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Burnden Park played host to some memorable games – but which one ranks as the very best of all-time?
We asked readers on our Wanderers Facebook site for their nominations and compiled a shortlist below.
May 8, 1993
Wanderers 1 Preston North End 0
SECURING promotion was sweet enough for the Whites – but John McGinlay’s penalty also ensured their long-time Lancashire rivals would be relegated.
In truth, the game was not a spectacular one, with both sides displaying a fair amount of nerves. Port Vale were looking to snap up the last promotion place and were leading Blackpool when McGinlay came up with the winner from the spot, beating ex-Whites stopper Simon Farnworth.
Scenes of fans flooding the pitch in celebration were what made the game extra special.
February 14, 1976
Wanderers 3 Newcastle United 3
IT took three games to separate the Whites and League Cup finalists Newcastle but this six-goal thriller in the FA Cup fifth round was the pick of the bunch.
A massive 46,584 packed into Burnden as Sam Allardyce put Bolton ahead. Garry Jones missed a big chance to make it two before Malcolm McDonald netted the equaliser.
McDonald’s second was a special one, beating Paul Jones and curling a brilliant 25-yard effort into the top corner.
Garry Jones equalised in the second half but when future Wanderer Alan Gowling burst through to score his 22nd of the season, the game looked over. That is until Paul Jones came up with a fine header from Roy Greaves’s corner – sending Burnden into ecstasy.
April 25, 1997
Wanderers 4 Charlton 1
NO one could have scripted a better send-off.
Players, supporters, the young and the old had a thrilling win to savour as they wallowed in a night of nostalgia that rang out the old and rang in the new.
The curtain came down on 102 years of football at Burnden Park and Colin Todd’s Wanderers signed off in style.
A satellite TV audience witnessed the historic scenes as Charlton played their part in ensuring Wanderers didn’t have things all their own way. Indeed, the Addicks threatened to spoil the party that kicked off with a parade of former players when Mark Kinsella fired them into a half-time lead.
But this night belonged to Bolton – the town, its team and its supporters – and when the running order was planned to end with one of Wanderers’ most famous fans – the legendary commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme – delivering the immortal line: “They think it’s all over . . .” it would have been a poetic injustice had Todd’s record-breaking Whites not signed off with a victory.
And they did just that, serving up a second-half performance that blew Charlton away – Alan Thompson and Gerry Taggart establishing a lead before John McGinlay scored twice, grabbing the honour of scoring the last goal at Burnden.
October 5, 1971
Wanderers 3 Manchester City 0
GARRY Jones established himself as the golden boy of Burnden with a hat-trick as Jimmy Armfield’s Super Whites produced a memorable giant-killing performance to send First Division Manchester City crashing out of the League Cup.
Hot favourites City had three Wanderers old boys – Francis Lee, Freddie Hill and Wyn Davies – in their star-studded ranks. But it was pin-up boy Jones, still only 20, who was the star of the show.
He climbed above City centre-half Tommy Booth to head his first from Alan Waldron’s 16th-minute cross and doubled the lead on 65 minutes when he lobbed Joe Corrigan after Roy Greaves’s pass caught the City defence square.
So it was no surprise when Wanderers were awarded a 79th-minute penalty that the young striker was given the chance to complete his hat-trick, which he did by sending Corrigan the wrong way.
November 29, 1969
Wanderers 6 Queen’s Park Rangers 4
JUST 7,253 people watched this icy Second Division thriller despite it containing the mercurial attacking talents of John Byrom and Rodney Marsh.
Suffice it to say defences were not on top on a frozen pitch. Wanderers fell behind early on to Mick Leach’s header but were 2-1 up at the break thanks to goals from Byrom and Gordon Taylor.
John Manning and Barry Bridges traded goals after half time before Terry Wharton made it 4-2.
Dave Clement brought QPR back to within a goal but Wanderers went into top gear, stretching their lead as Manning and Byrom got their second. Marsh hit the 10th goal of the game – leaving the fans cheering for more at the final whistle.
October 5, 1976
Wanderers 2 Fulham 2
SIR Bobby Moore was sent off just once in his career – and it nearly sparked a walk-off at Burnden Park.
Referee Kevin McNally had allowed the game to play for 96 minutes despite there being few stoppages – and World Cup winner Moore’s protests earned him a rare red card.
Fulham’s players threatened to abandon the game and follow their captain but eventually played out a goalless extra time period.
Mike Walsh and Steve Taylor had earlier levelled up goals from John Mitchell and Ernie Howe.
March 9, 1995
Wanderers 3 Swindon Town 1
TRAILING 2-1 from the League Cup semi-final first leg at the County Ground, Wanderers had their work cut out to reach Wembley.
Jan Age Fjortoft extended the Robins’ lead on 58 minutes to make the task tougher but when Jason McAteer turned in Alan Thompson’s shot which had rattled the post, it was game on.
Mixu Paatelainen levelled the scores with 14 minutes to go – and the Whites piled on the pressure for a winner, supplied in ice-cool fashion by John McGinlay.
December 22, 1978
Wanderers 3 Manchester United 0
THE first leg of the derby-double was complete, providing Frank Worthington with one of his finest hours for Bolton.
In his brilliant autobiography, the former England striker recalled the game with chilling accuracy.
“I’ve always loved playing under the lights - at Leicester they called me Badger because rumour had it I only came out at nights - and was soon in the thick of things as Bolton set the pace. Gordon McQueen was trying to mark me as a high ball was knocked through the centre of the United defence. Pausing only to cushion it on my blue and white head band, I controlled it into my path and, although usually only for standing on, volleyed it into the far corner with my right foot.
“Little Bolton beating the big guns at Burnden! The crowd went berserk. I got another close in and Alan Gowling got one to set up a 3-0 win before 32,000 people.”
