I never thought I’d see a food bank at a football club, especially one of Bolton’s standing REID: WHEN FINANCIAL TROUBLES HIT IT’S EASY TO FORGET THE HUMAN COST, THE JOBS LOST... PEOPLE HAVE BILLS TO PAY, FAMILIES TO FEED

PETER REID never thought he would see the day when Bolton Wanderers opened a food bank to prevent unpaid staff from going hungry.

As a player, Reid spent eight years at the club and walked in the footsteps of legends such as Nat Lofthouse, Eddie Hopkinson and Frank Worthington.

And as a manager, he once paid a fourfigure heating bill out of his own pocket when he found employees shivering in Portakabin offices where the gas had been cut off. He even sold his 1986 FA Cup runners-up medal for £4,000 to help players pay the rent for their digs.

But even Reid, now 62, was shocked to discover Bolton had set up an emergency food bank to help the hardest-hit members of staff at the club and its sister Bolton Whites Hotel, which has been closed since May 1.

The Trotters went into administration on Monday, with bank accounts frozen due to Wanderers’ unresolved winding-up High Court case brought by HMRC and other creditors.

Some staff have not been paid for two weeks after former owner Ken Anderson withdrew all funding and former Watford owner Laurence Bassini proved a false messiah with a failed takeover bid.

Reid, who won 13 England caps and played in the infamous Diego Maradona ‘Hand of God’ game, said: “I know people who work at the club, I still live in the area and my heart goes out to them.

“Bolton Wanderers is a football club with fantastic history, but right now it’s not a good place to be.

“Back in the day, I’ve managed Leeds and Plymouth when they were going through financial difficulties and it’s really tough.

“It’s too easy to forget the human cost – people have bills to pay, families to feed and bread to put on the table.

“Bolton have just gone into administration and people tend to lose their jobs when that happens. Starting next season 12 points down is only part of the story. But a food bank? I never thought I’d see one at a football club – certainly not one of Bolton’s standing. It’s such a sad state of affairs.

“Without being too specific or criticising individuals, because I don’t know the whole story, it shouldn’t happen in today’s society.

“There is enough wealth in this country, and in football, for people to put food on the