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Sharon Brittan has labelled Ian Evatt “one of the game’s brightest managerial talents” following Wanderers’ Papa Johns Trophy final win against Plymouth.
Kyle Dempsey, Dion Charles, Elias Kachunga and Gethin Jones were all on target in front of around 34,000 Bolton fans at Wembley.
Brittan is proud to continue the club’s history in cup competitions and says the occasion will live with her and her family “forever”.
In a message to supporters on the club’s website, she said: “To share in the exhilaration every single Bolton Wanderers supporter felt at full time yesterday at Wembley Stadium and in the moments afterwards will live with me and my family forever.
“There is nobody I am more pleased for than our staff and our supporters, who travelled en masse, not only from Bolton but from across the country and even from overseas. Football invokes emotions like no other and yesterday we all experienced joy that will never be forgotten and talked about for decades to come.
“Individually, everybody has their own journey and has joined us at different stages but now, collectively, we are all travelling in the same direction together.
“You have all been a key part of this and we wouldn’t have sailed to the heights of yesterday without each and everyone of you. A lot of sacrifices are made in your support of the club, not least with the associated costs and the time spent travelling, and we are all grateful for that commitment.
“In Ian Evatt we have got one of the game’s brightest managerial talents, and the staff and the players he has assembled share his passion and drive to take Bolton Wanderers forward with each passing day.”
It was a special occasion for Wanderers fans after everything they have been through over the past few years.
“This club has a proud history and a strong tradition in cup football as well as being a founder member of the Football League,” Brittan added.
“It was almost written in the stars for us to win a trophy at Wembley 100 years since that famous White Horse Cup Final of 1923, but Ian and the team had to work hard in every single round of the competition to achieve this proud moment. And that they did! It was a result and performance that will never be forgotten but we should also pay our respects to Plymouth Argyle and their travelling supporters who helped to make it a terrific atmosphere.
“With a crowd of almost 80,000 packed into the stadium, it was the highest-attended football fixture across Europe. What a strong advertisement it was for the pyramid of English football.
“That two teams from the third tier of English football can attract that level of interest really underlines the importance of football outside the Premier League.
“This season is coming to an end but we are hungry for more days like yesterday, and I know Ian and the players will be fully focussed on a return visit to Wembley next month in the play-offs.
“Of course, there remains a lot of hard work on and off the pitch to be undertaken over the coming days and weeks, but with the support of the Bolton Family every step of the way nothing is impossible.
“Thank you once again for your tremendous support and I look forward to seeing you back at the University of Bolton Stadium.”
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