I'm a great believer that incidents in a game can define a season.

Yesterday when Jon Flanagan saved that ball on the line I said straight away that that had probably kept us up. Preserving that 6 point gap was absolutely massive and he ensured.just that

I'm sure Bruce Rioch would certainly thank Phil Neal for discovering Andy Walker from Celtic Reserves, after all he plundered 26 league goals for him in 92/93.

Also don't forget in Neal's penultimate season he missed promotion on fucking goal difference and then narrowly lost the Play off final ( a position unthinkable 5 years before) .

 

3 Wembley finals, 2 club record unbeaten runs , 1 promotion , 2 play off appearances and all done on a shoestring , there was no £300,000 available for Phil Neal to sign the likes of David Lee.

 

After a shaky start and the shrewd introduction of Mick Brown as his assistant Phil Neal brought back a real feel good factor back to a club in the doldrums.

 

Think of this ,out of the 12 players who appeared in the promotion winning game v Preston , 9 were Phil Neal signings , if that doesn't entitle him to some credit for building the platform for Bruce Rioch then I don't know what does.

Great post. Rioch was different class but Neal had definitely changed things around and rid us of the losing mentality beforehand

That seems pretty irrefutable

 

However, I’d argue that the feel good factor wasn’t that strong when folk were changing Warbies our and Neal out on a regular basis towards the end of his reign

 

I only really start remembering BWFC life under Neal and even to me it felt “unsettled”

I agree the last season seemed a big anti climax and I think frustrations for the previous seasons near miss never really lifted from the players , the loss of Steve Thompson at the beginning of the season was a big blow coupled with a dreadful second half of the season ( at the turn of the year we were 7th) but only won 5 of the next 24 , amazingly the bad run virtually started when Andy Walker signed on loan. Personally I think a change was needed , but for someone to say Riochs early success had nothing whatsoever to do with Phil Neal or the platform he built is plain wrong.

Not forgetting the mob were baying for riochs blood at Preston and Chester, in october?

 

From memory port vale at home was equally shit then McGinlay got us something with a goal off the bench

Not forgetting the mob were baying for riochs blood at Preston and Chester, in october?

 

From memory port vale at home was equally shit then McGinlay got us something with a goal off the bench

Good point , I think in Neal's last year and Rioch's first few months the supporters were terrified the club was falling in to mediocrity after coming so close to promotion to division 2 ,and that any poor run straight away got the Boo boys on their backs.Personally I think it was sheer frustration that we couldn't seem to get away from division 3.

That seems pretty irrefutable

 

However, I’d argue that the feel good factor wasn’t that strong when folk were changing Warbies our and Neal out on a regular basis towards the end of his reign

 

I only really start remembering BWFC life under Neal and even to me it felt “unsettled”

You’re bang on there, Jules.

There wasn’t any feel good factor by the end of his reign. Anyone saying anything to the contrary was either not there or is having memory issues (no offence if so!).

 

The fact there was a nucleus of a decent team (albeit without a decent keeper on the books, functioning midfield and anyone to take the goalscoring pressure off Andy Walker - all rather remiss of Mr Neal) is not up for debate. It was though blindingly obvious that he didn’t have a clue what to do to fix the gaps in the team and change the mindset of the squad into a winning one - as the record books show, he was taking us backwards.

 

Hence the anger / frustration on the terraces and why Phil Neal was no “turning point” or “good” manager (he left us, position-wise, after six and a half years almost exactly where he picked us up) - the only thing that saved us and gives Neal-sympathisers the opportunity to peddle the old “solid foundation” line was the inspired appointment of Bruce Rioch, in my humble opinion!

He rejected your advances, didn't he

You’ve got me!

No, I trust I’m keeping my opinion balanced and fair (!) but I sincerely believe he was a poor excuse for a manager (see his record post-BWFC also) and human being, Apart from that, I don’t really mind him.

You’re bang on there, Jules.

There wasn’t any feel good factor by the end of his reign. Anyone saying anything to the contrary was either not there or is having memory issues (no offence if so!).

 

The fact there was a nucleus of a decent team (albeit without a decent keeper on the books, functioning midfield and anyone to take the goalscoring pressure off Andy Walker - all rather remiss of Mr Neal) is not up for debate. It was though blindingly obvious that he didn’t have a clue what to do to fix the gaps in the team and change the mindset of the squad into a winning one - as the record books show, he was taking us backwards.

