Clear blue skies and freezing temperatures promised the perfect day for football. Scarves, woolly hats and gloves were out in force as we made our way to the Toughsheet.

The Doombar deliberations dissected England’s EURO2024 campaign, before discussing the Wanderers’ Bristol Street Motors Trophy retention chances and our third position in League 1.

Eight games won on the trot, through to the next round in two cup competitions, things are looking good. But in the back of our minds, we all know that all runs come to an end sometimes and would it be today against the Grecians from Exeter, who were on a particularly bad run themselves?

As expected, Exeter manned their defences and Bolton initially struggled to break them down before Jack Iredale headed our opening goal. Victor Adeboyejo tapped in the second just before half time. At the interval, nobody was thinking of the avalanche that was to come, as Exeter disintegrated and we ran amok, winning 7-0 at home for the first time since hammering Swindon Town in 1997, in front of only 13,981. Six different scorers as there were that day, in what turned out to be a promotion season.

Things could hardly be better for the Wanderers than they are right now. Who would have thought that ‘We are top of the League’, and ‘We are going up’ would be ringing round the Toughsheet stadium in November? But nothing is decided until the end of the season. The work gets harder from now on as teams try to knock us off our perch. Our next two League matches are away against the third and second placed teams, Oxford United and Portsmouth respectively. But we will go there with confidence, looking to get more points on the board.

There will be setbacks over the next five months, but we have the character and the squad to handle them. Maybe the January transfer window will bring some changes to the squad, in or out. Hopefully the squad can be strengthened, bearing in mind our overall sustainable financial plan.

Let’s take one game at a time and enjoy what is turning out to be a great season. We’re on the march with Evatt’s army.