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After Saturday’s vital win at Fleetwood and Tuesday’s thrashing of Gillingham, let’s take a look back at some of Wanderers’ best away wins in recent years.
Number 10
Red Star Belgrade 0-1 Bolton Wanderers
7th December 2007
Back in December 2007, after the years of actually being pretty good, Wanderers were getting used to life without big Sam and his smaller namesake, little Sam. Despite hovering around the relegation zone in the Premier League, Wanderers did manage to qualify for the last 32 of the Uefa Cup by becoming the first British club to beat Red Star Belgrade at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, despite manager Gary Megson making seven changes from the weekend before. After three consecutive draws in the group against Bayern Munich, Braga and Aris, a Gavin McCann goal, mixed with brilliant performances for Andranik and Al Habsi saw Bolton clinch three points in Serbia and sent the whites through to face Atlético Madrid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECbf7QENg4I (Serbian commentary)
Red Star Belgrade: Randjelovic, Bronowicki (Andjelkovic 80), Tutoric, Bajalica, Basta, Milijas (Burzanovic 73), Koroman, Lucas, Molina, Milovanovic, Jestrovic (Filip Djordjevic 64). Subs Not Used: Banovic, Vladimir Djordjevic, Raskovic, Castillo.
Bolton: Al Habsi, Hunt, Meite, Michalik, Samuel, Giannakopoulos, Speed, Teymourian, Wilhelmsson, McCann, Braaten (Sinclair 87). Subs Not Used: Walker, Guthrie, Harsanyi, Cassidy, Sissons, Woolfe
Number 9
QPR 0-4 Bolton Wanderers
13th August 2011
Sunny August 2011, Owen Coyle’s second full season in charge of Bolton started with the challenge of newly promoted QPR. Summer signings Chris Eagles and Nigel Reo-Coker started whilst Darren Pratley came off the bench to make his Bolton debut. Gary Cahill put Wanderers one up going into half time with possibly the best goal he ever scored for us. An own goal from Daniel Gabbidon as well as goals from Ivan Klasnic and Fabrice Muamba gave Bolton the three points and left Wanderers fans feeling hugely optimistic about the season ahead. How wrong we were…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWSSe5xlZ94 (American Commentary)
QPR: Kenny, Hill, Hall, Gabbidon, Derry, Taarabt (Buzsaky 72), Dyer (Orr 7), Faurlin, Campbell, Bothroyd, Smith (Helguson 72).Subs not used: Murphy, Connolly, Ephraim, Agyemang.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Robinson, Cahill, Knight, Muamba, Eagles (Mark Davies 81), Petrov, Reo-Coker (Pratley 83), Kevin Davies, Klasnic (Blake 86) Subs not used: Bogdan, Alonso, Wheater, Gardner
Number 8
AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
13th August 2016
I’m not sure if this should be ranked number 8 but with the emotion of it still fresh in my memory, it was a bloody memorable away win. After an incredible 495 days, a relegation, an embarrassing end to Eddie Davies’ ownership of the club, 4 I’m a celebs’, 16 Britain’s got talents and 600 X Factors’ Wanderers had won away! It seemed like an all too familiar story as an offside Andy Barsham finished off a well worked attack at Kingsmeadow Stadium. But then we saw something from Wanderers that we hadn’t seen for 574 days in England. A gutsy away fight back, in which Bolton took their chances through Madine and Trotter and held on for the three points. I felt like the dark grey clouds that had been lingering over the club for so long had finally parted that day and we could get on with being a normal football club again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LoAxQljR-k
AFC Wimbledon: Clarke; Fuller, Charles, Robinson, Kelly; Parrett, Bulman, Reeves; Barcham; Taylor, Elliott
Bolton: Howard, Buxton, Moxey, Beevers, Vela, Spearing, Proctor, Madine, Davies, Trotter, Wheater
Number 7
Aston Villa 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
24th April 2012
Months after the impressive 0-4 win at QPR, Wanderers season had gone horribly wrong, finding themselves 19th in the Premier league, six points from 17th placed Aston Villa, with a game in hand. Less than a month after Fabrice Muamba had suffered a cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane, Bolton went 1-0 down an hour into the game when Charles N’Zogbia made mincemeat of Sam Ricketts down our left side and Stephen Warnock diverted his cross past Bogdan. The game looked lost, our hopes of escaping relegation shattered. But just as I wiped the tears from my eyes, Mark Davies was rolling around in the Villa box with Carlos Cuellar looking guiltier than OJ Simpson. The penalty was given and г-н Надежден (Mr reliable in Bulgarian) Martin Petrov stepped up to equalise for Bolton, after conceding less than a minute before. Incredibly straight after kick off we were back in the Villa box as Steinsson played it inside to Chris Eagles, who skipped past a challenge and squared it to David N’God to slam into a half empty goal. Wanderers had completed the comeback just two minutes after going behind and our great escape was back in full force. Bolton held on to go 18th over Blackburn and three points from safety with a game in hand. But obviously Birmingham happened and Stoke happened and I can’t really be arsed going into it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC286R0g6vQ
Villa: Given; Hutton, Cuellar, Baker, Lichaj; Albrighton (Bannan, 77), Herd (Delfouneso, 88), Warnock, N'Zogbia; Weimann, Heskey (Agbonlahor, 71). Unused subs: Guzan, Clark, Gardner, Carruthers.
