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THEY are arguably the most famous bunch in Wanderers’ recent history but what have the Class of 1995 been up to since that memorable day at Wembley?
Here we look at the 14 players in the squad, and the man who masterminded the Premier League promotion in a special ‘where are they now?’
KEITH BRANAGAN Legendary keeper, signed by Bruce Rioch from Millwall in 1992, whose penalty save in the 1995 final paved the way for a stunning comeback. Branagan made 263 appearances for Wanderers, helping them to two promotions and a League Cup final, before moving on to Ipswich Town for a brief spell in the summer of 2000. After retirement, Branagan moved into sports coaching at Bolton School and also had a role in the Whites’ Academy.
SCOTT GREEN Utility player who cost just £50,000 from Derby County in 1989 and went on to make nearly 300 appearances for Wanderers. The Midlander played in three different divisions with Bolton, including three Wembley appearances, before moving on to more success with Wigan Athletic. After spells at Wrexham and non-league clubs Telford and Ashton Green he moved to Yeovil Town as their head of youth until the role was made redundant.
JIMMY PHILLIPS Bolton-born-and-bred, Phillips broke into the Wanderers team in the late eighties before leaving for Glasgow Rangers in March 1987. He returned to Bolton in 1993 after spells at Oxford and Middlesbrough and was ever-present in the 1995 campaign. Phillips played until 2000, finishing with 401 appearances for the club in total. After spells as youth and reserve team coach, he is now head of the Academy.
GUDNI BERGSSON Hugely popular Icelandic defender snapped up for just £65,000 after a six-year spell at Tottenham and regarded as one of the best bargain buys in the club’s history. Bergsson was a mainstay at Wanderers for eight seasons before hanging up his boots for good in 2003. Now a qualified lawyer, he lives back in Iceland but keeps close tabs on his former club.
ALAN STUBBS Solid defender who came through the club’s youth system and went on to make more than 250 appearances as Wanderers climbed from the third tier to the Premier League. Despite captaining the club he left for Celtic in 1996 for £3.5million in controversial circumstances, his relationship with the fans soured by repeated claims he wanted to join “a top club” – and an oft-repeated quip to the Match of the Day cameras that viewers should “watch this space.” Stubbs went on to play for Everton, Sunderland and Derby County and successfully fought against testicular cancer before moving into management with Hibs.
NEIL MCDONALD Dependable defender-midfielder who spent a couple of season with Preston before hanging up his boots in 1998. He boasts an extensive coaching CV, starting under David Moyes at Preston before moving back to Bolton under Sam Allardyce. He was Iain Dowie's assistant at Crystal Palace and managed Carlisle United before linking up again with Allardyce at Blackburn and West Ham.
JASON MCATEER Homespun midfielder joined boyhood club Liverpool for £4million the following season and enjoyed a long top-flight career with Blackburn, Sunderland and finally Tranmere, where he was player-coach under John Barnes. Won 52 caps for Ireland and played at two World Cup finals. McAteer now works in the media for BT Sport and LFC TV.
MIXU PAATELAINEN Finnish striker stayed with Wanderers for another two seasons before leaving to sign for Wolves. He spent several years in Scotland with Hibs, St Johnstone and St Mirren either side of a short stint at Strasbourg in France. Paatelainen moved into management – starting with Cowdenbeath, and graduating through TPS (Finland), Hibs, Kilmarnock and is currently the Finland national team boss.
ALAN THOMPSON Classy midfielder who stayed with Wanderers until 1998, when he moved for a club-record £4.5milllion to Aston Villa. After spells at Celtic, Leeds United and Hartlepool he moved into coaching, assisting Neil Lennon at Parkhead before moving south again to Birmingham and Blackpool, where he worked as right-hand-man to Lee Clark.
OWEN COYLE Forged a long playing career in Scotland after leaving Wanderers in October 1995 for Dundee United but returned as manager in 2010 after success at St Johnstone and Burnley. After a promising start, Coyle’s side slipped towards relegation after a 5-0 hammering against Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-final. Returned to management with Wigan and now in charge of Houston Dynamo in MLS.
JOHN MCGINLAY Heroic striker remained with Wanderers for another two-and-a-half years after Wembley, forging an electric partnership with Nathan Blake after relegation from the Premier League and scoring the last goal at Burnden Park. After a short spell at Bradford he moved into coaching, spending time in the US before scouting for Scotland and Wigan. Now a local radio personality and owner of a popular Horwich pub.
PETER SHILTON Legendary England goalkeeper played only 10 more games after his brief stint at Wanderers, where he remains their oldest-ever appearance-maker. Shilton was a substitute for West Ham and Coventry before ending his illustrious career with a short spell at Leyton Orient. Now working in the media and as a successful after-dinner speaker.
JOHN DREYER Versatile defender who was on loan from Stoke City. Later played for Bradford and Cambridge before moving into management with Stevenage and Maidenhead. Now first-team coach at Preston North End.
FABIAN DE FREITAS Dutchman who left Wanderers after his Wembley heroics for Osasuna in 1996. Later returned to England with West Brom and finished career in Holland with Cambuur, Den Bosch and NEC. Now works as an engineer in Manchester.
BRUCE RIOCH Quit Wanderers that summer to take up an ill-fated spell in charge at Arsenal. He finished fifth in his first season at Highbury and signed the likes of David Platt and Dennis Bergkamp but the former Scotland international lasted just a solitary season, eventually being replaced by Arsene Wenger. Rioch never again enjoyed the same success he had at Bolton – managing Norwich, Wigan and Danish clubs Odense and Aalborg before moving back to his home in Falmouth. He continues to work in the game.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/12977388.The_1995_Wanderers_Wembley_heroes___Where_are_they_now_/
Here we look at the 14 players in the squad, and the man who masterminded the Premier League promotion in a special ‘where are they now?’
