2014–15 Bolton Wanderers F.C. Season
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The 2014–15 season was
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
's third consecutive season in the
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the En ...
following their relegation from the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
in 2012. It covers the period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015.


Pre-season

On 19 May, four pre-season friendly games were announced, beginning against
Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially kno ...
on 18 July and finishing against
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
on 30 July, with games against
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
and
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they adop ...
also being played, all away from home. A pre-season tour of
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
was announced on 22 May, which would take in games against Brøndby,
Vestsjælland West Zealand County ( da, Vestsjællands Amt) is a former county (Danish: ''amt'') in the west-central part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising a few former counties. The ...
and
Mjällby Mjällby is a urban areas of Sweden, locality situated in Sölvesborg Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 1,254 inhabitants in 2010. It is located on the Listerlandet peninsula. The town has traditionally lived of fishing. The nearby har ...
. A final game against
Vitesse Arnhem Vitesse may refer to: * Vitesse Models, a diecast model car company * Vitesse (band), Dutch rock band * Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, a car * Rover 216 Vitesse, a car * Rover 3500 Vitesse, a car * Rover 800 Vitesse, a car * Triumph Vites ...
, the first at the renamed
Macron Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
, was added, which would take place on 3 August. On 30 June, the
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
Stadium officially changed its name to the
Macron Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
. Later that week, the club confirmed that
Stuart Holden Stuart Alistair Holden (born August 1, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder, and is currently a lead TV game analyst for Fox Sports. Holden is part of the ownership group for Spanish La Liga soccer ...
would remain with the club for the forthcoming season on a non-contract basis as he continued to regain his fitness. Bolton's opening game of pre-season ended in a draw, with former Bolton striker
Johan Elmander Johan Erik Calvin Elmander (; born 27 May 1981) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Beginning his career with Holmalunds IF in the late 1990s, he went on to play professionally in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark ...
giving Brøndby the lead.
Jermaine Beckford Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford (born 9 December 1983) is an English Football pundit and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career as a trainee at Chelsea, and played for Wealdstone, Uxbridge, Leeds United, ...
missed a penalty for Bolton, before Craig Davies levelled, also from the spot. Robert Hall was sent off late in the game for a rash challenge. In a game where manager
Dougie Freedman Douglas Alan Freedman (born 25 May 1974) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the current sporting director of Crystal Palace. Freedman played as a striker, primarily for Crystal Palace and also had spells as ...
fielded two different outfield teams either side of half-time, Gambian trialist
Modou Barrow Modou Barrow (born 13 October 1992), commonly known as Mo Barrow, is a Gambian professional footballer who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli and the Gambia national team. He is a winger but can also play as a forward. He grew up in Swede ...
made an appearance from the bench, being brought on for academy player Georg Iliev. Wanderers then travelled to
Vestsjælland West Zealand County ( da, Vestsjællands Amt) is a former county (Danish: ''amt'') in the west-central part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising a few former counties. The ...
where they picked up their first win of the pre-season, winning 1–0 courtesy of a first half goal from
Liam Feeney Liam Michael Feeney-Howard (born 21 January 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North team Scunthorpe United. He became a free agent on 30 June 2023. Career Early career Feeney joined League One side So ...
. Wanderers' final game on their tour came at
Mjällby Mjällby is a urban areas of Sweden, locality situated in Sölvesborg Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 1,254 inhabitants in 2010. It is located on the Listerlandet peninsula. The town has traditionally lived of fishing. The nearby har ...
. Bolton raced into the lead, with Jermaine Beckford and Robert Hall both scoring to make it 2–0 after seven minutes.
Mjällby Mjällby is a urban areas of Sweden, locality situated in Sölvesborg Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 1,254 inhabitants in 2010. It is located on the Listerlandet peninsula. The town has traditionally lived of fishing. The nearby har ...
responded well, however, with first half goals from
Mattias Håkansson Mattias Bo-Erik Håkansson (born 20 February 1993) is a Swedish footballer who plays for Norwegian club Levanger as a midfielder. Club career In March 2022, Håkansson joined Levanger Levanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. ...
, Kristian Haynes and Kwame Bonsu, handing Bolton their first loss of pre-season. Bolton's first game after coming home from the tour of Denmark and Sweden was away to non-league outfit
Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially kno ...
. The home side opened the scoring in the first half through
Chris Holroyd Christopher Holroyd (born 24 October 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker. Holroyd started his football career at Crewe Alexandra, progressing through the club's youth system. He subsequently joined Chester City ...
but Bolton equalised through young substitute
Zach Clough Zach Paul John Clough (born 8 March 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Adelaide United. Clough started his career at Bolton Wanderers, having played for them since the age of eight. He establishe ...
nine minutes from time. They followed this up with a comfortable win against
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
, with
Neil Danns Neil Alexander Danns (born 23 November 1982) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Macclesfield F.C., Macclesfield and the Guyana national football team, Guyana national team. In December 2022, Da ...
and young substitute
Conor Wilkinson Conor Dominic Geoffrey Wilkinson (born 23 January 1995) is a footballer who plays as a striker for side Colchester United. Born in England, he has represented Ireland at youth level. Club career Millwall Wilkinson began his career at Mill ...
getting the goals. The following game was away to
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they adop ...
, which finished in a 1–1 draw.
Jay Spearing Jay Francis Spearing (born 25 November 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool, where he is also a coach at their academy. He started his career with Liverpool as a youth- ...
scored his first goal of pre-season to put Wanderers ahead, but Eliot Richards equalised for the home side. Wanderers penultimate game of pre-season came away to
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
, where they got off to a good start, with
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
heading home his first goal of pre-season.
Jermaine Beckford Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford (born 9 December 1983) is an English Football pundit and former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his career as a trainee at Chelsea, and played for Wealdstone, Uxbridge, Leeds United, ...
doubled Bolton's tally from over 30 yards.
Tom Pope Thomas John Pope (born 27 August 1985) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Centre forward, centre forward for side Congleton Town F.C., Congleton Town. A Crewe Alexandra F. ...
pulled a goal back for the home side late on, but Bolton held on for the win. On 26 July, the club confirmed that
Jay Spearing Jay Francis Spearing (born 25 November 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool, where he is also a coach at their academy. He started his career with Liverpool as a youth- ...
would be the club captain for the forthcoming season, following the departure of
Zat Knight Zatyiah Knight (born 2 May 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Knight had extended spells at Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham in the Premier League and the Championship. He finished his career ...
.
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
, meanwhile, was appointed as the club's vice-captain. In their final game of pre-season, the home friendly against
Vitesse Arnhem Vitesse may refer to: * Vitesse Models, a diecast model car company * Vitesse (band), Dutch rock band * Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, a car * Rover 216 Vitesse, a car * Rover 3500 Vitesse, a car * Rover 800 Vitesse, a car * Triumph Vites ...
, Bolton fell behind to a Marko Vejinović free-kick and could not muster a response, losing the first fixture at their renamed stadium.


