11 Great (and Not So Great) Seasons - Pick your finest hour

[50sQuiff]

I was just looking - ruefully - at the league table this morning when I noticed Chelsea finished 6th. Then I thought "bloody hell" (or something along those lines), we actually finished 6th in the Premier League! The same position as a club that have spent over £650m on transfers and £1.2 BILLION on wages since Abramovich took over. Absolutely incredible when you think about it.

Of course it's not been all sweetness and light. We plumbed some fairly low depths in the latter Allardyce years and less said about Megson, Lee and Coyle the better. But there were some incredible moments and matches in the last 11 seasons, so let's reflect on our more glorious days in the Prem.

My first pick is so obvious I once wrote a whole article about it for this fanzine. Jay Jay vs West Ham had it all. The do-or-die nature of the fixture, the media darlings in West Ham, electric atmosphere on a stunning summer day. And a virtuoso performance from the man himself, capped by one of the finest and most important goals ever scored at the Reebok. I'll never forget Okocha running from his own half and lashing that in.

Second one was so surreal I can still barely believe I was there. That said, the pitchers of pilsner I'd been drinking with Athers and MWCIEC beforehand may have had something to do with it. But did Kevin Davies really equalise against Bayern Munich? We we there, we really did it. The people who have just joined the forum to bash us know that the only European tour they'll be going on involves drowning in their own vomit in a Faliraki gutter.

What say you? What will you always remember about the last 11 seasons?

[Gary the Enfield]

I was just looking - ruefully - at the league table this morning when I noticed Chelsea finished 6th. Then I thought "bloody hell" (or something along those lines), we actually finished 6th in the Premier League! The same position as a club that have spent over £650m on transfers and £1.2 BILLION on wages since Abramovich took over. Absolutely incredible when you think about it.

Of course it's not been all sweetness and light. We plumbed some fairly low depths in the latter Allardyce years and less said about Megson, Lee and Coyle the better. But there were some incredible moments and matches in the last 11 seasons, so let's reflect on our more glorious days in the Prem.

My first pick is so obvious I once wrote a whole article about it for this fanzine. Jay Jay vs West Ham had it all. The do-or-die nature of the fixture, the media darlings in West Ham, electric atmosphere on a stunning summer day. And a virtuoso performance from the man himself, capped by one of the finest and most important goals ever scored at the Reebok. I'll never forget Okocha running from his own half and lashing that in.

Second one was so surreal I can still barely believe I was there. That said, the pitchers of pilsner I'd been drinking with Athers and MWCIEC beforehand may have had something to do with it. But did Kevin Davies really equalise against Bayern Munich? We we there, we really did it. The people who have just joined the forum to bash us know that the only European tour they'll be going on involves drowning in their own vomit in a Faliraki gutter.

What say you? What will you always remember about the last 11 seasons?

Munich

Madrid

Guimaraes

Three trips in Europe and never beaten.

[ratbert]

This is a good opportunity to say that the best of your memories will be corralled onto the front page for a retrospective article. Most memorable moments - even if not the greatest ones!

[Little Green Man]

Perhaps the funniest rather than the finest.

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

There where so many under Sam. So, so, many. I'll forever thank the bloke for the joy he gave us...

It somewhat hurts then to say my standout is a moment under Coyle(not against Coyle, just that it doesn't fall under Sam);
Chungy at Brum last year to get us to Wembley. The feeling of getting TO Wembley was overpowering at the time. Ignore what came next but the win at Brum sticks out for me so much. The sheer delerium in that away end that day. hugging complete strangers...

[Dr.Karl]

The 2002/2003 season as a whole was exceptional. Scintillating football with some incredible players. Happy times in my personal life too. Just made for a memorable year.

Was a real privilege to watch the likes of Jay Jay, Youri, Campo and err Pedersen. Excluding the West Ham game a couple of games no has mentioned were the home draw against Arsenal and win against Tottenham in that season. For drama I don't think you could beat a last minute penalty that Okocha coolly side footed home from a straight run up after Gary Doherty fouled Youri .

The early years of Sam would be my defining time as a Bolton supporting. I remember the jubilation of the Rioch era but didn't see many games as I was fairly young at the time. For me to see us in Europe and have those consistent top eight finishes and realistically fight for 4th one year was remarkable looking back on it. We played some decent stuff in that time too, his departure and his final season soured things a little but overall it was a memorable ride.

I must say I loved our cup run last year having been to all the fixtures bar one. Lee's winner was the highlight of last season without any shadow of a doubt.

I wish I had seen some the away European games just don't envisage that opportunity coming around again.

[James B]

pretty much all i can think of was under allardyce.

the 1-0 at old trafford (wasn't at the 2-1) probably wins it. not league related but the 5-2 win infront of a half empty reebok in the semi final against villa also a good'un.

[Leyther_Matt]

Frandsen's goal against Middlesbrough to keep us up.

Okocha vs West Ham.

The away leg at Villa in the Carling Cup to finish the job after an unreal first leg.

Top of the league after beating Liverpool 2-1 three games in in our first year back (and all the worse that I missed the Leicester 5-0, Boro 1-0 and the Liverpool game as I was on holiday in Majorca!)

