PU PREVIEW 60: BOLTON WANDERERS

Bolton Wanderers FC was formed as Christ Church Football Club in 1874, adopting its current name in 1877, and was a founder member of the Football League in 1888. Bolton have spent more seasons than any other club in the top flight without winning the title. They finished third in the First Division on three occasions - 1891–92, 1920–21 and 1924–25. Bolton won the FA Cup three times in the 1920s, and again in 1958. The club spent a season in the Fourth Division in 1987–88 before regaining top-flight status in 1995 and qualifying for the UEFA Cup twice, reaching the last 32 in 2005–06 and the last 16 in 2007–08.

The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895. On 9 March 1946, thirty-three Bolton fans lost their lives in a human crush, the Burnden Park disaster. In 1997, Bolton moved to the Reebok Stadium, renamed the Macron Stadium in 2014 and University of Bolton Stadium in 2018.

Since 2015, Bolton has been in severe financial difficulties, and went into administration in May 2019. Facing possible EFL expulsion, the club was acquired by new owners on 28 August 2019.

The club is nicknamed The Trotters and is currently managed by Keith Hill (appointed August 2019). They finished 23rd in the Championship in 2018-19 and were relegated. Due to going into administration, Bolton began the current League One season on -12 points.

Pompey and Bolton have met on ninety-eight occasions, the first coming in November 1927 in the First Division with Bolton winning 3-1. The last meeting came in September 2019 at Fratton Park when Pompey won 1-0. Bolton have won 40 of the 92 League meetings, Pompey 31 and the other 21 were draws. The clubs have met five times in the FA Cup, with two wins each and one draw. They are yet to meet in the League Cup.

(Information via Wikipedia and www.11v11.com)