EFL Championship side Bolton Wanderers have been ordered to play their next home games against Middlesbrough and Ipswich behind closed doors.

Bolton Council met with police and ambulance teams who said they are “not prepared to risk public safety”. The stadium’s safety certificate has been withdrawn by the club’s advisory group and they face winding-up petition from HMRC in high court tomorrow.

“We will work with the club and offer them any practical assistance that is available to us in an attempt to find a successful and timely resolution to the issue”.

EFL statement on current situation.

The club, founded in 1874 owe over £1.2mil debt in taxes and costs, and have repeatedly being battling the threat of administration. They have also had several takeover deals fall through over the last couple of years.

This comes after staff and players were not payed on time for a second consecutive month, leading to players going on a 48-hour strike. The Lancashire side play their home games at the University of Bolton Stadium and currently sit 23rd in the championship, 5 points from safety.

If you buy a house then refuse to pay the mortgage you lose the house.
If you buy a 141 year old football club & refuse to run or pay the bills you get to keep it till someone buys it.
How the fuck does that work?!#bwfc #EFL #andersonout #kensanonce

— Andrew (@AndyC_88) April 2, 2019

Passionate fans of the club are venting on twitter and are directing their anger at Bolton’s chairman Ken Anderson, who has long been the bane of the fans, as they want him to leave. He fired back, calling those fans ‘disloyal’.

Anderson told the club’s website that he had poured ‘£1.5mil into the club in recent months to prevent it from entering administration’, which could result in a hefty points deduction.