Bolton XI

On 20 May, Bolton announced their annual pre-season fixture against
Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
in the Harold Taylor Memorial Trophy would take place on 26 July. This announcement was followed by a Bolton XI's finalised pre-season schedule with games against
Bamber Bridge Bamber Bridge is an urban village in Lancashire, England, south-east of Preston, in the borough of South Ribble. The name derives from the Old English "bēam" and "brycg", which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". The population was 13,945 at ...
, Hyde,
Melbourne Heart Melbourne City Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the south–eastern Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne East, that plays in the A-League, the top level of Australian soccer, under licence from Australian Profession ...
,
AFC Fylde AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mill Farm. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wes ...
and
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
also taking place. After the announcement of the fixtures, Melbourne Heart were purchased by
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and were rebranded as Melbourne City, while also signing
Damien Duff Damien Anthony Duff (born 2 March 1979) is an Irish professional football manager and former player who played predominantly as a winger. He has been the manager of League of Ireland club Shelbourne F.C. since November 2021. He began his prof ...
and
David Villa David Villa Sánchez (; born 3 December 1981) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Villa is regarded by pundits as one of the best forwards of his generation, and one of the best Spanish strikers of all time. ...
.
Conor Wilkinson Conor Dominic Geoffrey Wilkinson (born 23 January 1995) is a footballer who plays as a striker for side Colchester United. Born in England, he has represented Ireland at youth level. Club career Millwall Wilkinson began his career at Mill ...
opened the scoring in the Bolton XI's first game against
Bamber Bridge Bamber Bridge is an urban village in Lancashire, England, south-east of Preston, in the borough of South Ribble. The name derives from the Old English "bēam" and "brycg", which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". The population was 13,945 at ...
, with Stuart Vasey equalising for the hosts. The following game against
Hyde F.C. Hyde United Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. Formed in 1919, they were renamed Hyde F.C. between 2010 and 2015 as part of a sponsorship deal with Manchester City.Melbourne City, where, despite scoring an early goal through Conor Wilkinson, they lost 5–1, with Kisnorbo, Williams, Brown, Dugandzic and
Aaron Mooy Aaron Frank Mooy (; ; born 15 September 1990) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Celtic and the Australia national team. Born in Sydney, Mooy played youth football for the N ...
, formerly of Wanderers, all scoring for the visitors. They then went to
Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
where Wilkinson again scored the opening goal, but Chorley won the game with goals from Harry Winter and Tom Smyth. Danny Lloyd scored the only goal of Bolton XI's penultimate game of pre-season, as Bolton lost 1–0 to
AFC Fylde AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mill Farm. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wes ...
, but in their final pre-season game, Bolton XI got their first win of pre-season as they beat
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
1–0 courtesy of Chris Lester's first half goal. During pre-season ex-
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
defender
Liam Fontaine Liam Vaughan Henry Fontaine (born 7 January 1986) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish League One side Edinburgh City. He has previously played in the English leagues for Fulham, Yeovil Town and Bristol City, and ...
was on trial for the club, playing in matches against
AFC Fylde AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Mill Farm. Originally known as Kirkham & Wesham following a merger of Kirkham Town and Wes ...
and
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
. On 6 August it was revealed that Fontaine had discontinued training with the club at the start of that week, after plans for a behind-closed-doors friendly against
Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a fo ...
were shelved.


