The good old days!

With a lot of Bolton fans feeling a little down at the moment some of the Bolton Nuts members wrote about their memories of Bolton in the good old days.

Michael Bolton: My first game is WBA 2-3 Bolton in September 1998. It was Ricardo Gardner's debut, he scored coming off the bench. Bergson got sent off in the game and I think Blake and Gunnlaugson put us 2-0 up early on before Kevin Kilbane inspired WBA back to 2-2 before Gardner scored a breakaway goal. I remember being out on a sesh in Durham that day, it was a fantastic happy day, and the Bolton team at the time looked bloody brilliant. We had Blake, Gunnlaugson, Gudjohnson, Frandsen, Jensen, Gardner, Johansen, Sellars, etc. Jesus that team would absolutely wipe the floor with the current one.

Natasha Whittam: So many to choose from but one of my favourites will always be coming back to draw 2-2 at Burnley with 9 men after Nicky Spooner had his leg broken.  There was passion on and off the pitch in those days.

Hipster_Nebula: My favourite game was first leg of the playoffs semis in 99 against Ipswich Michael Johansen scored a cracker, atmosphere was incredible.  After we lost in the final I remember ripping up a poster of Neil Cox in a rage. 

Doffcocker: I can't believe how tedious it's become watching Bolton.  I knew the glory days under Allardyce weren't gonna last forever but the last seven or so years have been torture. We were so highly respected under Allardyce, and now we're just pitiful from top to bottom. Crap chairman, crap manager, mysterious owner, constant negativity from the stands and in the dressing room.  I can't remember the last time I was completely thrilled by a Bolton match like I was that day at Ewood Park in 03/04.  Just beating Blackburn felt good enough in them days. To come back from 3-1 down.  I've never celebrated a goal like that one by Stelios or Nolan. I know they both scored, can't remember which was the winner.

Breadman: Team spirit and belief (Google 'em, Dougie, you might learn something) get you a long way.
Back during the "White Hot" years, I used to go to Burnden or Anfield or Goodison or Highbury and honestly believe that we were in with a great chance of winning the game.  When we were on our game back then, we were honestly a match for anybody and I would have backed us against Brazil or a FIFA Allstars XI - Honestly, I'm not joking. That was how it felt.  And we were in the third division back then, don't forget.  I feel sorry for younger fans who've never experienced that feeling. It was a very, very special time to be a Bolton fan.

Norpig: The cup game at Highbury is my favourite game.  I only got a ticket on the morning of the game from a mate so it was all a bit last minute.  The game had everything!  Andy Walker came back from his long injury and scored the third.  The Zico had a perfectly good free kick disallowed which would have made it 4-1, happy days indeed! 

Wanderlust: There was a Division 2 game against Southampton in November 1974 that we won 3 - 2 and I remember it because I was down from Scotland (where I was a student at the time) with a bunch of mates celebrating my birthday and I was slaughtered well before we got into the Lever End.  They'd beaten us in the cup earlier in the season and had an amazing forward line which included Mick Channon, Bobby Stokes and Peter Osgood so I remember going mad when we turned them over.  Can't even remember who scored for us but I do remember arguing with someone in the New Zealand Chief, puking in Yates's and then snogging this bird who seemed to relish the vomit washed down with Cape Red.  Happy days!