The forgotten years of BWFC: 1980-83

[paulhanley]

Prompted to start this thread as a result of some conversations on others. Obviously a topic for those of a certain vintage and it's the time to do it while there's nothing current to discuss! 

The three difficult seasons at the very start of the 80s are often overlooked being as they are between the Ian Greaves era and the decade long spell in the lower divisions from 83-93. What are people's memories?

It was a time of financial crisis, rapidly dwindling crowds across football and a Burnden Park managerial merry-go-round that accounted for Stan Anderson and George Mulhall before John McGovern arrived (it could have been Pele!)

It all started in August 1980 with an underwhelming 2-1 defeat at Notts County, welcome back to Div 2! And it ended with the infamous 4-1 defeat at Charlton on May 15, 1983. The much maligned Ian Moores scored for us part way through the second half in a game we had to win. .... but we conceded four quick goals and the relegation trap-door opened.

A few from me - restricted to games I've not heard discussed much: 

1980/81

Aug 23 and our first win of the season in the third game, against a poor Newcastle side - a 4-0 thumping with a hat trick for our new signing Brian Kidd. We'd spent daft money on someone with no re-sale value, but for the short term his experience was very handy. When the 4th went in the Geordies walked out en masse in disgust before the end of the game. By their current standards it was a paltry following for them. Dennis Peacock, our new cock up prone goalie, was between the sticks.

April 20: Bolton 1 Wrexham 1. Twelve months before we were in the top flight. Now we were scrapping for our lives to survive in Div 2. The third last game of the season was at home to Wrexham with only 6100 at a nervy Burnden. We'd gone 0-1 down and were missing chances galore. A penalty brought hope - but Paul Jones missed it. The ref clearly liked us because in the last minute there was another penalty awarded. Brian Kidd tucked it away and week later we got a point at Orient to ensure safety. 

1981/82

September 5: Bolton 1 Luton 2: The first home game of a new season with George Mulhall as the gaffer.  We'd lost at Chelsea a week earlier. A sunny day at Burnden saw us take a second half lead through Alan Gowling. However this was David Pleat's Luton who would be crowned champions in May. They blitzed us with the likes of Ricky Hill and Brian Stein in their ranks, 1-2 flattered us. I have a memory of tannoy man repeatedly playing "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell at this game! By 11 games in to the season we'd won 2 drawn 0 lost 9. 

April 12: Blackburn 0 Bolton 2: mid-table safety for our banjo playing friends but Bolton were scrapping for safety for the second year running. Despite poor recent form and a shocking away record we won 2-0 at the old Ewood with Chris Thompson scoring both before he eventually signed for our rivals. There were battles in and around the ground as well! 

1982/83

November 6: Bolton 1 Shrewsbury 4: A pathetic performance as a poor start to the season deteriorated further. New boss John McGovern dropped half the side for the next game and a woman sat near me in the Manny Road stand spent the entire second half reading a book. Tony Henry's pen was scant consolation. 

December 11: Bolton 4 Charlton 1: Only 5645 in attendance but over Christmas and New Year we had our one good run of this relegation season. Part of that was this convincing win which was achieved despite the appearance of world class player and Danish international Allan Simonsen in Charlton's ranks. Neil Whatmore scored two in one of his periodic loan returns to Burnden. 

Give us some memories folks!!

 

 

 

 

[Biggish Dave]

The Notts County game on the first day of the season was my first away day at 6 years old so my memory is a little hazy over these years. A few memories I do have though:-

Jim McDonagh scoring against Burnley. Think we won 3-0

Len Cantello blasting one from the half way line against Cambridge, again I think we won 6-1. (It was probably more like 30 yards out too).

Drawing 2-2 at home to Chelsea, highlights were on TV which was unusual at the time. Chelsea fans I think were banned but rocked up in the Lever End before getting shifted into the embankment. You can see lads from the paddock running towards the Lever for a set too on the highlights.

Dont remember too many games other than it being grim more often than not. That said, we always seemed to have a reasonable home record, just a dreadful away record

[desperado]

Only one game of note for me. But perhaps the most important, my first game 04/09/1982 Bolton 3 Newcastle 1. Keegan playing for them. Fell in love with the whites, although the false sense of optimism was quickly washed away! 

