| Philip Gartside | |
|---|---|
Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside |
|
| Born | Philip Gartside August 23, 1941 Leigh, England [1] |
| Occupation | Chairman of Bolton Wanderers, FA board member |
| Years active | 1999 - present |
Philip 'Phil' Gartside (born August 23, 1941) is a businessman and the current chairman of Bolton Wanderers Football Club.[2]
He joined the board of Bolton Wanderers Football Club in April 1989, having been a fan of the club since his days as a pupil at Leigh Grammar School.
He became chairman of Bolton Wanderers in October 1999 and within weeks appointed Sam Allardyce as manager. While Gartside has been Chairman, the club has consolidated its position in the Premier League and reached the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. He has seen a number of high-profile footballers arrive at the club including Nicolas Anelka, Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha, Fernando Hierro and Iván Campo. He is a prominent football administrator, a Football Association Board Member and an executive director of the new Wembley Stadium.[3]
On 23 April 2009, Gartside proposed a plan to his fellow Premier League chairmen about spliting the Premier League into two divisions of eighteen teams in each and allowing Scottish clubs Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. to join.[4] UEFA have said they will not veto the proposed move.[5]