Bolton Wanderers: Club given early EFL payment to ensure Ipswich game was on

Bolton owner Ken Anderson previously thanked the EFL for their support in a statement last week

Bolton received an advance payment from the Football League to ensure their home game against Ipswich went ahead.

BBC Radio Manchester understands the EFL paid the club around £160,000 prior to Saturday's Championship match.

Bolton were due the cash in mid-April but the League agreed to provide it early so matchday staff and emergency services could be paid.

Wanderers, who are close to being sold by owner Ken Anderson, have been beset by financial problems this season.

The game against Ipswich was only given the go-ahead on Thursday after the area's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) had initially issued a ban on fans entering the University of Bolton Stadium for Wanderers' two matches on Saturday and Tuesday.

The games against Ipswich on Saturday and Middlesbrough on Tuesday were then thrown into doubt again by a "critical IT failure" which was eventually rectified.

The computer problem was the latest in a catalogue of issues to blight the Championship club, which is set to be taken over by former Watford owner Laurence Bassini.

Bolton's players had gone on strike for 48 hours last week after the club failed to pay their salaries on time for the second successive month.

Second-from-bottom Bolton lost 2-1 to bottom side Ipswich to leave Phil Parkinson's men eight points adrift of safety with six games remaining.