[paulhanley]

28 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

The Notts County game on the first day of the season was my first away day at 6 years old so my memory is a little hazy over these years. A few memories I do have though:-

Jim McDonagh scoring against Burnley. Think we won 3-0

Len Cantello blasting one from the half way line against Cambridge, again I think we won 6-1. (It was probably more like 30 yards out too).

Drawing 2-2 at home to Chelsea, highlights were on TV which was unusual at the time. Chelsea fans I think were banned but rocked up in the Lever End before getting shifted into the embankment. You can see lads from the paddock running towards the Lever for a set too on the highlights.

Dont remember too many games other than it being grim more often than not. That said, we always seemed to have a reasonable home record, just a dreadful away record

The goal of McDonagh's was incredible... and he'd had a few attempts beforehand. A really windy day! 

That goal of Cantello's .. in my minds it was all along the ground? 

This is the Chelsea game you mean. Not many of ours televised between 80 and 83 but I really enjoy watching this.

 

[Biggish Dave]

1 minute ago, paulhanley said:

The goal of McDonagh's was incredible... and he'd had a few attempts beforehand. A really windy day! 

That goal of Cantello's .. in my minds it was all along the ground? 

This is the Chelsea game you mean. Not many of ours televised between 80 and 83 but I really enjoy watching this.

 

Yes. That’s the Chelsea game. The Cantello goal, i vaguely remember he turned and blasted a daisy cutter so yes along the ground

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Still feel 'honoured' to have seen mcdonagh score. Not many get to see a keeper do that.

He'd definitely tried before, but seemed more relaxed as we got on top. Then bingo!

[paulhanley]

4 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Still feel 'honoured' to have seen mcdonagh score. Not many get to see a keeper do that.

He'd definitely tried before, but seemed more relaxed as we got on top. Then bingo!

It was a proper hammering we dished out to Burnley that day. They were lucky to get away with 3-0. They were as shit as us and got relegated with us! 

I reckon a keeper scoring is something a very small percentage of fans can claim to have seen. We were 2-0 up at the time so I think it gave him the latitude to keep trying. Billy O'Rourke was their keeper. Red haired lad. Had to feel sorry for him.Sadly no longer with us.

[Biggish Dave]

McDonagh went berserk when he scored. Did he get up on the fence at Manny Road side or something similar?

[paulhanley]

2 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

McDonagh went berserk when he scored. Did he get up on the fence at Manny Road side or something similar?

I don't remember the fence, you could be right. I do remember him being carried aloft by one of the centre backs, probably Paul Jones! 

[Duck Egg]

Christ, that was a bad period.  The  successful 70s I'd been going to games with my dad but this was the era where I started going with mates and there were some grim times. I'd forgotten all about that Shrewsbury hammering.  My memory of Cantello's goal wasn't a daisy cutter but higher up and thundered in off the post, no?

Some highlights and lowlights not mentioned;

Losing 1-4 at home to Swansea.  This was Toshack's exciting side and they tore us to pieces.

A 4-2 win over Cardiff including a belting volley from Dusan Nikolic who was clearly too good to be playing in a lower division 2 side.

The unbeaten run in 82-83 that for a spell had us looking upwards rather than the relegation spots.  Wayne Foster bursting through in the last minute to score the winner in a 3-2 victory at Oldham. 

A 0-5 loss at Carlise where even the aged Pop Robson scored 2 against us.

[Steejay]

2 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Prompted to start this thread as a result of some conversations on others. Obviously a topic for those of a certain vintage and it's the time to do it while there's nothing current to discuss! 

The three difficult seasons at the very start of the 80s are often overlooked being as they are between the Ian Greaves era and the decade long spell in the lower divisions from 83-93. What are people's memories?

It was a time of financial crisis, rapidly dwindling crowds across football and a Burnden Park managerial merry-go-round that accounted for Stan Anderson and George Mulhall before John McGovern arrived (it could have been Pele!)