Championship

The fixtures for the
2014–15 Football League Championship The 2014–15 Football League Championship (referred to as the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship reasons), was the eleventh season of the Football League Championship under its current title and the twenty-third season under its current league s ...
season were released on 18 June 2014.


August

Bolton began their third consecutive season in the second tier away at
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
on 9 August. Wanderers conceded three goals without reply;
Troy Deeney Troy Matthew Deeney (born 29 June 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains club Birmingham City. Deeney started his professional career at Walsall. He spent a brief spell on loan with Southern Leag ...
,
Matěj Vydra Matěj Vydra (, born 1 May 1992) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a striker for Viktoria Plzeň and the Czech Republic national team. Vydra previously played for FC Chotěboř, Vysočina Jihlava, Baník Ostrava, Club Brugge, Udi ...
and
Fernando Forestieri Fernando Martin Forestieri (born 15 January 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a second striker for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim. Born in Argentina, he is a former Italy youth international. Club career Born in Rosa ...
scoring the goals for the Hornets. Their first league fixture at the newly renamed Macron Stadium was against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
a week later. All four goals of the 2–2 draw came in the first half; Joe Mason first headed in a
Jay Spearing Jay Francis Spearing (born 25 November 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool, where he is also a coach at their academy. He started his career with Liverpool as a youth- ...
free-kick before
Britt Assombalonga Britt Curtis Assombalonga (born 6 December 1992) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Watford and the DR Congo national team. He played in the Football League for Watford, Southend United, Peterborough United, No ...
equalised for Forest.
David Wheater David James Wheater (born 14 February 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Darlington as a defender. Primarily a centre back, he is also capable of playing at right back. Wheater started his professional career at Mi ...
put Bolton back in front but
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Jay Spearing brought down Assombalonga in the box, who picked himself up to draw Forest level again. Against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
, Craig Davies put Bolton in front with a penalty in the 27th minute after being brought down by Seb Hines.
David Wheater David James Wheater (born 14 February 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Darlington as a defender. Primarily a centre back, he is also capable of playing at right back. Wheater started his professional career at Mi ...
was then adjudged to have handled in the box just before half-time – leading to
Grant Leadbitter Grant Leadbitter (born 7 January 1986) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He made more than 500 appearances in the Premier League and English Football League, Football League, which inc ...
equalising for Boro, again from the spot.
Kike The word ''kike'' () is an ethnic slur for a Jew. Etymology The earliest recorded use of the word dates to the 1880s.
scored a late winner to give Middlesbrough their first win away at Bolton since 1987. Away to
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
, Bolton lost 2–1 and 1–0, respectively, to leave them winless after five games. Bolton took the lead against Brighton,
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
opening the scoring but goals from
Craig Mackail-Smith Craig Anthony Robert Mackail-Smith (born 25 February 1984) is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town, Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers, No ...
and João Teixeira gave Brighton the points. Former Bolton loanee
Stephen Warnock Stephen Warnock (born 12 December 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Starting off his career at Liverpool, he went on to also represent Coventry City, Bradford City, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Bolt ...
scored the only goal for Leeds, consigning them to defeat once again. Craig Davies was named player of the month for August, scoring two goals from the penalty spot.


