Is Zat Knight Half as bad as is perceived on here?

[Loyal White]

I think all of our centre-backs would look much better if there was anything resembling a midfield in front of them to provide a little protection.

[boltonboris]

The game against Everton, which season was it? Last season? He lunges into a tackle, goes down injured, lucky not to be sent off imho. Out for games/weeks/months. If it had been in the area it should have been a penalty, I think it was outside. I don't see all the positional stuff a lot of you see but that incident was bad enough.

I'm not anti-Knight, he could be a decent back-up in the championship, hopefully after Wheater, Ream and Mills. No idea if Mills is any good but I've liked Wheater and Ream so far.

Actually, the challenge you use as a stick to beat Knight with was a fantastic tackle. He made up yards on the attacker before throwing himself into it, getting the ball perfectly cleanly, but it was the angle at which his knee had to be to make the tackle which injured him. Perfectly clean tackle, IIRC, just unfortunate that he got injured.

FYI, I'd have Wheater/Mills and Ream as our CB partnership, only throwing Knight in if absolutely necessary. But credit where it's due, huh?

That tackle was from his own diabolically bad first touch which bounced off him like he had a trampoline on his boots. He recovered well though.

[Holden midfielder]

I am not sayin Ream or Mills are soft just that they are "cultured" CBs who would probably be more comfortable in La Liga then some of those boggy pitches on cold windy days where the physical side of the game is maximized. Both very good CBs just very similar and don't really compliment each other well. If Knight would throw himself around a bit and use his size to his advantage he would pair up with either one very well.

Not bashing Ream or Mills just saying their class could actually be an issue, especially late December to March away from home.

[Bruce Rioja]

I am not sayin Ream or Mills are soft just that they are "cultured" CBs who would probably be more comfortable in La Liga then some of those boggy pitches on cold windy days where the physical side of the game is maximized. Both very good CBs just very similar and don't really compliment each other well. If Knight would throw himself around a bit and use his size to his advantage he would pair up with either one very well.

Not bashing Ream or Mills just saying their class could actually be an issue, especially late December to March away from home.

Boggy pitches? Have we moved to Newhouse Farm? Will our away games be on council owned pitches? And our relegation invokes disadvantageous climate change too? I wish you'd mentioned this earlier - I'd have put my replica shirt money towards the cost of a big coat and some wellies! I see that Swansea got promoted by out-muscling their opponents, maximising the physical side of the game there. And the very last thing I'd be asking Zat Knight (or indeed any other central defender) to do would be to "throw himself around a bit".

We're going into the Championship, not the 1900's!

[Bruno3]

I am not sayin Ream or Mills are soft just that they are "cultured" CBs who would probably be more comfortable in La Liga then some of those boggy pitches on cold windy days where the physical side of the game is maximized. Both very good CBs just very similar and don't really compliment each other well. If Knight would throw himself around a bit and use his size to his advantage he would pair up with either one very well.

Not bashing Ream or Mills just saying their class could actually be an issue, especially late December to March away from home.

Boggy pitches? Have we moved to Newhouse Farm? Will our away games be on council owned pitches? And our relegation invokes disadvantageous climate change too? I wish you'd mentioned this earlier - I'd have put my replica shirt money towards the cost of a big coat and some wellies! I see that Swansea got promoted by out-muscling their opponents, maximising the physical side of the game there. And the very last thing I'd be asking Zat Knight (or indeed any other central defender) to do would be to "throw himself around a bit".

We're going into the Championship, not the 1900's!

Now that brings back memories - is it still being used?

[Bruce Rioja]

Now that brings back memories - is it still being used?

I assume so, fella.

Taken on Newhouse Farm, Bolton. Don't think I ever go to play on 'em in as good a nick as this;

[Bruno3]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

[Bruce Rioja]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

It's the only one I could find, but it has left me assuming that it was taken no longer than two minutes in to the first game of the season.

[TANGODANCER]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

Ah, you're thinking of Spa Road end of Queens Park.

[Bruno3]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

Ah, you're thinking of Spa Road end of Queens Park.

