Johnnyrotten

Oh yes I forgot about that! We had such an average team then but still 0-0 well into the 2nd half against their first team. A pity that game wasn't in the White Hot/Rioch years because I'm certain we'd have won at OT as a 3rd division team.

Yes definitely this season was unreal for long distance goals, and so many of them last minute decisive goals. Most of the scorers aren't our players any more so I hope we can get some replacements with a similar skillset.

Yes that brings it back. I remember that as soon as we were in the ground everyone was on a massive high that I hadn't witnessed before, the sort you only get when your team is playing a huge match at a huge stadium. And that simply hadn't happened in my supporting years as the 80s were so grim. And rather than settle down once the match got going, it went up a massive notch with the McGinlay header. Like you I can still see it just to my left. Not sure which was the best moment, that or seeing Walker rise like a salmon in front of the Kop for the 2nd. Hard to top those moments, although winning at Arsenal came close - but that was with a team established in the 2nd tier, not the 3rd.

We've missed out on Alfie May yet again. Gone to Doncaster on a season-long loan from Huddersfield. Billy Sharp should be available now then.

Going off topic a bit but I watched a re-run of the 66 world cup final (in colour!) a couple of weeks ago, and I'm not exaggerating England had about 6 shots in the first 15 minutes. They were all shit mind, the only midfielder capable of shooting from distance was Charlton (poetry in motion), but the likes of Stiles, Ball, Peters, Hunt were just taking pot shots from outside the box that were garbage. I only mention it to agree that everyone used to just shoot if they had the chance, now its possession at all costs and hoping for the perfect goal. The 90s was the perfect mix for us of Bolton players wanting to shoot, and having the ability to do it, fantastic to witness.

Probably also a stronger than usual line up (for both sides) as the cup match normally comes between 2 league games and means a load of changes and resting of anyone likely to start both league games (Inwood, Warren and Lawrence started last year). The last game before the season starts is often treated as a full dress rehearsal, probably a full strength team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD7sPuz-hnI Great shout on Radford, surely everyone's favourite FA Cup goal aside from finals, by other teams. Not sure the balls were that heavy in 1974? Obviously not like today's but also not like the brown leather one's of the 50s and 60s. Super Mac at Burnden for Newcastle probably a better goal but not as famous probably because it didn't win goal of the season, but a good excuse to see Burnden with 40k on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-TTqFw7u1w

All of the above. And Savage at Wrexham, can't believe its not been mentioned as its up there with any promotion/avoiding relegation goal. Numerous goals from the first world cup I watched, Argentina 78: Ari Haan, Rudi Krol, Mario Kempes, Archie Gemmill etc

If they don't sell him I'd expect him to go on loan to a L1 club (assuming he stays in England).

I'd like us to play against Burstow next season, put it that way. But we'll be coming up against faster, stronger, better finishers unfortunately.

He doesn't jump out as what we need looking at the video, if SS thinks he's great fair enough I'd bow to his greater knowledge and presumably he'd have seen him play full matches. But given that we can only sign one or 2 right backs I'd be happy to see what else is out there whether perm or loan.

For a big match of say 24k on, if there are maybe 1k no-shows, its not going to affect the atmosphere from being great to not being great. Less than 23k on v Bradford and I'd say the atmosphere was as good as we can get, a couple of extra thousand turning up wouldn't have made a huge difference. Its more about the attitude of the fans that turn up than the size of crowd. It will be buzzing next season for 90% of games we're playing well or leading in.

You must love night matches 😄

Hopefully we're aiming higher (just my opinion).

McGoldrick signed for Mansfield after turning down a contract extension at Barnsley. He'll be 39 in November. Proper player and career.

Article about Hull having to sell players in the next 2 weeks to avoid a points deduction. But if they'd stayed down and not paid the players bonuses, they wouldn't have to sell anyone. The players may as well have yellow stickies on them come the end of June, all offers considered presumably. BBC SportHull City could face points deduction in Premier LeagueWinning the play-off final means Hull must sell players before the end of the month to avoid a potential points deduction in the Premier League.

