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After, shall we say, rather challenging couple of weeks in my home life that today meant absolutely everything. And I mean everything. Makes me realise why we all do what we do, putting ourselves through the wringer of life for that simple bit of escapism. That goal goes in, life is good, bad stuff is forgotten, and leaping about with my dad, wife and kids is just the world honestly. I fucking love it. The boys will enjoy bowling into school on Monday morning that's for sure. Up the fucking murderers.

Might be an idea to let's just watch a football match without all this attention seeking bumcbuffery.

Here goes. And @Johnnyrotten can fill in any gaps or correct me. Phil Mason did a 30 min speech about the bondholders money. In a nutshell, it’s been spent on players, upgrading hospitality, installation of the LED stuff in ground and improving the ‘connectivity motorway’ (stopping tech breaking basically). Most impressive of this was the hospitality with over 1,200 people most match days now in this, and it generates well over £1 million for club per year. They’re part of a scheme that links clubs across Europe. We’re looking to work with clubs of similar revenue to us and find out what they do to increase that. Niah Sharzad was really clear that they’re striving to make the the club sustainable, so not completely reliant on investors. Only way to do this is to find more ways of making money. They’ve got a good link up with Ajax and met them recently. Looking at their youth set up and how it can be replicated at Bolton. They didn’t give much detail but sounds like a long term thing. This doesn’t mean we’ll be getting their players. But we can use their ideas and knowledge. Phil Mason spoke really well. So passionate about the club. Niah Sharzad much more corporate but still impressive. Both were full of praise for Sharon. Couldn’t speak highly enough of her enthusiasm and desire to do good. She’s involved regularly with them and they talk daily. Phil Mason took time to thank Ian Evatt. Felt genuine. Club was on its arse a few years ago, and his work has brought us back to where we are. He said it’s been an ‘interesting’ week and the club were working to make a swift appointment. Club has financial plans next season regardless of division. BUT they were both clear that promotion remains the aim this season. If still in League One, we’re fine, but they didn’t say how much investment would be coming in. Said Julian Darby is excited beyond belief about today but also very anxious and nervous. Got the impression he’d be leading things of the 3. Spoke about him being a ball boy, player, Bolton lad, etc and what a proud moment it is. And he’s right. Ju Ju Ju Darby will never forget today. There wasn’t much football talk because there couldn’t be. As I mentioned, in a private conversation, I was told the incident last weekend pretty much sealed Evatts ending. Would rather not say more than that. And was also told in the same conversation the Swiss investors are keen to invest much more heavily should we get to the Championship. John McGinlay rounded things off with a little 5 min speech. Love how much he loves the club. He described the 4-0 Wembley day as one of his proudest in football, seeing all his family there celebrating together. All in all a good, informative evening. Club is in a sound place and really good people running it. Just gutted I didn’t win the 10 Pink Floyd platinum vinyls signed by Nick Mason. I might have missed some bits so will post more if stuff pops into my head.

Morecambe away in Covid. Celebrations outside the hotel after winning promotion. Last min goals all over the gaff. Crewe, Morecambe to name but a few. Accy semi final Plymouth final Barnsley play offs Beating Blackpool at home twice A promotion, 2 top 6 finishes and some big dismantling of teams along the way. 25k home crowds, every away game selling out in minutes. He bought the buzz back in watching Bolton and secured a new generation of fans that'll be here forever. Don't let Oxford, the big game capitulations and this season blight the memory too much folks, it hasn't been all bad. It just ran stale and he ran out of ideas. Thanks for the memories and good luck. (Not too much if its over this way like ) Onwards and upwards. Let's get back together 💙⚪️💪