It all started in August 1980 with an underwhelming 2-1 defeat at Notts County, welcome back to Div 2! And it ended with the infamous 4-1 defeat at Charlton on May 15, 1983. The much maligned Ian Moores scored for us part way through the second half in a game we had to win. .... but we conceded four quick goals and the relegation trap-door opened.

A few from me - restricted to games I've not heard discussed much: 

1980/81

Aug 23 and our first win of the season in the third game, against a poor Newcastle side - a 4-0 thumping with a hat trick for our new signing Brian Kidd. We'd spent daft money on someone with no re-sale value, but for the short term his experience was very handy. When the 4th went in the Geordies walked out en masse in disgust before the end of the game. By their current standards it was a paltry following for them. Dennis Peacock, our new cock up prone goalie, was between the sticks.

April 20: Bolton 1 Wrexham 1. Twelve months before we were in the top flight. Now we were scrapping for our lives to survive in Div 2. The third last game of the season was at home to Wrexham with only 6100 at a nervy Burnden. We'd gone 0-1 down and were missing chances galore. A penalty brought hope - but Paul Jones missed it. The ref clearly liked us because in the last minute there was another penalty awarded. Brian Kidd tucked it away and week later we got a point at Orient to ensure safety. 

1981/82

September 5: Bolton 1 Luton 2: The first home game of a new season with George Mulhall as the gaffer.  We'd lost at Chelsea a week earlier. A sunny day at Burnden saw us take a second half lead through Alan Gowling. However this was David Pleat's Luton who would be crowned champions in May. They blitzed us with the likes of Ricky Hill and Brian Stein in their ranks, 1-2 flattered us. I have a memory of tannoy man repeatedly playing "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell at this game! By 11 games in to the season we'd won 2 drawn 0 lost 9. 

April 12: Blackburn 0 Bolton 2: mid-table safety for our banjo playing friends but Bolton were scrapping for safety for the second year running. Despite poor recent form and a shocking away record we won 2-0 at the old Ewood with Chris Thompson scoring both before he eventually signed for our rivals. There were battles in and around the ground as well! 

1982/83

November 6: Bolton 1 Shrewsbury 4: A pathetic performance as a poor start to the season deteriorated further. New boss John McGovern dropped half the side for the next game and a woman sat near me in the Manny Road stand spent the entire second half reading a book. Tony Henry's pen was scant consolation. 

December 11: Bolton 4 Charlton 1: Only 5645 in attendance but over Christmas and New Year we had our one good run of this relegation season. Part of that was this convincing win which was achieved despite the appearance of world class player and Danish international Allan Simonsen in Charlton's ranks. Neil Whatmore scored two in one of his periodic loan returns to Burnden. 

Give us some memories folks!!

 

 

 

 

I went to that Charlton game, not sure why???

I think I got a lift down there in a van with my old mate Tony L (RIP). 

In a pub before the game and an old school lad, C, got wound up by a local and pulled a blade.

Good turn out by Horwich Casuals but no real opposition from Charlton.

 I remember the team coming over at the end to applaud the away fans but they got dog’s abuse.

Bunked the train back then trouble at Wigan when changing stations - as usual. 

[leigh white]

During our good run from Nov till the end of Jan in 82/83 we played a very decent Leicester side off the park winning 3-1, a side with Lineker, Lynex and Alan Smith who went on to gain promotion.

[paulhanley]

13 minutes ago, Steejay said:

I went to that Charlton game, not sure why???

I think I got a lift down there in a van with my old mate Tony L (RIP). 

In a pub before the game and an old school lad, C, got wound up by a local and pulled a blade.

Good turn out by Horwich Casuals but no real opposition from Charlton.

 I remember the team coming over at the end to applaud the away fans but they got dog’s abuse.

Bunked the train back then trouble at Wigan when changing stations - as usual. 

I don't think Charlton has ever been a threatening place. Not even to this day.

Did the Bolton fans hold out much hope that day? It must have raised hopes when Moores scored for us.... it was a fair way in the second half as I recall it.

