What happened on April 21 in Bolton Wanderers' history?

2013 DOUGIE Freedman was confident Craig Davies could fire Wanderers into the play-offs after losing David Ngog for the rest of the season.

With just three games to go, the Whites were well-placed in seventh spot as they looked to wrap up a double against Middlesbrough.

Davies had been mainly consigned to the bench since his £300,000 move from Barnsley but Freedman admitted that Ngog’s injury meant Davies had to step up.

“Sometimes starting certain games I don’t think he has been fit enough to last 80 or 90 minutes,” he said. “But we have worked on that and his desire has got him to the level we want.”

2007: SAM Allardyce prepared to take charge of what would be his final game in the Reebok dugout warning that complacency was the biggest threat to Wanderers’ chances of getting back into Europe.

A third UEFA Cup spot had opened up as Manchester United and Chelsea won through to the FA Cup Final. But Allardyce feared his players could be lulled into a false sense of security, knowing they only needed to finish seventh to qualify.

The Whites boss was confident his players would achieve what was being asked of them even if they were unaware that in just over a week he would end his seven-and-a-half year stay with the club.

And he was eager to underline that Everton, Portsmouth, Spurs and his next opponents, Reading, could take advantage of any slip-ups.

“We aren’t quite there yet,” he said ahead of the meeting with Steve Coppell’s Royals. “And we don’t want the players to relax at all, psychologically.

“Just because that seventh spot is there, don’t switch off and don’t even think about not producing over the last four games.

“Our ultimate goal is to finish fifth in the Premiership. I don’t want complacency coming in at this stage.”

2000: MIKE Whitlow said Wanderers would only have themselves to blame if they missed out on the play-offs.

Sam Allardyce’s side were preparing to host Huddersfield Town, themselves chasing a top-six spot, but had seen two points slip through their grasp in a hectic 4-4 draw against West Brom the previous weekend.

“If it doesn’t happen, it’s our own fault and our own downfall,” the Reebok captain said.

“Looking at the quality of the players we have here, we shouldn’t be chasing a play-off spot – we should be in there already.

“Fulham and Blackburn will be saying the same. They’ve spent even more than we have yet they are behind us.”

1969: TWO Wanderers directors with a total of 62 years service on the board resigned from the club.

Mr William Hayward and Mr James Entwistle informed the board that they would be stepping down to allow younger men to take their place.

A statement said: “The demands of time on directors increase as the years go by, and they both realise that much solid work lies in front of the Bolton board.”

Club chairman Harry Tyldesley paid a warm tribute to the pair expressing his appreciation for their long and devoted service.

“As a mark of esteem and regard for their long and faithful service, the board has unanimously made Mr Entwistle and Mr Hayward life vice-presidents of the club. This means that they will be in the future be able to enjoy their football at Burnden Park free from the trammels of office.”

1917: Jimmy Fay, who was ‘guesting’ for Wanderers in a wartime fixture against Bury, scored four of his side’s goals in a 6-0 win.

Centre-half Fay played for Bolton for 10 years and after retirement was instrumental in the creation of the Players’ Union – which went on to become the PFA.

This union was formed because the Football League had ratified a maximum wage for footballers in 1901 at £4 (2019: £485) and it was felt that it severely limited the opportunity for the best players to earn wages which would forego them having another job on the side.