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Wanderers have been sent to Wembley with a simple message from manager Ian Evatt: “Go and give it your best shot!”
Looking to lift their first knockout silverware since 1989 in front of the biggest gathering of Bolton fans since the seventies, victory in the Papa Johns Trophy final against Plymouth Argyle is only half of what the ambitious boss wants to achieve this season.
The Whites also plan to be back under the arch in May for the play-off final, where a shot at Championship football will be up for grabs.
Less than four years since the club nearly went out of existence, their appearance at Wembley is viewed as symbolic of the revival under Football Ventures, and Evatt himself.
“Three years into my tenure with a Wembley cup final and in the top six of League One with eight games to go is something to be proud of,” the manager said. “We've come a long, long way in a short space of time.
“This club is rich in history. It's had some brilliant moments and some pretty dark ones as well. It's just great to come out of the dark side and be the first team to have a chance to play at Wembley Stadium again.
“The connection that we’ve made with the fans. The respect that they have for us now. They’re proud of seeing their team play football again, and that’s what we wanted to create when I first came here.
“Nobody will remember it if we lose, but I'm sure everyone will if we win, so we're going to go there and give it our best shot and hopefully bring the cup home.”
Sunday’s showpiece falls just a few weeks before the 100th anniversary of the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, then known as the Empire Stadium.
Bolton beat West Ham United in front of a crowd which far exceeded the 150,000 it had catered for on the day, with some estimates claiming it nearly reached double that number.
The Papa Johns Trophy final is expected to be watched by 75,000 inside the stadium and many more on TV worldwide, and though the competition still has its critics, Evatt feels the backing his club has been given by the people of the town points the way to a bright future ahead.
“I think at times it's been undervalued,” he said of the Papa Johns Trophy. “And there was obviously a bit of controversy in there as well with the younger teams being allowed in.
“Any chance you get to play a cup final at Wembley, you should try to grab with both hands.
“We've seen with the ticket sales to this game, the amount of interest there is in this game, it shows you what this tournament can mean to teams and to people.
“Our fanbase has kind of been a slow burner with it. Early on, we had some very small crowds and eventually, as we've got rolling in the competition, the interest has increased.
“And you saw the scenes in the semi-final and now to sell 34,000 at Wembley is incredible. More than an FA Cup semi-final, which is great credit to the connection that we’ve built with the fanbase and the town again.”
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