Andy Walker
David Lee, The mighty Atom Speaks to Manny Road
Friday, April 16th, 2010 | Andy Walker, BWFC Goals, BWFC News, Bruce Rioch, Tony Kelly | 1 Comment
David Lee speaks to bwfcforum & Manny Road
Those of us of a certain age will have been fortune enough to have witnessed the rise following the fall of BWFC; from the dark depths of the Football league into the bright lights of the Premier League. Along that journey we saw some 
great players, great teams and great games and David Lee was at the forefront of that resurgence. After much nervous discussion we managed to secure his signature (albeit initially on loan) and his impact was instantaneous. He had pace, desire and a knack of making full backs wish they hadn’t bothered to come into work that day. He is now Bolton’s Assistant Academy Director.
He spoke to bwfcforum’s James Derbyshire:
You joined Bolton in 1992 from Southampton, did coming back to the North West play a big factor in wanting to move to Bolton?
It did yes, I had an indifferent time down at Southampton, I never really settled. When you’re a footballer you want to be playing regularly in the first team and I’d gone down with all expectations of being a regular, unfortunately things didn’t really work out for me. While I was down there, Bruce Rioch came to watch me play in a reserve game and gave me the invitation to come back and play in the north-west. To come and play back in the north-west was great, and obviously to come and play for Bolton Wanderers was just an added bonus.
You mentioned Bruce Rioch, what was he like to work with?
He was excellent. He is a disciplinarian, you knew what he wanted from you, he got every ounce of effort from you, and as long as you gave 100% regardless of whether you played good, bad or indifferent, he would stick by you. You’re not always able to play well every week but if you give 100% commitment that was what Bruce was looking for and he certainly got the best out of me. › Continue reading
Bolton Wanderers Hall of Fame #6: Owen Coyle
Friday, December 5th, 2008 | Andy Walker, BWFC People, Fabian De Freitas, Gary Megson, Johan Elmander, John McGinlay, Keith Branagan, Kevin Davies, Mixu Paatelainen, Nat Lofthouse, Owen Coyle | No Comments
A scorer of important goals, worthy of his place in McDonald’s…
There was an interesting discussion on the Times’ The Game podcast recently about how strikers don’t score goals any more. Their evidence was that the only three of the Premier League’s top 10 goalscorers are still playing (and none of them are at the top of their game any more).
Desert Island Goals: John McGinlay, Jason McAteer and Andy Walker
Saturday, September 20th, 2008 | Andy Walker, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Jason McAteer, John McGinlay | No Comments
Great goals from Bolton Wanderers history…
It’s sometimes difficult to explain why so many Bolton fans see the early to mid-nineties as the golden age, even though the last few years have – in theory – been even more successful.
I think part of the romance of that era was the idea of taking on the world and conquering it against all the odds. There was an ‘anything is possible’ attitude at that time that was epitomised by those great FA Cup performances against Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa and this one in 1994, when goals from John McGinlay, Jason McAteer and Andy Walker helped knock out the holders Arsenal.
Seven and a bit years in to our current Premier League life, the novelty has definitely worn off. Then the Uefa Cup came along to reinvigorate us, but Gary Megson didn’t share our dreams. His team selection in Lisbon was more ‘anything is impossible’.
Ahead of what’s likely to be another 10-men behind-the-ball, attack-at-your-peril performance from Megson’s Bolton Wanderers against Arsenal this afternoon, now seemed like a good time to remember the days when we used to scare the life out of big teams with energetic, attacking football.
The club in its current incarnation was built on the back of nights like this. So when Megson complains about supporters getting on his and the team’s back, he should know that it’s not necessarily just about results, or even performances. It’s about the life and the optimism being sucked out of the club by a manager who has failed to understand what Bolton Wanderers is all about.
We don’t win European Cups and Premier League titles, and we don’t expect to. So please Gary, give us something else to get excited about.
These were the days…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3e6kNpPPXc]
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