Bolton’s takeover deadline extended

A deadline for former Watford owner Laurence Bassini to complete a takeover of cash-strapped Championship club Bolton Wanderers has been extended, it was announced yesterday.

Already relegated to the third tier of English football, Bolton were due to play Brentford in their final home Championship league games of the season last Saturday.

But the match was postponed after frustrated players, furious at repeated problems with unpaid salaries, announced they were taking strike action

An original deadline for Bassini to buy the northwest side from Bolton owner Ken Anderson passed Monday.

But Wanderers have since announced an extension ahead of Bassini’s meeting yesterday with Shaun Harvey, the chief executive of the English Football League — the organisation that runs the three divisions immediately below the elite Premier League.

“Further to the club statement made on the Saturday, both Ken Anderson and Laurence Bassini, and their respective advisors, have held further dialogue,” said a new statement on Bolton’s website.

“Following the arrangement for Mr Bassini to meet with Shaun Harvey this evening, it has been agreed that the previous deadline for conclusion set as the close of business Monday has been extended to allow these discussions to take place,” the statement added.

Bolton have been ordered to play their final two league matches of the season — the Brentford fixture and a trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday — with the EFL to decide tomorrow when the rearranged game will take place.