All the analysis and data aside, I just don't get how the board can seriously be sat thinking anything else but that change needs to happen. And if they think that Evatt can be the one to change things around then they themselves are also incompetent at their jobs. Sharon comes from a good place and I do agree with managers being allowed to have time. But in football you have to make proactive decisions or get left behind. Circumstances slightly different yes, but Evatt had been in charge a year longer than Kieran McKenna had when he came into the job at Ipswich when we were both competing in League One(we finished above them in our first season back in League One). On Saturday Ipswich beat Tottenham away in the Premier League where we got beaten 5-0 by Stockport County in League One And Ipswich are not just an anomaly. Des Buckingham at Oxford, only managed in India and Australia before managing in England properly, he exposed Evatts style for the whole world to see at Wembley and in that video. John Mousinho at Pompey another one. All those managers just as young and inexperienced as Evatt have all had less time than him and got their clubs out of this league. And look now, there's another 2 coaches sitting in the top 2 of League 1, way above us and just as young and as inexperienced as Evatt, Matt Bloomfield and Chris Davies. Evatt is playing the same formation and style since we played Ipswich last in League 1, they're in the Prem and we're still playing the same style. My biggest gripe with Evatt is we don't ever appear to LEARN and ADAPT. As fans we don't need any more signs of a manager that has reached the end of his limits. And we certainly don't need more excuses. He's already blamed the players, fans, illnesses, a mysterious dark cloud since Wembley, opposition players for winding him up and getting a 3 match ban, and it's only November! We've all had enough.

For all those tonight saying it’s delaying the inevitable - fuck off. Not because you might be wrong. But for coming on here thinking you need to make a point to people who are pointing out some positive aspects of the game. I think you must be insecure to have to keep making your point, or misguided that people don’t see this game for what it was. We know this result doesn’t tell us much about what will happen next. But we are allowed to say that Dempsey played well, it’s good to get 2 strikers scoring goals, it’s good to see the 2nd half come back and see the players playing for each other and the manager. Glad I went. Another ground ticked off and a win watching the Wanderers which is never a bad thing.

Sure it's that Mandela effect in full flow here that we all seem to be OK with this. It's a fucking travesty and complete shitshow. He's our most prolific striker by a country mile, has been absolutely brilliant for us, scored over 20 in back to back seasons. And we've just let him go for peanuts to bloody Huddersfield. Fucking shambles.

Really hope it works out for him.

As pointed out by others, the supporters have been entirely supportive for a number of years now. Despite the shit show end of last season , they've been right behind the team and manager. Fans were still willing to forgive Evatts previous embarrassments against Wigan 3rd time around, even singing his name at kick off with 24,000 in attendance for a 3rd tier game. All to be served with a steaming pile of shit, no heart, no effort and tactically beaten again with the manager adding another to the growing list of big game failures. Average crowds of 22,000 this season, record season ticket sales. Even recently had 2000 away at Mansfield on New Year's Day. 2000 sold out away at Rotherham in the snow at a 12:30 KO. All to be let down yet and yet again. The fans are the least problem with the club right now. We've shown support throughout this season and fans have had enough seeing no change in action. The fans are the very heartbeat of the club, the custodians and the customers that long outlast any player or manager. And telling some of your customers to "fuck off" is firstly unprofessional in any walk of life from anybody in a managerial position and secondly is a sign of somebody who mentally cannot cope with the pressure.

@Wanderlust do you find when you go on Wrexham's board they all start posting in Welsh?

My name is Ianus Maximus Passbackius, commander of Bolton of the north, general of sidewise legions, loyal servant to the true chairwoman Sharonus Brittanus. Father to clueless team, husband to a betrayed wife. And I will have my possession based football. In this game or the next.

A red card, fuck knows how many yellows, seven goals, twelve minutes of injury time, at least two changes of formation, a quadruple substitution, a 90+9 winner, shithousing cunts on the floor crying at full-time Bolton fucking Wanderers

Well I was fucking dreading today. Thought it would be a morgue and the place full of negativity. Seems it was all left on social media bar the absolute cock end that bought a banner in NSL. It seemed all those mongos peddling bullshit on social media were the ones that stayed away, thank fuck they did. Atmosphere was bang on the players were bang up to prove a point and actually scoring in our usual blood and thunder first 10/15 makes all the difference. Playing an actual midfield makes all the difference too and we can safely say we can say goodbye to the silly 3 up tip 5 at the back malarkey we've been trying. Nice one for trying something new Ian, but burn that fucking memo. Fair play to players and manager fronting it out today, was ace at the end when they came over. Said it all week, we are better together. Fuck division and making the place toxic. Fuck all the shit stirring hysterical pricks on that Racist Nonces Facebook group. The manager will get either himself sacked or turn this around, we just need to keep turning up every week and supporting them. Might have been papering over cracks but it's better than leaving them wide open. Onwards and Upwards.