Played many times on Newhouse farm and a snorkel was essential. Only played once on Spa Road as a primary school lad and spent several happy ours pulling gravel out of my knees

[Bruce Rioja]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

Ah, you're thinking of Spa Road end of Queens Park.

To be honest, Tango, I can't think of any of Bolton's parks pitched that Bruno3's description doesn't fit.

[CAPSLOCK]

I took my junior team up to Barlow Park (of all places)

Expected a bog, but it was like playing on a bowling green

In fact, I'm told it was a bowling green in a previous life


I was at Elton Fold on Friday night - now that's a pitch

Shows what can be achieved

[TANGODANCER]

Can't be Newhouse farm - it's flat, got grass on it and isn't three quarters covered in water!!

Ah, you're thinking of Spa Road end of Queens Park.

To be honest, Tango, I can't think of any of Bolton's parks pitched that Bruno3's description doesn't fit.

Correct. Moss Bank, Queens Park, Hulton Lane, Hall-ith-wood etc etc, all rubbish. Our home ground, Shepherd Cross Street was a bit better than most. Once played on Spa Road in a snowstorm. Nobody could see each other and we were already doing walk-on-water impersonations, so we all walked off. Ref came into the caddyshack and bollocked us all. He got told we wanted to play football and if we wanted an endurance test we'd have just joined the fxcking S.A.S.

[Bruce Rioja]

Both times I tore my ankle ligaments were as a result of playing on Bolton pitches. As such, I used to avoid playing for anyone that played on them. Done a lot of pre-season on Barlow Park, Caps. They're great until they start getting hammered, then it's same old, same old......

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Many a league game on Longy Park over the years, from boy to man.

Would be stretching it call them pitches, thats for sure !

[Bruno3]

Anyone know if Timber bottom is still pretending to have football pitches? Played there once with a 12foot wide strip of mud across the full width of the pitch just outside the penalty box. Couldn't get the bastard ball across it when attacking that end in the first half. Half time score 0-0. Full time 13-0 to us (Breightmet Labour Club).

[Andy Waller]

Now that brings back memories - is it still being used?

I assume so, fella.

Taken on Newhouse Farm, Bolton. Don't think I ever go to play on 'em in as good a nick as this;

Definately Newhouse Farm, someone has robbed the goals.

[Bruce Rioja]

Did anyone ever have the misfortune of playing on that one at the back of Queen's Drive in Bromley Cross before they leveled it? I played on it once as a kid. I swear, if you stood at the bottom corner flag the one diagonally opposite was a good 30 feet higher. Not only that but it had a massive banking down one side towards Eagley Brook and because of the shape of the pitch the ball would naturally gravitate in this direction. The rule was whoever it came off had to go and mug it!

[Bruce Rioja]

Anyone know if Timber bottom is still pretending to have football pitches? Played there once with a 12foot wide strip of mud across the full width of the pitch just outside the penalty box. Couldn't get the bastard ball across it when attacking that end in the first half. Half time score 0-0. Full time 13-0 to us (Breightmet Labour Club).

Still there, still as bad. I walk through that way to get to my mate's to the accompanying cries of "Ooooooouuuuuuuut, oooooooouuuuuuut, for 4uck's sake, ooooooooouuuuuut!!!!!!!!", "Come on lads, we're better than this" and "Oh 4uck off, Ref".

Somethings never change

[Bruno3]

Anyone know if Timber bottom is still pretending to have football pitches? Played there once with a 12foot wide strip of mud across the full width of the pitch just outside the penalty box. Couldn't get the bastard ball across it when attacking that end in the first half. Half time score 0-0. Full time 13-0 to us (Breightmet Labour Club).

Still there, still as bad. I walk through that way to get to my mate's to the accompanying cries of "Ooooooouuuuuuuut, oooooooouuuuuuut, for 4uck's sake, ooooooooouuuuuut!!!!!!!!", "Come on lads, we're better than this" and "Oh 4uck off, Ref".

Somethings never change

The frightening thing is that it's about forty years since the events described above and it's as fresh in the mind as if it was yesterday.