Wanderers chairman Gartside dies aged 63

PHIL Gartside, the chairman of Championship football club Bolton Wanderers and a prominent North West businessman, has died of cancer aged 63.

Gartside stood down from his role at the club late last year when it was announced he was suffering a serious illness, later revealed to be cancer.

He had been chairman of the club for 16 years, 11 of which were when Bolton were a Premier League club.

Vice chairman Brett Warburton: “Phil has been a personal friend for over 30 years. This is a very sad day for everybody.”

The club added: “On behalf of Eddie Davies (the owner), the board and everyone associated with BWFC we send our deepest condolences to all Phil’s family.”

Mr Gartside who ran an engineering business, The Locker Group, before joining the football club full time, became a director of Bolton in 1988. He was a lifelong fan of the club having grown up in nearby Leigh.

The Football Association paid tribute too.

FA chairman Greg Dyke said: “On behalf of The FA, I am saddened to hear of this news. Phil had a lifelong association with Bolton Wanderers and did much to help the club achieve success upon becoming chairman in 1999.

“As well as leading Bolton during an extended stay in the Premier League over several seasons, he joined The FA Board in 2004 and was as dedicated to this role as he was to his club before stepping down in 2012. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

In addition to his role on The FA Board, Gartside served on The FA Council between 2004 and 2012. He was a non-executive director of Wembley Stadium until last July, having first been appointed in February 2005.

Tributes were made on Twitter by former players Nicolas Anelka and forner club captain Kevin Davies.

Bolton fan and TV presenter Vernon Kay said: “RIP Phil. A man who lived and breathed BWFC and the town of Bolton. He will be greatly missed. Not just as a chairman but as a good friend.”

Chef Paul Heathcote added his condolences, stating: “It’s terribly sad news. Phil was incredibly passionate about the Wanderers and although the club is not where we want it to be now, there were some very good times under Phil’s chairmanship.”

Meanwhile, current owner of up-for-sale Wanderers, Eddie Davies, has assured the club’s fans it “will survive” to honour the legacy of Gartside.

In a rare statement on the club’s webside, Davies spoke of his sadness at the passing of his close friend, who joined the Wanderers board in the mid-90s.

Although the Isle-of-Man-based business is selling the club after 13 years of ownership, he pledged he would do his best to protect the Macron Stadium club.

“It’s sad news for all us, for football and for Bolton,” he said of the chairman’s death.

“We’ve known what has been going on for some time and we’ve kept it quiet but it’s now come to this. We’re all very sad here.

“We started working together in 1996 and we hatched a plot of how to get into the Premier League and we were there for 11 years.

“Phil was with me all that time. We built a fantastic infrastructure around the club – it was one of the best in the Premier League, never mind the Championship where we stand now, and it’s all credit to Phil.”
 

 

 

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