Bolton Wanderers Supporters Trust Elections: Another Fine Mess

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove certain references to Daniel Izza. There was never any intention to cause Mr Izza any damage or distress in the original article.

So an email pinged into my inbox at weekend (that’s what she said) from our glorious Supporters Trust - a body set up to represent Bolton Wanderers fans and to give a voice to the voiceless.

Started to much fanfare, the Trust has regressed to the point where they are pretty much inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. I was hopeful, however, that the upcoming elections might see a change in how things were run and hopefully that change would be positive.

I was surprised to learn that the Trust now has three new board members! Fantastic! Wait a second, I don’t remember voting for them, do you?

Well it seems that these three have been brought onto the board without being elected, which throws up all sorts of questions in my mind.

In fact, if you wait for just another second, I didn’t vote for the chairman either?

The criteria to join the board was set in that you had to be a paid-up Trust member, be approved by the other board members and take part in a meet-and-greet with other board members.

The email also revealed that the Trust currently has 2487 members. Not too shabby at all, but when one member of the board is bragging on forums that their membership is treble this number, it makes you wonder what else they’re exaggerating about.

So all in all it’s another mis-step for the Supporters Trust. We all want a body for positive change, but what we seem to have got is a bloated, self-serving vanity vehicle for the chosen few. It’s such a shame.