IT was a whisker away from being one of the the most famous comebacks in the history of Bolton Wanderers and I missed it.

I was there at Stamford Bridge on Saturday but my role as the club’s fan liaison officer meant I missed all the drama, locked out of the ground while I was sorting out emergency travel arrangements for a group of supporters In fact I was on the tube heading back to my car, which was parked at Ealing, as the goals were flying in: 4-1 Andy O’Brien, 4-2 Chris Basham, 4-3 Matty Taylor . . . then I heard that Gary Cahill had one cleared off the line in the dying seconds.

I was getting texts off everybody and was absolutely gutted I wasn’t there to see all the drama unfold, although I was even more gutted for Gary Megson and the lads who put up such a brave fighting performance and deserved something for all their efforts.

I had the satisfaction, though, of helping the fans out, which is what I’m there for.

It was a 15-strong group of Walkden Whites who had the problem. The minibus they’d hired broke down at Oxford but, being typical football fans, they got themselves to the game and contacted me when they got to Chelsea.

We sorted most of them out with seats on the Travel Club coaches but when it got to 4-0, two of the lads who were due to come back with me asked me to meet them outside the ground, which I did.

Unfortunately the stewards wouldn’t let us back in. What a choker!

The important thing, though, was that all the fans got home safe and well and when I dropped my two off in Bradshawgate at nine o’clock on Saturday night, they were ever so grateful, even though we’d missed all the excitement.

What I saw up to 4-0 and what I caught up with on Match of the Day convinced me that we deserved something out of the game. We had chances in the first half and that penalty given against Gretar Steinsson for their third goal was a scandal.

Chelsea weren’t four goals better than us and they can count themselves lucky to have got the three points. But, credit our lads for giving it a good go.

I was made up for Andy O’Brien getting on the scoresheet after the problems he’s had recently and for young Basham. Let’s hope that’s the first of many from him. I think he’s got a great future.

It was great catching up with Neil Merry – the Wanderers fan based in Cheltenham who is fighting cancer. Neil’s looking great and he’s been delighted with all the support he’s had from the club.

Anyone who was at the Reebok last week for the Goldline Trophy final would have seen a superb showpiece that has a special place in local grassroots football.

It’s a fantastic event and it was just a shame there had to be a loser. Atherton LR won it in dramatic fashion, 2-1 in the last minute of extra-time, but I know the Stoneclough people really enjoyed the occasion.

It’s great to see players at that level getting a chance to play on a Premier League ground with all the trappings and both teams did themselves, their clubs and the competition proud.