September

Bolton started September against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
, the result being a goalless draw. This brought an end to their three match losing streak but meant they still hadn't won a league game this season, extending their winless start to the season to six games. Bolton ended their next game on the right side of a five-goal thriller. Anthony Wordsworth put
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
in front in the first half but Joe Mason scored two to bring Bolton ahead with ten minutes remaining on the clock. Two minutes later,
Jordan Bowery Jordan Nathaniel Bowery (born 2 July 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward and defender for club Mansfield Town. Bowery has previously played for Crewe Alexandra, Chesterfield, Rotherham United, Aston Villa, Leyto ...
equalised for the Millers but Mason scored his first career hat-trick and the club's first since
Fredi Bobic Fredi Bobic ( sl, Fredi Bobič, born 30 October 1971) is a German football executive and former player who played as a striker. He is the sporting director of Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. Club career Bobic was born in Maribor, SFR Yugoslavia, ...
put in three against
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
in 2002, to hand Bolton their first win of the new season. They couldn't follow this up with a second, however, and lost by a solitary goal at Molineux against
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
;
Nouha Dicko Nouha Dicko (born 14 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Super League Greece club OFI. Born in France, he represented Mali national team at international level. Early life Dicko was born in Saint-Maurice, Val-de- ...
scoring the goal for the hosts. Against Steve McLaren's
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
, Bolton conceded a goal either side of half-time to send them back into the relegation zone. The loss sparked mass protests from the crowd during the game, with fans chanting for both manager
Dougie Freedman Douglas Alan Freedman (born 25 May 1974) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the current sporting director of Crystal Palace. Freedman played as a striker, primarily for Crystal Palace and also had spells as ...
and chairman
Phil Gartside Philip Andrew Gartside (27 April 1952 – 10 February 2016) was an English businessman who was chairman of Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers Football Club. Career Philip Andrew Gartside was born in Leigh, Greater Manchester, Leigh, England ...
to leave their posts.


October

A few days later, on the first of the month, Bolton conceded four goals without reply as they fell to
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
at
Craven Cottage Craven Cottage is a football ground in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896.According to the club'official website The ground's capacity is 22,384; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game against M ...
, one of two teams that were below them in the table. Following the defeat to Fulham, manager
Dougie Freedman Douglas Alan Freedman (born 25 May 1974) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the current sporting director of Crystal Palace. Freedman played as a striker, primarily for Crystal Palace and also had spells as ...
was relieved of his duties. Initially, the club indicated that Freedman would remain in his position for the match against
Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
at the weekend, as they confirmed he would be taking his weekly press conference on Friday 3 October. However, the following day a statement was released explaining that Freedman had left the club 'by mutual consent'. Player-coach
Andy Hughes Andy Hughes (11 November 1965 – 12 June 2009) was an English electronic music producer. He is best known for his work with the Orb, where he helped mix and produce ''Orbus Terrarum'', ''Orblivion'', and ''Cydonia'', as well as The Orb's sin ...
and goalkeeping coach Lee Turner were confirmed as caretaker managers for the game against the Cherries by the club's website the following day. Against Bournemouth, Cherries striker
Yann Kermorgant Yann Alain Kermorgant (born 8 November 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Early career Born in Vannes, Brittany, Kermorgant began his career with the Stade Rennais Youth Academy, but aged 14 h ...
was sent off in the 36th minute. Despite this, Bournemouth won 2–1 with
Callum Wilson Callum Eddie Graham Wilson (born 27 February 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Newcastle United and the England national team. Early life Wilson was born in Coventry, West Midlands. H ...
scoring both their goals either side of a
Jay Spearing Jay Francis Spearing (born 25 November 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool, where he is also a coach at their academy. He started his career with Liverpool as a youth- ...
equaliser in the 52nd minute. Nine days later, during the international break, former
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
manager
Neil Lennon Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish football coach and former player. During his playing career he represented English clubs Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra and Leicester City. Lennon moved to Celtic in 2000, where he ...
was handed the job of moving Bolton off the bottom of the table. The former
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
international was confirmed as the Trotters' new manager "following a process of first and second interviews with a shortlist of initial candidates". Lennon's first game came against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
at St. Andrew's, against whom he had made his
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
debut as a player for
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
.
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
headed in from a corner to give Bolton a lead they managed to hang on to despite Craig Davies missing a penalty while striker
Lee Novak Lee Paul Novak (born 28 September 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker. A former youth team player for Wallsend Boys Club, he began his senior career with Scottish club Gretna, before returning to his hometown wi ...
was in goal, having replaced the sent off
Darren Randolph Darren Edward Andrew Randolph (born 12 May 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and the Republic of Ireland national team. He has previously played for the Republic of Ir ...
. Following this, Neil Lennon was sent to the stands as he had left his technical area too many times throughout the match. This was Bolton's second win of the season, and lifted them off the bottom of the table, to be replaced by
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. At The Valley, Charlton scored either side of half-time to go 2–0 up, before
Dean Moxey Dean William Moxey (born 14 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays for National League club Torquay United as a full-back. Moxey is a versatile player, naturally a left-back but also comfortable as a centre-back, left w ...
scored his first for the club to make the score 2–1 just a few minutes later, but the team couldn't score an equaliser, giving Lennon his first taste of defeat as Bolton manager. At home for the first time,
Neil Danns Neil Alexander Danns (born 23 November 1982) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Macclesfield F.C., Macclesfield and the Guyana national football team, Guyana national team. In December 2022, Da ...
and Mark Davies scored while Jon Toral did so for
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
. Ensuring the win, Craig Davies scored with Brentford's 'keeper up the pitch to make it 3–1. With 10% more possession but 10 fewer shots, Bolton fell to
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
at
Carrow Road Carrow Road is an association football stadium located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship side Norwich City. The stadium is located toward the east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum. N ...
in front of the
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
cameras.
Cameron Jerome Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome (born 14 August 1986), known as Cameron Jerome, is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Luton Town. Jerome began his career as a trainee with Huddersfield Town, Grimsby Town, Sheffield ...
scored a brace while
Lee Chung-yong Lee Chung-yong (; ; born 2 July 1988) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a winger for K League 1 club Ulsan Hyundai and is a South Korean international. He is nicknamed "Blue Dragon", which is a literal translation of his given name " ...
scored his first of the season with just four minutes remaining.


