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The Bolton Evening News on February 8, 2006

AFTER 92 years, 51 visits and a bagful of mixed memories, Wanderers fans make their last-ever trip down south to Highbury on February 11.

Arsenal are preparing to say goodbye to the famous old ground this season before a short move to Ashburton Grove, where the 60,000 all-seater Emirates Stadium awaits them.

We take a look at Wanderers' Highbury memories, and some of the great names to have played in front of the Clock End . . . .

HIGHBURY has never been the happiest hunting ground for Wanderers, who first played against Arsenal there in 1919, six years after the ground first opened.

The result on that day was a 2-2 draw, courtesy of goals from Tom Buchan and Ted Vizard. Incredibly, in 50 subsequent attempts, Wanderers have managed just six victories.

Wales international Vizard was something of a lucky charm for Wanderers at the ground, becoming the only man ever to score a hat-trick for the Whites at Highbury and appearing n three winning sides during his 21-year career.

After Vizard's retirement in 1941, the next victory at Highbury arrived 17 years later, as Ralph Gubbins and Nat Lofthouse scored in front of 28,425 fans in what was to prove a successful season for the Whites.

Unsurprisingly, Lofthouse remains Bolton Wanderers' record goalscorer against the Gunners, netting 12 times in all, home and away.

The fifth and final league win at Highbury arrived in the 1962/3 season when Dennis Stevens and Dougie Holden settled the game for a Wanderers side which narrowly avoided relegation that year.

A barren spell of 44 years in the league followed, but perhaps the most famous victory for Wanderers at Arsenal's HQ arrived in the FA Cup fourth round replay in February 1994.

John McGinlay gave Wanderers the lead before Alan Smith levelled to send the game into extra time.

Then a mid-table Championship side, everyone expected Wanderers to fade against George Graham's well-drilled Gunners, who had lifted the league title just two years earlier. But instead, it was the Premiership side who wilted under the pressure with Jason McAteer then Andy Walker netting to complete the giant-killing.

Although happy memories are few and far between for Wanderers at Highbury, the Gunners have had reason to celebrate on more than one occasion when the two sides met.

George Allison managed Arsenal to the club's fifth league title of the 1930s with a 5-0 win against Wanderers on the last day of the 1938. Soon after the game, Highbury was used as a backdrop to Ealing Studio's crime caper The Arsenal Stadium Mystery.' Bolton then provided the opposition when Ian Wright broke Cliff Bastin's all-time goalscoring record.

Alan Thompson had given Wanderers an early lead before Wright struck in the 20th minute to equal Bastin's record. Unfortunately, the future BBC pundit thought he had beaten Bastin's total and unveiled a commemorative T-shirt as part of his goal celebration.

It didn't take long for Wright to correct his error though, as he scored twice more to help Arsenal to a 4-1 win and cement his place in history.

And with Wanderers already relegated from the Premiership in 1996, former boss Bruce Rioch guided Arsenal to a 2-1 win on the last day of the season to snatch qualification for the Uefa Cup.

Saturday's game represents the last chance for Wanderers to end their 44-year drought. When the Gunners make the move to Ashburton Grove next season, Whites fans must hope the ground will prove a little bit kinder.

8:41am Saturday 9th September 2006

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