Its a fair point that saying 'awful signing' is premature, especially without seeing him play for us first, or how his fitness measures up after a few months. But equally, we will all have to avoid saying 'brilliant signing' when we sign a proven championship striker for a couple of million 😄 Nobody knows, they might not settle in, they might get injured, they might just not play very well for us. Simons and Burstow were categorically great signings for a couple of months, agreed by everyone, and then relegated to just "signings". Gale had a similar status. Cissoko etc. So, no great signings and no awful one's until at least we can judge at the end of the season. (Unless we've had them on loan for 6 months, they've been crap, and we've gone back and paid money for them).

My memory might be deceiving me but I don't remember him ever being shite. Not saying he was top quality but he was decent most of the time in league games. He also had his Wigan moment over a year ago, but even when playing OK this season he was immediately dropped as soon as Toal was available. I'm not criticising that, but Toal was no.1 right sided CB and Forino the stand in, irrespective of form or results , for a long time, even post-Wigan in Jan Forino was left out when Toal returned.

It seemed bizarre (with hindsight) that Forino was unused for so long. First name on the teamsheet in defence now, with Sheehan in midfield, ACD on the wing and Dalby up front. If the season had started that way (injuries permitting obviously) its hard to see we would have had the same struggles (relatively). But we only had 1 of the 4 starting in the first couple of months then 2 of the 4 upto about Christmas. If Dalby's season started late Jan, Forino's started a couple of weeks earlier at Wigan.

I didn't even know Dalby was player of the season till I read it on this thread. I know exactly what he brought to the team, and of course he was our leading scorer and proved himself undroppable when available. But his season started on 27th Jan when he scored those 2 v Burton. Prior to that he had more horror shows than stand out performances. If the votes were for the last 4 months of the season, yes Dalby was arguably our main man (with Forino and Sheehan IMO). But over the season in what world was ACD not our player of the season? Every Bolton fan surely recognises he was the standout difference maker and the one player we would have starting for us in August in a heartbeat. Not because he's got potential or because he's a nice lad, but because he was clearly our best player last season. Rant over, wrong thread etc.

Scott Green, Joey O'Brien, Tutu etc. It happens a lot. Or we sign a genuine RB (Gethin Jones) and decide to play him at CB 😄

Same as the new Wolves manager, whoever it is will have them top 2 or 3 because of the squads they have or can attract (assuming no points deductions etc). Same as the Birmingham manager and Cardiff manager that nobody knew anything about, nobody is sure if they are any good even though they walked it to promotion from L1.

That's a coincidence, we also had 9 with over 40 appearances: GJ, Sheehan, Dalby, Gale, Tutu, ACD, Toal, Conway, Burstow. And EE, Dempsey, Forino, Cissoko and Simons averaged 36. Cup games and sub appearances do exaggerate the figures though, for both teams. Agreed they'll struggle to reach those heights again, without the manager that orchestrated it.

Its just us saddos that watch the EFL goals round up that saw him creating and scoring on a fairly regular basis! And some of his goals were outstanding. Of course it was more L2 stuff than L1 in the last 3 years and he's well past his best. I certainly didn't see Vic and Dan on the goals round ups much, I know who I'd rather have had - all irrelevant now as we're shopping in a very different market.

You're probably right we would have still fallen short with IE, but its just my opinion that Stockton and especially Nombe would have been a step up on Jerome, Vic, Etete, Dan - I'm not disputing Collins and Charles were good value. Stockton may have had one purple patch, but what a patch it was, 23 L1 goals for a struggling team. Backed up by being a consistent scorer since 2020 (over 70 league goals - agreed he's now past his best clearly, at 32). Vic had half a good season at Burton and has scored around 30 in that period. Stockton also a better all round footballer, he leads the line with physicality rather than regularly coughing up possession and failing to control a pass.