http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkfvJp5awJc

1 minute ago, paulhanley said:

I think there were a few loaned keepers that year. My memory is that Dibble did quite well. Andy Walker was a masterstroke. We'd actually had another Andy on loan briefly before Walker arrived ... Andy Kennedy. 

Jason Lydiate was another late season signing, never rated him! He stuck around for a while though. Played in central defence for a spell under Rioch around about the time we had that controversial 2-2 draw at Burnley. We'd had Alan Kernaghan on loan and then signed Simon Coleman and Lydiate never got much of a look in after then. 

91/2 was also a year when kids were played a bit. Nicky Spooner and Neil Fisher mainly but Alan Stubbs began to make his mark too.

Did we have a run of injuries to outfield players or was he starting to grasp at straws as the season progressed. Didn't Lydiate play in the 5th round at Derby the following season also ?

 

 

 

Just now, dusan nikolic said:

Did we have a run of injuries to outfield players or was he starting to grasp at straws as the season progressed. Didn't Lydiate play in the 5th round at Derby the following season also ?

 

 

 

I dont remember about Derby but quite possibly. 

I think it was switching things around to try to find a formula. He started playing three central defenders at one point - with Phil Brown as one of them. It was all going off the rails. Every time something went wrong Burnden turned against him. There were pre-prepared "Neal out" placards. I posted our 2-1 home win over Bury that year a while ago. When Bury equalised the atmosphere changed in the blinking of an eye and out came the placards. Andy Walker calmed it all down with an opportunist winner. 

1 minute ago, paulhanley said:

I dont remember about Derby but quite possibly. 

I think it was switching things around to try to find a formula. He started playing three central defenders at one point - with Phil Brown as one of them. It was all going off the rails. Every time something went wrong Burnden turned against him. There were pre-prepared "Neal out" placards. I posted our 2-1 home win over Bury that year a while ago. When Bury equalised the atmosphere changed in the blinking of an eye and out came the placards. Andy Walker calmed it all down with an opportunist winner. 

When that kind of thing starts the game is usually up , it all turned out good though. Someone on a Facebook site went on the Anfield Stadium Tour and Neal was the ex Footballer on the day , he said Phil Brown was his best signing at Bolton.

On 31/08/2020 at 14:22, dusan nikolic said:

Cheers Paul , a good away win in Wales whatever the circumstances,  I do love the Blue mid eighties away shirts.

Seems like yesterday.

There weren’t many of us there that night.

200 max.

Just now, captainmed said:

Seems like yesterday.

There weren’t many of us there that night.

200 max.

At least you got to see a good win mate , 200 not many , tell that to the Pie Eaters.

Lydiate did play at Derby. It was possibly his last game for us?  I can't remember if it was Stubbs or Seagraves (& Winstanley?) who were missing.  He was another that came through under Neal who Bruce didnt fancy. 

Just now, Duck Egg said:

Lydiate did play at Derby. It was possibly his last game for us?  I can't remember if it was Stubbs or Seagraves (& Winstanley?) who were missing.  He was another that came through under Neal who Bruce didnt fancy. 

Yeah the Derby game was just a step too far , they were a decent side though , what was our allocation that day?

25 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

I think there were a few loaned keepers that year. My memory is that Dibble did quite well. Andy Walker was a masterstroke. We'd actually had another Andy on loan briefly before Walker arrived ... Andy Kennedy. 

Jason Lydiate was another late season signing, never rated him! He stuck around for a while though. Played in central defence for a spell under Rioch around about the time we had that controversial 2-2 draw at Burnley. We'd had Alan Kernaghan on loan and then signed Simon Coleman and Lydiate never got much of a look in after then. 

91/2 was also a year when kids were played a bit. Nicky Spooner and Neil Fisher mainly but Alan Stubbs began to make his mark too.

Dibble was a revelation. If ever an example of a defence being calmed and given confidence by a good keeper was required, this is it. 

14 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Dibble was a revelation. If ever an example of a defence being calmed and given confidence by a good keeper was required, this is it. 

I think there is a video of his last game ( Shrewsbury?) , and he is getting an ovation from the fans.

