50 years ago

HE had been Wanderers’ goalkeeper for four First Division seasons, but Eddie Hopkinson was having problems putting a roof over his head.

National newspapers cast the Burnden Park directors in the role of villains of the piece when it emerged they had refused to buy the England international a house in his home town of Royton.

As ever, there was more to the story than met the eye but, as Bolton Evening News readers were told, there was a dispute brewing between the club and one of their star players.

Hopkinson had yet to sign a new contract with Wanderers and, after being told he had to leave his Royton home which he had been renting from a member of his family, he asked the club to buy him another house in the area. But the Burnden board’s policy was only to buy homes for their players in Bolton.

That stance put them on a collision course with one of their FA Cup winners.

Hopkinson’s wife would, in no circumstances, live in Bolton.

25 years ago

WANDERERS boss Charlie Wright was angry with his team’s performance but relieved to take a point from a 1-1 home draw with Brentford.

“Hardly a classic,” was Wright’s disparaging opinion of the game, “but it was a magic result.”

The magic was in the fact that the point left Wanderers all but safe from relegation from Division Three.

Their survival, which had been in some doubt, would be confirmed if Leyton Orient and Preston dropped one point apiece in their remaining four games.

Steve Thompson brought a lacklustre game to life when he lashed in a shot to put Wanderers ahead on the hour, but Chris Kamara equalised 16 minutes from time.

It was just as well Wanderers had the safety points in the bag because a spate of injuries and suspensions cut Wright’s squad to the bare bones ahead of the next game at Millwall.

The weather was typically unkind to local cricketers who had to contend with snow, sleet, wind and rain on the opening day of the season.

The bowlers certainly whipped up a storm at Kearsley where the home side thought they were on course for a comfortable victory when they skittled out Farnworth Social Circle for 83, but the Circle bowlers responded in kind, dismissing the visitors for just 79 to claim a three-wicket win.

5 years ago

GARY Speed reached two appearance milestones but it was Chelsea who were celebrating at the Reebok after a 2-0 win clinched the Premier League title.

Frank Lampard scored twice to gatecrash Speed’s party as he chalked up 700 career games – 450 in the Premier League.

The defeat was a serious setback to Wanderers’ fading hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, but they were still sixth, just a point behind Liverpool and bang on course for a UEFA Cup spot, and Jay Jay Okocha saw reasons to be cheerful.

“The disappointment was just about Saturday’s game, knowing that we had thrown it away,” the Wanderers skipper said. “It’s no fun to see others celebrating but that’s football. We have come a long way and we have done a good job.”