IN the spirit of all things Halloween, this week’s column celebrates the most gruesome, ghoulish and macabre offerings Wanderers have served up in my eight-or-so years of covering the club.

I don’t believe in jinxes, and I’m definitely not superstitious, but after Gordon Sharrock hung up his typewriter as chief football writer following a second stint in the UEFA Cup, things haven’t exactly gone smoothly for the football club under my watch. Touch wood that changes soon.

I have seen some shockers. From relegation and trying to fill a 12-page supplement after a 5-0 defeat at Wembley (both involving Stoke, I might add) to massacres at the Madejski, it hasn’t been pleasant viewing.

So turn the lights down, and grab a cushion to cover your eyes people: The following article contains scenes of Gary Megson and Dougie Freedman.

Wanderers 1 Northampton Town 2 – 26/8/08

One of my first games covering Wanderers. I remember Gary Cahill, the future England centre-half, being mullered by Adebayo Akinfenwa and then getting sent off for trying to snap Giles Coke in two. Oh, and Danny Shittu.

Aston Villa 5 Wanderers 1 – 7/11/09

I love working at Villa Park but I can’t remember too many good results, and this one sticks in my mind. Poor old Kevin Davies was sent out to speak with the media – and Gary Megson had clearly gone bananas in the dressing room.

Wanderers 0 Chelsea 4 – 24/1/11

The club’s first home game after the passing of Nat Lofthouse. What should have been a galvanising occurrence had very much the opposite effect.

To make matters worse, Nicolas Anelka was one of the Chelsea goalscorers.

Wanderers 0 Stoke City 5 – 17/4/11

Where to start with this one? A few weeks earlier the club had been buoyed by the FA Cup quarter final win over Birmingham City it felt like anything was possible. One depressing semi-final later and it felt like the end of the world.

I could write chapter and verse on the emotions of the day but overall I felt so sorry for the Bolton fans. The players had imploded on the big occasion, and everything Stoke hit went in.

Fulham 3 Wanderers 0 – 27/4/11

A few weeks after the semi-final we all trekked down to London to watch this – another dire display – and a sign of things to come.

Wanderers 0 Manchester United 5 – 10/9/11

The bubble had well and truly burst under Owen Coyle by this point and it was clear the club were heading for a relegation battle. Wayne Rooney grabbed a hat-trick but United had it so easy.

Stoke City 2 Wanderers 2 - 13/4/12

I sensed no-one really believed Wanderers would get relegated, even after some crucial points were dropped at home to West Brom a week earlier. This was the last shot – but while Sergio Aguero was stealing all the headlines down the M6 at the Etihad, Bolton waved goodbye to the big time in rather limp fashion. Yes, it had been a god-awful season, but I felt the fans deserved better than this.

Peterborough United 5 Wanderers 4 – 22/12/12

Sounds like a great game but, believe me, it wasn’t.

This is where life in the Championship really hit home for Wanderers. A terrible pitch, a scruffy stadium and being hoofed off the field by Dwight Gayle and Co. Dougie Freedman knew changes needed to be made.

Wanderers 2 Blackpool 2 – 4/5/13

Strange selection and tactics from Freedman aside – I just can’t get my head around why Wanderers played so poorly on a day when victory would have equalled a play-off place.

Anthony Knockaert’s late goal for Leicester City officially knocked them out of the top six but there was still time for a rumour to sweep round the press box that Nottingham Forest had saved Bolton’s bacon with a late equaliser. Sadly, it proved to be false.

Blackburn 4 Wanderers 1 – 31/8/13

By far the worst derby performance in my time covering the club – and another that left Freedman seething at the players he’d put on the pitch.

Reading 7 Wanderers 1 – 18/1/14

You’re probably picking up a theme here. Bad defeat, Freedman livid.

The Madejski Massacre, as I insist on calling it, was a nightmare from start to finish. I’d never seen anyone dominate a Wanderers back four like Garath McCleary and Adam Le Fondre did that day. It was ruthless.

Fulham 4 Wanderers 0 – 1/10/14

Freedman’s last stand – as soul-less a performance as you could wish to see and proof that change needed to be made at the top.

Huddersfield Town 4 Wanderers 1 – 19/9/15

Wanderers had been poor for 45 minutes against Middlesbrough, then reasonable in the second half. Here it was the opposite way round.

Defensively this was a right dog’s dinner.