21 minutes ago, dusan nikolic said:

Yeah the Derby game was just a step too far , they were a decent side though , what was our allocation that day?

I'm not sure. About 800-1000 in an end designed for about half that.  I'd heard several complaints from other fans going there, that the views were awful and it felt unsafe. We went early to get a barrier and a half decent view! Derby were knocked out in the next round by Sheffield Wednesday iirc.

Just now, Duck Egg said:

I'm not sure. About 800-1000 in an end designed for about half that.  I'd heard several complaints from other fans going there, that the views were awful and it felt unsafe. We went early to get a barrier and a half decent view! Derby were knocked out in the next round by Sheffield Wednesday iirc.

I got a ticket in the home end that was directly above the Bolton Fans , I put my Bolton top on underneath a jacket , just before kick off I went up to a women copper and told her I had bought a ticket off a tout for the bolton end , but he sold me a home ticket , I showed her my top and said I was worried I would get a kicking , she had a word with a superior and they took me down and put me in the Bolton end . Pretty irresponsible really but I was young and daft.

Mick Brown’s best game for us I can remember was a win up at Hartlepool midweek. Think we won 3 or 4 nil, he was our best player by a mile

Hadn't neal stood now, maybe unofficially, for that game

Don't think it was long after Southampton when, the story goes, he was found in his car on the burnden car park, staring vacantly, absolutely shell socked

I shared his pain

9 minutes ago, Casino said:

Hadn't neal stood now, maybe unofficially, for that game

Don't think it was long after Southampton when, the story goes, he was found in his car on the burnden car park, staring vacantly, absolutely shell socked

I shared his pain

You're not kidding.  Going from full on mental celebrations to a feeling akin to someone taking a sledgehammer to mi guts in about a minute. 

7 hours ago, Casino said:

Hadn't neal stood now, maybe unofficially, for that game

Don't think it was long after Southampton when, the story goes, he was found in his car on the burnden car park, staring vacantly, absolutely shell socked

I shared his pain

Yes sent him on holiday. I think we’d played Peterborough on the Saturday away, gave him a few days away

Our first fourth tier game since May 1988 hit us with a jolt yesterday. Same result ... 0-1, but this time not a welcome scoreline.

Back to Division Four of the 80s though and we've reached November...

 

Nine wins out of 17 games and 31 points on the board meant that Bolton had embarked on November as a firm part of the Division 4 promotion picture. Next up was a double header against another Lancashire side in the basement division - Burnley. On two consecutive Saturdays Bolton fans made their way to Turf Moor, the first of these in the FA Cup. 

 

The gate of 10,700 contained around 4,000 visiting fans and it was a volatile day in and around the ground. John Thomas scored our second half winner from the spot having been hauled down while clean through. In the last minute there was a crazy goalmouth scramble which Bolton barely survived.

 

Moments before the final whistle and the now famed pitch invasion by Bolton fans Nicky Brookman and the experienced Leighton James clashed in front of the away end. It's amusing to see Brookman giving James the w*nker sign, laughing at him and generally antagonising him. 

 

The Bolton fans came on in celebration, the Burnley fans came on in greater numbers in confrontation and the police dispersed it all. Years later a Burnley hooligan with the nickname "Pot" claimed this was the day Burnley fans finally got the better of Bolton and a week later Bolton didn't turn up. Others tells a different story.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Our first fourth tier game since May 1988 hit us with a jolt yesterday. Same result ... 0-1, but this time not a welcome scoreline.

Back to Division Four of the 80s though and we've reached November...

 

Nine wins out of 17 games and 31 points on the board meant that Bolton had embarked on November as a firm part of the Division 4 promotion picture. Next up was a double header against another Lancashire side in the basement division - Burnley. On two consecutive Saturdays Bolton fans made their way to Turf Moor, the first of these in the FA Cup. 

 

The gate of 10,700 contained around 4,000 visiting fans and it was a volatile day in and around the ground. John Thomas scored our second half winner from the spot having been hauled down while clean through. In the last minute there was a crazy goalmouth scramble which Bolton barely survived.

 

Moments before the final whistle and the now famed pitch invasion by Bolton fans Nicky Brookman and the experienced Leighton James clashed in front of the away end. It's amusing to see Brookman giving James the w*nker sign, laughing at him and generally antagonising him. 

