50 Years Ago

BOLTON Wanderers — fourth in the First Division the previous season — faced the prospect of going into the new campaign without their inspirational captain and record-breaking goal scorer Nat Lofthouse.

The legendary centre-forward got a kick on his ankle in a practice match and for days it was touch and go whether he would be fit to play at Blackpool in the opening fixture. Then manager Bill Ridding announced he would not make it and that Ralph Gubbins would lead the attack.

Gubbins, the hero of Wanderers’ FA Cup semi-final triumph in 1958, repeatedly proved himself a capable understudy for Lofthouse and had enhanced his reputation with some impressive displays in the close-season tour of South Africa.

Winger Brian Birch was also injured so Ridding had to select a somewhat unfamiliar forward line, albeit one that was full of ball-players, Gubbins teaming up with Dougie Holden, Dennis Stevens, Freddie Hill and Ray Parry.

Blackpool’s legendary winger Stanley Matthews cried off with a knee injury, paving the way for summer signing Arthur Kaye — a £15,000 buy from Barnsley — to face Wanderers irrepressible full-back, Tommy Banks.

Down at The Oval, England’s cricketers were showing once again that they had the upper hand on India.

Mid-afternoon on the second day of the final test saw them well and truly in the ascendancy — as they had been for much of the series. After bowling out India for just 140, they turned the screw with opener Raman Subba Row (80no) and MJK Smith (82no) taking them to 190-2 after Geoff Pullar and Colin Cowdrey had gone cheaply.

25 Years Ago

WANDERERS manager John McGovern gave his backing to an initiative to heal a long-standing rift between the club and its supporters.

Burnden Park officials, prompted by calls from a small group of enthusiastic fans, arranged a “Meet the Players” event in the hope that the official supporters club could be re-formed.

And McGovern was keen to see the initiative succeed. “I don’t want to be involved with or associated with mindless idiots who go to matches to get drunk and cause trouble, “ he said, “but I want our genuine supporters to feel they are part of the club.

“On the field the players try to be good professionals with their attitude to the game and, if we can get a similar attitude from the fans then we will get on great together.

“Since the old supporters clubs faded away it is important for Bolton Wanderers to do everything they can to give their help in forming a new one.”

McGovern’s Wanderers were preparing for the start of the new season on the back of a 4-3 Manx Cup win at Bury, where George Oghani scored twice to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up.

Wanderers had selection problems in defence for their opening game at home to Bristol Rovers. Centre-backs Gerry McElhinney and Mark Came were suspended, Neil Berry was doubtful with an ankle injury and Peter Valentine went down with flu. Bolton teenage defender Jimmy Phillips was on standby but there would be no Burnden return for Neil Redfearn, who brouight his long-running dispute with McGovern to an end by joining Lincoln City for a fee of £8,250 that was set by a transfer tribunal.

Yorkshire brewery giants Samuel Smiths honoured Bolton’s favourite sporting son Nat Lofthouse by naming their new pub on Chorley New Road, Bolton “The Lion of Vienna.

“To us, Nat is the most famous man Bolton has ever produced,” a spokesman for the Tadcaster brewery said. “To name a pub after him is a pleasure.”

Craig Johnston was in hot water with Liverpool after staying at home in Australia to wait for the birth of his first child, which was due on October 15.

There was also trouble at Wigan RL club where the sacking of controversial coach Alex Murphy caused uproar among the fans. Murphy threatened to sue the club but chairman Jack Hilton insisted: “The directors are acting in the best interests of the club and the game.”

5 Years Ago REEBOK chairman Phil Gartside launched a spirited defence of Wanderers transfer policy after securing the services of Liverpool’s Senegal international El-Hadji Diouf on a season-long loan.

The two-time African Footballer of the Year became the Whites’ eighth summer signing, only two of whom — Gary Speed and Tal Ben Haim — had costs fees, underlining the club’s reluctance to be drawn into the big-spending routine that had been the undoing of so many clubs down the years.

In fact it was a policy that had become a model for other clubs who had aspirations to establish footholds in the Premiership without jeopardising their long-term futures.

“That’s how it will always be,” the chairman said. “We are not going to move from that . . . it is a proven way of operating and until we find a better way we’ll stick with it.”