By Mike Keegan For The Daily Mail
Published: 15:26 BST, 26 April 2019 | Updated: 23:17 BST, 26 April 2019
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Crisis club Bolton Wanderers' clash with Brentford on Saturday is off after the home side's players went on strike over unpaid wages.
Fed-up squad members at the relegated Championship side – in the midst of a drawn out takeover – had threatened to boycott their final two fixtures should their outstanding March salaries not be forthcoming before the close of play on Friday.
And late on Friday night, Bolton and the English Football League confirmed the game had been postponed, with the club instantly deemed guilty of misconduct and facing disciplinary action.
Bolton players have gone on strike and will refuse to play their final two Championship games
Ex-Watford owner Laurence Bassini, previously declared bankrupt and banned from a position of authority at a Football league club for three years, agreed a takeover deal earlier this month and told local radio on Friday that he had £12m to £15m to spend on new players when his deal is ratified by the English Football League.
But hours later, Bolton's current players announced their intention to strike and, despite promises from Bassini that the situation would be resolved, no agreement was reached.
A statement from the squad said that the ongoing situation was 'creating mounting mental, emotional and financial burdens'.
It added that some of the players were under so much mental strain that they felt unable to perform their jobs sufficiently and stated that the issue was 'affecting every aspect of our lives, placing great strain on ourselves and our families'.
Relegated Bolton are due to play Brentford on Saturday and Nottingham Forest on May 5
The statement also apologised
