Bolton Wanderers

Lore & Background

The club started as Christ Church FC in 1874 and became Bolton Wanderers three years later in 1877. It was among the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888. The club won the Second Division title in the 1908–09 season and claimed the FA Cup on four occasions, winning in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1958. Their 1923 triumph came in the first FA Cup final held at Wembley Stadium, a match later known as the 'White Horse Final'. Bolton were relegated from the top division in 1964 and again in 1971, but returned after winning the Third Division title in 1972–73 and the Second Division title in 1977–78. However, a series of subsequent relegations saw the club fall to the Fourth Division by 1987. They secured promotion from the Fourth Division in 1987–88 and won the Football League Trophy in 1989, having previously finished as runners-up in the competition in 1986. Promotions in the 1992–93 and 1994–95 seasons saw Bolton Wanderers reach the Premier League for the first time. The club won the First Division title in 1996–97, although they were unable to retain their top-flight status for more than a single season until gaining promotion under Sam Allardyce through victory in the 2001 First Division play-off final. Bolton subsequently spent eleven consecutive seasons in the Premier League and reached the 2004 League Cup final, as well as the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup on two occasions. Two relegations within five seasons saw the club return to League One by 2016. Bolton achieved promotion in the 2016–17 season, but severe financial difficulties led to the club entering administration in 2019 after relegation back to the third tier had been confirmed. Amid the possibility of expulsion from the English Football League, the club was acquired by new ownership. Following relegation to League Two in 2020, Bolton secured promotion in the 2020–21 season and won the EFL Trophy, for the second time, during the 2022–23 campaign. Bolton secured promotion in the 2025-26 season via the play-offs. From 1895 until 1997, Bolton Wanderers played their home matches at Burnden Park after relocating from their original ground at Pike's Lane. In 1997, the club moved to the Reebok Stadium, which has since undergone several naming changes and is currently known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Bolton have spent 73 seasons in the top tier of English football without winning a le

In Their Own Story

The source contains no narrative or anecdotal information about any specific match or moment between Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers. It only provides factual data about Bolton's 2004–05 season, including their final league position, transfer activity, and the fact that they used 26 players during the campaign. No fog, floodlights, or on-field confrontations are described.

Reader's Guide

The club was founded by the Reverend Joseph Farrall Wright, Perpetual curate of Christ Church Bolton, and Thomas Ogden, the schoolmaster at the adjacent church school, in 1874 as Christ Church F.C. It was initially run from the church of the same name on Deane Road, Bolton, on the site where the Innovation factory of the University of Bolton now stands. The club left the location following a dispute with the vicar, and changed its name to Bolton Wanderers in 1877. The name was chosen as the club initially had a lot of difficulty finding a permanent ground to play on, having used three venues in its first four years of existence. Bolton were one of the 12 founder members of the Football League, which formed in 1888. At the time Lancashire was one of the strongest footballing regions in the country, with 6 of the 12 founder clubs coming from within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire. Having remained in the Football League since its formation, Bolton have spent more time in the top flight (Premier League/old First Division) than out of it. In 1894 Bolton reached the final of the FA Cup for the first time, but lost 4–1 to Notts County at Goodison Park. A decade later they were runners-up a second time, losing 1–0 to local rivals Manchester City at Crystal Palace on 23 April 1904. The period before and after the First World War was Bolton's most consistent period of top-flight success as measured by league finishes, with the club finishing outside the top 8 of the First Division on only two occasions between 1911–12 and 1927–28. In this period Bolton equalled their record finish of third twice, in 1920–21 and 1924–25, on the latter occasion missing out on the title by just 3 points (in an era of 2 points for a win). On 28 April 1923, Bolton won their first major trophy in their third final, beating West Ham United 2–0 in the first ever Wembley FA Cup final. The match, famously known as The White Horse final was played in front of over 127,000 supporters. Bolton's centre-forward, David Jack scored the first ever goal at Wembley Stadium. Driven by long-term players Joe Smith in attack, Ted Vizard and Billy Butler on the wings, and Jimmy Seddon in defence, they became the most successful cup side of the twenties, winning three times. Their second victory of the decade came in 1926, beating Manchester City 1–0 in front of over 91,000 spectators, and

Did You Know?

• Bolton Wanderers were among the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888.
• The club's 1923 FA Cup final win is known as the 'White Horse Final'.
• Bolton have spent 73 seasons in the top tier without winning a league title, the highest total of any club.
• The club's home ground, the Toughsheet Community Stadium, was originally known as the Reebok Stadium.