Didn't make any of the Euro away games but went to every home game - beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 was one hell of an achievement.

[50sQuiff]

There where so many under Sam. So, so, many. I'll forever thank the bloke for the joy he gave us...

It somewhat hurts then to say my standout is a moment under Coyle(not against Coyle, just that it doesn't fall under Sam);
Chungy at Brum last year to get us to Wembley. The feeling of getting TO Wembley was overpowering at the time. Ignore what came next but the win at Brum sticks out for me so much. The sheer delerium in that away end that day. hugging complete strangers...

Yep, Birmingham away was the best game of the Coyle era. Incredible atmosphere in the away end and madness when LCY scored. I thought our name was on the cup.

[Notakalou]

Frandsen's goal against Middlesbrough to keep us up.

Okocha vs West Ham.

The away leg at Villa in the Carling Cup to finish the job after an unreal first leg.

Top of the league after beating Liverpool 2-1 three games in in our first year back (and all the worse that I missed the Leicester 5-0, Boro 1-0 and the Liverpool game as I was on holiday in Majorca!)

Didn't make any of the Euro away games but went to every home game - beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 was one hell of an achievement.

Atletico Madrid, amazing atmosphere, when Diouf scored that had to be one of the biggest cheers at the Reebok ever.

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

all of the above
but i'll add an unusual one p'rhaps. Bobic's first half hat-trick against Ipswich to turn that season around- probably coz it was the first game i took my eldest lad to

[Leyther_Matt]

all of the above
but i'll add an unusual one p'rhaps. Bobic's first half hat-trick against Ipswich to turn that season around- probably coz it was the first game i took my eldest lad to

Mentioned that last night to a gloating Ipswich fan on Twitter. Fred Bobbins. Those were the days.

[Verbal]

Can't really claim to be as regular a game-attender as I used to be having been in exile in the South West and South East for the past six years. ST holder before that as a yoof, and was too young to really remember or care excessively about anything pre-Sam.

Frandsen's goal against Middlesborough and Jay-Jay's finish against West Ham are two obvious ones.

Under Coyle, the 3-2 win away at Wolves was fantastic. For an hour we made the game just look so easy, and when Holden popped the third in I thought we were going to run riot. Of course, we conceded two to make it a nervy last few minutes.

Didn't make it to any of the European games. Can only imagine what the atmosphere was like. When Davies equalised...good god, I think I was the only Bolton fan in the pub and I just ran around screaming.


For being there compare to that q/f match in Birmingham though. Elation at Elmander's goal and Davies' cool as you like pen. Despair at Philips' (astounding) equaliser. And then...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU1VLsAyNsw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bigdaz]

Watching Jay Jay was something i never thought i would live to see as a Bolton Fan , my first live game being Bolton Blackpool in the rain at Burnden Park in the Leyland daff Northern final , semi final whatever it was , players like David Reeves ( who i loved at the time ) replaced by players like Anelka. My fav moment though was watching us beat Liverpool I think it was our first year in the prem under Sam , one of the first games of the season , we scored and an old chap next to me fell off his seat laughing, at the time no one could believe what was happening

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

Oooooohhhhhh what i'd give to live the Sam years again...

a thread like this is meant to help. its making me worse

[perthwhite]

the entire length of time between my first game as a six year old ( 3 all with barnsley in 1999 i believe), til yesterday has produced some brilliant memories, beating united twice in two seasons, munich, madrid, the carling cup final, FA cup quarter final vs brum, signing top quality players like hierro, anelka, okocha, djorkaeff and campos hair, but what sticks out for me is all the ups and downs we've had, despite having all the shite in the world recently im still proud to call myself a bolton fan, wouldnt change any of the last 11 or so years for anything.

[m_taylor]

I have loads but Stuart Holden Goal vs Blackburn was brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KLTrjr60Ew" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CYL vs Brum in the 1/4 to get to Wembley up there.

and my favorite away day against Everton when SKD, Speed and Stelios all scored in a 4-0 win.

Going to miss the premership

[50sQuiff]

The moment I've always regretted missing was Michael Ricketts' winner at the Theatre. That must've been a real high point and years of humiliation exorcised. Oh to have been in the away end on that day. What on earth happened to Ricketts? He had it all and then promptly lost everything.

[BWFC_Insane]

The moment I've always regretted missing was Michael Ricketts' winner at the Theatre. That must've been a real high point and years of humiliation exorcised. Oh to have been in the away end on that day. What on earth happened to Ricketts? He had it all and then promptly lost everything.

I was there that day, it was absolutely amazing. Just the sheer shock of it. Nobody expected it. One of (if not the) Ngotty's first games IIRC.

Fantastic day even being pelted with glass objects and bottles by Man Utd fans on leaving the stadium!!!

[Verbal]

The moment I've always regretted missing was Michael Ricketts' winner at the Theatre. That must've been a real high point and years of humiliation exorcised. Oh to have been in the away end on that day. What on earth happened to Ricketts? He had it all and then promptly lost everything.

Still maintain he's the best finisher I've seen at the club. Any one-on-one and I knew he wouldn't miss. He never did.

All that talent thrown away for a trip to the Smog. Shame.