I don't want to go. My kids won't want to go either. But I'll be there and so will my kids. You enjoy your day watching Soccer Saturday 👍 We are Bolton Wanderers fans not bloody Ian Evatt fans and we will all be here a lot longer than any manager or set players. Just when I thought we had our core support back on track, this week have reminded me what a bunch of fickle, dramatic and faux outraged set of soft arses we have amongst our fanbase. It's actually embarrassing and exactly what I've been fearing all summer. Nobody wants whats going on, everyone probably thinks it's time for change. The results are terrible and the performances worse. But is boycotting or waving bedsheets about the way out of it? Or we better cracking on and supporting our club through thick and thin, digging deep and keeping our heads held high knowing we did all we could? Our fans have been absolutely superb over Evatts tenure. Let's not spoil it now.

I had a great Bolton moment this morning. My 10yr old grandson moved to Australia 4 yrs ago and all his mates wear City, United, Liverpool, Arsenal kits. He WhatsApp'd me this morning...

Not posted on here for a while, as my son is in the u18s. Just to let you know Jules has been absolutely brilliant with these lads for last few years. They're a talented bunch, but Jules has brought them all on. He's ultra positive ultra professional and they all think he's amazing and they'd all run through a brick wall for him. Proper legend.

After all that, 14 months of stress, anxiety, therapy and probably a couple of bouts of depression too I got good news on Thursday. As I said above, you might not have realised it but your inputs definitely had a baring on the decision to get the test done. I actually referred back to this thread every couple of months to reassure myself I was making the right decision. Time to start living again rather than just existing. Thank you everyone.

Sadly, you’re probably right. Personally I don’t give a shit. My now 20yr old ‘child’ who was born as my daughter wants to live their life as a male and they’re happier now than they’ve ever been. His happiness is far more important to me.

Just got back. Dreadful game between two dreadful teams at a dreadful stadium in a dreadful town. And it couldn’t be any fucking sweeter!

To be fair he didn't even want to meet his own kid nevermind anyone else's.

Only watching a team like ours can create absolute limbs and carnage with 99th minute goal against ten men Crawley fucking Town in division 3 No different from winning at Old Trafford or scoring at The Allianz Arena. It was just the same. That's what is watching our team is all about. We fucking love it 💙💙

Ffs come on. Just about respect isn't it. The blokes done his best and probably made himself ill in the process. He very nearly got us there. So close. It was a perfect storm that stopped us going up and this season is/was probably a season too far. But overall he's done us well. He certainly doesn't deserve the probable hound out.

My youngest is 6, it was his first night game and he was bouncing. He's got his first season ticket next year. All I heard last night was 'Cosgrove is a knobhead'. 😆 My eldest his had a season ticket for a few years, he is autistic but loves coming to the match. He cried when Collins equalised, just sheer emotion, that's the experience you only got following a team. Can't wait to take them both next weekend, first trip to Wembley for them, I just hope we get over the line and they get to experience what we did last April.

Rarely post much about my real world. But just spent afternoon visiting brother in law who is marking off the days in a hospice. Him and my missus hardly spoke in last couple of years due to a silly arguement. Daresay there are people in here with family rows going on. Get them sorted as nothing is a bad as seeing a brother and sister in floods of tears over the ‘lost time’. Fucking horrible.

So glad we kept Morley. If ever there was a player lost in Evatts system he is it. He is completely thriving now.

Bizarrely I've got his old petrol lawnmower in my shed. My mate did rewire at his old house and he'd left it behind when he moved. The new people had artificial grass done. (It's free to a good home if anyone wants it) It only mows sideways and backwards mind.

