The Quentin X File: What's In A Number - 3

Yes, the number three position, normally reserved for your first choice left back. Normally left footed, as befits the position, and a player of no shortage of skill and defensive ability. Unless, of course, it's Paul Robinson.

The quintessential Bolton left back is Tommy Banks, still going strong at 87 years old. A man so hard that he survived in a freezing bog while walking his dog for five hours last year. The bog was treated in hospital for six days and Tommy sent it a get well soon card. What a guy.

1995-1996 - Jimmy Phillips

It's strange to think of Jimmy playing for any other team, so synonymous is he with Bolton Wanderers but, and imagine this, he also played for Glasgow Rangers, Oxford United and Middlesbrough in between his two spells at Bolton where he racked up over 400 appearances. After retirement following our third promotion, he has remained with the club and has been caretaker manager twice, where his win percentage is 15%. Not a good return, some would say. But it wasn't especially his fault. It was Gartside's.

1999-2003 - Mike Whitlow

Of course, Whitlow was more of a central defender. I can't image him causing many problems to the opposing right back with his marauding runs down the wing. Of course, Big Sam didn't use him for that part of his game, not that he had it anyway. What he did use him for was set pieces, causing problems in the opposition area, giving us a name as a long ball team. That sort of thing. Released in 2003, he played out his career at lesser clubs like Sheffield United. Is now Under 21 manager at Mansfield Town.

2003-2004 - Simon Charlton

The inaugural winner of the Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year award in 2002, Mrs X Snr's favourite ever Bolton Wanderers player only spent one season in the left back number, but what a season. Well, alright, it had the League Cup Final defeat to Middlesbrough and Zenden's two footed penalty, but it also had Bolton's, at the time, highest Premier League position, only three points off Europe. And this was in no small part down to Charlton's performances in the position. Who can forget him matching Terry Henry stride for stride as the Arsenal player bore down on goal? And, ironically, their post football careers have been matched, as both now work in the media. Henry for Sky and the Beeb, Simon for BBC Manchester. I know who I'd prefer to listen to.

2004-2005 - Julio César

Of course, Bolton then released Charlton and he ended up at Norwich. His replacement was César. In a nutshell, seven appearances, one goal, broken foot, dropped for Jaidi, part of the Stevens enquiry, Craig Allardyce, left after a year.

2007-2011 - J'LLoyd Samuel

Such was the disappointment in César, Bolton effectively semi retired the number three shirt for two seasons before the arrival of Samuel. The first of Sammy Lee's two hundred and sixty eight signings, he became one of the few to retain a place when his replacement, the Sheffield gardener, arrived. He managed to keep this place until the end of 2009 but the arrival of Owen Coyle effectively ended his time at the Reebok. He spent some time on loan at Cardiff before being released in 2011 and pottered around Iran, if you can potter around Iran, for a four seasons before ending his career.

2011-2013 - Marcos Alonso

Yes, I'm surprised as well. Only two seasons in the left back number. Nothing about what Alonso did at Bolton could have prepared anyone for the £23million that Chelsea splurged on him last summer, especially as that gave Fiorentina a.........£23million profit after Alonso signed him on a free transfer from us. The only people who were probably more shocked than us were the Sunderland fans, where he spent half a season on loan in 2014. It says a lot that, despite his success at Chelsea, and it is a success for the time being, he hasn't yet been called up by Spain. Oh, and that car crash he was involved in in 2011 that killed a young woman when he was speeding and over the limit? The Spanish law gears move very slowly and it was only early last year when he was fined 61,000Euros and given a forty month driving ban, which he'd already served.

2014 - Alan Hutton

Spent three months on loan from Aston Villa. Returned to Villa. Still plays there.

2014 onwards - Dean Moxey

Funnily, I'm friends with someone on Facebook who is a mutual friend of Dean Moxey, or Deano as he is known there. Seems like a nice guy. Which is a good job. As it doesn't look like he's getting back into the starting eleven any time soon.

So then, there you have number three. Next time, in numerical order, comes number four. And Paul Robinson.