Ian Evatt

[ade383]

it's all to do with which figure you use. the players and manager have a clause that gives them an increase if we are in the league - partly due to being paid 52 weeks in the EFL and not 44 in the NL and partly just an increase. Barrow are saying it should be based on the EFL figure as we have been promoted. Bolton are saying it should be on the NL figure.

Surely the NL season is finished with and we are now a football league side so IE is the manager of a EFL side?? Seems pretty simple to me

[russell_anderson]

Wish this saga would just come to an end one way or the other it’s dragged on long enough now. We need to start focusing on the fielding this going to be a huge step up we need to be fully prepared and have a squad who want to be here playing for whichever manager we may have. This drama is doing no good for anyone connected with either club.

Gut feeling is he’s as good as gone so let’s move on.......personally I’d go for a Keith Hill type he had great success at Rochdale, granted he wasn’t much kop at Bolton but let’s face it the whole club was in melt down during his tenure. Be interested to see how IE does in that position as it will be an uphill challenge for any manager.

It's up to Bolton to move the saga on by paying up. Either they do that or Ian Evatt will be staying at Barrow. The ball is in their court and the Barrow board is absolutely correct in insisting on fair compensation.

[BoltonBlue]

As a Barrow fan living a stones throw from the 'University of Bolton Stadium' this has been bloody painful to say the least, to put a positive spin on things you have to ask yourself truthfully that if someone asked you at the beginning of the season Barrow could be promoted to the FL as champions with the profile of the club raised tenfold AND in addition receive a cash injection of a rumoured 250k... but the club would have to sacrifice IE what would your answer be?

[Methuselah]

I think we should take it on the chin,thank Ian Evatt for doing what he said he would do, appoint a suitable successor and move Barrow forward and hopefully upwards with the great players we already have.It is sad what is rumoured to be happening, but we as a club have to keep that great spirit going which was responsible for bringing so many more supporters back .

[Moribund]

it's all to do with which figure you use. the players and manager have a clause that gives them an increase if we are in the league - partly due to being paid 52 weeks in the EFL and not 44 in the NL and partly just an increase. Barrow are saying it should be based on the EFL figure as we have been promoted. Bolton are saying it should be on the NL figure.

As we're selling, it should be us setting the fee. An easy way to settle this debate would be to ask Ian Evatt if he got Barrow promoted to the EFL...

[Suffolk Blue]

Why are barrow saying it’s £250,000 compensation and Bolton are saying it’s not? Surely there will be an actual number in the contract wether it be £250,000 at any time or Say £300,000 from point ‘A’ depreciating over time to when his contract runs ou

I suspect its a little more fundamental than that. To be honest whether the figure was £125k, £150k or £175k on a sliding scale basis, I'm pretty sure that Bolton wont want to pay - because it cant. Any money will probably come from the coffers of FV and/or be underwritten by an individual benefactor and as not a penny of that is going to generate any profit they will want to negotiate it down and break it up.

We're back to this issue of a shadow corporation pulling the strings of a famous old name. If this were a club with more substance then you might be able to sweeten the deal in other ways (friendlies, sell ons, developing links etc.) but Bolton have nothing to offer at this point - absolutely nothing apart from somebody else's cash. As suggested previously this extended delay really has nothing to with IE or his preferences, its simply to do with money.

As for IE, well he will probably have seen this not just as a step forward but one that could've be achieved reasonably seamlessly. He will have realised by now that this is not the case. As this drags on, everybody's reputation comes under scrutiny and IE should now be realising that his own halo is now being indirectly tarnished. It not a bad situation as yet and if resolved this will all pass very quickly. However his position is now looking increasingly uncomfortable as each day passes. He clearly wants to leave but has no desire to say so and as a result is in danger of suffering collateral damage by being caught in the middle of these two clubs.

The nightmare for him would be a total impasse with the option that he is "encouraged" to walk. This has been muted several times in this thread but I cant think of a worse thing for a young aspiring 38 year old manager to do having just led his team to a brilliant success. He'd sacrifice much of the glory and his card would be marked by prospective future employers. I'm sure he'd survive this but I cannot think that is what he wants to do. He likes to be in control of his own destiny. He must be feeling less than ecstatic with this situation. Welcome to the wild world of the EFL.

So part of the negotiating stance of each party will probably have included knowing IE the man and how he will or will not accept and how that factor will influence his reaction to any stand-offs.

