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Absolutely tremendous. Lots of things to think and chat through but for now lets just think back to those grim days at the end of 2018/19, that day at Wycombe with the kids and the 5-0 defeat at Tranmere a few weeks later, losing at home to Forest Green and Newport in Div 2 and the miserable run of results v the pie-men in League 1. All in the rear view mirror. Three points on the board in a fresh Championship season, a full house, a fantastic derby win - the list goes on. As BWFC fans lets just take the time to enjoy this today. There will be some very tough and testing days and sequences of games this year but as a club we are right back to where we need to be and today it really feels like it. Maybe not a champagne day like Wembley but a day to tsavour a few celebratory pints and reflect on the heights we have re-scaled. Fantastic.

Some performance from EE given the circumstances

Just 15 tickets I can see left! This is what we've all been waiting for folks, 7 years in the making, we went all the way down to the bottom, nearly in the relegation zone of the 4th division. Been a long hard slog back but days like today are exactly what we have been longing for COYWM!

Said all along McAtee Gale and Conway should be the first names on any Championship clubs team sheets.

Properly enjoyed Forino celebrating a goal-denying challenge like he'd just scored. Him and Famewo were superb today. What a fucking start.

https://pne-online.net/forum/threads/bolton-wanderers-v-pne-15-08-26-ko-12-30pm-championship.3443802/ PREMATCH Match: Goal, - Dalby 26 ║ GOAL ○ ║ - Gale - Bol 2nd Half When their striker misplaced the pass instead of shooting 1vs1 Goal 2-1 After Lindsay's miss in last minute Game over can carry on reading from here if you wish but mostly just them slagging off the manager and doomposting https://pne-online.net/forum/threads/bolton-wanderers-v-pne-15-08-26-ko-12-30pm-championship.3443802/page-49

There can only be positives from today. Starting XI vs starting XI we were dominant and no score would've flattered us. Wembley obviously stands on its own, but that has to be a career best day for the likes of Gale, Conway and McAtee. McAtee looked every inch the player @Johnnyrotten has been touting him as to be fair. He's clearly got a brilliant attitude and has gotten himself into great shape for what is his one crack at playing at this level. He deserved today.

Grandad and Grandson. Cracking win

Not read the last 13 pages, so apologies for repeating others... I thought we were excellent today for at least 75 minutes. We became a bit disjointed with the subs etc, but the starting XI were fantastic and some looked knackered. First game back after 7 years, full house, beat a local rival with a big following, your top scorer up and running, 3 points in the bag. Not a lot to dislike there.

Can’t really add much to what has been said. We looked so so comfortable with starting 11 vs starting 11 - we dominated the midfield and everything followed from there. Couple of things that haven’t had too much of a mention: Bonham has definitely done his calf. Hope it’s not serious if we’re not eyeing up another keeper Dalby’s finish was really good. It was a lot more tricky than it looked and I was pleasantly surprised with how well he took it. Conway was fucking phenomenal. I’ve been very very critical of him as a full back, and he’ll have greater challenges than today, but he was up against a £6m winger in a league above and looked the part. We really lost his composure and presence down that side when he went off Why the hell did PNE I) not start Offiah at RB and Ii) not bring him on at half time given the bumming Gale gave their starting RB A confident Gale playing in nice weather will cause problems in this league. Question will be how long he keeps it up for / consistency but he was top drawer today. We just looked sharper, faster and cleaner with touches and passing etc. Players that were here last season stepped up and played better than the whole of last season - let’s hope it lasts. There are a lot of likeable players in this squad. For a long time we had to put up with mercenaries and no-marks who you struggled to get behind. The likes of Forino who you feel would run through a brick wall for the team will only help create that buzz with the crowd that we’ll need this season. There will be shit times this season and we’ll have to ride it out, but tonight feels so good and we should absolutely make the most of the positivity whilst it’s here!

Yes but if they should have scored 3, we should have scored 4. The disallowed one, and the Dalby miss every bit as bad as their 2 sitters. However that is dressed up, we were better than them up front, better than them in midfield and better than them defensively. I'll take that against a championship side because in 3 of our last 4 home games in L1 we were deservedly losing for most of the games v Stockport, Huddersfield and Luton and we got more points today than we did in those 3.

Fantastic! And all the better when I wasn’t expecting it! I’ve liked loads of posts who have called the game and individual performances spot on. The only two posts I’d challenge are these. Living dangerously in the 2nd half?’ Living dangerously from 80 mins yes. We were saying at half time we are going to have to cope with a surge here for 45 mins plus. But they offered nothing until 80 mins. Unnecessary changes!? If he could he could/would have made more! These players aren’t FIFA automons. Of course if the players he takes off are not spent/or at risk of injury/fatigue then flog them. But we had to make changes to protect them. I’m amazed Erhahon stayed on for 90 mins and I reckon Bonham was injured. Stephenson staying on after his injury was a risk, but hopefully one worth taking. To call “Schuey” out for ruining cohesion is absolutely bonkers

speaking to a fella who works in the club shop today while he was sorting the little ones kit out I made a comment on how busy it was, he told me 5 years ago, we struggled to sell 8000 kits, we're now over 30,000 sales a season

God I'm excited for this to make a return

Fully deserved to win but for me far too many unnecessary changes by Schuey for me completely ruined any cohesion we had. Very lucky on a few occasions not least that last minute chance but great way to start well done Whites. So many good performances today but Macca and Erhahon the stand outs.

