25 YEARS AGO: From the Evening News, February 15, 1976

BOLTON Wanderers' director and former chairman John Banks collapsed and died at the end of Saturday's FA Cup fifth round tie against Newcastle.

FOURTEEN soccer fans were arrested, eight of them from the Newcastle area, as violence flared up at the Bolton-Newcastle Cup tie. Police, including 20 dog handlers, stepped in as fights broke out in streets outside Burnden Park after the game.

OFFENCES of drunkenness in Bolton have soared 50 per cent in the past 12 months. In many cases there were assaults on police officers and licensees. Although there were no prosecutions for juvenile drunkenness, a number of young people have been officially cautioned, Bolton Licensing Committee have been told.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, February 15, 1951

BOLTON firemen and gasworks employees fought for two hours last night to prevent a possible second explosion at Bolton gasworks, Moor-lane. A 2cwt. coping stone caused the explosion when it fell from scaffolding and smashed a 20in. gas main. The explosion blew off the glass roof of the exhauster house, and a fire started which threatened to release another coping stone onto the main. The stone was finally lowered safely. Seven fire engines were called out to deal with the blaze. Engines from Bury and Farnworth stood by.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, February 15, 1876

A FAll of snow commenced in Bolton and neighbourhood between nine and ten o'clock on Sunday night, continuing through the night until this forenoon, when the snow lay several inches thick. YESTERDAY being St Valentine's Day, the postmen in Bolton had their usual loads of missives amatory, complimentary, and otherwise, to deliver, though in consequence of the compliance with the request by the Post Office authorities that the valentines should be dispatched on Saturday and early yesterday morning, the labours of the "men of letters" were considerably lightened by being spread over a number of deliveries.

THE coal trade in the Farnworth district is in a very distressed condition, and the Bridgewater Trustees have deemed it necessary to adopt the system of short time at their numerous collieries, working four days a week.