 

Hence the anger / frustration on the terraces and why Phil Neal was no “turning point” or “good” manager (he left us, position-wise, after six and a half years almost exactly where he picked us up) - the only thing that saved us and gives Neal-sympathisers the opportunity to peddle the old “solid foundation” line was the inspired appointment of Bruce Rioch, in my humble opinion!

The record books show before the final season he had 4 seasons of improving us right to the point of missing promotion on goal difference .

The mindset of the squad was a winning one ( the promotion near miss) , and your harping on about the final season proves after 4 years of solid improvement people Had got used to winning games , that's why The mid table season was in a lot of eyes the end of the line for Neal.

 

I'm really intrigued to know wether at Wrexham, Wembley 89, the 23 league unbeaten run , play offs ,where you really stood on the terraces proclaiming that this bloke is winging it and this is no better than when he took over?

 

Phil Neal wasn't without flaws no question , but you seem to be letting your dislike of him distort the fact he left the club and more importantly the team in much better shape than when he took it over , as proved by Rioch not having to alter the team a great deal to achieve promotion , although agreed 3 very important signings .

Edited March 22, 20188 yr by dusan nikolic

I'm sure Bruce Rioch would certainly thank Phil Neal for discovering Andy Walker from Celtic Reserves, after all he plundered 26 league goals for him in 92/93.

Also don't forget in Neal's penultimate season he missed promotion on fucking goal difference and then narrowly lost the Play off final ( a position unthinkable 5 years before) .

 

3 Wembley finals, 2 club record unbeaten runs , 1 promotion , 2 play off appearances and all done on a shoestring , there was no £300,000 available for Phil Neal to sign the likes of David Lee.

 

After a shaky start and the shrewd introduction of Mick Brown as his assistant Phil Neal brought back a real feel good factor back to a club in the doldrums.

 

Think of this ,out of the 12 players who appeared in the promotion winning game v Preston , 9 were Phil Neal signings , if that doesn't entitle him to some credit for building the platform for Bruce Rioch then I don't know what does.

Don't think Walker was in Celtic reserves when we got him

i doubt he was playing first team seeing as we got him on loan

He'd been on loan at newcastle just before he came to us.

He'd been on loan at newcastle just before he came to us.

he was didn’t play many don’t think

he was didn’t play many don’t think

 

A couple, but needless to say that's where he'd been, so it's a fairly safe assumption to suggest he was a reserve at Celtic.

Did Neal get mcateer or Bruce when he came can’t remember?

neal

 

for a bag of balls

We only got Andy Walker as a second option after a lad we'd brought in from Watford got injured.

neal

 

for a bag of balls

I spoke to Sammy Lee (was having a brew under the stand!) at a game shortly after him signing.

Lee spoke highly of him and said he'd be a good un. Wasn't wrong.

A couple, but needless to say that's where he'd been, so it's a fairly safe assumption to suggest he was a reserve at Celtic.

I stand corrected, suppose back then if you weren't playing first team you'd be in the reserves

 

He wasn't an unknown quantity was more what I was getting at

Not forgetting the mob were baying for riochs blood at Preston and Chester, in october?

 

From memory port vale at home was equally shit then McGinlay got us something with a goal off the bench

It was more Warbies Out than anything. Port Vale at home was indeed shit.

We only got Andy Walker as a second option after a lad we'd brought in from Watford got injured.

Andy 'mad dog' Kennedy? Played once for us I think. I'd never equated his absence with Walkers arrivsl

If I remember correctly , walker had suffered a really bad injury at Celtic and on his return couldn't get back into Celtic first team

Andy 'mad dog' Kennedy? Played once for us I think. I'd never equated his absence with Walkers arrivsl

That's him. I remember being gutted when he went back and thought we were getting second best with Andy Walker!

Andy Walker only signed for us because of Phil Neal. He didnt know where Bolton was geographically but he knew who Phil Neal was and that made his mind up to come. He was very unhappy when Neal was sacked.

These are Andy Walker's League stats for Celtic before signing for us.

 

Season

 

1987/88. App 42. Sub 0 Goals 26

1988/89. App 19. Sub 3. Goals 8

1989/90. App 19. Sub 13. Goals 6

1990/91. App 6. Sub 5. Goals 0

1991/92. App 0. Sub 1. Goals 0

 

I'm not sure about the standard in Scotland at that time , but for someone who had hardly played for 18 months his Bolton record is all the more impressive.

Edited March 22, 20188 yr by dusan nikolic

An over-used expression, but Walker really was a natural finisher.