Former Bolton defender Lawrie Wilson ‘admires’ the club’s players for going on strike.
Whites stars refused to report for training on Tuesday and Wednesday in support of non-playing staff who were not paid their salaries for March.
3
Lawrie Wilson played for Bolton between 2015 and 2017
The first-team, who are still waiting to receive last month’s wages, returned to training on Thursday when staff were finally paid.
It is the second month in a row players have not been paid on time and Wilson, who won promotion to the Championship with Bolton in 2017, feels sorry for his old team-mates.
The 31-year-old told talkSPORT: “Fighting relegation is hard enough, but then to be coming into work each day not getting paid and you never know, some people might not be able to afford to get into work.
“You don’t know how people live outside of football and what they spend their money on.
“Even though you might look at it and say ‘they earn thousands and thousands of pounds’, we don’t know how they live outside of football.
“So they might actually be struggling to get into training. With Bolton, it’s an admirable thing to do for the non-playing staff, it just shows how tight-knit the group is.
3
A large section of Bolton fans have turned against owner Ken Anderson
“For them to do that for the staff, the chefs, the secretaries, everyone around them… it’s not just about the players not being paid.
“That’s quite an admirable thing to put themselves in that situation.
“They’ve come out of it quite well because the non-playing staff have been paid.â€
To add to the current off-field problems at Bolton, who are six points from Championship safety and waiting for a takeover to go through, they are facing a winding-up petition over debts of £1.2million.
On Wednesday, the hearing was adjourned until May 8.
Being paid late is a feeling Wilson knows all too well.
3
Lawrie Wilson has had spells in the Football League with Charlton, Port Vale, Stevenage, Peterborough and Rotherham
Since signing for non-league club Ebbsfleet in January 2018, Wilson reckons players have only been paid on time TWICE.
The ex-Charlton and Stevenage ace said: “It’s so hard for players to get up and go to work without being paid.
“Those Saturday and Tuesday games are key when those fans turn up, they’re the ones who keep you going because that’s what you live for.
“As a footballer you live for playing on the weekend in front of thousands and thousands of people, and these people keep turning up and supporting the players, even though they know what they’re going through.
“Whatever stance the Bolton players chose to take in the week, it shows they have the support and backing from the fans, which is superb.â€
LIVE ON talkSPORT
talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2...
- Southampton vs Liverpool (Friday, 8pm) – talkSPORT
- Norwich vs QPR (Saturday, 12:30pm) – talkSPORT 2
- Huddersfield vs Leicester (Saturday, 3pm) – talkSPORT 2
- Manchester City vs Brighton (Saturday, 5:30pm) – talkSPORT
- Coventry vs Bristol Rovers (Sunday, 3pm) – talkSPORT 2
- Watford vs Wolves (Sunday, 4pm) – talkSPORT
Wilson and his Ebbsfleet team-mates refused to warm-up before their game against Wrexham last weekend after club owner Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi threatened to stop paying their wages.
But the dispute was settled and the National League side secured a 4-2 win over their promotion rivals.
March wages, which were meant to be paid on the 25th, only went through on Wednesday.
Wilson added: “It’s a huge lift. In non-league, some people outside of football may have other interests and avenues where they can make money.
“But some people will need to go out and they haven’t earned the money that other players have by playing in the Football League and they’re in a completely different situation.
“So you have to take all of that into consideration when going through the squad and how people react to it.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
“Being paid on time, you expect it, but when you aren’t, it can be a bit of a shock to the system. Once it does go in, I’m sure it’s a huge relief for everyone involved.
“This has been going on for quite some time at Ebbsfleet. We’ve never not been paid, but I think for two months out of the last 14, we’ve been paid on time.
“Although we’ve always been paid, it’s not been on the due date every time. It could vary from three days to a week, ten days to two weeks, so it’s been late.â€
Report Ad
Finding the best price for your journey is easy with Trainline.
Ivan Perisic reportedly wants a move to Tottenham - and could see his hopes realised this summer. The Sun says reports in Italy suggest the Inter Milan winger was keen to sign for Spurs ahead of
Tottenham news: Ivan Perisic bid to be launched as Inter
Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney explains why he would hate Liverpool FC winning title over Man City. Liverpool and Manchester City are battling for the Premier League trophy and former Manchester
Wayne Rooney reveals why he 'couldn't bear' Liverpool winning
Eden Hazard gave a jovial response when asked if he would sign a new Chelsea deal at the club's end-of-season awards on Friday. The 28-year-old, who has just one year left on his Blues deal, has been continually linked with a summer move to Real Madrid. Getty 1 Eden Hazard could join Real Madrid this…
Chelsea transfer news: 'Where's the pen?' - Eden Hazard's
gistjunction.com/2019/05/11/chelsea-transfer-news-wheres-the-pen-eden-hazards-jovial-response-when-asked-if-hell-sign-new-blues-deal/
TEASE The Belgium captain's contract runs out next year and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid Eden Hazard gave a jovial response when asked if he would sign a new Chelsea deal at the club's end-of-season awards on Friday.
'Where's the pen?' - Eden Hazard's jovial response when asked
'One of the biggest mistakes ever' - Adrian Durham launches scathing attack on Arsenal for allowing Aaron Ramsey to join Juventus for free by: 161385360554578 — Talk Sport 12 Apr Adrian Durham has launched an astonishing attack on Arsenal for allowing Aaron Ramsey to leave for free this summer.
Huddersfield Town manager latest: The favourites to become
Sunderland have recorded the highest attendance outside of the Premier League this season as EFL figures rose to a 60-year high. Over 18.3million people attended league matches in the Championship
Sunderland record biggest crowd outside Premier League as EFL
Sunderland fans in Trafalgar Square the day before checkatrade trophy final 2019 at Wembley Sunderland fans take over Trafalgar Square Sunderland vs Portsmouth Checkatrade Trophy Final
Sunderland fans have taken over London ahead of Checkatrade final
You know, I think Barca will be fine. 29 April 2013. By Nicol Hay. Football fans have a curious love for certainties - knowing that this player was definitely better than that one, that one club is clearly bigger than the other - that seems to be a product of the untidy nature of the game itself.
Toffeeweb: Toffee Mail Bag — January 2007
Arsenal have reportedly invited Austrian side LASK Linz to London Colney for a pre-Europa League final friendly, and could come face-to-face with a former Premier League hard man in the game.
Arsenal back in top 4 after 2-0 win over Southampton - One
John O'Shea is set to announce his retirement at the end of the season after a trophy-laden 12-year career at Manchester United Credit: AFP. The versatile defender started out his career at United
Former Manchester United defender O'Shea to retire at end of
Jurgen Klopp 'ready to sell' €40m-rated flop to Atletico
No comments:
Post a Comment