Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers (The Trotters, The Wanderers)

Club history

Bolton Wanderers began life in 1874 and went on to make history in 1923, when they won the first ever game to be played at Wembley, the FA Cup final, beating West Ham 2-0. The Trotters won the competition another three times before the '50s were out, but then had a mix of fortunes during the four decades that followed.

In 1993, the club hit the headlines after knocking Liverpool out of the same competition at Anfield. During the '90s they dipped in and out of the Premier League, and moved to their current ground, the Reebok Stadium, in 1997 after over 100 years at Burnden Park.

In 2004, under former manager Sam Allardyce, The Trotters enjoyed their best finish in 40 years after ending the Premier League in eighth position. A year later Bolton played in Europe for the first time in their history after qualifying for the UEFA Cup, and then reached the last 16 of the competition the following season.

In December 2009, Gary Megson was sacked following a poor run of form and replaced by current boss Owen Coyle who guided the side to a fourteenth place finish, which meant they remained in the Premier League for a tenth successive season.