Bolton | Page 13 | Vital Football

Bolton

It is very hard to see how the EFL can penalise Bolton. They cannot be fined because they have no money; they cannot really be deducted any points because they don't have any to take away; and they cannot really relegate them at the end of the season because they will probably be relegated anyway.

Do they award a walkover win to the opponents? If so, by what margin? The difference between 1-0 and 2-0 could prove the difference between relegation and survival, or between promotion and nothing. Would even a 3-0 walkover actually compensate Doncaster, who would almost certainly have won the game by a higher margin?

Thinking you can postpone your own EFL game is preposterous. One of the fundamentals of football is the certainty that a game will take place when scheduled unless due to exceptional circumstances such as the weather or with the permission of the EFL. Bolton have apparently used twenty players so far this season, so it is not as if the same young players are being overworked. Is a twenty/nineteen/eighteen-year-old really not capable of playing one football match per week?

My sympathy for Bury has long ago dwindled to nothing; Bolton have now joined them, and a quick trawl through the other League One forums shows I am far from alone. These two clubs have brought the game into disrepute in a way I have never witnessed in half a century of watching football.
 
I wonder if Notlob have the lawyers in the wings awaiting the EFL to do something (!!!??) So they can sue them etc?
 
Bolton certainly seem to be baiting the EFL into a reaction

They're effectively saying: We're Bolton Wanderers, we don't want to play our next game because we know we'll lose, so we're not going to. What are you going to do about it?

It seems to me to be a consequence of allowing them to go unpunished for not turning up for the Brentford game last season

In my opinion what the EFL do next (if anything!!) is critical to the future integrity of English football
 
Just reading a report from 2006 when Spurs' squad suffered food poisoning hours before a crucial last day match to potentially reach the Champions League. Spurs contacted the PL and wanted to postpone completely or even delay for four hours to russle up more players. The PL immediately said no and that the match must be played, and there would be serious consequences including points deductions if it wasn't. EFL certainly not taking such a hard response with Bolton who have unilaterally postponed their game without any respect for the EFL, DRFC, or other member clubs and their fans.
 
Merthyr Imp said:
I suppose it would be the same as last season when Bolton failed to fulfil their fixture with Brentford and Brentford were awarded a 1-0 win.
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Should have to play it, at a time set by the EFL. Next Tuesday - neither team in the Carabao. Still don't know why it can't be played today.
Decide the league on the pitch, not in a meeting, but massive points deductions.
 
Merthyr Imp said:
I suppose it would be the same as last season when Bolton failed to fulfil their fixture with Brentford and Brentford were awarded a 1-0 win.
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Which is why I don't believe the EFL will award a walk-over, this early in the season. Doncaster must have thought they had a very good chance to not only win the game, but by a very large margin, and in turn increasing their goal-difference.
Awarding a 1-0 win is great for the 3 points, but come the end of the season that goal-difference could be very important.
 
Impala said:
Should have to play it, at a time set by the EFL. Next Tuesday - neither team in the Carabao. Still don't know why it can't be played today.
Decide the league on the pitch, not in a meeting, but massive points deductions.
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I agree. In fact I would go a step further and say "play it when we say or you're expelled with immediate effect".

They've publicly challenged the authority of the EFL. The EFL now need to give them a public ultimatum for everyone to see. What happens after that is then in Bolton's hands.

Stupidity/arrogance at the highest level. The EFL have been bending over backwards to help them
 
Expect at the EFL AGM prior to the 2020/21 season to include a set of concrete rules & punishments/sanctions regarding clubs that fail to fulfill fixtures.
Which will do nothing to resolve the problem that faces them here & now!
 
I don't know which is worse, Bolton's appalling arrogance at thinking they can choose when and when not to play, or that feeble-in-the-extreme response from the EFL.
Who exactly is making these EFL statements and decisions? Don't all the clubs run the league?
 
Hank the Imp said:
You would think so! So either the EFL are not enacting them to their full extent, or they are so ineffectual it is pointless to go ahead with them in this particular case.
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I believe the rules merely say that failing to fulfil a fixture constitutes "Misconduct"

Which constitutes a *very* broad church indeed. Possible actions arising from that are in Section 92. Which basically say anything or nothing can be done

84 The League’s Disciplinary Powers

84.1 The League has the power to bring disciplinary proceedings for misconduct against any Club, Official, Player and/or any other individual subject to these Regulations by:

84.1.1 imposing a fixed penalty in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 87;

84.1.2 referring the matter to a Disciplinary Commission appointed under Regulation 89; or

84.1.3 referring the matter to the Football Association in accordance with Regulation 88.

84.2 The same facts or matters may constitute a breach of more than one Article, Regulation, order, requirement, direction or instruction referred to above. The League may bring a charge or such charges as it sees fit.
 
On the back of Bolton's action and the ineffectual EFL response I contacted the EFL by email last night to register my disgust with the EFL shambolic handling of the Bury/Bolton situation - not in support of the two clubs.
I don't expect the EFL to take any notice of supporters (why would they we are only customers of their competition) and fair play I received a response first thing this morning. The good news ended there though. The response is attached and I interpret it as an auto reply which is already a couple of weeks old and to me anyway, is clearly set up to placate supporters of Bolton and Bury and has scant regard for the other clubs affected by their actions:-

Thank you for your email, we note its content and appreciate you getting in touch in this regard.
We’d first state that we acknowledge this is a frustrating time for both Bury and Bolton supporters and clearly, this is a concerning time for those associated with the Clubs.
In response to your query regarding Bolton Wanderers, currently the Club is in the hands of the Administrator, and the EFL remains in dialogue on all ongoing matters.
If you haven’t already seen it, the EFL recently released a statement which explains that following extensive discussions and correspondence between Bury’s ownership and the League - the additional information provided lacks the clarity required.
As per the League’s Articles of Association, the EFL will now give the Club 14 days (until 23 August 2019) to meet all outstanding requirements of the League’s insolvency policy or its membership of the EFL will be withdrawn.
Once again, we acknowledge that this is a concerning time for supporters and the EFL will continue to work diligently for the future of both Clubs.
Thank you for contacting the EFL.
Kind Regards,
Danny
Supporter Services Department
EFL
 
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