Where do we go from here?

[BWFC_Insane]

We're pretty much playing an elaborate game of russian roulette with the other 30 or so 'top' English clubs, which is to try and stave off financial oblivion long enough and hope football starts to scale back down before we go out of business.

In the meantime, it is a bit shit serving to just exist in the Premier League. If it wasn't for the Cup run this season, I don't think I'd be chalking this up as a particularly memorable season despite the fact we've about peaked as a club. It's better than the alternatives though - we've done being a yo-yo team and just existing in a lower league would drive me towards suicide. Willing the club to implode so we can do a Wimbledon and climb back up has some merit on the novelty front, but it's still a fair way back to the league (and chances Wimbledon will level out soon too and spend x amount of seasons finishing 13th in League Two).

I'm surprised by that. On the contrary I can bring to mind more memorable moments this season than I can for the last few years put together; from Blake's free kick against Birmingham, to the moment Petrov's shot went in against United, the wins over Spurs and Newcastle, Holden's goal against Blackburn, the win away at Wolves, the equaliser against Blackpool and of course the Quarter Final - and who knows what else to come in the final two months.

I've loved it this season actually!

For quality of football it's been very good, good performances and two of the greatest goals we've ever scored (Mark Davies and Elmander). It depends what you're looking for though, I personally think the Sammy Lee/Megson season is the most exciting domestic season since when we first reached Europe.

Really?

I sort of take your point not on that though.

I still think the most exciting season we've had in the last 15 years was the "stay up on the last day against Boro". Certainly the run in that season, was just exceptional. Both ourselves and West Ham went on top 4 form and it was a real shoot out. Horrible at the time but I don't think there has been a season to match that for me in terms of living every second thinking about the table, other teams results and then the nailbiting conclusion.

You've also got to factor in that we're all getting older have seen Bolton achieve so much over the last 20 years and probably things aren't quite as "glossy".

If we were all 16 year olds I imagine the Birmingham quarter final may well have gone down as the best "BWFC" game we'd experienced. It still ranks pretty highly with me now but I suppose should we lose to Stoke it will be forgotten fairly quickly in the grand scheme of things.

[Cheese]

The words are coming out all weird. Where are you now, when I need you?

[Owen_Coyle]

Excellent article Tango.

As for "where do we go", then I think we all accept that short of an Arab sheik getting interested in us or the sudden influx of 50,000 extra regular supporters, then staying in the PL will always be our chief aim; and the aim of all but 4 (ish) of the teams in the PL to be honest. If we can finish above half-way, perhaps nick a Euro place or do well in the Cups then that is a fantastic season for us.

The PL is absolutely everything, and with our debts, I don't want to even contemplate the fate of the Club if we were outside it.

We are blessed with a fantastically-enthusiastic manager, with refreshing ideas, who is slowly turning round our fortunes. But, of course, the better he does, the more attention the "haves" (as opposed to the "have nots") will be paying him.

Life is on the up at the moment. Long may it continue; with Owen at the helm !!

[Tombwfc]

We're pretty much playing an elaborate game of russian roulette with the other 30 or so 'top' English clubs, which is to try and stave off financial oblivion long enough and hope football starts to scale back down before we go out of business.

In the meantime, it is a bit shit serving to just exist in the Premier League. If it wasn't for the Cup run this season, I don't think I'd be chalking this up as a particularly memorable season despite the fact we've about peaked as a club. It's better than the alternatives though - we've done being a yo-yo team and just existing in a lower league would drive me towards suicide. Willing the club to implode so we can do a Wimbledon and climb back up has some merit on the novelty front, but it's still a fair way back to the league (and chances Wimbledon will level out soon too and spend x amount of seasons finishing 13th in League Two).

I'm surprised by that. On the contrary I can bring to mind more memorable moments this season than I can for the last few years put together; from Blake's free kick against Birmingham, to the moment Petrov's shot went in against United, the wins over Spurs and Newcastle, Holden's goal against Blackburn, the win away at Wolves, the equaliser against Blackpool and of course the Quarter Final - and who knows what else to come in the final two months.

I've loved it this season actually!

For quality of football it's been very good, good performances and two of the greatest goals we've ever scored (Mark Davies and Elmander). It depends what you're looking for though, I personally think the Sammy Lee/Megson season is the most exciting domestic season since when we first reached Europe.

Really?

I sort of take your point not on that though.

I still think the most exciting season we've had in the last 15 years was the "stay up on the last day against Boro". Certainly the run in that season, was just exceptional. Both ourselves and West Ham went on top 4 form and it was a real shoot out. Horrible at the time but I don't think there has been a season to match that for me in terms of living every second thinking about the table, other teams results and then the nailbiting conclusion.

