The summer of 1988

[paulhanley]

Saturday's final day drama will have brought back memories for those over 45 of the last time we got promoted out of Div 4 v Wrexham in 1988. Its obviously brilliant that we've made sure our stay in the basement was for one year only and on Saturday, as in 88, we achieved it with a last day away win to secure third spot. (79 points this time, 78 points in the days or Robbie Savage, JT and Phil Neal). 

Lots of talk on here now about us going through League One like a dose of salts and making great signings this Summer. It was similar last time. In the event it took us another five years before we escaped League One but 88/9 twisted and turned from a fleetingly good start, a dreadful middle and then a huge unbeaten run ending v Torquay at Wembley in the Sherpa Van. 

My youthful memories of that Summer were of excitement about new signings and scanning the BEN every night hoping for news. In the end there were only two - Phil Brown from Halifax and Bazza Cowdrill from WBA on a Free. I seem to remember us beating Wigan 1-0 in a pre-season friendly that bizarrely took place at Boundary Park, Oldham.

Then it all started in the league programme with a 2-0 defeat at Southend with a massive Bolton invasion and all kinds of trouble. 

Who on here remembers that Summer and those immediate post Div 4 days?

[Traf]

I remember the Southend trip very well.

During the summer break from Uni, I was working at Lilleshall, the FA rehab place, helping lay astroturf pitches etc.
Got the overnight mail train down from Wolverhampton to London, had a nap on some mailbags before making my way to Southend.

Absolute carnage that day, loads of Bolton fans, everyone was pissed and it just kicked off everywhere, especially outside the ground with the police etc.

[Whitestar]

Was watching Theo's blog on YouTube yesterday, Thogdad says this will be his eighth promotion in his lifetime.

Now he has either miscounted or that lad is much younger than i thought.

[Mounts Kipper]

2 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Saturday's final day drama will have brought back memories for those over 45 of the last time we got promoted out of Div 4 v Wrexham in 1988. Its obviously brilliant that we've made sure our stay in the basement was for one year only and on Saturday, as in 88, we achieved it with a last day away win to secure third spot. (79 points this time, 78 points in the days or Robbie Savage, JT and Phil Neal). 

Lots of talk on here now about us going through League One like a dose of salts and making great signings this Summer. It was similar last time. In the event it took us another five years before we escaped League One but 88/9 twisted and turned from a fleetingly good start, a dreadful middle and then a huge unbeaten run ending v Torquay at Wembley in the Sherpa Van. 

My youthful memories of that Summer were of excitement about new signings and scanning the BEN every night hoping for news. In the end there were only two - Phil Brown from Halifax and Bazza Cowdrill from WBA on a Free. I seem to remember us beating Wigan 1-0 in a pre-season friendly that bizarrely took place at Boundary Park, Oldham.

Then it all started in the league programme with a 2-0 defeat at Southend with a massive Bolton invasion and all kinds of trouble. 

Who on here remembers that Summer and those immediate post Div 4 days?

We also signed Peter Barnes that season, but not preseason, was excited because of his pedigree, remember him playing at Sheff u away in a 4-0 defeat, he was shiiiite. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Mounts Kipper

[captainmed]

2 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Then it all started in the league programme with a 2-0 defeat at Southend with a massive Bolton invasion and all kinds of trouble. 

Their boozer right outside the ground had The Wanderer on the juke box.

Looped to hell before being ripped off the wall.

Mental day.

[Dr. Feelgood]

I lived about 800 yards from The Racecourse ground at that time.

But my dad had died on the Tuesday prior & I had things to do back in Horwich with my mum. No 'tweb or mobiles I caught bit on Radio Manc.

The final result I caught on the BBC ticker-tape thingy before the official result. I wish I'd been able to go, for various reasons.

[Traf]

4 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

We also signed Peter Barnes that season, but not preseason, was excited because of his pedigree, remember him playing at Sheff u away in a 4-0 defeat, he was shiiiite. 

Got subbed and threw his shirt at Phil Neal IIRC

[paulhanley]

Its such a long time ago ... but the parallels are there. Clinching promotion on the last day of the season away from home and finishing third. 

I hope we do better than our first season back up in Div 3 in 88/89 - although in the end it was a creditable finish.

