Bolton Wanderers: Players say wages still not paid and ask for PFA assistance

Bolton's players have asked for help from the Professional Footballers' Association, claiming owner Ken Anderson failed to meet a promise to pay their February wages on Monday.

The squad was told they would be paid if a proposed takeover of the Championship club was not completed.

They "feel extremely let down by Anderson", a statement said.

"We were promised that our wages and staff wages would be paid by Monday. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened."

Anderson said on 24 February that he had agreed a deal "in principle" to sell the club and, in a statement on Wednesday, said he was optimistic the takeover would be completed by the weekend.

However, there has been no further updates since and Anderson remains in charge of the Championship club.

The players' statement continued: "With no idea of when our wages will be paid our only option is to ask the PFA to take it up with the EFL (English Football League) and start proceedings on our behalf.

"Hopefully the issue gets resolved very soon so we can all move forward as a group and put all our focus into winning games of football and staying in the league."

The BBC has contacted Bolton Wanderers and the EFL for comment.

Uncertainty at Bolton continues

The PFA intervened earlier this season to ensure the players' wages were paid for November and December.

In a news conference on Friday, manager Phil Parkinson said chief executive Paul Aldridge had told the playing staff that Anderson would fund their February wages if the takeover had not been completed by Monday.

Parkinson indicated earlier on Monday that he was still hopeful that the monies owed would be paid later in the day.

He told BBC Radio Manchester: "We were told by the chairman (Anderson) that either the new people would be in and they would pay the wages or he would do it, so I've no reason to believe that won't happen."

BBC Radio Manchester reported that matchday and full-time staff received their February wages on Thursday and Friday.

There were concerns that there would not be adequate safety provision in place for the home game against Millwall on Saturday, which led to a meeting of the Safety Advisory Group - consisting of the local council, the club, local police and ambulance services - on 5 March.

Outstanding bills owed to the emergency services were cleared, allowing the match to go ahead, and Bolton won 2-1 to move within five points of 21st-placed Millwall.

Bolton are due in the High Court on 20 March, having been issued with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue & Customs in February.