[Archived] Bolton V Rovers

[Ben-2000]

Firstly, apologies for the late and relatively short post. I have been away and had completely forgot that I was doing this preview.

Past encounters

I have been lucky enough to be able to go to every Rovers fixture at the Reebok in the last 10 years, some memorable performances including a few late goals to either draw or win the game. Many have been dull encounters though with the game usually ending in a draw.

A game that sticks out in my memory is when we won 4-1 in our promotion season, the ground was absolutely packed that night with a fantastic atmosphere especially from the travelling Rovers fans.

Predictions for this game

Well, to be honest I fancy us to get our first 3 points, hopefully with the cheap tickets there will be plenty of us there to get behind the lads too.

I'm going for 2-1 Rovers

*Di Santo & Dunn to score

*Fat boy for them

*Att 22,313

[mellison24]

Short and sweet!.....Damn you, I need more to read!

[Steve Moss]

I like the preview. Direct and to the point. The best bit was the prediction of a Rover's win.

[ABBEY]

same style prediction style as pompey....1 up front we lose 2-0 ....start benni ,2 strikers 1-2 win.

[RIML]

Jason Roberts' last minute goal was probably my favourite away day moment.

This is one of the games I look forward to the most, being from Bolton, lived in Bolton all my life, all my family Bolton fans, most of my friends too. I'm afraid to say the first football match I experienced was at Burnden park, it was a good first experience, a memory I'll treasure forever. My family managed to get tickets for the last ever game at Burnden Park and I followed them all the way to Wembley too but they lost 2-0 to Watford in 1999. Embarrassing! (I was a Rovers fan at the time)

Bolton meant nothing to me, the passion wasn't there, after they lost to Barnsley in the season of 1997-1998 just before they were relegated, I randomly picked a team from my brother's BWFC fixture list and Blackburn Rovers just........... I don't really know, I don't know why but I've supported them ever since. I don't regret making that decision of choosing Rovers, in fact it's probably the best decision I've ever made.

More recently I went to watch them when Sam was in charge and they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the F.A Cup in 2006, went to the game with my Rovers shirt underneath my jumper. I even clapped when they scored, shame on me. One things for sure, I won't be clapping for Bolton on Sunday and I doubt Sam will be either. I'm hoping he feels the same way as I do, Bolton days are history we've moved on since then.

I'll be happy with a draw, although on paper I think we have a much stronger team and are more than capable of taking all three points.

[mellison24]

Jason Roberts' last minute goal was probably my favourite away day moment.

This is one of the games I look forward to the most, being from Bolton, lived in Bolton all my life, all my family Bolton fans, most of my friends too. I'm afraid to say the first football match I experienced was at Burnden park, it was a good first experience, a memory I'll treasure forever. My family managed to get tickets for the last ever game at Burnden Park and I followed them all the way to Wembley too but they lost 2-0 to Watford in 1999. Embarrassing! (I was a Rovers fan at the time)

Bolton meant nothing to me, the passion wasn't there, after they lost to Barnsley in the season of 1997-1998 just before they were relegated, I randomly picked a team from my brother's BWFC fixture list and Blackburn Rovers just........... I don't really know, I don't know why but I've supported them ever since. I don't regret making that decision of choosing Rovers, in fact it's probably the best decision I've ever made.

More recently I went to watch them when Sam was in charge and they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the F.A Cup in 2006, went to the game with my Rovers shirt underneath my jumper. I even clapped when they scored, shame on me. One things for sure, I won't be clapping for Bolton on Sunday and I doubt Sam will be either. I'm hoping he feels the same way as I do, Bolton days are history we've moved on since then.

I'll be happy with a draw, although on paper I think we have a much stronger team and are more than capable of taking all three points.

Treading a fine line there sunshine! But at least you had the decency to support a DECENT team over that lot!

[ABBEY]

i remember fat sam elbowing faz at burnden .

[RIML]

Treading a fine line there sunshine! But at least you had the decency to support a DECENT team over that lot!

I know

I'm not saying they're not decent because it'll come back to haunt me, like last week when I said Portsmouth hadn't scored from distance and they happened to score against us from distance.

Away League Results @ Bolton since 1997

1997/1998 - Bolton 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

1998/1999 - No Fixture

1999/2000 - Bolton 3 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

2000/2001 - Bolton 1 - 4 Blackburn Rovers

2001/2002 - Bolton 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

2002/2003 - Bolton 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

2003/2004 - Bolton 2 - 2 Blackburn Rovers

2004/2005 - Bolton 0 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

2005/2006 - Bolton 0 - 0 Blackburn Rovers

2006/2007 - Bolton 1 - 2 Blackburn Rovers

2007/2008 - Bolton 1 - 2 Blackburn Rovers

2008/2009 - Bolton 0 - 0 Blackburn Rovers

Total W-4 D-5 L-2

The games in bold I went to, we won both the games 2-1 when I sat in the lower tier, I'm sitting in the lower tier this time so let's hope for a 2-1 win.

Whoever is going to the game a Greenhalgh's meat & potato flaky pastie is a must, Bolton's finest

[mellison24]

I'm not saying they're not decent because it'll come back to haunt me, like last week when I said Portsmouth hadn't scored from distance and they happened to score against us from distance.

