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Who knows how history would have panned out had Wanderers beaten this weekend’s FA Cup opponents Grimsby Town in February 1991?
Phil Neal’s side had been flying, unbeaten since mid-October they put themselves into the top two with a 0-0 draw against the Mariners at Burnden Park.
But just a few months later they lived to regret not claiming all three points as automatic promotion was settled on goal difference, forcing the Whites into the play-offs.
Of course, Wanderers beat Bury in the semi-final but the defeat to Tranmere Rovers at Wembley proved difficult to recover from for Neal, who lost his job the following summer, triggering the White Hot era under Bruce Rioch leading all the way to the Premier League.
After Rioch had led Wanderers out of Division Two, Grimsby Town provided the first opponents of the 1993/94 season – and again the two sides failed to hit the back of the net.
Owen Coyle was one of the new signings making his competitive debut following a £250,000 move from Airdrie.
Three years later Wanderers put six past the Mariners in a record-breaking season under Rioch’s former right-hand-man, Colin Todd. Michael Johansen and Nathan Blake scored two apiece, with David Lee and Scott Taylor adding two more late on – which helped to erase the memory of a 5-2 defeat at Southend a few days earlier.
Going a little further back in time, Jimmy Armfield’s Wanderers went top of the Third Division with a 2-0 win over Grimsby.
Alan Waldron and Garry Jones scored the goals, capping off a fine week for the Whites in which they also beat Second Division Cardiff City at the third time of asking.
That was the only win over Grimsby Bolton managed between 1965 and 1983, which also included a 4-0 defeat at Blundell Park.
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Phil Neal’s side had been flying, unbeaten since mid-October they put themselves into the top two with a 0-0 draw against the Mariners at Burnden Park.
But just a few months later they lived to regret not claiming all three points as automatic promotion was settled on goal difference, forcing the Whites into the play-offs.
Of course, Wanderers beat Bury in the semi-final but the defeat to Tranmere Rovers at Wembley proved difficult to recover from for Neal, who lost his job the following summer, triggering the White Hot era under Bruce Rioch leading all the way to the Premier League.
After Rioch had led Wanderers out of Division Two, Grimsby Town provided the first opponents of the 1993/94 season – and again the two sides failed to hit the back of the net.
Owen Coyle was one of the new signings making his competitive debut following a £250,000 move from Airdrie.
Three years later Wanderers put six past the Mariners in a record-breaking season under Rioch’s former right-hand-man, Colin Todd. Michael Johansen and Nathan Blake scored two apiece, with David Lee and Scott Taylor adding two more late on – which helped to erase the memory of a 5-2 defeat at Southend a few days earlier.
Going a little further back in time, Jimmy Armfield’s Wanderers went top of the Third Division with a 2-0 win over Grimsby.
Alan Waldron and Garry Jones scored the goals, capping off a fine week for the Whites in which they also beat Second Division Cardiff City at the third time of asking.
That was the only win over Grimsby Bolton managed between 1965 and 1983, which also included a 4-0 defeat at Blundell Park.
Source