Phil Parkinson resigns as Bolton manager amid off-pitch chaos
Bolton Wanderers are now without a manager after Phil Parkinson and his assistant, Steve Parkin, resigned from the beleaguered club.
Parkinson’s decision is the latest blow to Bolton, who have been in administration since May and postponed the visit of Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night due to concerns over safeguarding of younger players.
Parkinson had been in place since June 2016 and so ends more than three years in charge. “I felt it was the right time to go,” he told the Bolton News.
A Bolton statement said: “The club has received the notice of resignation from Phil Parkinson and Steve Parkin and the matter is being considered.”
While the club remain hopeful that a takeover from Football Ventures will occur soon, who will take charge for the visit of Ipswich Town on Saturday is unclear.
Joey Barton, the manager of League One’s Fleetwood Town, described the EFL as “farcical” and expressed sympathy for Bolton. He said: “My uncle Tony Kelly played for Bolton and I made my Premier League debut there when they had the likes of Jay Jay Okocha. To see what has happened there is a farce.
“The reality of it is the league is becoming a bit of a farce. Donny [Rovers] get a freshener this week [a rest]. Someone gets a bye in the [Carabao] Cup [Sheffield Wednesday]. What is going on? The EFL need to have a real serious look at themselves because it is ruining our league. You have two teams on negative points [Wanderers and Bury], teams not fulfilling fixtures. It is a joke.” Regarding the postponement of the Rovers game, Phil Mason, the club’s safeguarding officer, said: “I think it is fantastic that the [younger] lads have stepped up, given their all, and shown such pride in the Bolton Wanderers shirt.
“The home game against Coventry was incredible, the best I have seen in a long time. However, they simply can’t sustain it. Their welfare is hugely important and if we did not raise these issues with the EFL then we would be neglecting our duties.
“Not only that, our argument is written in the context of the Under-18s and Under-23s handbook guidelines which say games should be organised in or around a Saturday morning to ensure there is appropriate recovery time and that a players’ development is not hindered.”