Bert Tyldesley followed the fortunes of Bolton Wanderers through eight decades and kept a diary of his time in the terraces. With the kind permission of his family, we bring you his reflections on that journal, entitled: 75 Years a Wandering.

The Bolton News: NewsquestNewsquest (Image: Newsquest)

With the irrationality of the obsessed, we believed that the return of David Felgate in goal during the 1986/87 season could metamorphose the mediocre into the magnificent.

He came back on loan on February 7 for a home game against Fulham. Bolton, who had draw 0-0 with Carlisle United the previous week, extended an unbeaten run to five games by the end of the month, beating Fulham and Darlington, with away draws against Port Vale and Chesterfield. Good old Dave, we knew you could do it!

Alas, as so often happens, the bright unbeaten month of February which brought visions of glory to us seasoned masochists was the harbinger of two-plus-something inglorious months during which out of 18 games played only two were won, nine were lost and seven drawn (five of which were goalless, as a measure of what we can to put up with!).

Not that it was Felgate’s fault. The Fulham game was the start of an unbroken run of 135 games which would take him to the end of the 1988/89 season. His return did not bring a smile back to people’s faces, though, and any hope of avoiding the culminating indignity of life in the basement was virtually destroyed during the final five games of the season when only one goal was scored, three games lost and two drawn.

Burnden Park regulars were left in frozen incredulity, although, writing now I can hardly remember a thing about those final few games with the exception of the play-off against Aldershot. We were 21st in the table and about to play against a club which would soon be on its way out of big time football altogether in a two-legged semi-final.

The first game was played on Thursday, May 14 at Aldershot and resulted in a 1-0 defeat for the Wanderers. Not to worry, we thought, we were back at Burnden on the 17th and a single goal deficit was nothing against a team which had been no-hopers throughout their existence.

A gate of 7,495 turned up to see the second leg expecting to see Bolton cement their Third Division status without so much as breaking a sweat. And if you think that is not a big attendance, consider it was double the average in a season that crowds only once exceeded 10,000, and that was for a game against local rivals Bury.

I suppose the first thing one remembers about the play-off is the effrontery of this unconsidered Aldershot lot refusing to lie down and take their punishment like men. Indeed, in a stalemate of a first half they gave as good as they got and, if anything, it was the home side that looked more nervous.

The tension was reduced five minutes after the interval when Mark Gavin tore into the penalty area and threatened to add to the two goals he had scored since his opening ‘blinder’ against Wigan 12 months earlier. He was brought down before he could shoot and with commendable calmness, Tony Caldwell stepped up to score from the spot, his first goal in 15 games.

One apiece, come the avalanche. But if an avalanche came, it came from the Shots, and it was only the heroics of Felgate – nursing a painful leg injury sustained at the commencement of the half – that kept Bolton afloat. But even Dave could not keep them out forever and a well-on-top Aldershot regained the lead with a quarter of an hour to go.

Instead of wilting, Wanderers showed some spirit. Caldwell scored his second of the day, forcing extra time and a chance to counter the visitors’ away goal.

But as one reporter put it, extra time was like a slow death. Burvill put Aldershot back in pole position and the writing was on the wall.

We watched almost frozen with grief as fans invaded the pitch and angrily demonstrated, and later on the forecourt throwing missiles at everything in sight, including the police and the away team coach, which was held up for two hours. There were a lot of angry – and sad – people outside Burnden that night.

Meanwhile, the minnows proceeded down the motorways of the country to shake the football world by beating another fallen giant, Wolves, in the play-off final and enjoy their moment of rarefied joy in the Third Division whilst at the same time Bolton Wanderers, founder members of the Football League, would celebrate the centenary of that institution in its’ bargain basement.