[Biggish Dave]

4 minutes ago, leigh white said:

During our good run from Nov till the end of Jan in 82/83 we played a very decent Leicester side off the park winning 3-1, a side with Lineker, Lynex and Alan Smith who went on to gain promotion.

Did Mark Wallington save a pen too or was that a different game?

Edited April 3, 2020 by Biggish Dave

[Steejay]

Yep, when we scored, we wondered if it was on...

but we soon capitulated and showed how shit we really were.

[paulhanley]

3 minutes ago, leigh white said:

During our good run from Nov till the end of Jan in 82/83 we played a very decent Leicester side off the park winning 3-1, a side with Lineker, Lynex and Alan Smith who went on to gain promotion.

That run co-incided with having Neil Whatmore on loan and Chris Thompson in the side for just about his only good run of the season. 

Steve Lynex is probably the player there people would be least familiar with in the modern day. Good player - goalpoacher.

[leigh white]

4 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

Did Mark Wallington save a pen too or was that a different game?

Aye, he did.

[paulhanley]

The only other footage I can find on here from this era is West Ham 2 Bolton 1 from 1980.81. There was definitely a scattering of other games televised. A battling 0-0 at Leicester was on from fairly late in 82/3 with us fielding lots of kids. The 0-0 away at Burnley on the first day of the same season was also on. And I think one of the two crap home defeats to Oldham from this era was also on Granada. 

 

[Benny The Ball]

3 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

The only other footage I can find on here from this era is West Ham 2 Bolton 1 from 1980.81. There was definitely a scattering of other games televised. A battling 0-0 at Leicester was on from fairly late in 82/3 with us fielding lots of kids. The 0-0 away at Burnley on the first day of the same season was also on. And I think one of the two crap home defeats to Oldham from this era was also on Granada. 

 

Paul are you familiar with this website 

It actually lists all the regional ITV companies and the games they broadcast 

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/itv/ITVfootball68-83.html

[Duck Egg]

18 minutes ago, Benny The Ball said:

Paul are you familiar with this website 

It actually lists all the regional ITV companies and the games they broadcast 

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/itv/ITVfootball68-83.html

Our win against Derby in the first division being on was a surprise.  I don't think I've ever seen that footage since.

[paulhanley]

29 minutes ago, Benny The Ball said:

Paul are you familiar with this website 

It actually lists all the regional ITV companies and the games they broadcast 

http://carousel.royalwebhosting.net/itv/ITVfootball68-83.html

I have seen that before but not for years. Some good stuff on there that's not seen the light of day ! Bolton 4 Newcastle 0 from 80/81 being one. I never knew our 1-1 home draw with West Ham that season was screened. It'd be magic if we ever get to see those!

[RONNIE PHILLIPS]

8 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

I have seen that before but not for years. Some good stuff on there that's not seen the light of day ! Bolton 4 Newcastle 0 from 80/81 being one. I never knew our 1-1 home draw with West Ham that season was screened. It'd be magic if we ever get to see those!

Wasn't the 4-0 on match of the day? I missed all 4 goals that day & sprained my ankle.. Seem to remember thinking I'd watch it on TV later but slept through in a drunken stupor 😊

[leigh white]

58 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Wasn't the 4-0 on match of the day? I missed all 4 goals that day & sprained my ankle.. Seem to remember thinking I'd watch it on TV later but slept through in a drunken stupor 😊

I don't think Granada Sports and the BBC shared games.😄

[Benny The Ball]

9 hours ago, paulhanley said:

I have seen that before but not for years. Some good stuff on there that's not seen the light of day ! Bolton 4 Newcastle 0 from 80/81 being one. I never knew our 1-1 home draw with West Ham that season was screened. It'd be magic if we ever get to see those!

For the sake of completeness here are the BBC match of the day games - obviously far fewer but still a few from the late 70s I would like to see again https://sites.google.com/site/motdlistings/

[RONNIE PHILLIPS]

8 hours ago, leigh white said:

I don't think Granada Sports and the BBC shared games.😄

I know that lobbychops 😊, it was a long time & a few beers ago... Could we have been on MOTD for the Keegan 3-1?