I think 88/89 was a season of trouble. Seem to recall there was loads in our first home game v Cardiff, then more at Port Vale and one or two other places.

Our defence that season was very often Brown-Crombie-Winstanley-Cowdriill. 

Mark Came who was great for us the year before had his leg broken with a horrendous challenge by a Chester striker in an early League Cup tie.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

5 minutes ago, Traf said:

Got subbed and threw his shirt at Phil Neal IIRC

Aye. Manager wasn't happy and fucked him off I think.

[Mounts Kipper]

10 minutes ago, Traf said:

Got subbed and threw his shirt at Phil Neal IIRC

 

4 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Aye. Manager wasn't happy and fucked him off I think.

Correct on both accounts. 

[Duck Egg]

I was on an exclusion order after trouble at the Cup game with Barnsley in January.  I was too scared to breach it so missed Wrexham and my first game back wasn't until a 1-0 home win v Preston.

[Dr. Feelgood]

2 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

I was on an exclusion order after trouble at the Cup game with Barnsley in January.  I was too scared to breach it so missed Wrexham and my first game back wasn't until a 1-0 home win v Preston.

Thug.

[Traf]

2 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

I was on an exclusion order after trouble at the Cup game with Barnsley in January.  I was too scared to breach it so missed Wrexham and my first game back wasn't until a 1-0 home win v Preston.

Out With The Lout

[bwfc2003]

3 hours ago, Traf said:

Got subbed and threw his shirt at Phil Neal IIRC

Phil Neal came on in his place if I remember correctly

[Johnnyrotten]

10 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Saturday's final day drama will have brought back memories for those over 45 of the last time we got promoted out of Div 4 v Wrexham in 1988. Its obviously brilliant that we've made sure our stay in the basement was for one year only and on Saturday, as in 88, we achieved it with a last day away win to secure third spot. (79 points this time, 78 points in the days or Robbie Savage, JT and Phil Neal). 

Lots of talk on here now about us going through League One like a dose of salts and making great signings this Summer. It was similar last time. In the event it took us another five years before we escaped League One but 88/9 twisted and turned from a fleetingly good start, a dreadful middle and then a huge unbeaten run ending v Torquay at Wembley in the Sherpa Van. 

My youthful memories of that Summer were of excitement about new signings and scanning the BEN every night hoping for news. In the end there were only two - Phil Brown from Halifax and Bazza Cowdrill from WBA on a Free. I seem to remember us beating Wigan 1-0 in a pre-season friendly that bizarrely took place at Boundary Park, Oldham.

Then it all started in the league programme with a 2-0 defeat at Southend with a massive Bolton invasion and all kinds of trouble. 

Who on here remembers that Summer and those immediate post Div 4 days? 

That resonated with me, about scanning the BEN for news of new signings.  In those days the only source of such news was the BEN and GMR tea time sports news.  In many ways I miss that anticipation, buying the BEN was a big part of most days if there was any hint of a transfer rumoured.  We weren't even getting a mention in transfer gossip columns in the tabloids until at least our promotion back to equivalent of championship under Rioch.  When I was on holiday even in the UK it was impossible to keep up with any BW "news", I got a week's worth of info when I returned (usually amounting to zilch!).  In hingsight signing a grand total of 2 (virtually unheard of) full backs has to be the most underwhelming summers in memory.  Of course, Browny turned out to be one of our best signings of that era, on and off the pitch.

[Leyther_Matt]

1 minute ago, Johnnyrotten said:

In those days the only source of such news was the BEN and GMR tea time sports news. 

Club Call, surely? 😊 

[paulhanley]

9 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

That resonated with me, about scanning the BEN for news of new signings.  In those days the only source of such news was the BEN and GMR tea time sports news.  In many ways I miss that anticipation, buying the BEN was a big part of most days if there was any hint of a transfer rumoured.  We weren't even getting a mention in transfer gossip columns in the tabloids until at least our promotion back to equivalent of championship under Rioch.  When I was on holiday even in the UK it was impossible to keep up with any BW "news", I got a week's worth of info when I returned (usually amounting to zilch!).  In hingsight signing a grand total of 2 (virtually unheard of) full backs has to be the most underwhelming summers in memory.  Of course, Browny turned out to be one of our best signings of that era, on and off the pitch.