You've also got to factor in that we're all getting older have seen Bolton achieve so much over the last 20 years and probably things aren't quite as "glossy".

If we were all 16 year olds I imagine the Birmingham quarter final may well have gone down as the best "BWFC" game we'd experienced. It still ranks pretty highly with me now but I suppose should we lose to Stoke it will be forgotten fairly quickly in the grand scheme of things.

I'd count the Birmingham game as one of the best BWFC games I've ever experienced anyway. I don't think it will be diminished if we lose to Stoke, and if we beat Stoke not even losing 10-0 to United in the final would take away from us getting there.

We're drifting away from topic here, which is unfair to Tango's article, but I'd say (domestically) the first three seasons back up were the best for entertainment, followed by the Lee/Megson, then the one where we finished 5th (which, while our peak, still seems a missed opportunity looking back, the away game at Anfield in particular), then probably this current season. All great, but that's probably how I'd rank them.

Say what you like about the quality of the side in that season (it was shit), but the consequence of that was that any time we managed to win a game it felt like an event, celebrate it now because it might be three months until we win another. It was exciting, especially the free travel aided great escape run of games at the end (which yielded well over a quarter of our total points, and turned around a five point gap). That's before you even get on to the off the field drama and the European run, and that it was the year the club sold arguably it's most talented ever attacker (for a record fee), and signed arguably it's most talented ever defender.

[TANGODANCER]

I forgot to add in Nakata in the list of good players who've worn our shirt. I always felt, if he hadn't retired, he could have brought a lot to us in time.

[Lord Kangana]

I've tried to wipe the Lee/Megson season from my mind. Awful in every way.

[Prufrock]

We're pretty much playing an elaborate game of russian roulette with the other 30 or so 'top' English clubs, which is to try and stave off financial oblivion long enough and hope football starts to scale back down before we go out of business.

In the meantime, it is a bit shit serving to just exist in the Premier League. If it wasn't for the Cup run this season, I don't think I'd be chalking this up as a particularly memorable season despite the fact we've about peaked as a club. It's better than the alternatives though - we've done being a yo-yo team and just existing in a lower league would drive me towards suicide. Willing the club to implode so we can do a Wimbledon and climb back up has some merit on the novelty front, but it's still a fair way back to the league (and chances Wimbledon will level out soon too and spend x amount of seasons finishing 13th in League Two).

I'm surprised by that. On the contrary I can bring to mind more memorable moments this season than I can for the last few years put together; from Blake's free kick against Birmingham, to the moment Petrov's shot went in against United, the wins over Spurs and Newcastle, Holden's goal against Blackburn, the win away at Wolves, the equaliser against Blackpool and of course the Quarter Final - and who knows what else to come in the final two months.

I've loved it this season actually!

For quality of football it's been very good, good performances and two of the greatest goals we've ever scored (Mark Davies and Elmander). It depends what you're looking for though, I personally think the Sammy Lee/Megson season is the most exciting domestic season since when we first reached Europe.

Really?

I sort of take your point not on that though.

I still think the most exciting season we've had in the last 15 years was the "stay up on the last day against Boro". Certainly the run in that season, was just exceptional. Both ourselves and West Ham went on top 4 form and it was a real shoot out. Horrible at the time but I don't think there has been a season to match that for me in terms of living every second thinking about the table, other teams results and then the nailbiting conclusion.

You've also got to factor in that we're all getting older have seen Bolton achieve so much over the last 20 years and probably things aren't quite as "glossy".

If we were all 16 year olds I imagine the Birmingham quarter final may well have gone down as the best "BWFC" game we'd experienced. It still ranks pretty highly with me now but I suppose should we lose to Stoke it will be forgotten fairly quickly in the grand scheme of things.

I'd count the Birmingham game as one of the best BWFC games I've ever experienced anyway. I don't think it will be diminished if we lose to Stoke, and if we beat Stoke not even losing 10-0 to United in the final would take away from us getting there.

We're drifting away from topic here, which is unfair to Tango's article, but I'd say (domestically) the first three seasons back up were the best for entertainment, followed by the Lee/Megson, then the one where we finished 5th (which, while our peak, still seems a missed opportunity looking back, the away game at Anfield in particular), then probably this current season. All great, but that's probably how I'd rank them.

