Trotters hail end to uncertainty as Inner Circle swoops

Inner Circle Investments, led by serial entrepreneur and ex-football agent Ken Anderson, has struck a deal with the liquidator of ex-footballer Dean Holdsworth’s company to ramp up its stake in Bolton Wanderers. The Trotters said that the transaction will end the uncertain position that the club has endured in recent months.Inner Circle has agreed a deal with Andrew Hosking of Quantuma, acting as the liquidator of Sport Shield BWFC, to acquire the company’s former shareholding in Bolton Wanderers’ holding company Burnden Leisure. The Trotters’ former striker Dean Holdsworth is listed on Companies House as Sport Shield BWFC’s sole director.In a statement, Bolton Wanderers said that the transaction “will increase Inner Circle’s shareholding to 95 per cent and bring an end to the uncertain position the club has endured over the past few months”. It has been widely reported that Sports Shield BWFC held a 37.5 per cent stake in Burnden Leisure.The Championship club has also announced that a new arrangement has been agreed with finance company Blumarble, which it said brings to an end the uncertainty around this facility.Meanwhile, Holdsworth has resigned as a director of Bolton Wanderers. The club have confirmed that Holdsworth has resigned as a director from all group companies with immediate effect.Eddie Davies completed the sale of his 94.5 per cent controlling stake in Burnden Leisure to the Sports Shield consortium, led by Holdsworth, and the Inner Circle Club, an investor network led by serial entrepreneur and ex-football agent Ken Anderson, in March 2016.