Bolton Wanderers

Bolton have established themselves as a respected Premier League club since rejoining the top flight in 2001. The Trotters made their Premier League bow in 1995 but were relegated after just one season when they finished bottom.

They returned to football's elite a year later after winning the Division One title, but went down again - this time on goal difference. Sam Allardyce guided Bolton back up in 2001 and the club has gone from strength to strength.

Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history in 2005 after finishing sixth. After an eighth-place finish the year after, they came seventh last season to make the UEFA Cup again. They were one of 12 founder members of the Football League which was formed in 1888.


The club was founded as Christ Church FC in 1874, but changed its name to Bolton Wanderers three years later. Bolton finished FA Cup runners-up in 1894 and were losing finalists again 10 years later, before making it third time lucky with victory over West Ham in the 1923 final. More FA Cup success arrived in 1926 when they beat Manchester City and again in 1929 with a triumph over Portsmouth.

There was another FA Cup Final appearance in 1953, but Bolton suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of a Stanley Matthews-inspired Blackpool. Five years later, they made up for the disappointment by winning the FA Cup for the fourth time with victory over Manchester United.

Bolton had a 29-year spell from 1935 in the top flight and eventually slipped into the league's lowest tier in 1987. They eventually clawed their way back to the Premiership in 1995. And as a Division One team, made an heroic run to the League Cup Final but lost out to Liverpool.

They suffered the same fate again - losing to Middlesbrough in the 2004 League Cup Final - although a club-best finish of eighth in the Barclays Premierhip softened the blow.