Birmingham City's League One rivals Bolton Wanderers have parted company with manager Ian Evatt. Wanderers took the lead against Charlton Athletic at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Tuesday night but were ultimately turned over 2-1 by the Addicks and it has proven to be the final straw for the club's hierarchy.

Bolton have won three of their last nine matches and sit in ninth in League One, three points behind Stockport County who occupy the final play-off spot currently. Blues comfortably beat Bolton 2-0 at St Andrew's earlier this season and head to Lancashire for the reverse fixture in March.

By that stage, the Trotters will have a new manager in charge; Evatt was in charge for four and a half years at the time of his sacking, the fifth longest reign in English football behind Simon Weaver of Harrogate Town and Premier League trio Pep Guardiola, Thomas Frank and Mikel Arteta.

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Evatt took charge of 261 matches at Bolton and led them to the EFL Trophy in 2023 as well as successive play-off campaigns, but they have been unable to escape League One, the division they've remained in since returning from a single season in League Two in 2020-21. They haven't been in the Championship since 2019.

For many before a ball was kicked, Bolton were considered a team who might rival Blues towards the top of the division, of the existing clubs in the third tier, but having crossed the halfway stage of the campaign - indeed Bolton have played two game more than Blues - Wanderers sit a substantial 18 points behind Chris Davies' side, who have set an unforgiving pace at the top of the division.