Bolton Wanderers secures new ownership deal as HMRC tax battle continues

BOLTON Wanderers’ has announced a deal between Sports Shield, Inner Circle and Eddie Davies to transfer ownership of the club has been completed and ratified by the Football League.

The Trotters, who recently announced it had sold its training ground to Wigan Athletic, is involved in a continuing fight to avoid administration in the High Court over a £2.2m HMRC tax bill. It was granted a further stay of execution this week following an adjournment until March 21.

The club said that the Sports Shield consortium, fronted by ex-Bolton striker Dean Holdsworth, and Inner Circle, owned by Ken Anderson, have taken control of Eddie Davies’ 94.5% controlling share of Burnden Leisure.

The remaining 5.5% of the Burnden Leisure shares will remain with individual shareholders.

High Court Registrar Clive Jones recently refused a winding-up petition from HMRC, which had asked for Bolton to be wound up after over its tax obligations.

In a statement on the club website today, Bolton said Dean Holdsworth and Ken Anderson will both join the board of directors.

Eddie Davies, who initially joined the Bolton board of directors in 1999 is to become honorary president of the club.