AFTER two game-days spent cursing the weather, Wanderers will run on to the pitch at the UniBol tonight confident of playing 90 minutes of football.

Matches at Mansfield Town and Salford City were postponed at the last moment, leaving little chance to gain momentum from the convincing victory against Leyton Orient last time out.

The silver lining to the heavy rain-filled clouds that have filled the skies is that Wanderers have been able to work with their four new signings – Marcus Maddison, Lukas Jensen, Dapo Afolayan and MJ Williams – on the training ground. And considering the conditions this week, that has been no mean feat.

The fact Ian Evatt was able to switch Saturday’s game at the Peninsula Stadium to a full-on training session at short notice was only made possible by a swift turnaround from head groundsman Chris Simm and his team.

So if things go according to plan against Morecambe tonight, victory might well be dedicated to the unsung heroes who keep Wanderers’ playing surfaces in pristine condition.

“They have been magnificent,” Evatt said of the ground-work team. “I did give them a choice, they could either come in and do it now (Saturday) or we’ll come in Sunday morning together, so they chose to get their backsides in, which is fine.

“It is a team effort and that’s the thing we are trying to set behind the scenes. We want everyone to be included, whether that’s football staff or those in general around the place. We want to be a unit.

“We should all work hard, trust each other and treat each other with respect and I think the ground-staff have bought into that more than anyone.”

Though staff numbers are well down on Wanderers’ Premier League pomp, there is still a cast of many behind the scenes who have kept the club ticking over in extraordinary times.

During the pandemic it has been harder for Evatt and the owners to repair damage done by the previous regime but the manager feels progress is being made.

“This club has suffered, the staff have suffered,” he said. “There were times when some of them were worried about getting their next meal on the table and that can leave damaging scars. But I think the atmosphere now compared to when I first walked in during July is completely different.

“The staff understand how we work, they have real trust and faith in the board and what they are doing.

“Sharon (Brittan) treats every person with respect and I think they have earned some trust again. I think the football staff have earned it too because they see we only want the best for Bolton Wanderers and we’re more willing to work together.

“There is no hierarchy. It takes a team effort.”

Have you checked out the latest edition of The Buff Podcast? Marc Iles and Henry Hewitt guide you through all the Wanderers news and gossip here.