Say what you like about the quality of the side in that season (it was shit), but the consequence of that was that any time we managed to win a game it felt like an event, celebrate it now because it might be three months until we win another. It was exciting, especially the free travel aided great escape run of games at the end (which yielded well over a quarter of our total points, and turned around a five point gap). That's before you even get on to the off the field drama and the European run, and that it was the year the club sold arguably it's most talented ever attacker (for a record fee), and signed arguably it's most talented ever defender.

Obviously, and understandably, Tom has been confused into thinking we finished fifth that season, because we finished just behind Liverpool, on goal difference, and they played in the Champions League the season after. I can't remember why.

I like the arguments for all of them. Least exciting must be the Megson full season, followed by last season. I think that may have made this season 'feel better'. I don't think we can judge it yet though. If we go on to beat Stoke, and then do the 2-0 in the final for Nat, no Stu, then this would take the plaudits. Otherwise, for me, I agree with BWFCI, the stay up on the last day was awesome. We felt unbeatable, despite being right down there. There was a two team gun sling out, both on Champs League form. We were the plucky northern team, enjoying our last few weeks of media affection, they were the media darlings who couldn't possibly go down, not now Sir Trev was back anyway. And Jay Jay. Oh Jay Jay. He was, for those two or three months, and I genuinely mean this, the best player on the planet.

The Lee/Megson season, the last few weeks were amazing, the rest truly shit. I've never felt so low footballing wise as that Villa game. Europe was good too, until Lisbon. It's hard to put a Megson season up there coz 'excitement' never felt right, even when it was exciting.

[TANGODANCER]

We're drifting away from topic here, which is unfair to Tango's article, .

Not at all Tom. All are views based on facts, memories and reasons to be cheerful 1,2 and 3 etc. What's going to happen will, no doubt, but which way the frog jumps is anybody's guess.

[Bruce Rioja]

I forgot to add in Nakata in the list of good players who've worn our shirt. I always felt, if he hadn't retired, he could have brought a lot to us in time.

Tosh. He was too slow, both in thought and in movement. He was great when we were playing West Brom and other doomed types, but was a mile of the pace when called upon beyond that.

[Hoboh]

We're pretty much playing an elaborate game of russian roulette with the other 30 or so 'top' English clubs, which is to try and stave off financial oblivion long enough and hope football starts to scale back down before we go out of business.

In the meantime, it is a bit shit serving to just exist in the Premier League. If it wasn't for the Cup run this season, I don't think I'd be chalking this up as a particularly memorable season despite the fact we've about peaked as a club. It's better than the alternatives though - we've done being a yo-yo team and just existing in a lower league would drive me towards suicide. Willing the club to implode so we can do a Wimbledon and climb back up has some merit on the novelty front, but it's still a fair way back to the league (and chances Wimbledon will level out soon too and spend x amount of seasons finishing 13th in League Two).

I'm surprised by that. On the contrary I can bring to mind more memorable moments this season than I can for the last few years put together; from Blake's free kick against Birmingham, to the moment Petrov's shot went in against United, the wins over Spurs and Newcastle, Holden's goal against Blackburn, the win away at Wolves, the equaliser against Blackpool and of course the Quarter Final - and who knows what else to come in the final two months.

I've loved it this season actually!

For quality of football it's been very good, good performances and two of the greatest goals we've ever scored (Mark Davies and Elmander). It depends what you're looking for though, I personally think the Sammy Lee/Megson season is the most exciting domestic season since when we first reached Europe.

You been drinking with Sir Nut Tom? That season was a scare you ******** season!

[Tombwfc]

You don't think that season was exciting? You don't have to have liked it, but it was undoubtedly exciting.

[Lord Kangana]

Do you go for picnics near major traffic blackspots by any chance?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I totally agree that the 2002/03 staying up season was the most exciting season in our recent history. That season alone got me to buy a season ticket for the every subsequent season until this one, and meant that 400 mile round trips every two weeks became the norm. Knowing that if we stayed up we could go on to great things, and then seeing that come to fruition over the next 4 seasons was fantastic. Jay Jay will hold uber-legend status forever for me.

One thing I have always wanted to know about that season: How did Brett Ormerod miss that chance in the penultimate game at Southampton? I have never seen it on video anywhere, and I just remember been at the opposite end, seeing Ormerod virtually on the goal line with an open goal, turning away in despair, hearing a roar from the home crowd which quicky dissipated and then seeing that the game was going on and the scoreboard still read 0-0. If there was ever a prize for the most nerve-wracking game, with the most nerve-ridden performance I've seen from a group of players, then that Southampton game would win for me.

[officer_dibble]

I watched that 0-0 in a little pub in Newcastle somewhere....happy days....!!