45 Years Ago

BILL Ridding showed Wanderers fans that he was not afraid to make the big decisions when he responded to Wanderers’ 3-2 midweek defeat at Southampton.

With the season just a week old, the Bolton boss named 19-year-old Barry Fry — a free transfer from Manchester United — in his team to face Coventry City at Burnden Park.

Not only that, but the man who made way for young Fry was England inside forward Freddie Hill.

Hill — regarded as one of the most talented players the club ever produced — was dropped to the reserves after a couple of indifferent performances as Wanderers adjusted to life in the Second Division.

Relegation from the top flight had impacted on another Burnden favourite. Francis Lee, who frequently complained that his season was effectively over in January when Wanderers were knocked out of the FA Cup, was transfer-listed at his own request. And there would be no shortage of takers, judging by speculation in the Midlands that First Division Aston Villa had tabled a £35,000 bid.

Wanderers played down the reports, describing the story as “just another attempt to transfer a player through the newspapers”. But for Lee the writing, as the Bolton Evening News suggested, was on the wall.

Down the road at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s revered manager Matt Busby became the first winner of the Football Sword of Honour — a new annual award.

Reigning Rugby League champions Swinton reacted to a poor start to the new season by signing Cumbrian county second-row forward Derek Hurt from neighbours Leigh for a bargain £500.

Bolton walker Ron Wallwork — the Northern champion at 10 miles, 20 miles and 50 kilometres — rapped back at the GB athletics hierarchy who overlooked him for the Tokyo Olympics by winning a 37-mile Isle of Man event in record time. “That was my answer to the selectors,” Wallwork said.

30 Years Ago

WANDERERS answered the critics who had labelled them ultra-defensive with a 2-1 victory over Southampton at Burnden Park.

Goals from Neil McNab and Neil Whatmore put them two-up inside 18 minutes and although they conceded a late goal, they played impressively and were good value for the two points.

Liverpool manager Bob Paisley had been savagely critical of the tactics Ian Greaves had employed to gain a scoreless draw against the Champions in midweek, but the response was emphatic.

Burnden fans were still waiting for Frank Worthington — top scorer in Division One the previous season — to return from his summer stint with Philadelphia Fury. In the meantime, however, they were warming to Poland international winger Tadeusz Nowak, who had given Wanderers a new dimension.

Such was Nowak’s high-speed impact that Willie Morgan — another Bolton star who had spent the summer playing in America — had to settle for a place on the subs bench.

Increasing numbers of big name players were spending their summers in America — much to the irritation of their English clubs.

Nottingham Forest decided to take a stand when Trever Francis — Britain’s first million pound footballer — came back with an injury after a stint with Detroit Express. Forest manager Brian Cough decided to stop paying his wages.

20 Years Ago

VETERAN campaigner Jack Simmons had a fairytale end to his 20-year love affair with Sunday League cricket when he helped Lancashire clinch the Refuge Assurance League title.

The 48-year-old off-spinner, retiring at the end of the season, broke down after Lancashire’s nail-biting three-wicket win against Surrey.

After Paul Allott won the match, smashing a six with just five balls remaining, Simmons appeared on the pavilion balcony in front of 10,000 jubilant fans and said: “To finish my career like this is a fairytale — it’s the icing on the cake.”

But when club chairman Bob Bennett presented him with a silver salver in recognition of his distinguished career, he was overcome with emotion and retreated to the dressing room in tears.

It was Lancashire’s third Sunday League title, adding to the previous triumphs in the early 1970s when Simmons — nicknamed “Flat Jack” for his bowling style — had also been a key member of the county side.

There was little to shout about at Burnden Park where Phil Neal’s Wanderers were frustrated by Fulham’s negative tactics.

Cottagers manager Ray Lewington apologised after the game, explaining that injuries had forced him to field a severely-weakened side and opt for damage limitation.

Wanderers were still waiting for a transfer tribunal to decide how much they had to pay Sheffield Wednesday for striker David Reeves.

Wednesday boss Ron Atkinson was asking £250,000 while Neal had offered just £35,000.

Michael Knighton — referred to as the “new boss” of Manchester United after news broke of his controversial £10million takeover bid — revealed plans to build a five-star hotel on Old Trafford’s Stretford End.

Meanwhile, Alex Ferguson revealed his own own plans for United by making a £2m offer for West Ham midfielder Paul Ince and trying to persuade Middlesbrough to let him take their young centre-back Gary Pallister.