Source
We asked readers on our Wanderers Facebook site for their nominations and compiled a shortlist below.
May 8, 1993
Wanderers 1 Preston North End 0
SECURING promotion was sweet enough for the Whites – but John McGinlay’s penalty also ensured their long-time Lancashire rivals would be relegated.
In truth, the game was not a spectacular one, with both sides displaying a fair amount of nerves. Port Vale were looking to snap up the last promotion place and were leading Blackpool when McGinlay came up with the winner from the spot, beating ex-Whites stopper Simon Farnworth.
Scenes of fans flooding the pitch in celebration were what made the game extra special.
February 14, 1976
Wanderers 3 Newcastle United 3
IT took three games to separate the Whites and League Cup finalists Newcastle but this six-goal thriller in the FA Cup fifth round was the pick of the bunch.
A massive 46,584 packed into Burnden as Sam Allardyce put Bolton ahead. Garry Jones missed a big chance to make it two before Malcolm McDonald netted the equaliser.
McDonald’s second was a special one, beating Paul Jones and curling a brilliant 25-yard effort into the top corner.
Garry Jones equalised in the second half but when future Wanderer Alan Gowling burst through to score his 22nd of the season, the game looked over. That is until Paul Jones came up with a fine header from Roy Greaves’s corner – sending Burnden into ecstasy.
April 25, 1997
Wanderers 4 Charlton 1
NO one could have scripted a better send-off.
Players, supporters, the young and the old had a thrilling win to savour as they wallowed in a night of nostalgia that rang out the old and rang in the new.
The curtain came down on 102 years of football at Burnden Park and Colin Todd’s Wanderers signed off in style.
A satellite TV audience witnessed the historic scenes as Charlton played their part in ensuring Wanderers didn’t have things all their own way. Indeed, the Addicks threatened to spoil the party that kicked off with a parade of former players when Mark Kinsella fired them into a half-time lead.
But this night belonged to Bolton – the town, its team and its supporters – and when the running order was planned to end with one of Wanderers’ most famous fans – the legendary commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme – delivering the immortal line: “They think it’s all over . . .” it would have been a poetic injustice had Todd’s record-breaking Whites not signed off with a victory.
And they did just that, serving up a second-half performance that blew Charlton away – Alan Thompson and Gerry Taggart establishing a lead before John McGinlay scored twice, grabbing the honour of scoring the last goal at Burnden.
October 5, 1971
Wanderers 3 Manchester City 0
GARRY Jones established himself as the golden boy of Burnden with a hat-trick as Jimmy Armfield’s Super Whites produced a memorable giant-killing performance to send First Division Manchester City crashing out of the League Cup.
Hot favourites City had three Wanderers old boys – Francis Lee, Freddie Hill and Wyn Davies – in their star-studded ranks. But it was pin-up boy Jones, still only 20, who was the star of the show.
He climbed above City centre-half Tommy Booth to head his first from Alan Waldron’s 16th-minute cross and doubled the lead on 65 minutes when he lobbed Joe Corrigan after Roy Greaves’s pass caught the City defence square.
So it was no surprise when Wanderers were awarded a 79th-minute penalty that the young striker was given the chance to complete his hat-trick, which he did by sending Corrigan the wrong way.
November 29, 1969
Wanderers 6 Queen’s Park Rangers 4
JUST 7,253 people watched this icy Second Division thriller despite it containing the mercurial attacking talents of John Byrom and Rodney Marsh.
Suffice it to say defences were not on top on a frozen pitch. Wanderers fell behind early on to Mick Leach’s header but were 2-1 up at the break thanks to goals from Byrom and Gordon Taylor.
John Manning and Barry Bridges traded goals after half time before Terry Wharton made it 4-2.
Dave Clement brought QPR back to within a goal but Wanderers went into top gear, stretching their lead as Manning and Byrom got their second. Marsh hit the 10th goal of the game – leaving the fans cheering for more at the final whistle.
October 5, 1976
Wanderers 2 Fulham 2
SIR Bobby Moore was sent off just once in his career – and it nearly sparked a walk-off at Burnden Park.
Referee Kevin McNally had allowed the game to play for 96 minutes despite there being few stoppages – and World Cup winner Moore’s protests earned him a rare red card.
Fulham’s players threatened to abandon the game and follow their captain but eventually played out a goalless extra time period.
Mike Walsh and Steve Taylor had earlier levelled up goals from John Mitchell and Ernie Howe.
March 9, 1995
Wanderers 3 Swindon Town 1
TRAILING 2-1 from the League Cup semi-final first leg at the County Ground, Wanderers had their work cut out to reach Wembley.
Jan Age Fjortoft extended the Robins’ lead on 58 minutes to make the task tougher but when Jason McAteer turned in Alan Thompson’s shot which had rattled the post, it was game on.
Mixu Paatelainen levelled the scores with 14 minutes to go – and the Whites piled on the pressure for a winner, supplied in ice-cool fashion by John McGinlay.
December 22, 1978
Wanderers 3 Manchester United 0
THE first leg of the derby-double was complete, providing Frank Worthington with one of his finest hours for Bolton.
In his brilliant autobiography, the former England striker recalled the game with chilling accuracy.
“I’ve always loved playing under the lights - at Leicester they called me Badger because rumour had it I only came out at nights - and was soon in the thick of things as Bolton set the pace. Gordon McQueen was trying to mark me as a high ball was knocked through the centre of the United defence. Pausing only to cushion it on my blue and white head band, I controlled it into my path and, although usually only for standing on, volleyed it into the far corner with my right foot.
“Little Bolton beating the big guns at Burnden! The crowd went berserk. I got another close in and Alan Gowling got one to set up a 3-0 win before 32,000 people.”
Source