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There are very, very few football clubs who can hold a candle to the proud history of Bolton Wanderers.
Founder members and first goal scorers in the Football League, four-time FA Cup winners, they have been around as long as a ball has been kicked professionally in this country.
Yes, the glory days were a while back now, and who knows if they will ever return? Until they do, we live in hope for the fleeting moments of success, like last season’s promotion.
Each and every great name who has pulled on a Bolton shirt in the last 140 years has added a stitch to the fabric of what makes Wanderers great, and that is why folk still turn up week-in, week-out, to watch the team play and still sing the names of John McGinlay, Sam Allardyce and Kevin Davies. They belong to something bigger, which has stood the test of time, through bad times and good.
Right now, Phil Parkinson’s modern-day team is in a tight spot. The manager needs no reminder his side have not scored in 12-and-a-half hours, nor that they have failed to win in their opening 11 games. Nevertheless, they are facts.
Saturday’s defeat against Aston Villa confirmed the club’s worst start to a season for 115 years, the reporting of which has stirred chairman Ken Anderson into making a Benjamin Disraeli-esque address on the official website.
“I don't know if you are like myself, but l find it very uninteresting when the media constantly harp on about historical match statistics, which in my opinion are irrelevant, other than they are a fact of history, but actually have no relevance of what is or isn't going to happen on the pitch,” he complained.
“The manager's and my message to the players and staff is to ignore the negativity and focus on the job ahead, as that's all that matters – not statistics.”
Some fans have interpreted the chairman’s words as a diversionary tactic, classic diversion. The blog – regularly the most read article on the site – is no stranger to confrontation, either.
But whether Anderson finds statistics interesting or not, they are a staple part of reporting on a football team’s fortunes. Indeed, that same official website logged details of the winless run and goalscoring drought in their match previews this last few weeks.
Last season Parkinson used some of the statistics supplied by this newspaper in his own pre-match team meetings, in particular the game with local rivals Bury at Gigg Lane.
Of course, the fact Bolton had not won at the home of the Shakers for 87 years had no real bearing on the actualities of the match itself. Used in the right context, however, it gave a grain more motivation to the players who went out and secured three points.
In an ideal world, Parkinson and his players would block out any semblance of negativity in this international break and focus on what was an encouraging performance against Aston Villa. If positive reinforcement does the trick, then Anderson’s columns should be made required reading at the Macron. His belief the tide will turn has been repeated time and time again.
Outside the stadium walls, supporters – the whole town – is desperate to see a change in results. When that goal drought does end, a huge burden will be lifted. A first win will be celebrated even more so.
The chairman quite rightly praised the attitude of supporters who stayed behind to cheer players off the pitch at Villa Park. But make no mistake about it, their love is for the club – not just the protagonists.
Fans have their favourites through the ages but ultimately players, managers and chairmen are just bit-part actors in the overall production.
So when historical context is used to illustrate how well, or badly a club is doing it is not a personal attack on those involved. It is an acknowledgement that we are all part of a grander scheme here.
Not so long ago, decision-makers at Bolton Wanderers tried to bury the history books rather than embrace them. It would be a crying shame if the same were to happen again.
Through good times and bad, The Bolton (Evening) News has been there to log every game, every trophy raised and every tear shed for every single year this grand old football club has been in existence, and we’ll continue to do so.
And when that goal or first win does arrive, we’ll be the first to write about it too.
Source
Founder members and first goal scorers in the Football League, four-time FA Cup winners, they have been around as long as a ball has been kicked professionally in this country.
Yes, the glory days were a while back now, and who knows if they will ever return? Until they do, we live in hope for the fleeting moments of success, like last season’s promotion.
Each and every great name who has pulled on a Bolton shirt in the last 140 years has added a stitch to the fabric of what makes Wanderers great, and that is why folk still turn up week-in, week-out, to watch the team play and still sing the names of John McGinlay, Sam Allardyce and Kevin Davies. They belong to something bigger, which has stood the test of time, through bad times and good.
Right now, Phil Parkinson’s modern-day team is in a tight spot. The manager needs no reminder his side have not scored in 12-and-a-half hours, nor that they have failed to win in their opening 11 games. Nevertheless, they are facts.
Saturday’s defeat against Aston Villa confirmed the club’s worst start to a season for 115 years, the reporting of which has stirred chairman Ken Anderson into making a Benjamin Disraeli-esque address on the official website.
“I don't know if you are like myself, but l find it very uninteresting when the media constantly harp on about historical match statistics, which in my opinion are irrelevant, other than they are a fact of history, but actually have no relevance of what is or isn't going to happen on the pitch,” he complained.
“The manager's and my message to the players and staff is to ignore the negativity and focus on the job ahead, as that's all that matters – not statistics.”
Some fans have interpreted the chairman’s words as a diversionary tactic, classic diversion. The blog – regularly the most read article on the site – is no stranger to confrontation, either.
But whether Anderson finds statistics interesting or not, they are a staple part of reporting on a football team’s fortunes. Indeed, that same official website logged details of the winless run and goalscoring drought in their match previews this last few weeks.
Last season Parkinson used some of the statistics supplied by this newspaper in his own pre-match team meetings, in particular the game with local rivals Bury at Gigg Lane.
Of course, the fact Bolton had not won at the home of the Shakers for 87 years had no real bearing on the actualities of the match itself. Used in the right context, however, it gave a grain more motivation to the players who went out and secured three points.
In an ideal world, Parkinson and his players would block out any semblance of negativity in this international break and focus on what was an encouraging performance against Aston Villa. If positive reinforcement does the trick, then Anderson’s columns should be made required reading at the Macron. His belief the tide will turn has been repeated time and time again.
Outside the stadium walls, supporters – the whole town – is desperate to see a change in results. When that goal drought does end, a huge burden will be lifted. A first win will be celebrated even more so.
The chairman quite rightly praised the attitude of supporters who stayed behind to cheer players off the pitch at Villa Park. But make no mistake about it, their love is for the club – not just the protagonists.
Fans have their favourites through the ages but ultimately players, managers and chairmen are just bit-part actors in the overall production.
So when historical context is used to illustrate how well, or badly a club is doing it is not a personal attack on those involved. It is an acknowledgement that we are all part of a grander scheme here.
Not so long ago, decision-makers at Bolton Wanderers tried to bury the history books rather than embrace them. It would be a crying shame if the same were to happen again.
Through good times and bad, The Bolton (Evening) News has been there to log every game, every trophy raised and every tear shed for every single year this grand old football club has been in existence, and we’ll continue to do so.
And when that goal or first win does arrive, we’ll be the first to write about it too.
Source