November

Neil Lennon clinched his second straight home win against
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
, scoring three with no reply against the Bluebirds.
Liam Feeney Liam Michael Feeney-Howard (born 21 January 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North team Scunthorpe United. He became a free agent on 30 June 2023. Career Early career Feeney joined League One side So ...
slid to connect with Lee Chung-yong's arrowed cross from the right for his first of the season just nine minutes in before doubling his tally on 36 minutes when
Darren Pratley Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain. Club career Fulham Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
found him with a cross to the back post.
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
sealed the win with 14 minutes remaining to become Bolton's joint-top scorer in all competitions alongside Joe Mason. Against local rivals
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
, Bolton scored three goals for the third home game in a row.
Max Clayton Max James Clayton (born 9 August 1994) is a retired English footballer, who last played as a striker for Altrincham. He has also represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. Club career Crewe Alexandra Born in C ...
scored his first for the club after latching on to Lee Chung-yong's through ball before Craig Davies headed in from Liam Feeney's looped cross to make it two. Six minutes later, Chung-yong added to his earlier assist with a goal from the penalty spot;
Leon Barnett Leon Peter Barnett (born 30 November 1985) is an English former professional Association football, footballer. A Defender (association football), defender, he primarily played as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back, but a ...
having been adjudged to have brought down
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
in the box.
Callum McManaman Callum Henry McManaman (born 25 April 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger, most recently for Tranmere Rovers. Born in Whiston, Merseyside, lived and brought up in Rainhill, Merseyside, McManaman began his youth c ...
volleyed in a consolation but the win brought Bolton out of the relegation zone going into the international break. Their first match following this saw them come up against
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. Blackpool took the lead through
Jacob Murphy Jacob Kai Murphy (born 24 February 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Newcastle United. Murphy made his first-team debut for Norwich City in an FA Cup match against Fulham in January 2014 ...
, before
Lee Chung-yong Lee Chung-yong (; ; born 2 July 1988) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a winger for K League 1 club Ulsan Hyundai and is a South Korean international. He is nicknamed "Blue Dragon", which is a literal translation of his given name " ...
scored for the second consecutive game to get Bolton a point. Bolton finished the month with a 1–0 home win against
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
, Craig Davies scoring late into the first half to get Bolton the three points.


