ON behalf of everyone at The Bolton News, I’d like to thank each and every person who has subscribed to the newspaper in the last couple of months.

The uptake has been fantastic, and the feedback I have had from Bolton Wanderers supporters so far has been really encouraging. But let me assure you, there is plenty more to come.

For generations, people have walked into a newsagents and bought copies of the Bolton Evening News (and the Bolton News, for those with fewer miles on the clock). And, effectively, that is what we are asking you to do again.

We know times have changed. Within minutes of a press conference happening, someone is tweeting quotes, or rattling out a soulless article detailing ‘everything a manager has said’ – but, fear not, we will still be covering all that on the website without you having to pay a penny.

Matchday Live continues to attract huge numbers of Bolton supporters at home and abroad, making every Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening pass by more enjoyably for me in the press box, and hopefully for you at home, too. Of course, we’ll continue to provide that service for nowt.

Every word Ian Evatt or the Bolton players say in a press conference will be provided, for free, on our website, as will the player ratings, and any important news updates and transfer gossip.

We will still be bringing you our popular podcast, The Buff, which attracts thousands of listeners from around the world each week, completely free, via the website, Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple.

If you cannot subscribe – or you just feel it is not for you – then The Bolton News will continue to be the go-to resource for breaking Wanderers news. We were here seven years before the Rev Joseph Farrall Wright and Thomas Ogden formed Christchurch FC, and we are still giving the town daily stories about their football club some 154 years later.

Every major event that has ever happened to Bolton Wanderers has been covered by this newspaper and though we know the world is different now, and your news is not always delivered through the letterbox, or printed on paper, we still intend to be there for every twist and turn, every kick, every success, every failure.

We are asking you to subscribe to an extra level of coverage, and as someone who has covered this grand old club for quite some time now, I back myself to bring you content which is worth paying a few quid a month to read.

There are some great stories to tell at Bolton Wanderers and with Dan Barnes now added to the sports team to provide extra digital articles, I have more license to go and write with greater depth, pursuing the news that really matters.

I’m quite new to this subscription malarkey – and to be truthful with you all, a bad bout of Covid did not help the story flow in the last few weeks. For that, I apologise.

Now fit (a relative term) and fighting again, I am looking to boost the premium content in the coming weeks and wanted to let you know what I have in store.

We plan to introduce more audio clips, bringing premium subscribers bang up to date from press conferences and player interviews as quickly as we possibly can.

I’ll be bringing you a weekly column, Inside Wanderers, delving into one of the hot topics around the University of Bolton Stadium. And after our regular match report – which will remain free for all to read – I’ll compose something on Sunday morning that you can kick back and read with more of a reflective view.

We’re aiming to bring at least one 'Big Interview' a week, nailing down a player or manager from the past to talk about their time at Bolton.

And in the future, we are working on plans for greater tactical and data analysis, extra video content scrutinising the weekend’s game and answering your questions directly.

We will also be bringing mini-podcasts and quizzes to keep you entertained during a commute or a lunch break.

This is not a one-way street, either. If there is a story you would like to see us cover or an interview you would like me to seek out, then please feel free to tweet me @MarcIles or drop a message on our Instagram - theboltonnewsbwfc.

Along with all the extra Wanderers content, subscription to the website will give you access to unlimited articles, ad-lite web browsing, faster website load times and plenty of reader discounts.

To get 20 per cent off a yearly subscription or pay just £2 for your first two months of coverage - CLICK HERE.