To me you have 3 choices go to the match go shopping with the missus/partner stay at home/pub and be a miserable twat I'll carry on going and will be renewing when the time comes

Shite game but we ground it out. Young lad had an amazing time as Mascot. If you've got a kid and can afford the (what I think is very expensive) price then go for it. Brilliant experience. Even for to meet Super John and am now the proud owner of a Dan Nlundlu match worn shirt (I'll start the bidding at £100). Little lads face as is walked out with Dion Charles was worth the money alone. PS - I don't know what our kit man's called - but he's an absolutely lovely bloke and was brilliant with the kids and let them press their favourite players numbers onto their match shirts for the day. Everyone at the club was a credit. Fantastic day! 👍

I don't care what anyone's posted or done. Direct messaging a young lass calling her fucking slag amongst other things because she had the blind audacity to defend her husband from equally abhorrent abuse is fucking embarrassing. The lad needs his teeth smashing in and she needs to stop reading social media and Santos needs to differentiate from the hell hole of social media and match going fans.

Sat in a bar at Toronto Pearson waiting for boarding. Come on you Whites!

When Rioch came to Bolton in 1992 we won three of our first give games then drew 1 and lost 5 of the next six. A very similar thing happened when Big Sam arrived in 1999. It is very early days and SS has his first transfer window upcoming. I would bet good money that he thinks the same as us in terms of the flaws we have been seeing week in and out for a considerable period now. I had lost patience with Evatt. I have loads of it for SS. He has one hell of a job on unpicking the mess Evatt left and he needs to turn us from flat track bullies in to a far meaner machine. I think he will do it.

This cheered me up a bit. Top lad! 👍

Christ. I don't doubt that everyone who commented on this last February will have completely forgotten that they had an input but I'd just like you all to know that your words really did (and do) mean a lot and have helped more than you know. A full course of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a number of counselling sessions and countless physio and sports massage sessions (every time I convinced myself that pins and needles in my arms/hands/legs/foot etc. was the onset of MND) over the last 13 months and I've finally got to the point where I had a blood sample taken for this yesterday. Results in 6 weeks time. Here's hoping for the best. Expecting the worst but hey ho. Thank you all.

VID-20250125-WA0029(1).mp4

The best interview from a manager ever, and probably the most un-manager like interview ever! Can see why he coaches the u18s, and is doing so well at it. Pure joy; back to the days of ding dong do. No airs and graces, techno word salad, nor aloof comments. Not sure he could cope with it all long term, but maybe a higher coaching role, in the background. In fact he is giddy like a kiddy, and it's simply wonderful to witness.

Is there any other modern day managers as much of an epic weapon as evatt? Headbutting opposition players, telling fans to fuck off, gambling problems, no loyalty to wife problems, outcoached most weeks problems, sending videos of his feebley misshaped widgey out n about, and a severe God complex? Most other managers are able to.toe the line. Guy is a complete lemon.

So - We know Evatt’s here for the time being - We’ve just been beaten (again) by Wigan - We are miles away from where we thought we’d be - We can barely field a team - I’m still of the opinion that a new manager would revitalise us - I went into pocket of negativity for a couple of days ….. realised that’s a crap place to be…. The hotel wasn’t cancelled! Bolton Wanderers is for life, win/lose/draw we’ll make a festive night out of it, I’ve talked one into my line of thinking….… ..so Wycombe here we come!! Must be fucking mad, 🤣. Only BWFC can make a rational, educated fella seem like a loon COYFWM 👏

Well there’s a number of things you can do on the back of that statement: 1/ Be a sanctimonious prick and keep telling everyone “I told you so” about things going wrong, while keeping away from the place till he’s gone. 2/ Be angry at Evatt, Sharon, the club, let it spoil your Christmas and turn up with banners and/or keep the abuse going in the hope your protests will make Sharon think differently. 3/ Stop going, vote with your feet. 4/ Keep going and/or pick and choose your games. You’re too invested to ditch us, regardless of the manager, even though you know things aren’t going to improve with him here, you don’t want us to lose, you’ll just continue your apathy till he’s gone. All 4 of those aren’t how I want to spend my life! I kind of get option 4, but the other 3 won’t enter my head, it’s option 5 for me. 5/ You either give Sharon your full backing or accept the decision even though you don’t agree with it. You recognise, in this world of hate, disloyalty and doubt, we have a chairman who places an emphasis on family, tradition and continuity. Her decision making, while unusual and lacking universal fan support, is one brought about by trying to do things differently, by showing loyalty, honesty and support. Yes it might be displaced and might in the end be proven wrong, but I’m pleased to hear it’s through the best intentions of trying to make us better and make progress. Unless you’re going to be a miserable twat, get behind them, make sure your favourite past-time is something that brings a bit of fun and enjoyment, you just never know…. Happy Clappers unite 😂👏👏

