The Trotters were formed in 1874 under the name Christ Church FC by Reverend Thomas Ogden.They played at Deane Road until 1877 and changed their name to Bolton Wanderers.
Bolton reached the FA Cup final in 1894 but lost to Notts County 4-1.The club won the FA Cup in 1923 after winning against West Ham United,and also in 1926 and 1929.
From 1935 until 1964,the club were in the top flight,with Nat Lofthouse influencing the play in the 1950s.Some players volunteered to fight in the war and two were killed in Italy.In 1946,the Burnden Park Disaster killed 33 fans and injured 400 at the-then stadium.
The club won another FA Cup in 1953 but from 1958,they haven't won a major trophy competition.
The 1960s and 1970s were full of relegations and promotions.Relegated in 1964,the club went back to the Second Division in 1973 and then the top flight in 1978.They went down in 1980.
Bolton were back in Division Three in 1983 after relegation.For the first time in their history,they were relegated to the basement division in 1987.They went back up the following season.
Second tier promotion came back to Bolton in 1993.They finally reached the Premiership in 1995 after beating Reading in the playoff final 4-3.Despite getting to the League Cup final,they only lasted one season in the top flight.They went back up in 1996/97 but they were relegated at the end of the season.
Bolton missed out on the Premiership after losing to Watford in the 1999 playoff final.Sam Allardyce was named manager shortly after.In 2000,they reached the FA Cup semi-final,the Worthington Cup final and playoffs.They lost in the semi finals of the playoffs.
2001 saw them back in the Premier League and they stayed up for two seasons.They finished 8th in 2004,their highest ever position.The Trotters gained UEFA Cup qualification in 2005 and reached the last 32,only to lose to Marseille.
Allardyce left the club in 2007 for Newcastle United.In 2008,under Gary Megson,they signed Johan Elmander for £8.2 million.Despite staying up in the 2009/10 season,they were nearly relegated in 2011 and lost 5-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.
In March 2012,midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest in a FA Cup tie against Spurs.He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but weeks later,he was speaking and responding.He miraculously recovered.However,he was forced to retire aged 24.He is now a journalist.
Manager Owen Coyle was sacked in October 2012 and replaced by Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman.He kept the club in the Championship and guided them to 7th.
Bolton have the face of former Donny player Matt Mills,who left us in 2009.Jermaine Beckford,notable for his time as a Leeds player,and Cardiff loanee Joe Mason make a lethal strikeforce in the squad.Darren Pratley,Neil Danns and Korean Chung-Yong Lee help the midfield.
Other players include Lukas Jutkiewicz and David Wheater.
THE GAFFER-DOUGIE FREEDMAN
Freedman had a playing career lasting sixteen years,from 1994 to 2010.He played often as a midfielder.
Having come through the ranks at QPR,Freedman signed for Barnet in 1994.He scored 24 times in his first season at Underhill and attracted attention from Crystal Palace,who signed him for £800,000 in 1995.
At Palace,he made 93 appearances and scored 34 goals over two years.He won promotion to the Premier League in 1997/98 but only played two games before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1998.
Robbie Keane's arrival at Molineux sent Freedman off to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 1998.He made 70 appearances for Wolves,but left in 2000 to rejoin Palace where he stayed for eight years before retiring in 2008.
After brief spells as reserve manager and a coaching role at Southend United,Freedman became assistant manager to Paul Hart and then George Burley at Palace.When Burley was sacked,he became the Eagles boss in 2011.He kept Palace in the Championship and in the 2011/12 season his team knocked Manchester United out of the Carling Cup.
He was appointed Bolton boss in October 2012 and still remains there.
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