7am here in Florida, early gym done and got the firestick setup with a couple bud lights in the fridge. Let’s do this boys COYW

Proper football is back! None of this hydration breaks, half time shows and the everyone supporting the same team bollocks. The line up might not look how we want but I’m sure Preston would say the same. We’ve been waiting for this day for 7 years, back in the Championship, full house, nice day, local derby - win and we sit top of the league for at least a few hours. Up the fucking whites!

Played well but no better than 90% of appearances in the last 12 months, that's his normal level. Still made some errors (should have crossed easily to Dalby 2nd half instead of taking a touch, did an unnecessary back heel 2nd half to give possession back to PNE, doesn't win headers) but whether he was a 5 out of 10 or a 9 out of 10, that's his normal level, its a mystery that every time he does OK there's a grudging "surprisingly McAtee wasn' bad today". Like at Bradford, like at Wembley etc, almost like he can play a bit.

Erahon was excellent, didn't expect him to manage more than 60 minutes but he hardly missed a beat. Appreciate what you say in an earlier post- sure, Preston aren't the yardstick to measure ourselves by, but that performance should give the team a load of confidence. We'll get better too.

Although Preston were not much of a guide to the level, EE may be one of those who looks better a step up, as with Sheehan. Both those two recycled and then looked after the ball ever so well. EE in particular had it on a string for 70 odd minutes

At various points in that I thought "probably Gale's best game for us" ... "probably Erhahon's best game for us" ... "probably McAtee's best game for us" Just a shame we didn't get a third and put the game to bed early doors/

Some of this talk that PNE were awful and the worst we will come up against is nonsense, they weren't great but they are a well established championship team, it's the start of the season with many changes and players not up to full speed, but that is exactly the same for us, if not even worse. Some of our players stepped right up and we can only improve, especially with some more new additions. We will have some shit times this season, but I think we have shown we can hold our own with the mid range teams at home. COYWM

Pleasantly surprised how strong we looked considering the step up a division. Difficult to call mom as there were so many candidates and would have to name one to eleven to be fair. Sheehan looked inspired by the captaincy, forino just gets better and better and plays like his life depends on it ( what a warrior), famewo, looks like he could be a real find, as does Stevenson and lazzar who maybe isn’t match fit yet. Very enjoyable day and fully deserved victory, and EE must be a very naturally fit lad to play for so long without one pre season game under his belt.

A very splendid first day after our years of struggle. Great to see and talk to so many ex and current posters off here. We were good and they were bad. 🤷‍♂️ Looking forward to the challenges ahead. With this support and management, we’ll be ok.👍

Honestly, I had a great view of this, albeit from about 100 yards away in NSL 😂😂. It looked a clear push tbh. But having watched it back, he seems to just put his hand on his back, no real push at all. Ah well, 3 points 😀

So for me that was 80 odd minutes of 'wow' ending with 10 minutes of 'oh shit" 😂. I do have a couple of gripes but this really isn't the time for them and I can see them mentioned elsewhere. That was all we could have hoped for. An excellent performance with some great football at times, both in attack and defence.

Worth bearing in mind we won't play many worse teams than Preston Great win. Maybe mcatees best game since he's been here

We deserved that and played well, but defensively better teams will punish us, they got in behind a few times, they missed a 2 on goalie and that header right at the end would have been cruel. Great to get going with 3 points and lots of positives

EE has been superb !!

Never been his biggest fan but how good has Mcatee been?

Thierry Gale, where the F*ck has this come from, outstanding !!!

Refreshing not having a blind ref for once

Still regret selling a reluctant to leave Cloughie and wonder how his career would have gone had he stayed? Never know now but such a shame.

I really hope our fans make it intense and stick with it if thing start not going to plan on the pitch. Modern footballers seem to be very influenced by encouragement (or otherwise) from the stand and our home form will be very important. It sounds so hackneyed but we can be the 12th man - when the stadium is rocking BWFC fans create an intimidating atmosphere. Maybe its understandable that can be done every week but for a fixture of this significance surely we must. Come on folks!

Absolutely brilliant interview, she really does get us. Sharon looked quite emotional at times. And still buzzing from Wembley.

Im getting old, remember seeing his dad Johnch playing for Notts County and Tottenham

It's nice to hear what he's getting up to these days

We deserved that. Overall we were better. Thought Sheehan and Ethan bossed that midfield. Gale was quality. For 75 mins we dominated an established champ team. Onwards and upwards.

🎶Top of the league.🎶 Stop the count now.

our new left winger looks a world beater 😁

One of his biggest critics but take a bow Macca that was a great first half; Gale though unbelievable

Where's this been hiding? The players are looking so fit, strong and quick.

Thierry "End Product" Gale

Just a poacher

2-1 bowton

Saddo strikes again. Just 32 seats left now. Hopefully the Evatt days of buckling in big local derbies remain a distant memory. Just hoping we put in a competitive performance and get at least a point.

You're right. I forgot that she lost 3 stone on TV's Celebrity Fit Club.

I was in Tesco. The Asians that were knocking about just looked happy it wasn’t about them for once

Afolayan to Gudjohnsen - feels wrong that those names are linking up to put Rovers ahead.