Bolton

Early history (1877–1929)

The club was founded by the Reverend Joseph Farrall Wright, Perpetual curate of Christ Church Bolton, and Thomas Ogden, the schoolmaster at the adjacent church school, in 1874 as Christ Church F.C. It was initially run from the church of the same name on Deane Road, Bolton, on the site where the Innovation factory of the University of Bolton now stands. The club left the location following a dispute with the vicar, and changed its name to Bolton Wanderers in 1877. The name was chosen as the club initially had a lot of difficulty finding a permanent ground to play on, having used three venues in its first four years of existence.

Bolton were one of the 12 founder members of the Football League, which formed in 1888. At the time Lancashire was one of the strongest footballing regions in the country, with 6 of the 12 founder clubs coming from within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire. Having remained in the Football League since its formation, Bolton have spent more time in the top flight (Premier League/old First Division) than out of it.

In 1894 Bolton reached the final of the FA Cup for the first time, but lost 4–1 to Notts County at Goodison Park. A decade later they were runners-up a second time, losing 1–0 to local rivals Manchester City at Crystal Palace on 23 April 1904.

The period before and after the First World War was Bolton's most consistent period of top-flight success as measured by league finishes, with the club finishing outside the top 8 of the First Division on only two occasions between 1911–12 and 1927–28. In this period Bolton equalled their record finish of third twice, in 1920–21 and 1924–25, on the latter occasion missing out on the title by just 3 points (in an era of 2 points for a win).

On 28 April 1923, Bolton won their first major trophy in their third final, beating West Ham United 2–0 in the first ever Wembley FA Cup final. The match, famously known as The White Horse final was played in front of over 127,000 supporters. Bolton's centre-forward, David Jack scored the first ever goal at Wembley Stadium. Driven by long-term players Joe Smith in attack, Ted Vizard and Billy Butler on the wings, and Jimmy Seddon in defence, they became the most successful cup side of the twenties, winning three times. Their second victory of the decade came in 1926, beating Manchester City 1–0 in front of over 91,000 spectators, and the third came in 1929 as Portsmouth were beaten 2–0 in front of nearly 93,000 fans.

In 1928 the club faced financial difficulties and so was forced to sell David Jack to Arsenal to raise funds. Despite the pressure to sell, the agreed fee of £10,890 was a world record, more than double the previous most expensive transfer of a player.

Top flight run and cup success (1929–1958)

From 1935 to 1964, Bolton enjoyed an uninterrupted stay in the top flight – regarded by fans as a golden era – spearheaded in the 1950s by Nat Lofthouse. The years of the Second World War saw most of the Wanderers' playing staff see action on the front, a rare occurrence within elite football, as top sportsmen were generally assigned to physical training assignments, away from enemy fire. However, 15 Bolton professionals, led by their captain Harry Goslin, volunteered for active service in 1939, and enlisted in the 53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. By the end of the war, 32 of the 35 pre-war professionals saw action in the British forces. The sole fatality was Goslin, who had by then risen to the rank of Lieutenant and was killed by shrapnel on the Italian front shortly before Christmas 1943. 53rd Bolton Artillery took part in the Battle of Dunkirk and also served in the campaigns of Egypt, Iraq and Italy. Remarkably, a number of these soldiers managed to carry on playing the game in these theatres of war, taking on as 'British XI' various scratch teams assembled by, among others, King Farouk of Egypt in Cairo and Polish forces in Baghdad.

On 9 March 1946, the club's home was the scene of the Burnden Park disaster, which at the time was the worst tragedy in British football history. 33 Bolton Wanderers fans were crushed to death, and another 400 injured, in an FA Cup quarter-final second leg tie between Bolton and Stoke City. There was an estimated 67,000-strong crowd crammed in for the game, though other estimates vary widely, with a further 15,000 locked out as it became clear the stadium was full. The disaster led to Moelwyn Hughes's official report, which recommended more rigorous control of crowd sizes.

In 1953 Bolton played in one of the most famous FA Cup finals of all time – The Stanley Matthews final of 1953. Bolton lost the game to Blackpool 4–3 after gaining a 3–1 lead. Blackpool were victorious thanks to the skills of Matthews and the goals of Stan Mortensen.

Bolton Wanderers have not won a major trophy since 1958, when two Lofthouse goals saw them overcome Manchester United in the FA Cup final in front of a 100,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium. The closest they have come to winning a major trophy since then is finishing runners-up in the League Cup, first in 1995 and again in 2004.