December

Bolton started December with consecutive goalless draws, the first against
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
at the
Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium (currently known as the Select Car Leasing Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Reading. It is the home of Reading Football Club, who play in the EFL Championship. It also provides the finish for the Rea ...
, followed by a stalemate against
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
at the
Macron Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
.
Eiður Guðjohnsen Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen (transliterated as Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen; born 15 September 1978) is an Icelandic professional football coach and former player who played as a forward. Eiður saw his greatest success in England and Spain with Chelsea ...
made his second début in the match, 14 years after his last appearance against the same opponents, in May 2000. Bolton would make it three clean sheets in a row the following week, defeating
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
at
The Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which it ...
from a
Darren Pratley Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain. Club career Fulham Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
goal in the second half. On
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
Bolton faced local rivals
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
at the Macron, playing in front of a home crowd of over 20,000 for the first time in nearly three years. Josh King scored for Blackburn, before 37-year-old
Emile Heskey Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey (born 11 January 1978) is an English former professional footballer who currently serves as head of football development of Leicester City Women. Playing as a striker, he made more than 500 appearances in the Foo ...
scored on his debut after coming off the bench, the assist coming from fellow 37-year-old
Eiður Guðjohnsen Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen (transliterated as Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen; born 15 September 1978) is an Icelandic professional football coach and former player who played as a forward. Eiður saw his greatest success in England and Spain with Chelsea ...
.
Darren Pratley Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain. Club career Fulham Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
scored his second goal in as many games four minutes later, giving Bolton the bragging rights over their rivals. Two days later they played their last game of 2014, their eight match unbeaten run coming to an end as they lost 2–1 to
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
. Bolton took the lead in the 41st minute with
Darren Pratley Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain. Club career Fulham Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
scoring for the third consecutive match followed two minutes later by an equaliser from former Bolton player
Jacob Butterfield Jacob Luke Butterfield (born 10 June 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League club Scunthorpe United. Butterfield came through the youth academy at Barnsley and went on to establish himself as a ...
.
Nahki Wells Nahki Michael Wells (born 1 June 1990) is a Bermudian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Bristol City and the Bermuda national team. Wells began his career in his native Bermuda, playing for Dandy Town Hornets and Bermu ...
scored with five minutes remaining seeing Bolton lose their last match of 2014.


January

Following a break for the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
Bolton's first league game of 2015 came at home against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. Rudolph Austin scored a penalty for Leeds in the third minute but just after half time, Bolton got a penalty of their own.
Eiður Guðjohnsen Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen (transliterated as Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen; born 15 September 1978) is an Icelandic professional football coach and former player who played as a forward. Eiður saw his greatest success in England and Spain with Chelsea ...
stepped up and scored the equaliser and earning a point for Bolton, it being his first Bolton goal since resigning for the club the previous month, his last goal for Bolton before that coming 15 years earlier May 2000. The week later, Bolton faced
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
, getting back to winning ways as they won 2–1 at Hillsborough, their third consecutive away win over Wednesday.
Liam Feeney Liam Michael Feeney-Howard (born 21 January 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North team Scunthorpe United. He became a free agent on 30 June 2023. Career Early career Feeney joined League One side So ...
opened the scoring in the second minute with
Darren Pratley Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain. Club career Fulham Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
adding a second twenty minutes later.
Chris Maguire Christopher Patrick Joseph Maguire (born 16 January 1989) is a Scottish professional footballer. He has previously played for Aberdeen, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Oxford United, Bury, Sunderland and Lincoln City, and ...
pulled one back from the penalty spot three minutes later but Bolton held on to claim their first league win of 2015. After the 4th round of the FA Cup, Bolton went to
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
and were 4–0 down after fifty seven minutes,
Ben Pringle Benjamin Philip Pringle (born 25 July 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for UAE Second Division League club Fleetwood United. He has notably played for Derby County, Rotherham United, Fulham and Preston No ...
,
Conor Sammon Conor Sammon (born 6 November 1986) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Alloa Athletic. Sammon started his professional career in the League of Ireland Premier Division with University College Dublin and Derry City. ...
and Paul Green scoring in the first half, before
Matt Derbyshire Matthew Anthony Derbyshire (born 14 April 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club NorthEast United. He played for Blackburn Rovers for five years, and had loan spells with Plymouth Argy ...
added a fourth. Bolton pulled two back by scoring twice in two minutes through
Liam Trotter Liam Antony Trotter (born 24 August 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelmsford City. He has previously played for Ipswich Town, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham F ...
and
Matt Mills Matthew Claude Mills (born 14 July 1986) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent most of his career in the English EFL Championship, in which he played for Leicester City, Reading, Bolton, Nottingham ...
but it wasn't enough as Rotherham ran out 4–2 winners. Bolton finished January at home against
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
.
Nouha Dicko Nouha Dicko (born 14 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Super League Greece club OFI. Born in France, he represented Mali national team at international level. Early life Dicko was born in Saint-Maurice, Val-de- ...
scored in the third minute to give Wolves the lead but 20 minutes later,
Zach Clough Zach Paul John Clough (born 8 March 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Adelaide United. Clough started his career at Bolton Wanderers, having played for them since the age of eight. He establishe ...
, on his league début, scored twice within two minutes – his third goal for the club in only his second appearance – to give Bolton the lead. Deep into injury time though
James Henry James Henry may refer to: In government and military *James Henry (Continental Congress) (1731–1804), American lawyer, Continental Congressman for Virginia *James Buchanan Henry (1833–1915), lawyer, writer, secretary to the President, nephew an ...
equalised with a long distance shot, earning his side a share of the spoils. For the second season in a row, the club's final fixture of the season will be at home to
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
on 2 May 2015.


