£5m winding up petition set to pop Bolton Wanderers’ promotion balloon

The joy of football club Bolton Wanderers’ immediate return to the Championship following relegation last season is set to be tempered by a winding up petition over a £5m loan.

Finance company BluMarble lent the money to Sports Shield – the company owned by former Wanderers striker Dean Holdsworth – to carry out the takeover alongside chairman Ken Anderson’s Inner Circle Investments las year.

In March, Anderson bought Holdsworth’s shares to become the majority owner of the Macron Stadium club.

A High Court date has been set for May 22, although Wanderers have said it is a matter for Sports Shield.

Bolton sealed their automatic promotion with a 3-0 victory over Peterborough United on Saturday in front of 22,000 fans, guaranteeing a runners-up slot finish in League One.

The return the club to the Championship looks likely to bolster the club coffers by £6m, but up to 17 members of the squad now face uncertainty as a result of the winding up petition.