Few highs and many lows (1958–1995)

While Bolton finished fourth the following season, the next 20 years would prove to be a fallow period. The club suffered relegation to the Second Division in 1963–64, and were then relegated again to the Third Division for the first time in their history in 1970–71. This stay in the Third Division lasted just two years before the club were promoted as champions in 1972–73. Hopes were high at Burnden Park in May 1978 when Bolton sealed the Second Division title and gained promotion to the First Division. However, they only remained there for two seasons before being relegated.

Following relegation in 1980, Bolton signed up talented striker Brian Kidd, as they prepared to challenge for a quick return to the First Division. Kidd scored a hat-trick in his third game for Bolton, a 4–0 win over Newcastle United in the league, but the rest of the season was a struggle as Bolton finished close to the relegation places. By the end of the 1981–82 season, Bolton were no closer to promotion and had lost several key players including Peter Reid and Neil Whatmore. The following season Bolton were relegated to the Third Division after losing 4–1 at Charlton Athletic on the final day.

Despite a new-look, much younger team and an 8–1 win over Walsall, Bolton's best league win for 50 years, Bolton failed to win promotion in the 1983–84 season, and would remain in the Third Division for another three seasons. In 1986 Nat Lofthouse was appointed President of the football club, a position he would hold until his death on 15 January 2011. At the end of the 1986–87 season, Bolton Wanderers suffered relegation to the Fourth Division for the first time in their history, but won promotion back to the Third Division at the first attempt. The club won the Sherpa Van Trophy in 1989, defeating Torquay United 4–1. During the 1990–91 season, Bolton were pipped to the final automatic promotion place by Southend United and lost to Tranmere Rovers in the play-off final, but they failed to build on this and the following season saw the club finish 13th.

The early 1990s saw Bolton gain a giant-killing reputation in cup competitions. In 1993 Bolton beat FA Cup holders Liverpool 2–0 in a third round replay at Anfield, thanks to goals from John McGinlay and Andy Walker. The club also defeated higher division opposition in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers (2–1) that year before bowing out to Derby County. Bolton also secured promotion to the second tier for the first time since 1983. In 1994 Bolton again beat FA Cup holders, this time in the form of Arsenal, 3–1 after extra time in a fourth round replay, and went on to reach the quarter-finals, bowing out 1–0 at home to local rivals (and then Premiership) Oldham Athletic. Bolton also defeated top division opposition in the form of Everton (3–2) and Aston Villa (1–0) that year.

Return to the top flight and venture into Europe (1995–2012)

Bolton reached the Premiership in 1995 thanks to a 4–3 victory over Reading in the Division One play-off final. Reading took a 2–0 lead before a Keith Branagan penalty save in the 42nd minute changed the course of the game. Bolton scored two late goals to take the game to extra time, scoring twice more before a late Reading consolation. The same year Bolton progressed to the League Cup final, but were defeated 2–1 by Liverpool. Bolton were bottom for virtually all of the 1995–96 Premiership campaign and were relegated as they lost their penultimate game 1–0 to Southampton.

The club won promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt thanks to a season in which they achieved 98 league points and 100 goals in the process of securing the Division One championship, the first time since 1978 that they had finished top of any division. This season also marked the club's departure from Burnden Park to the Reebok Stadium, the last game at the stadium being a 4–1 win over Charlton Athletic.

Bolton were relegated on goal difference at the end of the 1997–98 Premiership campaign. They finished on the same number of points as Everton, whom they faced in the first competitive match at the newly built Reebok Stadium. The game finished 0–0, but a goal by Gerry Taggart for the Whites was mistakenly not given; the point swing in Bolton's favour would have kept them up. The following season they reached the 1999 Division One play-off final but lost 2–0 to Watford.

In 2000 Bolton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, Worthington Cup and play-offs but lost on penalties to Aston Villa, 4–0 on aggregate to Tranmere Rovers and 7–5 on aggregate to Ipswich Town respectively. In 2000–01 Bolton were promoted back to the Premiership after beating Preston North End 3–0 in the play-off final.

Bolton struggled in the following two seasons, but survived in the Premiership. The 2001–02 season began with a shock victory as they destroyed Leicester 5–0 at Filbert Street. They then followed the win with two more over Middlesbrough and Liverpool to go top of the top flight table for the first time since 1891. Despite a 2–1 win away at Manchester United, becoming the first team since the formation of the Premiership to come from behind and win a league game at Old Trafford, they went into a deep slump during the middle of the season and needed a Fredi Bobic hat-trick against Ipswich Town to survive. Despite losing the final three games, 16th place was secured. The 2002–03 season began with a poor start and, despite another win away at Manchester United, they were bottom until a 4–2 win against Leeds United at Elland Road. Despite suffering from a lack of consistency, Bolton achieved the results needed and secured survival in a final day 2–1 victory over Middlesbrough.

