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Ian Evatt doesn’t need a packed-out UniBol to know the supporters are behind his players’ promotion push… He just needs to knock next door!
Even though the Bolton boss has yet to take charge of a game in front of his own club’s supporters, he has been amazed to find where the Whites faithful pop up.
Several Wanderers fans gathered outside the stadium at Salford on Tuesday night to sing songs despite not being able to see a shred of the action – and there were similar pockets who appeared on nearby hills in the recent game at Forest Green.
The scale of the club’s support continues to impress Evatt, who revealed he had another chance meeting this week.
“I live in Chesterfield, obviously, and when I got back yesterday (Monday) I decided with the wife and family to take the dog out for a walk,” he told The Bolton News. “There is a little micro pub on my estate and I thought we’d stop off for a drink.
“Someone stopped me asked me for a picture, and I thought it was a Chesterfield fan.
“The next minute the picture is on Bolton’s social media – as in ‘I’m having a pint with the manager’ and I couldn’t believe it. Bolton fans are just everywhere.
“I even live next door to one. It is amazing. When I got the job, I got a knock on my door saying I am a Bolton fan and have been all my life.
“It is just a huge club with great support and hopefully by the time they get back in the stadium we will all have something to cheer about.”
It is more than 400 days since Bolton Wanderers last played in front of their own supporters, in a 2-2 draw at Burton. A week earlier they had hosted another 0-0 draw against Accrington Stanley.
The long-distance relationship in lockdown and during the pandemic restrictions has been a difficult one at times but Evatt believes his team now has the backing of the town as they look for one final push for automatic promotion.
“I could hear them singing (at Salford) and the players know they’re behind us,” he said. “We can feel it. This club has really come together in the last few months on and off the pitch.
“We are connecting with the community again, connecting with our support and our fanbase and that’s great for us, it is great to see and we can’t wait for them to be back in the stadium.”
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Even though the Bolton boss has yet to take charge of a game in front of his own club’s supporters, he has been amazed to find where the Whites faithful pop up.
Several Wanderers fans gathered outside the stadium at Salford on Tuesday night to sing songs despite not being able to see a shred of the action – and there were similar pockets who appeared on nearby hills in the recent game at Forest Green.
The scale of the club’s support continues to impress Evatt, who revealed he had another chance meeting this week.
“I live in Chesterfield, obviously, and when I got back yesterday (Monday) I decided with the wife and family to take the dog out for a walk,” he told The Bolton News. “There is a little micro pub on my estate and I thought we’d stop off for a drink.
“Someone stopped me asked me for a picture, and I thought it was a Chesterfield fan.
“The next minute the picture is on Bolton’s social media – as in ‘I’m having a pint with the manager’ and I couldn’t believe it. Bolton fans are just everywhere.
“I even live next door to one. It is amazing. When I got the job, I got a knock on my door saying I am a Bolton fan and have been all my life.
“It is just a huge club with great support and hopefully by the time they get back in the stadium we will all have something to cheer about.”
It is more than 400 days since Bolton Wanderers last played in front of their own supporters, in a 2-2 draw at Burton. A week earlier they had hosted another 0-0 draw against Accrington Stanley.
The long-distance relationship in lockdown and during the pandemic restrictions has been a difficult one at times but Evatt believes his team now has the backing of the town as they look for one final push for automatic promotion.
“I could hear them singing (at Salford) and the players know they’re behind us,” he said. “We can feel it. This club has really come together in the last few months on and off the pitch.
“We are connecting with the community again, connecting with our support and our fanbase and that’s great for us, it is great to see and we can’t wait for them to be back in the stadium.”
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