There are aspects of this situation that are quite fascinating - if you are not affected by them. A lot has been made of IE not saying he wants to stay, but he has made no noises publicly to the opposite effect either. He may have been advised not to express an opinion (particularly important for Bolton's negotiating position) , but I dont think that is now working in his favour. It is also not helping the finalisation of a deal either. Ultimately this affair is now simply about a number and everyone's position is being determined by whether the number is higher or lower

[Chris Benoit]

Might be a bit of drifting on the odds soon as there seems to be an impression that Bolton are either reluctant to pay or can't. Not saying he isn't going but I get the impression that they're trying to knock us down quite a lot. We need to stand our ground regardless.

The odds of any event, be it football, racing or any other event are affected by the punters placing their money on the runners on how they think things will pan out, the odds fluctuate to protect the bookies, they do not affect the outcome

Thanks for informing me. I only work in a bookies and would never have known.

[Jim]

There are aspects of this situation that are quite fascinating - if you are not affected by them. A lot has been made of IE not saying he wants to stay, but he has made no noises publicly to the opposite effect either. He may have been advised not to express an opinion (particularly important for Bolton's negotiating position) , but I dont think that is now working in his favour. It is also not helping the finalisation of a deal either. Ultimately this affair is now simply about a number and everyone's position is being determined by whether the number is higher or lower

As in the saga of deciding promotion from National league, the club Board has been very circumspect. They are not playing this out in public. As far as I can tell, there has been no statement from any of the protagonists, everything is 'quotes from a source' in the media. I can't see it ending well. Either Evatt leaves with his reputation slightly tarnished or he stays with a chip on his shoulder and presumably always looking for the next job.

I suspect if the season had ended normally on 30th April, Evatt could have moved on then. Probably, feelers have been out for a while. That would have been disappointing, but (assuming the season is going to start in September) it would have left the new manager time to settle in and sort out his squad. For me, it would have been a more acceptable time to leave, rather than barely 2 months before the restart. The delay isn't Evatt's fault of course, but it makes my feeling of 'left in the lurch' more profound.

[Bluebird_john]

This has to be resolved by next Friday for me. And even if Bolton are in no rush, there has to be a stage where we say either pay or don't, and to Evatt / Agent, make a decision. Must be emotionally draining for our fantastic board. There has to be a point where it is actually better long term, as scary as it may seem short, to move on.

[barrowfan]

It sounds like Evatt has painted himself into a corner, as I believe if he does stay with us his credibility will be shot - if it isn't already.
If he does stay who's to say that he won't be gone in 3 months either so best he goes now with our thanks for what he's done for the club - as that should not be forgotten or taken away. However we must get the amount that is owed to us and move on to give us maximum time to prepare for next season.

Don't know a lot about these things but I would have thought that a manager is paid for 52 weeks as he should be using the non-playing time to bring in new players and preparing for the following season.

[chipmunx]

Tuesday could be a key date assuming Evatt is payed at the end of the month. If his pay is at the EFL rate from the date of the NL announcement then that takes away Bolton's argument that it should be on the lower NL figure.

[Paulmichael]

The things that gets me, is evatts class he showed after the league ended, his countless interviews with the press championing our case, speaking how we will be going for another promotion, the perfect storm etc and as soon as the next tempting offer comes in hes off, feel really disappointed with him, yes he will always be remembered fondly for taking us up and the type of football but his behaviour firstly with fylde and then now tarnished his reputation here

[barrowfan]

Just to follow on chipmunx's point, as I understand it he hasn't yet been given official permission to talk to Bolton. Assuming he gets that on or after 1 July then we should get compensation based on the EFL figure.

[barrowfan]

Apparently Evatt isn't the only one in the frame at Bolton:

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/journ ... rial-hunt/

[Stephen Leonard]

Just to follow on chipmunx's point, as I understand it he hasn't yet been given official permission to talk to Bolton. Assuming he gets that on or after 1 July then we should get compensation based on the EFL figure.

I have no idea whether this is the issue that is causing different opinions re the compensation figure as I have no idea what’s in the contract

However the issue about are we a NL or EFL is also possibly a legal one as well . Yes we are champions - yes we are therefore eligible to be promoted - but all leagues membership constitution is decided at their AGMs along with any other rules . Therefore until all playoffs (EFL and NL) are complete and an AGM takes place and the list of teams in each is formally agreed the I would say it is very possible we are still technically and legally a NL team

Theoretically something could happen between now and an AGM that prevents us becoming an EFL team (can’t think of anything that would cause this but it’s about whether it’s possible )

So just because we are champions and eligible to be an EFL team next year doesn’t mean we actually are one yet.