Former English Premier League side Bolton Wanderers will start life in League One next season with a 12-point deduction, it was confirmed by the English Football League on Monday.
There was potential good news for Trotters fans though, with confirmation the struggling side had appointed an administrator which could pave the way for a Chinese takeover.
Reports emerged late last week that suggested potential interest from a group linked to Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng.
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Bolton News chief football writer Marc Iles wrote on Twitter that he understood the Chinese consortium would only deal with administrators and the path is now clear after Wanderers became the first EFL club to enter administration in six years. Interested parties have three weeks to offer their bids.
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney scores against Bolton in 2011. Photo: AP
This day has been a long time coming. The Trotters have struggled financially in recent years with the most recent developments being a judge granting them a stay of execution last week to appoint an administrator.
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They faced a winding-up order in April over an unpaid tax bill, but that was postponed to allow the club to find a new owner. That was their sixth threat of closure in 18 months, including another in February for an unpaid tax bill of £1.2 million (US$1.56 million).
Bolton Wanderers were relegated from the English Premier League in 2012. Photo: AP
