BACK in Wanderers’ League One promotion campaign under Phil Parkinson, Trans-Pennine rivalry with Bradford City burned as brightly as anywhere else.

‘Parky’ had quit the Bantams having had doubts over the direction the club was going in under new ownership, accepting an offer from Bolton’s new head honcho, Ken Anderson.

With a solid squad still in place and assurances that a transfer embargo would be cleared within weeks, Parkinson spoke confidently about restoring pride. Surely nothing could possibly go wrong?

Bradford challenged for the majority of that season and twice ran Bolton close in tense draws at the Macron and Valley Parade.

But after missing out on the play-offs, life turned out to be tough for the Yorkshiremen, post-Parkinson and ownership issues soon came to the surface – if not in the same spectacularly destructive way they did with the Whites.

Managers came and went. McCall sits in the hotseat at the start of this season but an incredible six different people occupied the job between his present appointment in February 2020 and the day his last ended two years earlier.

Bradford will again be boosted by a strong home support and a rich history. Like Wanderers, there is a sense they do not naturally belong at this level of football – but as they found out last season, such indignance does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with success.

The club’s summer business has been solid. They cut ties with striker James Vaughan and have brought in four players – Levi Sutton, Callum Cooke and Elliott Watt. Another, Billy Clarke, is in his third spell with the club and nearly became a Bolton player last summer.

They are rightly regarded as one of the favourites in League Two and with the popular and amenable McCall in charge should be good value for a promotion push.

The Bolton News: Billy Clarke celebrates after equalising for City as James Hanson, who hit the winner, looks on

Danger man – Only Vaughan managed to get into double figures for Bradford last season and they will have hopes that Clarke can reignite his shooting boots after spending last season with Grimsby Town.

Last time they met – Bradford came to the UniBol last season in what was theoretically Keith Hill’s first home competitive game in charge. As it happened, Under-18s coach Nicky Spooner stood front and centre in the dugout as a young team drew 1-1 – Dennis Politic scoring the goal – and then lost on a penalty shootout.

Stat of the day – Wanderers haven’t lost in regular time to Bradford since 1993, when John McGinlay scored the only goal in a 2-1 reverse at Valley Parade. Since then there have been eight meetings, including last season’s Checkatrade Trophy shootout.

They played for both - Loads of players have represented Bolton and Bradford - Clayton Donaldson, Robbie Blake, Jamie Proctor... But the most unsettling example we could find was Super John McGinlay, who left Wanderers to play at Valley Parade in November 1997. That shirt just doesn't look right.

The Bolton News:

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