KEITH BRANAGAN Legendary keeper, signed by Bruce Rioch from Millwall in 1992, whose penalty save in the 1995 final paved the way for a stunning comeback. Branagan made 263 appearances for Wanderers, helping them to two promotions and a League Cup final, before moving on to Ipswich Town for a brief spell in the summer of 2000. After retirement, Branagan moved into sports coaching at Bolton School and also had a role in the Whites’ Academy.
SCOTT GREEN Utility player who cost just £50,000 from Derby County in 1989 and went on to make nearly 300 appearances for Wanderers. The Midlander played in three different divisions with Bolton, including three Wembley appearances, before moving on to more success with Wigan Athletic. After spells at Wrexham and non-league clubs Telford and Ashton Green he moved to Yeovil Town as their head of youth until the role was made redundant.
JIMMY PHILLIPS Bolton-born-and-bred, Phillips broke into the Wanderers team in the late eighties before leaving for Glasgow Rangers in March 1987. He returned to Bolton in 1993 after spells at Oxford and Middlesbrough and was ever-present in the 1995 campaign. Phillips played until 2000, finishing with 401 appearances for the club in total. After spells as youth and reserve team coach, he is now head of the Academy.
GUDNI BERGSSON Hugely popular Icelandic defender snapped up for just £65,000 after a six-year spell at Tottenham and regarded as one of the best bargain buys in the club’s history. Bergsson was a mainstay at Wanderers for eight seasons before hanging up his boots for good in 2003. Now a qualified lawyer, he lives back in Iceland but keeps close tabs on his former club.
ALAN STUBBS Solid defender who came through the club’s youth system and went on to make more than 250 appearances as Wanderers climbed from the third tier to the Premier League. Despite captaining the club he left for Celtic in 1996 for £3.5million in controversial circumstances, his relationship with the fans soured by repeated claims he wanted to join “a top club” – and an oft-repeated quip to the Match of the Day cameras that viewers should “watch this space.” Stubbs went on to play for Everton, Sunderland and Derby County and successfully fought against testicular cancer before moving into management with Hibs.
NEIL MCDONALD Dependable defender-midfielder who spent a couple of season with Preston before hanging up his boots in 1998. He boasts an extensive coaching CV, starting under David Moyes at Preston before moving back to Bolton under Sam Allardyce. He was Iain Dowie's assistant at Crystal Palace and managed Carlisle United before linking up again with Allardyce at Blackburn and West Ham.
JASON MCATEER Homespun midfielder joined boyhood club Liverpool for £4million the following season and enjoyed a long top-flight career with Blackburn, Sunderland and finally Tranmere, where he was player-coach under John Barnes. Won 52 caps for Ireland and played at two World Cup finals. McAteer now works in the media for BT Sport and LFC TV.
MIXU PAATELAINEN Finnish striker stayed with Wanderers for another two seasons before leaving to sign for Wolves. He spent several years in Scotland with Hibs, St Johnstone and St Mirren either side of a short stint at Strasbourg in France. Paatelainen moved into management – starting with Cowdenbeath, and graduating through TPS (Finland), Hibs, Kilmarnock and is currently the Finland national team boss.
ALAN THOMPSON Classy midfielder who stayed with Wanderers until 1998, when he moved for a club-record £4.5milllion to Aston Villa. After spells at Celtic, Leeds United and Hartlepool he moved into coaching, assisting Neil Lennon at Parkhead before moving south again to Birmingham and Blackpool, where he worked as right-hand-man to Lee Clark.
OWEN COYLE Forged a long playing career in Scotland after leaving Wanderers in October 1995 for Dundee United but returned as manager in 2010 after success at St Johnstone and Burnley. After a promising start, Coyle’s side slipped towards relegation after a 5-0 hammering against Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-final. Returned to management with Wigan and now in charge of Houston Dynamo in MLS.
JOHN MCGINLAY Heroic striker remained with Wanderers for another two-and-a-half years after Wembley, forging an electric partnership with Nathan Blake after relegation from the Premier League and scoring the last goal at Burnden Park. After a short spell at Bradford he moved into coaching, spending time in the US before scouting for Scotland and Wigan. Now a local radio personality and owner of a popular Horwich pub.
PETER SHILTON Legendary England goalkeeper played only 10 more games after his brief stint at Wanderers, where he remains their oldest-ever appearance-maker. Shilton was a substitute for West Ham and Coventry before ending his illustrious career with a short spell at Leyton Orient. Now working in the media and as a successful after-dinner speaker.
JOHN DREYER Versatile defender who was on loan from Stoke City. Later played for Bradford and Cambridge before moving into management with Stevenage and Maidenhead. Now first-team coach at Preston North End.
FABIAN DE FREITAS Dutchman who left Wanderers after his Wembley heroics for Osasuna in 1996. Later returned to England with West Brom and finished career in Holland with Cambuur, Den Bosch and NEC. Now works as an engineer in Manchester.
BRUCE RIOCH Quit Wanderers that summer to take up an ill-fated spell in charge at Arsenal. He finished fifth in his first season at Highbury and signed the likes of David Platt and Dennis Bergkamp but the former Scotland international lasted just a solitary season, eventually being replaced by Arsene Wenger. Rioch never again enjoyed the same success he had at Bolton – managing Norwich, Wigan and Danish clubs Odense and Aalborg before moving back to his home in Falmouth. He continues to work in the game.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/12977388.The_1995_Wanderers_Wembley_heroes___Where_are_they_now_/