Bolton: Bogdan; Steinsson, Wheater, Ream, Ricketts; Miyaichi (K Davies, HT), Reo-Coker, M Davies, Eagles (Alonso, 86), Petrov; Ngog (Klasnic, 72). Unused subs: Jaaskelainen, Knight, Sordell, Vela.
Number 6
Leicester City 0-5 Bolton Wanderers
18th August 2001
Sam Allardyce’s newly promoted Bolton were being tipped by many for relegation before this game, but they blew the Foxes away in the sun at Filbert Street. Per Frandsen ran the show that day, and he was the orchestrator for the first goal, beating the full back and putting an inch perfect cross on the slide for Nolan to loop over Tim Flowers. Michael Ricketts smashed Wanderers into a two goal lead before 19 year old Nolan got his second, volleying Bergsson’s flick on from a Frandsen free kick. The lethal Frandsen then turned scorer from another free kick on the edge of the box to send Bolton into half time 0-4 up. Just the one goal in the second half, and as Per usual it was Frandsen with another free kick to put Wanderers top of the Premiership after the first game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoGrOIfHWxE
Leicester: Flowers, Sinclair, Rowett, Elliott, Davidson, Impey, Savage, Wise, Izzet, Sturridge, Akinbiyi. Subs: Royce, Gunnlaugsson, Benjamin, Lewis, Marshall.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Barness, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Nolan, Warhurst, Frandsen, Gardner, Hansen, Ricketts. Subs: Banks, Pedersen, Holdsworth, Marshall, Southall.
Number 5
Liverpool 2-3 Bolton
3rd December 2003
Wanderers knocked holders Liverpool out of the Carling Cup and would eventually go on to the final after thrilling semi-final legs against Aston Villa. Bolton took the lead at Anfield when Brazilian prodigy Mario Jardel powered in a Youri Djorkaeff corner with just four minutes on the clock. Wanderers managed to keep the one goal lead up until 70 minutes, when BBC’s most annoying pundit ever, Danny Murphy was free to head past Kevin Poole at the back post from a Salif Diao cross. Bolton re-took the lead through a world class 30 yard free kick from captain Jay Jay Okocha which left Dudek stood stranded in the middle of his goal in disbelief that the Nigerian had just scored. Liverpool didn’t give up and were rewarded five minutes before full time as Kevin Poole’s little arms couldn’t reach a curling Smicer effort. But it was Bolton who were to go through and did so from the spot after Daio tripped Davies in the Liverpool box deep into added time. Up stepped Youri to a chorus of scouse whining noises and put the penalty away off the inside of the post to send Bolton through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jVZFxUGHsE (This must have been filmed on a loaf of bread)
Liverpool: Dudek, Otsemobor, Biscan, Traore, Riise, Diouf, Diao, Murphy, Smicer, Heskey, Le Tallec. Subs: Kirkland, Kewell, Gerrard, Sinama Pongolle, Cheyrou.
Bolton: Poole, Barness, N'Gotty, Thome, Gardner, Djorkaeff, Campo, Okocha, Ba, Pedersen, Jardel. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Charlton, Nolan, Frandsen, Davies.
Number 4
Manchester United 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
20th October 2001
Big Sam was given the perfect birthday present when Bolton came from behind to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. The whites went behind to an amazing Juan Sebastian Veron free kick from 30 yards out. But before half time Bolton had equalised through the current Notts County manager Kevin Nolan, as he volleyed pasted Barthez from the edge of the box following a knock down from Michael Ricketts. Jussi Jaaskelainen pulled off an incredible double save to deny Paul Scholes and Andy Cole to keep the game level at half time. Wes Brown’s hesitation late on allowed Ricketts one on one with Barthez and the man who would go on to be an England international smashed it over the keeper into the roof of the net.
(I can’t find the highlights to this game or Premiership years 01/02 anywhere)
Man Utd: Barthez, Phil Neville, May, Brown, Silvestre, Solskjaer, Scholes, Veron, Butt, Yorke, Cole. Subs: Carroll, Gary Neville, Giggs, Chadwick, Stewart.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, N'Gotty, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Hansen, Nolan, Warhurst, Frandsen, Gardner, Ricketts. Subs: Banks, Holdsworth, Wallace, Barness, Johnson.