Bolton reached the League Cup final in 2004, but lost 2–1 to Middlesbrough. Nevertheless, the club finished eighth in the league, at the time the highest finish in their Premiership history.

In 2005, Bolton finished sixth in the league, thus earning qualification for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. The following season, they reached the last 32 but were eliminated by French team Marseille as they lost 2–1 on aggregate. Between 2003–04 and 2006–07, Bolton recorded consecutive top-eight finishes, a record of consistency bettered only by the big four of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Towards the end of the 06–07 season, long-serving manager Sam Allardyce departed the club, stating that he was taking a sabbatical; he would be hired shortly thereafter as manager of Newcastle United. Allardyce later cited a lack of ambition on the part of the club's board for his departure; he had sought financial backing in January 2007 to push the club towards Champions League qualification, which he had not received.^[]

The 2007–08 season saw Bolton survive with a 16th-place finish, their safety being confirmed on the final day of the season, as they went on an unbeaten run for their final five games, as well as getting to the last sixteen of the UEFA Cup. Former assistant manager Sammy Lee replaced Allardyce as manager, but a poor start to the season saw him replaced by Gary Megson. During the European run, Bolton gained an unexpected 2–2 draw against former European champions Bayern Munich, as well as becoming the first English team to beat Red Star Belgrade in Belgrade. They also defeated Atlético Madrid on aggregate before being knocked out by Sporting Lisbon.

Bolton broke their record transfer fee with the signing of Johan Elmander from Toulouse on 27 June 2008, in a deal which cost the club a reported £8.2 million and saw Norwegian striker Daniel Braaten head in the opposite direction. Megson was replaced part-way through the 2009–2010 season by former Wanderers striker Owen Coyle, after Megson endured a difficult relationship with the fans. In the 2010–11 FA Cup, Bolton progressed all the way to the semi-finals, but were beaten 5–0 by Stoke at Wembley, with the match being described as "a massive anti-climax".

The following season began as the previous one had ended with just one win and six defeats, their worst start since the 1902–03 season when they were relegated. On 17 March 2012, manager Owen Coyle travelled to the London Chest Hospital with Fabrice Muamba who had suffered from a cardiac arrest whilst playing against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in a FA Cup match. Muamba stayed in a critical condition for several weeks and Coyle was widely praised for the manner in which he represented the club during the period. That 13 May, Bolton were relegated to the Championship by one point on the last day of the season after drawing 2–2 with Stoke City.

Return to the Championship (2012–2018)

The following season back in the Championship started badly for Bolton, with only three wins in ten league matches and a second round exit from the League Cup following a loss at Crawley Town. As a result of poor performances leaving them in 16th place, Bolton sacked Coyle on 9 October 2012, replacing him with Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman. They finished in seventh place, losing out on a play-off place to Leicester City on goal difference. The 2013–14 began with a trip to Turf Moor, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Football League. Freedman was fired after a torrid run of results at the beginning of the 2014–2015 season; he was replaced by former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who promptly won his first game in charge 1–0 away at Birmingham.

In December 2015, Bolton, who were £172.9 million in debt, were handed a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs over unpaid taxes, and a transfer embargo for the following month's window. Much of this debt owed to former owner Eddie Davies was confirmed to have been written off in March 2018, to assist with the club's potential sale prospects. After ending a 17-game winless run, Lennon, who had been investigated by the club due to allegations about his personal life, said that the club had "been through hell". On 18 January 2016, the club avoided an immediate winding-up order after their case was adjourned until 22 February to give it time to either close a deal with a potential buyer or raise sufficient short-term funds from asset sales. The club was said to owe HM Revenue and Customs £2.2m. The financial situation had improved as a takeover bid by Dean Holdsworth's Sports Shield was successful in March 2016. Lennon was removed from his position for the final few games of the season, replaced by Academy manager Jimmy Phillips. On 9 April 2016, Bolton lost 4–1 away at Derby County to confirm their relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1993.

Under new manager Phil Parkinson, Bolton won promotion from League One at the first time of asking with a second-place finish. On 14 September 2017, the board announced that the embargo was over. Bolton started their first season back in the Championship poorly, only earning their first victory in October. Their form improved mid-season, however going into the final round of fixtures Bolton were in the relegation zone, needing a win to stand a chance of securing survival. They achieved this to finish 21st, narrowly avoiding relegation, having fought back from 2–1 down to win 3–2 at home against Nottingham Forest in the last ten minutes of their final match of the season.

