HazzyinBolton

Passi on Pasties - Franck travels round Bolton sampling it's local specialities

Mid table mediocrity

Plain & simple. Sack him. He had one job, to prepare us for a World Cup & to perform there. We've played 2 big games against teams that are unlikely to be contenders (IMHO) & we haven't even managed a point & we're out. Woy is experienced but so what. We might as well have had Dougie managing the team. It's a results job & he's just fucked it. As for letting him build a squad, well that's bollocks too. We've just let him build one for this World Cup & what good was that? It's not all about building for the future, it's about doing it right now. Nothing against the guy, but he's had his chance & not taken it. Next please.

That's a joke of a response from the club. Why the hell is he not being sacked? Pathetic.

Yes it was Alf - He's still to be found hanging round the Whites hotel. Well retired now but still uses the gym there I believe.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg-ebokdy6w - Still got that Umbro T shirt, although it's mysteriously shrunk over the years. You can just see the back of it & the Umbro logo on 3:10 just after Lineker's goal towards the right of the screen.

Harwood's Lee a Mason is reffing the championship play off final this year

1990 - I was there at the Germany game in the Stadi Del Alpi in Turin. I've never seen it kick off like it did the night before with the locals. All hell broke loose. I could write a book on the goings on on that trip! Also went to the Belgium game in Bologna (Platt on the turn) & the Cameroon quarter final (2 Lineker penalties) in Naples.

Enjoyed completing the Great North swim with Smiley a few years ago. Once scored the only goal in a cup semi final on Queens park as a 15yr old. All of my family came to watch & after I'd smacked it in off my shin the whole team dived on me & I still see people now who remind me that our captain just kept shouting "you've fucking done it Hazzy, you've fucking done it" - Best footie memory ever!

Harwood Chipping Sodbury Harwood x 2 Bradshaw

Nice report that. Front page of the Lancs Telegraph too.

I missed the Wigan game yesterday & went to watch Turton 1st XI play Preston BAC, which Turton won 2-0. Wouldn't normally miss a home game but I'm involved with the club & yesterday's game was a tribute to Martin Vizzard who died from the effects of his cancer this week aged 39. Martin was the chairman of the club & had done everything from support the club financially to mowing the pitch, to making the food for the kids Xmas do! Martin's wife & family attended the game,the team wore T shirts remembering him & we had a minute's applause, & I know that other West Lancs league teams held a minute's silence for him. Top lad Martin - brought up in Blackburn (not his fault), he was mainly a fan of grass roots football but came on a couple of the Euro trips with us. 'The Captain' (he was a pilot) was a good mate of mine & will be missed by a lot of people. Ps - Just in case you didn't know, Turton FC is Lancashire's oldest club, established in 1871 & BWFC was formed from an offshoot of the club. The National Footie Museum in Manchester houses one of Turton's trophies which is the oldest in world football existence! It also shows a video of a Turton playing, commented on by John Motson! RIP Martin.

I once went to watch England away in Stockholm & had tickets in their end. He was warming up in front of us & was getting loads of shit of the Swedes - beer/coins being thrown at him. He just turned round, stood still facing the fans & starting grabbing & kissing his England badge - He was loving it.

Done

Schurrle's hat-trick yesterday for Chelski was one of 3 ever scored in the a Premier League by a German. The other were kinsmann &.........Fredi Bobic!

More frustrating shit, apart from Juke who I thought had a stormer. Great goal, worked his socks off all game, won every header that came his way & held the ball up really well. Defensively we're a shambles. Ream's never a left back, but I'm not entirely sure what he is. Knight always seems to be about 20yards from the man he's marking & several times in the 2nd half we were 2 on 2 with them at the back. Why? Basic stuff. Conceding from a corner like that summed it up. Our defenders aren't good enough & are badly organised - not a good combo. Eagles is all show, running round like he means business with no end product, whether it's a bottled tackle or yet another fluffed cross. He's a luxury player that works well in a confident team but needs dropping. Trotter? He looked like some lumbering gentle giant. Hopefully he's got more to offer? Danns must wonder what he's done wrong to be dropped for him. As for Dougie, his subs tell you everything. Medo on for Mark Davies to shore it up, then Moritz on to er..... Unshore it up. Moritz needs to stay out of the team till he's dropped a stone or two. We might get away with relegation because there are 3 or 4 teams even worse than us, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Is it though? Our declared league attendances include season ticket holders whether they actually attend or not, & from what I understand there's a big difference this season between actual & declared attendances. I'd say Saturday's numbers won't be far off next season's average the way we're going.

That, yesterday, & not for the first time this season, was absolute dogshit. It was freezing (admittedly not Dougie's fault), boring (that was his fault) & I was looking at the scoreboard thinking oh Jesus there's 20 mins of this left. It's not 1 specific thing, it's everything. Because Dougie speaks so eloquently & calmly he gives the impression of a man in control, a man of experience & I think that he thinks he's better than he is. A few things again stood out yesterday. We hardly had a shot on target, yet another 'individual' mistake (they're now very common under Dougie these individual mistakes) & our 'style' of play seems to be a lot of short, sideways passing followed by a back pass to Mills who I'm sure is on a bonus based on how hard & high he can lump it forward. Cardiff are bottom of the prem, had half a side out & were there to be put under pressure. The minute they put a half decent striker on we conceded. We better not sign Joe Mason, he's a nothing player who did nothing for us & did nothing again yesterday. Dougie came with my backing, but I'm now in the enough's enough camp. Boring football, players that aren't playing for him, poor judgement (Knight for captain), inconsistent selection of players, no consistency of shape, regular mistakes, poor loan signings, dreadful home record, conceding 7 etc. etc. Most championship managers will have to contend with injuries, players that want away, tight budgets etc but let's not forget he's a UEFA qualified coach being paid a fucking fortune to deal with these things. He's not dealing with it all very we'll & I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Anyone remember one very cold boxing day going to Hartlepool away & a pissed Bolton fan got on the pitch (at half time i think) & walked towards a copper as if to give himself up, then turned round & ran off evading a few steward/police rugby tackles until he was brought down. Classic.

Gartside's role is to do whatever the fuck Eddie Davies tells him to - & none of us know exactly what that is, but he's obviously doing it to Eddie's satisfaction because he's still here! If Gartside's role was related to profitability or pitch performance he'd be gone.

James Tomkins -http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/mental-footage-emerges-of-west-hams-james-tomkins-being-arrested-video/

Some consistency of selection & performance, with a bit of entertainment thrown in & a few wins will do.

I still to this day swear that Phil Neal spat full in the face of one of our opponents on his debut for us right in front of the paddock. Am I making this up or what? I'd add 'kill cricket' to the list, but a few obviously do remember that one. Not least er... Kill cricket.

Sasa Curcic for me - Couldn't believe we'd let him go, especially for the standard £4m fee. I remember ranting about it while I was eating my tea for some reason.

That's mine too. Was on holiday in Turkey when we signed him & I was well excited.