Here are 10 reasons why Bolton Wanderers fans should get to the Rotherham game

Ticket prices have been slashed to just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, and with extra music and entertainment before kick-off there should be a high-energy atmosphere as Ian Evatt’s side look to cement their place in the top three.

There has been plenty to admire about Wanderers this season but if you are on the fence about buying a ticket for Saturday, we have listed 10 good reasons why you should join the fun.

1. Dapo is on fire – Afolayan was a joy to watch last season, and that was before he started adding goals to his game. Now, every time the ball lands at his feet there is an audible rise in expectation in the crowd. Something is going to happen.

No player in League One averages more dribbles per game (2.7) and nobody else gets fouled as often as the Wanderers wide man. Will another full-back get Dapo’d? His recent displays have been worth the entrance fee alone.

2. Goals galore – Wanderers currently have THREE players inside the top 10 goalscorers in League One: Dapo Afolayan (four), Eoin Doyle (three) and Josh Sheehan (three).

Currently averaging two goals per game, Bolton have even been entertaining when they haven’t found the back of the net, as anyone who watched the game against Burton Albion will tell you.

3. Sharp-shooters – We already know what Wanderers offer in attack, and their average of 14.7 shots per game is bettered by just one other side in the division… Rotherham United! If nothing else, the numbers tell us we will see plenty of goalmouth action.

4. Revenge mission – The last time the two sides met was September 14, 2019, at the New York Stadium. Football Ventures had just completed the takeover, saving the club from liquidation, and new boss Keith Hill had hastily assembled a new team over the course of a weekend.

Thibaud Verlinden opened the scoring in fairy-tale fashion but, alas, the rest of the afternoon was a sobering one. Rotherham ran in six goals to underline the size of the task ahead.

5. Rise and Sheehan – If you haven’t seen the classy Wales international in action live yet, then you have missed a trick. Of all the players in League One who have played 300 minutes of football this season, Sheehan has the highest pass completion (87.4).

Add to that the spectacular free-kick he scored on debut against MK Dons and you have yourself a new terrace favourite.

6. New soundtrack – Nearly everything about the UniBol sounds different these days. Yes, you’ll still get a bit of Dion doing The Wanderer, or 633 Squadron, but there are plenty of new tunes pre-match too which gives the atmosphere a fresh feel.

Furthermore, all these new players for fans to serenade has forced them to get creative. We are now hearing odes of Elias Kachunga, Dapo Afolayan, Ricardo Santos – and more being dreamed up by the day.

7. Style it out – It is fair to say that Brand Evatt took some time to bed down at Bolton, and those early months in League Two were tough to handle at the time. But gradually, the tactical familiarity has improved along with the personnel, and the team is now playing football which is getting praise from far and wide.

The best Wanderers side to watch since the Premier League days of Stu Holden and Mark Davies? Maybe further back than that…

8. A different ball game – Over the last decade the relationship between the Bolton Wanderers fans and the boardroom has seldom been settled. And it was inevitable that some people would find reason to do something else with their weekend.

Football Ventures have had their challenges since taking over – and are sure to have more in the future – but their efforts to engage fans, encourage a community spirit and make the club easier to like again cannot be questioned.

The feelgood factor created by promotion and the return of supporters to the UniBol is due in no small part to the respect felt for Sharon Brittan and Co. For the first time in a while it DOES feel like everyone is in it together.

9. BWFC family – Yes, most of our moods on Saturday evening and beyond will be dictated by Wanderers’ result against Rotherham but the day itself is about more than 90 minutes. The club is hoping to make the pre-match atmosphere as family friendly as possible to encourage mums, dads and kids to come and enjoy the day out together.

10. Just the ticket – Prices have been reduced to just £10 for adults and £5 for Over-65s and Under-18s and there are hopes that with the right weather, the crowd can nudge the 20,000 mark for the first time since April 2018.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online so that they can print at home or download to their mobile devices and save on the matchday queues.