Best Ever XI

[89bwfc89]

To flip the other thread on it's head (and hopefully this hasnt been done already, at least not for a while!), what would be your best ever Bolton team, starting with the manager and in whatever formation you please!

[TANGODANCER]

Due to Nat being demised and of so long ago I'll omit him (although he'd make any Wanderers side ever)

I'd still take Eddie Hoplinson as best keeper ever , so, possibly:
Hopkinson
Hartle
Bergsson
N'Gotty
Laville
Speed
Campo
Hierro
Okocha
Djorkayeff
Worthington

[Turkish Trotter]

Manager Ian Greaves

[Lord Kangana]

In my lifetime, at their very peak, and to be frank leaving out a few favourites because they weren't good enough at the vey highest level.....

4-3-3

Jussi
Bruno
Faye
Ben Haim
Candella
Campo
Holden
Okocha
Djorkaeff
Gudjohnson
Ricketts


We'd smash 'em.

[Harry Genshaw]

Branagan

N'Gotty Jones Bergsson Gardner
McAteer Djorkaeff Okocha Thompson A (tad too young to fully appreciate P)
Worthington Anelka

Manager - Rioch

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Jussi
Borrows Bergsson Cahill Gardner
Reid Hierro
Djorkaeff Okocha Holden
Anelka

Subs: A Walker, Worthington,Campo,A Thompson,NGotty

Rioch overseeing a form of total football unsurpassed in the history of the English game.

[hi there, i'm chris]

Bob Taylor.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Bob Taylor.

David Cross

[Bruce Rioja]

Bob Taylor.

David Cross

Steve Elliot.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Bob Taylor.

David Cross

Steve Elliot.

Wayne Entwistle

I Win! you cant trump a wayne entwistle

[bobo the clown]

................Brannigan

Candella, Paul Jones, N'Gotty, Bergsson
...................Heirro

Peter Thompson, Reid, Djorkaev

Worthy, Anelka

[BWFC_Insane]

Its very dependent upon your definition of "best". Best when they played for us, or best taking their career and overall ability into account?

Best impact at Bolton, or best ability, or best remembered?

If its impact and ability, then I'm too young to recall Hopkinson, but I don't see how any keeper other than Jussi can go in there. Played for us consistently for 10 years at the top level and for the majority of that period was an automatic pick, no questions, queries or quibbles?

Can understand the "soft spot" feeling for Brannagan, so I think thats where best needs defining.....

[boltonboris]

So it needs to be:

Your favourite XI.

The XI of highest general abilty over their careers.

And.

Best XI in terms of ability just in a Bolton shirt..

[bobo the clown]

Well, if going for their best ever period it's Shilton, of course.

Oh, I forgot Frannie Lee, fck.


Jussi, excellent, but I can't get over his fckg awful distribution ... consistently, over 10 years. Plus the bi-annual drama's of will-he, won't he which aren't relevant to his capability but still diminished him to me.

[bobo the clown]

......... Shilton

Tony Dunne, Bergsson, Hierro, Candella

..................Campo

Peter Thompson, Reid, Djorkaev

.............Jardell, Anelka

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Phil Neal got more gongs than most... mind you, Sammy Lee's probably in need of some Brasso an' all...

[89bwfc89]

Sorry I meant best as in most fondly remembered/favourite XI you would like to see play together but feel free to use which ever definition of best you choose

[TANGODANCER]

Well, if going for their best ever period it's Shilton, of course.

Oh, I forgot Frannie Lee, fck..

Oh aye, and diddy Gordon Taylor on the wing, and Freddie Hill, Warwick Rimmer, John Byrom and Wyn Davies. You could go on forever..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Oh, I forgot Frannie Lee, fck..

Oh aye, and diddy Gordon Taylor on the wing, and Freddie Hill, Warwick Rimmer, John Byrom and Wyn Davies. You could go on forever..

If only they could.

[William the White]

A year ago 4-4-2 asked me to come up with the answer to this question...

I've no idea if they used it or it was spiked but... I said...


Perfect BWFC

Hopkinson



Hartle Seddon Bergsson Banks



Lee Okocha Djorkaeff Thompson



Lofthouse Jack


Eddie Hopkinson holds the club’s record for appearances (519), won 14 caps for England and stood tall at 5 foot 9 inches when wearing thick socks. Agile, daring, brave he kept goal for more than fifteen years.

Roy Hartle at right back undoubtedly featured in the nightmares of first division wingers. As fierce as they come, these days he’d serve his first suspension before the end of September.

Jimmy Seddon went from contracting trench foot in World War One to captaining the Wanderers in the 1929 FA Cup victory. A hero in every sense.

Gudni Bergsson – the Iceman - made his Wanderers debut in a Wembley final – the 1995 2-1 defeat by Liverpool in the League Cup. He spent nine years with the club, calm, assured, a born captain, for club and country.

Tommy Banks was an outstanding left back famed for the twenty yard sliding tackle through the Burnden mud that deposited the winger in the gravel below the elevated pitch. Bobby Charlton says he still shudders even driving through Bolton. Six caps for England, the 1958 cup winners medal and the 1958 world cup finals topped a fine career.

The only Trotter to build a successful career in toilet rolls, Franny Lee made his debut at the age of sixteen against Manchester City. He scored a goal and was booked. A record he kept up throughout his five years at Burnden – 106 goals and almost as many booking.

Jay Jay Okocha on song was a sheer joy to watch. There were times when it felt a privilege simply to be allowed to watch him. Blessed with phenomenal skill on the ball, capable of twisting the guts out of opposition defenders, Big Sam especially liked to use him for long throws.

Youri Djorkaeff won a World cup winners medal, helped keep Bolton in the Premier League and to a Cardiff League Cup final and did it with grace, vision and a goal every three games.

Bill Shankly didn’t make many mistakes as a manager but one, surely, was allowing the transfer of Peter Thompson, who he thought was too injury prone. ‘TOMO’ had five seasons making the touchline his own to the rowdy delight of the Burnden Paddock.

David Jack scored the first goal at Wembley in 1923 against West Ham and the winner in 1926 when the Wanderers satisfyingly disposed of much-loved neighbours, Manchester City. He scored 165 others before Arsenal broke all records, paying out £10,340 for his transfer.

Nat Lofthouse was the greatest footballer ever to play for Bolton and one of the finest forwards ever to play for England, for whom he scored 30 goals in 33 appearances. On the day of his funeral thousands lined the streets of Bolton to pay their final respects – there was applause, there were tears, there was pride and profound sadness. He scored 285 goals for Bolton Wanderers, including nine hat tricks, and he did it for £15 a week.

Sam Allardyce will manage this team. Champions League is a near-certainty, as is a regular double over Newton Heath. And we’ll have the chance to see more long throws from Okocha.