Bolton Wanderers

Bolton was one of six Lancashire clubs in the original 12 of the Football League, and since then they have set a record they might not be proud of: most years in the top flight–73–without ever winning it.

They had great success in the FA Cup in the 1920s, winning it three times, including the famous White Horse Final of 1923. The original Wembley Stadium had just been completed, and for the first game there, the authorities decided, “Hey, let’s just open it up and let folks in.” Estimates range as high as 300,000 in attendance; the crowd covered the pitch and required police on horses, including a famous gray one named Billie, to clear the pitch so the Trotters could beat West Ham, 2-0. (Billie looked white in the films of the event, hence the name.) The next glory years were the 1950s, when a team built around Nat Lofthouse made two more FA Cup finals, winning one, and finishing top six in the league three times. Lofthouse, who spent his entire 14 career with Bolton, scored 255 goals for the club and 30 for England. His statue outside the ground is adorned with his last words, which begin “I’ve got the ball now.”

The final they lost in 1953 is another famous one: the Matthews Final. Check the Blackpool profile for more on that one; Bolton went back and won it in 1958, with Lofthouse getting both goals in a 2-0 win over Manchester United.

After that Bolton started a long slide, eventually including a year in the fourth tier in the 1980s, followed by a spectacular rise in the 2000s. Out of nowhere and on a spending spree, Bolton had some top-10 Premier League finishes. They lost the League Cup final in 2004 and got into the Europa League twice, making the round of 16 in 2008 after getting a draw at Bayern Munich, a win at Red Star Belgrade, and a two-leg win over Atlético Madrid.

And then came the bust. By 2010 they were £93 million in debt. They were relegated in 2012, and in 2016 the debt hit £200 million. A local headline that season read, “Players Set to be Paid Before Fulham Game.” They finished dead last in the Championship, scoring just 41 goals in 46 games and winding up 19 points from safety.

That year the owner forgave all the debt, and the club was sold. By 2017 they were back in the Championship. In 2018 they stayed there by scoring two injury-time goals in the last game of the season, a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest. But in 2019 they failed to pay their players for two months, resulting in a 12-point deduction, and thence relegation to League Two. Back up now, and with new owners, there may be some hope brewing in Bolton. They made a run at promotion out of League One through the playoff in 2023 but fell short in the semifinal against Barnsley. They made the playoff again in 2024, and this time reached the final, but failed to beat Oxford United.

2024–25 SEASON: 8th in League One, 1st Round FA Cup, 3rd Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League One (promoted in 2021)

Traditionally their rival was Bury, but in 2020 Bury went out of business. Bolton dislike Preston and Blackburn in particular, so if you see either of those names, as well as Wigan or Burnley, on the schedule, it should be a feisty affair.  This year they will face off with Wigan in League One but, it will have to be a Cup draw for any of the other matchups to occur.

Bolton Wanderers W.F.C. was founded in 1983 and last season won the North West Regional Division One North at tier 6. So it’s in the Premier Division at tier 5 this season. Home games are at the home of Atherton Collieries A.F.C.

The teams come out to the Dion song “The Wanderer.” There is also “The Manny Road,” to the tune of “The Blaydon Races,” the anthem up at Newcastle. This one is about people running away from the Burnden Aces. (Burnden is their former home ground.)

The Toughsheet Community Stadium (say that one a few times!) was built in 1997 to replace Burnden Park. It’s spectacular from the outside, like a giant, glowing circus tent or something. Inside, it’s two levels all around, for a total capacity of 28,723, and it’s actually very nice. It would probably be rocking if Wanderers ever get it together.

Away fans will be in the South Stand, which for sponsorship reasons is known as the Franking Sense South Stand. “Franking” is Britspeak for machines putting postage on stuff.

TOURS: Tours are offered several days a week but never on game days and cost £8.50 for adults. Book at least 24 hours ahead by contacting the club.

GETTING THERE: Couldn’t be easier: get on a Preston-bound train at Manchester Piccadilly, get off about 40 minutes later at Horwich Parkway, and there you are!

PUBS: There is a Harvesters chain pub called The Horwich Park right between the station and stadium; it will certainly be mobbed. Around behind the stadium is The Bee Hive Pub and Carvery, where a buffet with three meats is around £11.

There are more interesting options in town, all within a 10-minute walk of the main Bolton station (on the same line from Manchester). The York is right outside the station, and Ye Olde Man and Scythe goes back to at least 1251.

GRUB: Down in town, there’s a nice old-fashioned fish and chips sit-down place called Olympus Fish and Chip. Also downtown is Ciao Napoli, a popular Italian place, and a café called The Kitchen. If you’re in a hurry and desperate, the stadium is next to a mall which has a food court with Nando’s, Ask Italian, and other chains.

AROUND TOWN: As your Standard Northern English Town, Bolton has your standard 19th-century buildings from its standard glorious industrial past. (In their case, milling cotton was the thing.) Most of that is in town by the main station. On the northern edge of town, a few miles out, are two historic homes, also standard: Hall i’ th’ Wood, now a museum, and Smithills Hall, a 15th-century home on the slopes of the Pennines. Both can be found on the museums page at boltonlams.co.uk.

Basically, swing through town for lunch and a pint, walk around a bit, and then hop back on the train to the game. It should be a fun and easy day out from Manchester.