Matches


League table


Results summary


FA Cup

Bolton entered the FA Cup at the Third Round stage with the other Championship clubs, as well as those from the Premier League. For the third round Bolton were drawn at home against local rivals
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
, who won the competition two years earlier. Debutant
Zach Clough Zach Paul John Clough (born 8 March 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Adelaide United. Clough started his career at Bolton Wanderers, having played for them since the age of eight. He establishe ...
scored the only goal of the game, with Bolton being the first team in three years to knock Wigan out in normal time. This earned them an away tie at
Anfield Stadium Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
against the previous seasons
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
runners up,
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. The game ended goalless, Bolton earning themselves a replay at the
Macron Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
two weeks later.


League Cup

The draw for the first round of the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
was made on 17 June 2014, and resulted in a home tie against local rivals
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
. This would be Bolton's first game against the Shakers since 2002, also in the League Cup, when Bernard Mendy's own goal gave Bury the win. Prior to this, on 11 June, it had been revealed that Bolton were listed as a seeded team in the northern section of the first round draw, meaning they would play one of seventeen unseeded teams, of which Bury were one. Falling behind to a
Ryan Lowe Ryan Thomas Lowe (born 18 September 1978) is an English football manager and former professional player, who is manager of Championship side Preston North End. His playing career, as a striker, began at Burscough in 1999 and he became a Footbal ...
strike in the twentieth minute, it took until the sixth minute of added time at the end of the second half for Bolton to equalise, Craig Davies converting from twelve yards after being tripped by former Bolton 'keeper
Rob Lainton Robert Paul Lainton (born 12 October 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham. He turned professional at Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers i ...
. In extra time, two
Neil Danns Neil Alexander Danns (born 23 November 1982) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Macclesfield F.C., Macclesfield and the Guyana national football team, Guyana national team. In December 2022, Da ...
goals, the second directly from a free-kick, put the score at 3–1.
Jimmy McNulty James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While talented in his profession, McNulty's c ...
headed in to narrow the deficit but Bolton held on to progress to the next round and an away tie at
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
. On 27 August, Bolton were handed José Mourinho's
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
in the third round of the League Cup.


