFL Regulations, the Club is now deemed to be guilty of misconduct and will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission.

“The EFL Board will now consider the matter of determining whether the fixture will be played or not.”

Brentford had already travelled from London to Greater Manchester ahead of the fixture.