Relegation and financial crisis (2018–2019)

Throughout the 2018–19 Championship season Bolton faced financial difficulties. On 12 September 2018, Bolton reached an agreement with their main creditor BluMarble Capital Ltd over an unpaid loan, avoiding administration and a points deduction from the EFL. Bolton were served a winding-up order on 27 September 2018 after failing to make a payment to HM Revenue and Customs. This was the fourth such petition the club had faced in the previous 14 months. After the collapse of the permanent signing of on-loan striker Christian Doidge, Forest Green Rovers commenced legal action over lost earnings. In February 2019, Bolton were again issued a winding-up petition by HMRC which was subsequently adjourned until the end of the season as their search for a new owner continued. The match against Brentford on 26 April was called off by the English Football League 16 hours before kick off after Bolton's players, supported by the Professional Footballers' Association, refused to play until they had received their unpaid wages; the EFL awarded the win to Brentford. The Bolton Whites Hotel, owned by Ken Anderson, was also issued with a winding-up petition in March 2019 (it closed on 1 May and went into administration on 14 May). The team was relegated to League One in April after a 23rd-place finish.

In May 2019, the club went into administration due to a £1.2m unpaid tax bill, incurring a 12-point penalty for the 2019–2020 season. Fildraw (former owner Eddie Davies' trust fund) appointed administrators from insolvency firm David Rubin and Partners. A 17 July statement from the Bolton players said that no-one at the club had been paid by owner Ken Anderson for 20 weeks, the training ground had no potable drinking water nor hot water for showers. Pre-season friendlies were cancelled as Bolton could not give assurances about fielding a competitive team.

Anderson failed to find a buyer before the start of the season, and Bolton started their opening League One game on 3 August at Wycombe Wanderers with only three contracted senior outfield players, and lost 2–0. A week later, Bolton fielded its youngest ever side, with an average age of 19, in a goalless home draw against Coventry City. Manager Phil Parkinson expressed concern about the welfare of the youth players used in all of Bolton's games, leading Bolton to postpone the game against Doncaster Rovers on 20 August but without informing either Doncaster or the EFL. Parkinson and assistant Steve Parkin resigned the following day, with academy manager Jimmy Phillips taking interim charge. On 26 August, it was announced that the takeover by Football Ventures had fallen through one day before the EFL deadline, potentially risking the club going into liquidation. After Bolton failed to meet that deadline, the suspension of its notice of withdrawal from the EFL was lifted; however, the club was not immediately expelled from the EFL – it was given until 12 September 2019 to meet all outstanding requirements of the League's insolvency policy.

Under new ownership (2019–)

On 28 August, Bolton announced that the club's sale to Football Ventures (Whites) Limited had been completed, with the administrator paying tribute to the Eddie Davies Trust and their legal team, and criticising Ken Anderson who had "used his position as a secured creditor to hamper and frustrate any deal that did not benefit him or suit his purposes." Days later, Keith Hill was announced as the new club manager. He signed nine players before the transfer deadline closed, and his first win came on 22 October, 2–0 against Bristol Rovers, Bolton's first win in 22 matches.

On 21 November 2019, Bolton were handed a five-point deduction, suspended for 18 months, and fined £70,000, half of which was suspended for 18 months, for failure to fulfil two fixtures (against Brentford and Doncaster). The points would not be deducted if Bolton fulfilled all fixtures during the 18-month period. An EFL appeal against what it saw as a "lenient" penalty was rejected by an arbitration panel in January 2020. On 9 June 2020, the EFL League One decided to end the 2019–20 season early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing bottom club Bolton Wanderers to go down to the fourth tier of English football for the first time since 1988 and only the second time in their history. Following relegation, the club announced that Keith Hill and assistant David Flitcroft would leave the club when their contracts expired at the end of June. Barrow manager Ian Evatt was appointed Hill's successor on 1 July 2020. Despite being in 17th place after 24 matches, Bolton orchestrated an impressive season turnaround under Evatt. They completed the 2020–21 League Two season in third place after a 4–1 win against Crawley Town on the final day – enough to secure automatic promotion to League One – and early in the 2021–22 season settled debts with unsecured creditors to remove the threat of a 15-point deduction.

In January 2022, it was confirmed that the club had received an emergency loan from The Future Fund, a financial support scheme set up during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was subsequently converted into shares of the club, with around 8% of shares now owned by the British Business Bank, an economic development bank developed and run by HM Government.

On 2 April 2023, Bolton won the 2023 EFL Trophy final 4–0 win against Plymouth Argyle.