You said it, curses!!

[robbo_rovers]

Be happy with a draw from this. Pedersen must surely be dropped, and maybe Diouf? Who knows, gotta feeling neither Benni or Jason will start.

[sambo]

Want to sit in the lower tier, but still have my upper tickets...

Doubt heavily the ticket office will let me return. If anyone wants the tickets, PM me. 3 under 21 tickets.

[Hughesy]

Pubs for away fans - Beehive or The Greenwood - il be in both prior to the game and probably after. Missus family is from Horwich so its a must win game for me..

[cletus]

I remember going to Burnden Park in the early 80s. Me & my mate got the bus to Bolton (we were about 12-13yr old) We got off the bus, walked across a crossing & BANG!!! some teenage scrote walking past, smashed me in the face! He`d seen my Rovers scarf hanging out the bottom of my coat. My lip & mouth were sore & swollen the rest of the day.

The game itself was a tasty affair. Burnden had been scraped clear of snow & ice & was piled up at the back of the away end (pre-supermarket days)

The Bolton fans in the enclosure (just below us) got pelted with snow & ice balls for the entire game. Both sets of fans were separated by a small wall with a fence on top of it. Bolton fans kept climbing over & all hell kept breaking loose.

I remember a HUGE black guy appeared amongst the rovers fans, squaring up to somebody. He got the battering of a lifetime.

I`m not sure of the score, but something tells me it ended up 2-2.

On the way out we all headed to the train station. The platform was chokka with Rovers fans & outside, looking through a corrugated door were hundreds of Bolton fans. I seem to remember alot of them wearing berets (?) god knows what that was all about!.

Anyway, we all piled on the train. It was crammed full. When the train left the station, a hail of bricks, bottles & whatever came thudding down onto the train roof & a few windows were hit. It was a scary moment for a 12-13yr old lad

[Hughesy]

Sounds like fun Cletus

Not much chance of that sort of thing happening at the breezeblock - although there does always seem to be trouble at the exits when we play there.

[Ben-2000]

There has been a fair bit of trouble at the exits over the years.

Just asked how tickets were selling whilst buying for Chelsea - the girl said there's plenty left and they are on sale upto Saturday morning.

[savage8]

Pubs for away fans - Beehive or The Greenwood - il be in both prior to the game and probably after. Missus family is from Horwich so its a must win game for me..

Is there any good parking around these pubs? First visit to the Breezeblock, sounds like a miserable place !

[Hughesy]

Beehive - no real parking, they sometimes allow you to use the travle lodge type place spaces next door - but not sure on match days

Parking at the greenwood is free, or if not, streets near by are fine to park on too.

[Ossydave]

Poor effort that we can't sell out for Bolton at £15 a pop, remember when it used to be hard work getting a ticket.

[Hughesy]

Poor effort that we can't sell out for Bolton at £15 a pop, remember when it used to be hard work getting a ticket.

I agree - dont think it will be far off though by the time of the game. Whats the earliest row someone has tickets for? Im on Row S

[G Somerset Rover]

Poor effort that we can't sell out for Bolton at £15 a pop, remember when it used to be hard work getting a ticket.

I know it's a local derby, but the match being on Sky probably doesn't help.

I hope we don't set up too defensively for this one (well and any other match outside of playing the top 6 or so away). If we go after Bolton them I'm pretty confident that we can win, although saying that their home form hasn't been too bad.

No idea what line-up Sam will go for. If Grella is back then I'd get him in. I also hope that Gamst and EHD get dropped but I can't see who could replace them, maybe Emo and Hoilett? Who knows.

[DanLad]

Beehive - no real parking, they sometimes allow you to use the travle lodge type place spaces next door - but not sure on match days

Parking at the greenwood is free, or if not, streets near by are fine to park on too.

A lot of the streets nearby have cones out and the Police monitor parking. I don't think it's that easy to get a spot when road parking?

Don't go on the BWFC car park (which is huge admittedly) unless you literally want to spend 2 hours just getting off that!

[RIML]

If anyone is wondering where to park, google Ox Hey Lane, Bolton to get a map.

[Hughesy]

A lot of the streets nearby have cones out and the Police monitor parking. I don't think it's that easy to get a spot when road parking?

Don't go on the BWFC car park (which is huge admittedly) unless you literally want to spend 2 hours just getting off that!

From the Greenwood and towards horwich onwards, its pretty much park where you can - with very little cones knocking around. ALOT of fans park on those streets on match days.

[Tom]

I'm looking forward to this one, I would have liked Kalinic to get a run out but no chance of that now he's back to 4th in line.

Surely 2 strikers is a must after Pompey, if we attack them we'll take something from this one.

[1864roverite]

Can The Rovers stop the away day blues ? I think they possibly can and should win this game.

Its a massive game in all reality, 3 points for Rovers puts us 5 ahead of them in the league and may well close the gap up to 10th spot if other results fall Rovers way.

The thing for me is for Rovers not to concede an early goal just to get the home fans on MMegsons as they surely will.

Single goal win for Rovers.