 

The Bolton fans came on in celebration, the Burnley fans came on in greater numbers in confrontation and the police dispersed it all. Years later a Burnley hooligan with the nickname "Pot" claimed this was the day Burnley fans finally got the better of Bolton and a week later Bolton didn't turn up. Others tells a different story.

 

 

 

Cheers Paul , a proper old ' Lancashire Hotpot ' . J.T showing his quality again and a great result .

Had there been some beef between us and Burnley at some point? Taking into account the fans at the end and the players who looked like they were enjoying beating them. I wonder if the basement division has ever had 4 more illustrious teams in it before or since in such a short spell (86-88).

Edited September 13, 20205 yr by dusan nikolic

The cup match was very hostile. Great clearance by felgate. 

1 hour ago, dusan nikolic said:

Cheers Paul , a proper old ' Lancashire Hotpot ' . J.T showing his quality again and a great result .

Had there been some beef between us and Burnley at some point? Taking into account the fans at the end and the players who looked like they were enjoying beating them. I wonder if the basement division has ever had 4 more illustrious teams in it before or since in such a short spell (86-88).

There'd certainly been a few run-ins between the fans and Burnley had scores to settle with Bolton have ruled the roost home and away. That's my impression/memory anyway. This period and the aftermath of the Owen Coyle saga have however been the only times I know of in which tensions have risen between us and them. It was pretty hot the following weekend in the league game too.

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

The cup match was very hostile. Great clearance by felgate. 

That's my memory too. Don't remember it having been like that on previous visits to Turf Moor.

Memories from that game:

George Oghani getting dogs abuse from the Wanderers fans.

Fights breaking out all over the place after the match.

Nearly breaking my mates nose with a flailing elbow when JT scored his penalty.  Unbelievable to think players weren't sent off in them days for a professional foul.

Wanderers fans calling at the Corner Pin pub in Stubbins on the way home and nicking half the furniture

It was a much lower crowd for the league game the week after, which perhaps shows how important the FA cup was in those days.  

15 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

Memories from that game:

George Oghani getting dogs abuse from the Wanderers fans.

Fights breaking out all over the place after the match.

Nearly breaking my mates nose with a flailing elbow when JT scored his penalty.  Unbelievable to think players weren't sent off in them days for a professional foul.

Wanderers fans calling at the Corner Pin pub in Stubbins on the way home and nicking half the furniture

It was a much lower crowd for the league game the week after, which perhaps shows how important the FA cup was in those days.  

I'll post that league game as soon as I can. Quite a build up in the local media given the trouble there'd been. Did Burnley really get the better of it that day as their main man claimed in his book?

15 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

I'll post that league game as soon as I can. Quite a build up in the local media given the trouble there'd been. Did Burnley really get the better of it that day as their main man claimed in his book?

I didn't go to the league game, no idea why.  After the cup game there were battles going on everywhere and it was a pretty intimidating journey back to the car.  The return match at Burnden was when they mobbed up at the Bradford Arms so perhaps they were encouraged from the earlier rucks?

23 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I didn't go to the league game, no idea why.  After the cup game there were battles going on everywhere and it was a pretty intimidating journey back to the car.  The return match at Burnden was when they mobbed up at the Bradford Arms so perhaps they were encouraged from the earlier rucks?

I thought they got surrounded at the Bradford Arms and came off worst. Remember seeing some of that from a distance. It went off under the Burnden Paddock in the home game too if memory serves, at half-time.

39 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

I'll post that league game as soon as I can. Quite a build up in the local media given the trouble there'd been. Did Burnley really get the better of it that day as their main man claimed in his book?

Our main mob of approx 250 were put into the ground at noon that day so Burnley were free to pick off smaller mobs of Bolton. 

It was mentioned on here earlier, 20 of us in a boozer and 80 Burnley came in, had a look round, never said a word, then went outside and smashed our van up instead .

The league game saw a huge mob of Bolton making their way to the home end until the old bill stopped us literally at the turnstiles, not many Burnley were out that day 

I've some good mates from Burnley and they have a good respect for us.