Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club (/ˈboʊltən/ BOHL-tən) is a professional association football club based in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Full name
Bolton Wanderers Football Club
- The Trotters
- The Wanderers
- The Whites
1874 (as Christ Church F.C.)
28,723[1]
Football Ventures (Whites) Ltd (92%)[2][3]
British Business Bank (8%)[4]
Sharon Brittan
EFL League One, 3rd of 24
Formed as Christ Church Football Club in 1874, it adopted its current name in 1877 and was a founding member of the Football League in 1888. The club moved between the First Division and the Second Division eight times in thirteen seasons between 1899 and 1911, winning the Second Division title in 1908–09. Bolton won the FA Cup three times in the 1920s: in 1923 – the "White Horse Final", 1926 and 1929; they had finished as runners-up in 1894 and 1904. The club spent just two seasons outside the top-flight between 1911 and 1964, having won promotion from the Second Division at the second attempt at the end of the 1934–35 season. They lost the 1953 FA Cup final and then won the competition for a fourth time in 1958 under the stewardship of Bill Ridding. Bolton were relegated in 1964 and again in 1971, but regained their top-flight status after winning the Third Division title in 1972–73 and then the Second Division title in 1977–78. However, three relegations left them in the fourth tier by 1987, though promotion out of the Fourth Division was secured in 1987–88 and they lifted the Football League Trophy in 1989 after being beaten finalists in 1986.
Promotions in 1992–93 and 1994–95 saw them reach the Premier League. Bolton won the First Division title in 1996–97, but were unable to survive more than one season in the Premier League until Sam Allardyce returned them to the top-flight with victory in the 2001 First Division play-off final. Bolton then spent eleven consecutive seasons in the Premier League, reaching the 2004 League Cup final and reaching the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup twice. However, two relegations in five years left them in League One by 2016, and though they won promotion in 2016–17, severe financial difficulties saw the club enter administration in May 2019 after relegation back into the third tier was confirmed. Facing possible EFL expulsion and probable extinction, the club was acquired by new owners on 28 August 2019.[2][3] Relegated to the fourth tier in 2020, they won promotion out of League Two in the 2020–21 season and won the EFL Trophy in the 2022–23 season.
From 1895 to 1997, the club played at Burnden Park after moving from their original home at Pike's Lane. Since 1997, Bolton have played home matches at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. They have spent 73 seasons in the top-flight without winning the title; more than any other club.[5]
Rivalries and supporters[edit]
Bolton Wanderers Supporters' Association (BWSA) is the official supporters' association of Bolton Wanderers Football Club. The Supporters' Association was formed in 1992, on the initiative of a fan, Peter Entwistle. Later that year the Directors of the football club, satisfied that the Association had proven itself to be organised and responsible, officially recognised Bolton Wanderers Supporters' Association as the club's supporters' group.[108]
In 1997, shortly after the move from Burnden Park to the Reebok Stadium, the BWSA accepted the invitation from the football club to hold its monthly meetings at the new stadium. The Toughsheet Community Stadium has continued to be their venue ever since. In the year 2000, the Association expanded significantly when its invitation to affiliate was accepted by Bolton Wanderers supporters groups in other parts of Britain, and also by groups around the world. All of these foreign groups have come on board to become independent, but integral, parts of the official Bolton Wanderers supporters' family. Requests for affiliated status continue to be received regularly from other places around the world where Wanderers fans find themselves gather together.[108]
Historically Bolton's traditional rivals were near neighbours Bury, though due to limited league meetings and Bury's expulsion from the Football League in August 2019 the rivalry has lessened considerably. The club also has traditional rivalries with fellow Lancashire clubs Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Preston North End, as all three sides are separated by less than 20 miles and are all founder members of the Football League.[109][110] More recently, Bolton have developed an enmity with Wigan Athletic, whose fans generally regard Bolton as their main rivals.[111] Wigan eventually became known as Bolton biggest rivals,[112] and crowd trouble marred the 16 October 2021 meeting between the two clubs.[113] A study in 2021 found that the Bolton/Wigan rivalry was the most competitive in all of English Football history, with both teams having an identical record against each other at the time.[114]
According to a survey conducted in August 2019 entitled 'The League of Love and Hate', Bolton supporters named Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Oldham Athletic and Bury as their biggest rivals.[115]
League
Cup