Squad statistics


Transfers


Summer

Bolton's first move of the transfer window was confirmed on 28 April 2014, with loanee
Neil Danns Neil Alexander Danns (born 23 November 1982) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Macclesfield F.C., Macclesfield and the Guyana national football team, Guyana national team. In December 2022, Da ...
signing a pre-contract which would see him move to the club on a one-year deal once his existing contract with
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
expired on 30 June. On 5 May 2014, it was announced that four senior players would not have their contracts renewed. Club captain
Zat Knight Zatyiah Knight (born 2 May 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Knight had extended spells at Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham in the Premier League and the Championship. He finished his career ...
,
Chris Eagles Christopher Mark Eagles (born 19 November 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. After coming through the youth system at Watford, he began his professional career with Manchester United, but was unable to b ...
,
Tyrone Mears Tyrone Robert Mears (born 18 February 1983) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a right-back. His clubs include Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End F.C., Preston North End, West ...
and Jay Lynch were all released. On the same day the club confirmed that academy players Sam Bailey, Saul Hamer, Jordan Hendrie, James Kelly, Elliot Newby and Guillermo Torres would not have their contracts extended. On 12 May, Bolton confirmed that another loanee from the previous season would be joining the club following the expiring of his current contract in the summer. Following Neil Danns' example,
Liam Trotter Liam Antony Trotter (born 24 August 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelmsford City. He has previously played for Ipswich Town, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham F ...
would join the club on 1 July, signing a three-year deal, leaving
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
after four years of service. On 19 May, Bolton confirmed that
Liam Feeney Liam Michael Feeney-Howard (born 21 January 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North team Scunthorpe United. He became a free agent on 30 June 2023. Career Early career Feeney joined League One side So ...
, another ex-loanee, would be following Trotter from Millwall after signing a two-year deal, having been at Millwall for three years. On 21 May, Bolton signed their fourth former loanee in a row, with
Andy Robinson Richard Andrew Robinson OBE (born 3 April 1964) is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He was the director of rugby at Bristol until November 2016. He is the former head coach of Scotland and England. From September 2019 to Decemb ...
of
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
joining on a one-year deal. However, on 19 July the club confirmed the player had left as he had failed to settle in the area. Bolton's fifth signing of the summer was confirmed as former Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham defender Dorian Dervite, who signed a three-year deal, joining from Charlton Athletic F.C., Charlton Athletic. Bolton continued their summer signing spree by announcing on 12 June that Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace youth goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons would officially become a Trotter on 1 July, with the 'keeper signing a two-year contract. On 1 July, as well as confirming the arrivals of the six previously announced signings, Bolton revealed that André Moritz and Arran Lee-Barrett would leave the club following the expiration of their contracts. Both had been discussing the option of a contract extension. The following day, on 2 July, Bolton announced the signing of Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace left-back
Dean Moxey Dean William Moxey (born 14 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays for National League club Torquay United as a full-back. Moxey is a versatile player, naturally a left-back but also comfortable as a centre-back, left w ...
, with whom Freedman had previously worked during his time with the Eagles. Two days later, striker Marvin Sordell left Bolton to join near neighbours Burnley F.C., Burnley in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
, rejoining his former manager at
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
, Sean Dyche. Defender Alex Baptiste, recently arrested on suspicion of Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, actual bodily harm, was loaned to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
on 11 July. A fifth former loanee, Kevin McNaughton, joined the club on 16 July, signing on for another loan spell. On 19 July,
Andy Robinson Richard Andrew Robinson OBE (born 3 April 1964) is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He was the director of rugby at Bristol until November 2016. He is the former head coach of Scotland and England. From September 2019 to Decemb ...
, who had only joined the club at the beginning of the month, had his contract cancelled with homesickness being cited as the reason. Shortly after, experienced utility man
Andy Hughes Andy Hughes (11 November 1965 – 12 June 2009) was an English electronic music producer. He is best known for his work with the Orb, where he helped mix and produce ''Orbus Terrarum'', ''Orblivion'', and ''Cydonia'', as well as The Orb's sin ...
joined the club as a professional development coach, while also be registered as a member of the playing staff. Keith Andrews (footballer), Keith Andrews then joined
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
on loan on 24 July, before Bolton signed young defender Quade Taylor on a free from Crystal Palace and Joe Riley (footballer, born 1991), Joe Riley joined Oxford United F.C., Oxford United on loan until January, both on 28 July. Young defender Cian Bolger left the club on 5 August, joining Phil Brown (footballer, born 1959), Phil Brown's Southend United F.C., Southend United. Former Plymouth Argyle F.C., Plymouth man Joe Mason rejoined the club on 11 August, signing on for another loan spell until the end of the 2014-15 in English football, 2014–15 season from
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
, with whom he had recently agreed a new contract. The first released Bolton player to join a new club was 'keeper Jay Lynch, who joined Accrington Stanley F.C., Accrington Stanley on non-contract terms on 8 August, although he later joined Salford City F.C., Salford City. Bolton's first signing of the emergency loan window was to loan Owen Garvan from Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace until December. Two days later
Conor Wilkinson Conor Dominic Geoffrey Wilkinson (born 23 January 1995) is a footballer who plays as a striker for side Colchester United. Born in England, he has represented Ireland at youth level. Club career Millwall Wilkinson began his career at Mill ...
joined Football League One, League One team Oldham Athletic A.F.C., Oldham Athletic on loan for a month. Right-back Hayden White (footballer), Hayden White was also sent out on loan, joining Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United for a month. Coming the other way,
Max Clayton Max James Clayton (born 9 August 1994) is a retired English footballer, who last played as a striker for Altrincham. He has also represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. Club career Crewe Alexandra Born in C ...
joined after compensation was agreed with his former club
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
. Clayton had trained with Bolton earlier in the summer following his turning down of a contract extension from the Railwaymen. The BBC reported a figure of £300,000 could be given to Crewe. A day later, Paddy Kenny released by
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
following rumours Massimo Cellino had dropped him because he considers the 'keeper's birth date to be unlucky. The Irishman signed for Bolton on a short-term deal to cover for the absent Ádám Bogdán, who had been injured while in training. The club's third signing in six days, Chris Herd joined Bolton from Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa until 8 November.


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References

Bolton Wanderers F.C. seasons 2014–15 Football League Championship by team, Bolton Wanderers {{DEFAULTSORT:2014-15 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season