Bolton Wanderers Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - 5 memorable bad-tempered encounters

As two of the country’s founding members of the football league, Bolton Vs Wolves dates back more than a century.

In recent decades, things have tended to boil over, including mass brawls, controversial refereeing decisions and even a scrap involving Bolton's mascot.

Here we present five notable moments from a Wanderers rivalry history ahead of tonight's clash at Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux Stadium.

Bolton Vs Wolves 1997

There are punch-ups and then there are the likes of what happened in January 1997.

A controversial playoff encounter 18 months earlier has seen Wanderers legend John McGinlay escape a red car before scoring the winner.

Fast-forward a year and half and you had the mother of all spicy encounters in the offing.

Just five minutes into the match and Bolton had a penalty claim rejected. John Sheridan got involved and a few seconds later, virtually every player on the pitch waded into the fray.

Key belligerents included Bolton's Gerry Taggart and Wolves' one-club man Steve Bull.

The referee, David Allison, called Bull and Wanderers captain Gudni Bergsson together to restore some calm, but it didn't stop the former exchanging headbutts with Taggart in the 63rd minute.

Sheridan, his head still bleeding from the earlier encounter, later passed the incident off as a 'bit of fisticuffs'.

Allison - seemingly resigned to there being a poisonous atmosphere that day - didn't bother mentioning the brawl in his match report.

Bolton Vs Wolves 1997

Same game; different rumble.

Bolton's mascot, Lofty, named after Bolton legend Nat 'The Lion of Vienna' Lofthouse, was entertaining the crowds during half-time when he caught the attention of the travelling Wolves' fans.

Unappreciative of Lofty's famous dance routines and already whipped into a frenzy by the earlier on-field scrap, the Wolves faithful decided to pelt him with pies and pasties.

A group of fans - incensed by a man dressed in a cartoon lion costume - even tried to bypass the stewards and take the fight to Lofty out on the playing surface.

Lofty's conduct was reported to the FA, but Bolton had the last laugh - They won the game 3-0.

Bolton Vs Wolves playoff semi-final second leg 1995

With Bolton trailing 2-1 from the away leg at Molineux, they needed something special back at Burnden Park.

Following a furious goalmouth scramble, John McGinlay somehow managed to escape with just a booking after socking Wolves' David Kelly in the mush.

It was a curious decision given the referee had a clear view of super John raising his hand, and one which had implications for the future of both clubs: McGinlay popped up to score the the extra-time winner and send Bolton into the play-off final, in which they defeated Reading 4-3 at Wembley.

Wolves Vs Bolton 2012

With both sides struggling to avoid relegation, the stakes were high in March 2012.

Bolton staged an unlikely comeback during a bad tempered encounter at Molineux.

But strangely, it seemed the fighting might actually be confined to the Wolves camp - their goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey squaring up to his own defender Roger Johnson after Wolves had conspired to create an opportunity for Bolton to register.

Bolton scored a controversial penalty earned by former Wolves player, Mark Davies, who was the focus of the home fans' boos all afternoon.

Bolton eventually won the game 2-3, but the result didn't stop them being relegated - along with Wolves - that season.

Wolves Vs Bolton 2009

Another ill-tempered game where the focus of fans' ire was towards their own.

A forgettable game that Bolton lost 2-1, it but notable for marking the most visible resentment yet among fans towards Whites manager, Gary Megson.

At half time, away fans distributed A4 'Megson Out' banners, which most displayed during the second 45 minutes.

Megson would go on to claim the feeling was mutual and was sacked after 11 months in charge.

What are your memories of Bolton Vs Wanderers? Let us know your thoughts in comments.