Bolton Wanderers are preparing for the new season with a sense of optimism, having hired Ian Evatt as their new manager and signed 15 new players. The club, which was rescued from administration by Football Ventures in August 2019, starts the 2020-21 season as the bookies' favourites for the League Two title. But despite the positive outlook, the club still faces significant financial challenges, including a £3.5 million bill to pay off unsecured creditors by the end of August 2021. Failure to do so could result in a 15-point deduction. Bolton Wanderers' fans will be hoping that the club can build on the progress made last season, when they sold over 6,000 season tickets and avoided any further points deductions or winding-up petitions. The club's new manager, Ian Evatt, has a tough task ahead of him, but he will be buoyed by the fact that the club has a strong squad and a loyal fan base. Bolton Wanderers' first game of the new season is against Bradford City next Saturday. The club's administrators have outlined the extent of the financial challenges faced by the club in a report filed at Companies House in December. The report reveals that the club came close to following Bury into extinction, but was rescued by the intervention of Sharon Brittan and Michael James, the owners of Football Ventures. Bolton Wanderers' fans will be hoping that the club can put its financial troubles behind it and focus on achieving success on the pitch. The club has a rich history, having posted four top-eight finishes in a row in the Premier League between 2004 and 2007, with Sam Allardyce in the dugout and players like Nicolas Anelka, Youri Djorkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha on the pitch. But the club's recent history has been more turbulent, with relegation to the Championship and then League One, and a chaotic four-year spell under different owners. Bolton Wanderers' fans will be hoping that the club can return to its former glory under the guidance of Ian Evatt and the ownership of Football Ventures.