25 Years Ago LITTLE more than a month after arriving at Burnden Park as Wanderers’ player-manager, Phil Neal decided to take a look at the situation from the sidelines instead of from the heart of the defence – and saw Tony Caldwell, Graham Bell and George Oghani score in a 3-1 beating of title-chasing Walsall.

Now he was thinking of stepping down more often and leaving his players to their own devices.

“I’ll gladly not play for Bolton Wanderers again if I know the side is doing it for me all round. I’ll play the odd game when needed,” said the young boss who had previously been critical of his players’ will to win.

He was not totally convinced that he did not need a hands-on approach, though.

“They’ve still got some bad points – some very bad points. And it’s going to take me a long time to get it all sorted out.

“But if Walsall are going for the top of the league we are able to get a little way forward ourselves after this performance. I knew all we needed was to show some aggression against them because they looked cock a hoop.”

Neal evidently did not think he needed the services of top scorer David Cross after agreeing to loan the former West Ham and West Brom striker to Bury.

Also on the move was Alan Brazil, Manchester United’s Scotland international striker who was on his way to Coventry City in a £600,000 swap deal that took Sky Blues full-back Terry Gibson to Old Trafford.

As England’s cricketers arrived in sun-drenched Barbados to prepare for their Test series against West Indies, three of the island’s top internationals served up a taste of what they had in store with some formidable performances in the Shell Shield match against the Leeward Islands.

Fast bowler Joel Garner, thought to have been past his best took six wickets in a blistering spell then saw his team-mates, Windies openers Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, share a partnership of 166.

Down under, Australia collapsed to a humiliating World Series Cup defeat to New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval.

Chasing the Kiwi’s formidable total of 276-7, the Aussies were skittled out for 70 in 26.3 overs – the second lowest score in the competition.

50 Years Ago BILLY McAdams – the man who had taken over the number nine shirt from Nat Lofthouse – earned Wanderers a fourth-rund FA Cup replay against Blackburn Rovers after the local rivals shared the honours in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Burnden Park.

Rovers, better placed in the First Division and favourites going into the tie, went on to win the replay 4-0, but they found Wanderers in stubborn mood in an exciting first meeting on a rain-drenched pitch that was passed fit just and hour and a half before kick off.

Graham Stanley put Wanderers in front from the penalty spot after Dennis Stevens had been brought down by Ronnie Clayton. But Ally Macleod scored twice either side of half time to put the visitors in front, and after the impressive Stevens struck to make it 2-2, Derek Dougan put Jack Marshall’s men back in front.

Rovers thought they had done enough to book their place in the next round but McAdams struck 17 minutes from time to put Bill Ridding’s Wanderers into the hat for the fifth-round draw which gave the two Lancashire rivals the prospect of an away tie at Sheffield United.

Manchester City had to play it again after their fourth-round tie at Luton was abandoned 20 minutes from time because of waterlogging at Kenilworth Road where City were leading 6-2 – Denis Law having scored all six goals. Law scored again when the game was replayed four days later . . . but City lost 3-1.

Down in Division Three, promotion-chasing Bury were in need of a boost after taking just five points from nine games. But, amazingly, they were still in second spot because rival contenders Grimsby were on an equally bad run.

5 Years Ago STELIOS, the little man with the big heart, put Wanderers into the last 16 of the FA Cup at the expense of the holders, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.

The Greece international was the toast of a half-empty Reebok Stadium when he pounced six minutes from time, getting on the end of Ricardo Gardner’s cross to plant a header past keeper Manuel Almunia for the only goal of the game.

Four days after being dumped out of the Carling Cup by Wigan after a defeat at Everton, Wenger admitted it had been the worst week of his nine-and-a-half year Highbury reign.

Stelios, who took his personal tally to three goals in four games against Arsenal, was on an all-time high.

“We are not a small club or a middle club any more,” he said. “We are a club that is improving year by year, week by week, and this is what I like – not only me but the rest of the lads, the gaffer and everybody here.

“I like it because two or three years ago the feeling was not the same. Now we feel we are a big club, a good club and that the club is getting bigger and bigger.”

Amir Khan took just 75 seconds to beat Belarussian Vitali Martynov to claim his fifth straight win as a pro.