I just listened to Evatt and Johnston's interviews. They mentioned that it's a tough place to go and that they're big and physical and their fans rallied behind them. Cambridge United. 22nd in League One. Less than 5,000 supporters. 10 men for an entire half. And we want to be playing in the Championship? That is the funniest joke I have heard. Absolutely calamity and joke of a mentality. When the players and manager think with this mindset then it's no surprise why it's 5 years later and we're still playing at places like Cambridge and suffering. We will get absolutely nowhere if radical change doesn't happen.

I can't abide Evatt, I'm fed up with the club. But on a day like today the game is an entity in itself, a derby with history and a needle all of its own. Fuck the Blackpool. That's 38 years unbeaten at home against them still intact. I hope they cry salt tears all the way home in the rain and wind. Cunts.

We deserved that. Was dreading the subs today, but Charles and Williams played well and Lolos popped up when it mattered most. Evatt: "Pete, it's time to bring Arfield on" Atherton: "Boss ... boss ... you're breaking up ... can't hear you"

Just to add to this . I am an ex nurse both general and mental health with nearly 30 years experience and as someone who has suffered with mental health problems , diagnosed and medicated for nearly 25 years , If anyone wants to reach out and talk my contact details are redily available . I know I can be a bit spikey on here but I am absolutely professional and can guarantee total confidentiallity . I am happy to help in anyway I can if anyone thinks that may be of benefit.

I couldn’t give a shit where he ends up

Son in law a big city fan bought his kids city bedding and stuff we’ve got them 3 season tickets for wanderers they come to most games the middle one told his dad to get the city bedding off because he supports Bolton along with the other two he now has Bolton bedding

Just about all of the other threads are very understandably very negative and that's my over-riding emotion since Saturday too. What a bunch of bottlers. Any year Bolton Wanderers spend out of the top two divisions is a year too long. We are now going to spend a sixth consecutive season in the lower divisions. Slowly but surely we're escalating towards the full decade we endured in the 80s and early 90s. However ... taking the long view, are there reasons why a further year in League 1 might prove to have been the right thing? 1. This team bottles big games. In the Championship there are big games far more often. Quite apart from debating the balance of the squad and the quality in the side they simply seem to lack to the big game mentality. The Championship would surely have chewed up and spat out our lily-livered playing staff. 2. Ipswich are an outlier. It's not often promoted teams thrive at tier 2 these days. You have to get a foothold and scrap your way to safety. That would be a problem linked to (1) but how many of the current squad can we honestly say are Championship ready in terms of playing standard alone? Going back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, we would not have been ready for tier 2 with a forward line of Storer/Philliskirk/Reeves - as much as they did good things for us. However we were ready with Walker/McGinlay/Lee. Things sometimes just need to evolve a bit more before they align. 3. There are scores to settle in League 1. We still want that win at Bloomfield Road (hopefully while preserving our own long unbeaten home run against the orange wankers). Then there is Wigan. That run of misfortune v them has to stop. Next season we get at least two more shots at it. I recall the double over Wigan in 92/3 when Bruce got us promoted. It felt like the right way to be saying goodbye to them (for what proved to be more than a decade). A much lesser local issue but Stockport fans are a mouthy lot and like to point out they've never lost at the Reebok. Be nice to sort that. 4. Combining the themes of derby matches and whether we were Championship ready this year - I'm not so sure I'd have fancied having to play Burnley, Blackburn and PNE with this present lot. It could have been carnage. Hopefully we will come to view our failure this season as a necessary evil as we develop/evolve further so that when we do hit the Championship we are properly equipped.

The only good thing about the entire day yesterday was before the game when we were watching the players warm up. Our Head Kitman came over to get my attention and pointed at my lad - then threw him an official play-off final first team shirt signed by the entire squad. My lad was absolutely fucking beaming. He felt like the luckiest kid in the stadium. That'll be our only lasting memory of an otherwise miserable day.