Number 3
Bayern Munich 2-2 Bolton Wanderers
8th November 2007
I know this wasn’t an away win but I couldn’t leave it out, could I? Gary Megson took his second string to the Allianz ArenA to face German giants Bayern Munich in the group stage of the Uefa Cup. With the club sitting 19th in the Premier League, Megson had left behind key players like Anelka and Diouf, clearly prioritising Premier League safety over European success. But little did he know however much he tried he couldn’t get away from European success that night. Ricardo Gardner gave Wanderers a dream start seven minutes in with a right footed volley that bounced over Kahn and went in off the post, his first goal in five years. But the German table toppers got back level after a lovely move involving Ribery and Schweinsteiger was finished off lethally by Lukas Podolski. Ribery continued to threaten and provided Podolski with a tap in to put Bayern in front three minutes into the second half. Bayern Munich failed to kill the game off despite creating some good chances and lived to regret doing so when Nolan flicked a long Andranik throw past two defenders which afforded Kevin Davies space and time to score his first ever European goal and send Bolton on course for a famous draw in Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoMFNzO1ADg
Bayern Munich: Kahn, Jansen, Lucio, Van Buyten, Lell, Ribery (Kroos 60), Ottl, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger (Altintop 73), Podolski (Toni 57), Klose. Subs Not Used: Rensing, Ze Roberto, Schlaudraff, Sosa.
Bolton: Al Habsi, Andrew O'Brien, Cid, Michalik, Gardner, Alonso (Giannakopoulos 56), Nolan, Guthrie, McCann, Braaten (Teymourian 77), Davies. Subs Not Used: Walker, Speed, Harsanyi, Sinclair, Sissons.
Number 2
Birmingham City 2-3 Bolton Wanderers
12th March 2011
Owen Coyle’s whites started the season brightly, only losing 2 of their 15 opening games in the Premier League and playing attractive attacking football in the process. But attention turned to the oldest cup competition in football, the FA Cup, after Wanderers and more specifically Ivan Klasnic had managed to beat both Wigan and Fulham 0-1 with Klasnic scoring in both games. St Andrews’ away end was filled to the brim with 5000+ Bolton supporters for this quarter final and the atmosphere really epitomised the magic of the FA Cup. Bolton took the lead through record signing Johan Elmander who blasted past Ben Foster after Klasnic had shown a bit of classnic with a lovely back heel to send the Swede through. Cameron Jerome equalised for the Blues before half time. Super Kevin Davies forced his namesake Curtis into fouling him in the box and the skipper made no mistake from the spot to put Wanderers back in the lead. Jussi made a world class save to deny Phillips, but couldn’t do anything about his looping effort minutes later to equalise for the second time for Birmingham. The tie was far from over and Bolton found themselves with a free kick 30 yards from goal. No other than David Wheater was lining up a Roberto Carlos esque strike, could our 6’5 centre half plaster himself into FA Cup history by scoring a screamer to send us to Wembley? Obviously not no, but his pea roller was cleared to Paul Robinson who lifted the ball back into the area towards super Kev who nodded across goal to an unmarked Lee Chung-Yong for the little South Korean god to put past Foster and send the away end into ecstasy, and Wanderers through to the semi-final at the new Wembley. I still go mad watching the highlights of that last goal, I highly recommend skipping to 5:00 on the second video, brilliant footage of the whole stand just erupting. Bolton went on to face Stoke City in the semi-final but who cares about that lets not go into it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L0kF19qETM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9epnHeZ7GU (skip to 5:00 for celebration to Chungy’s winner)
Birmingham City: Foster, Jiranek, Davies, Larsson, Parnaby, Murphy, Beausejour, Ferguson, Mutch, Jerome, Phillips Subs: Doyle, Ozturk, Gardner, Ridgewell, Redmond, Derbyshire
Bolton: Jääskeläinen, Robinson, Steinsson, Cahill, Wheater, Holden, Muamba, Davies, Elmander, Klasnic, Petrov Subs: Bogdán, Alonso, Taylor, M Davies, Chung-Yong, Blake, Rodrigo
Number 1
Blackburn 3-4 Bolton Wanderers
10th January 2004
8 year old me was absolutely buzzing when my Dad took me to my first away game watching Bolton against Blackburn Rovers, and how could I not be totally hooked after this game? Kevin Nolan scored the Premier League’s fastest goal 14 seconds in at Ewood Park to give Bolton an early lead. But the score was level only a minute later as Gresko strolled beyond Hunt and finished past Jussi from the edge of the box. The strike partnership of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke caused Bolton problems, with the latter putting Rovers in front. A rare mistake from Bruno N’gotty allowed Cole to loop the ball over Jaaskelainen and put Blackburn 3-1 up. World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff then scored a sublime lofted goal to get Bolton back into the game before half time. It was another European winger who got Bolton back on level terms as Stelios Giannakopoulos volleyed Djokaeff’s flick past Friedel to equalise for the whites against our bitter rivals Blackburn Rovers. The magical right foot of Djorkaeff was involved again as he swung in a corner ten minutes from time which bounced off N’gotty and fell into the path of academy graduate Nolan, who sent the Wanderers fans into raptures with his left footed strike. What a game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFvbCTj6LZs
Blackburn: Friedel, Neill (Jansen 83), Babbel, Martin Taylor, Gresko, Emerton, Tugay, Douglas (Danns 74), Yorke, Cole, Gallagher (Baggio 64).
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, N'Gotty, Thome, Charlton (Javi Moreno 69), Nolan, Campo, Frandsen (Giannakopoulos 31), Djorkaeff, Okocha, Davies (Pedersen)
I’m sure people out there will be able to name some more memorable away victories that occurred before my time so make sure to tell us your favourites in the comments below.