Yep - that's pretty much exactly as I remember it. Rushing out for the BEN mid-afternoon only to find half the time there was some national sports story or Bolton League/Bolton Association cricket on the back page. 

I remember us potting Derek Scott and Dave Sutton on frees soon after the season ended. What we all really wanted to see right the way through May, June and July was Neal making a move to sign Andy May from Huddersfield. He'd been on loan to us in Div 4 and made a real difference at the end of the campaign. 

Remember being very underwhelmed when reading about us spending £17,000 on Brownie. Pitched as "the goalscoring full-back" ... but he was from Halifax! Hardly inspiring. Then later we signed Barry from WBA - even the BEN kept it all low key. I think it was about six paragraphs at the bottom of the back page.

Then the Summer just petered out, no more new signings - and so entered Div 3 with a bit of trepidation!

[Johnnyrotten]

Just now, Leyther_Matt said:

Club Call, surely? 😊 

Forgot about club call, but I wasn't a big one for that.  I have a vague recollection that people mainly phoned that from their work phones and ran up some huge bills😃

[Whitestar]

And the ceefax/Teletext ads for clubcall.

That was early 90s clickbait for sure.

[paulhanley]

5 minutes ago, Whitestar said:

And the ceefax/Teletext ads for clubcall.

That was early 90s clickbait for sure.

Was there in the late 80s too. Absolute gash and about 64p a minute. You only had to ring it once before you settled back in to waiting for the BEN every day.

[Dr. Feelgood]

13 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

Was there in the late 80s too. Absolute gash and about 64p a minute. You only had to ring it once before you settled back in to waiting for the BEN every day.

 

13 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

Was there in the late 80s too. Absolute gash and about 64p a minute. You only had to ring it once before you settled back in to waiting for the BEN every day.

Yep. The 2 minute preamble ... the 'revealing' of things you already knew & finally getting round to hinting about something new. All taking between 5 to 10 minutes, at premium rates.

[Revelredne1961]

12 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Saturday's final day drama will have brought back memories for those over 45 of the last time we got promoted out of Div 4 v Wrexham in 1988. Its obviously brilliant that we've made sure our stay in the basement was for one year only and on Saturday, as in 88, we achieved it with a last day away win to secure third spot. (79 points this time, 78 points in the days or Robbie Savage, JT and Phil Neal). 

Lots of talk on here now about us going through League One like a dose of salts and making great signings this Summer. It was similar last time. In the event it took us another five years before we escaped League One but 88/9 twisted and turned from a fleetingly good start, a dreadful middle and then a huge unbeaten run ending v Torquay at Wembley in the Sherpa Van. 

My youthful memories of that Summer were of excitement about new signings and scanning the BEN every night hoping for news. In the end there were only two - Phil Brown from Halifax and Bazza Cowdrill from WBA on a Free. I seem to remember us beating Wigan 1-0 in a pre-season friendly that bizarrely took place at Boundary Park, Oldham.

Then it all started in the league programme with a 2-0 defeat at Southend with a massive Bolton invasion and all kinds of trouble. 

Who on here remembers that Summer and those immediate post Div 4 days?

I was there, I remember being in a pub on the way into Wrexham with a big statue outside covered in Bolton scarves when the players coach went past, it erupted I ran on the pitch at full time hugged Phil neal he asked us to behave :lol: good days 

[paulhanley]

1 minute ago, Revelredne1961 said:

I was there, I remember being in a pub on the way into Wrexham with a big statue outside covered in Bolton scarves when the players coach went past, it erupted I ran on the pitch at full time hugged Phil neal he asked us to behave good days 

A lot more dramatic than Saturday. The other big difference was that Wrexham 88 was not in our own hands. We needed Torquay to lose their last two games and they promptly did - which was pretty incredible!

[victor meldrew]

52 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Forgot about club call, but I wasn't a big one for that.  I have a vague recollection that people mainly phoned that from their work phones and ran up some huge bills😃

casino did working for bury council, written warning i think, may be wrong, can't take the boy out of bury.

[Revelredne1961]

11 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

A lot more dramatic than Saturday. The other big difference was that Wrexham 88 was not in our own hands. We needed Torquay to lose their last two games and they promptly did - which was pretty incredible!

👍👍