BurndenPark
Recommended reading: 7.10.08
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 | BWFC People, Sam Allardyce | No Comments
What Manny Road was reading (and thinking) about Bolton Wanderers yesterday…
- Alan Hansen reckons Hull City and West Brom definitely won’t get relegated, which means it’s more likely that Bolton will.
- Not everyone was over the moon with the free coach travel to West Ham, especially this fan who had to sit next some drunken teenagers on the way home.
- Following on from my post about the Met’s approach to swearing Bolton Wanderers fans, more evidence of double standards within the game as Joe Kinnear gets off scot-free for his four-letter tirade against journalists.
- Sam Allardyce lashes out at his former boss Mike Ashley for not giving him enough cash (déjà vu anyone?).
- And finally… this picture of Bolton from 1959 which shows Burnden Park in the background…
Picture courtesy of Bolton Museum & Archive Service, some rights reserved.
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The romance of the, er, Middlebrook retail park
Friday, August 29th, 2008 | BWFC News | No Comments
Is it time to rename this blog? I don’t think so…
I wrote a couple of weeks back about how important the move to the Reebok Stadium was in shaping the modern history of Bolton Wanderers.
But a discussion about fans’ favourite Bolton Wanderers chants on The Bolton News forum this week proved that some things were certainly much better at Burnden Park.
Whatsgoing on suggested this update of ‘Walking Down the Manny Road’:
Oh the lads you should of seen them coming, ask them why and they’ll reply the Bolton boys are coming. All the lads and lasses smiles upon their faces, walking across the Middlebrook retail park car park to see the Bolton Aces.
Somehow ‘Middlebrook retail park car park’ doesn’t stir quite the same emotions. Give me that rusty old bridge over the railway line rather than the Beehive roundabout any day!
Desert Island Goals: Gretar Steinsson v Stoke
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 | BWFC People, Gretar Steinsson, Henrik Pedersen, Jimmy Phillips | 1 Comment
Was it a cross or a shot? Who cares…
Gretar Steinsson’s spectacular strike against Stoke City on the opening day of the Premier League season becomes the first entrant in to Manny Road’s Bolton Wanderers Desert Island Goals section, which will celebrate the best Bolton Wanderers goals throughout the season.
He may not have meant it, but frankly who cares. It was the most spectacular goal from a Bolton Wanderers full-back since Jimmy Phillips’ 25-yard screamer against Wolves at Burnden Park, circa 1995 (someone did mention a couple of Henrik Pederson’s goals, but I still struggle to come to terms with the fact he ever played as a full-back).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgyV0xkmXhQ]
Let’s hope there’ll be another Desert Island Goal to add to the collection after today’s game against Newcastle.
Why the Reebok was the best move Bolton Wanderers ever made
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 | BWFC People, Ivan Campo, Jay-Jay Okocha, Phil Gartside, Youri Djorkaeff | 1 Comment
Exhibit A: Oldham, Swindon, Barnsley…
Taking up the theme of yesterday’s post about attendances, Georgyw complains on The Bolton News forum that “it was a big mistake to build the Reebok out of town. He (Phil Gartside) must admit his error.”
Quite rightly, the responses take Georgyw to task, but I think it’s worth exploring this point further, particularly as the tenth anniversary of Bolton Wanderers’ move to the Reebok Stadium came and went last year without much song and dance made about just how important it was in shaping the club’s modern history.
If you want to know what Bolton Wanderers would be like in 2008 if we were still at Burnden Park, take a look at Oldham Athletic, Barnsley and Swindon Town, who all tasted the Premier League at one time or another but failed to upgrade their infrastructure to match their top flight status.
In contrast, look at Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Derby (OK they had a stinker last season but they’ll probably be back in the not too distant future), who like Bolton have all been in and out of the Premier League but have managed to avoid sinking without a trace after relegations.
And would Ivan Campo, Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff et al have signed for Bolton if the first thing they had seen was the Normid Superstore? I think not.
Fireworks at The Reebok Stadium, courtesy of d.nuttall on flickr
It’s easy to criticise modern stadiums for being soulless, homogeneous mechano sets. Yes, they all come with corporate sponsorship and McDonald’s and KFC for neighbours. But it’s better than having a supermarket at one end of the ground, right?
The biggest problems we’ve had at the Reebok is the club’s futile attempts to create an atmosphere. You can have as many drummers, singing sections (not a great success against Stoke, according to this thread) and cheerleaders as you want (am I the only one who felt uncomfortable watching grown men drool over half-naked teenage girls?), but the fans just want exciting football and good results.
I never understood why they insisted on playing “I Feel Good” after the Wanderers scored. It’s the same with those ridiculously contrived celebrations they have at the Carling Cup Final. The one time you definitely don’t need encouraging to get behind your team is when they’ve just scored a goal or won a trophy. Playing “Rocking All Over The World” just ruins the moment.
This thread suggests things are getting better, and this blog indicates the club is doing pretty well in terms of offering value for money. But I still think fans would happily forego half-time entertainment for more entertainment during the game itself.
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