IAN Evatt’s reign as manager of Bolton Wanderers has come to an end, The Bolton News understands.

The 43-year-old’s departure has yet to be confirmed officially but it is understood there was an emergency board meeting called after last night’s 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic.

The club did not air any of Evatt’s post-match interview and though he did speak to the local media, discussions with board members including chairman Sharon Brittan shortly afterwards brought about an end to his time with the club.

Evatt was the fifth longest serving manager in the Premier League and EFL, his tenure lasting four years and 204 days, which included 261 matches.

During that time the former Blackpool defender led Bolton out of League Two, won the Papa Johns Trophy at Wembley in 2023 and to two consecutive play-off campaigns, the last of which ended in an agonising defeat to Oxford United.

The hangover from the final last May has proven difficult to shift and despite investing large sums of money in signings like Szabi Schon, John McAtee, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Klaidi Lolos and Joel Randall, the Whites have spent just a few weeks in the top six all season.

Some track the decline back to the start of 2024, a year in which Wanderers entered placed second in League One with a game in hand on then-leaders Portsmouth. A run of injuries to key players weakened Evatt’s options for the final few months of the campaign but his team too often struggled to gain results in the high-pressure occasions.

The effectiveness of Evatt’s possession-based football was also regularly called into question, particularly against the more physical sides in the division. And fans also had their own pride dented with some high-profile defeats against local rivals like Wigan Athletic and Stockport.

Wanderers had won just three of their last nine games in the league and are currently placed ninth in the table, three points behind Stockport County in the final play-off position.

Bolton’s aim had been automatic promotion after two play-off misses, and all available finances were channelled into the first team budget during the summer when owners Football Ventures took the decision to stand by Evatt.

A poor start saw Wanderers drop as low as 21st in the table after a thumping 4-0 defeat at home to Huddersfield Town – who also provide their opposition this coming Saturday.

Evatt managed to improve form and inch up the table, briefly climbing to sixth spot at the end of September, yet consistency proved elusive and despite having games in hand on the teams above them in the table they failed to take advantage.

Chairman Sharon Brittan issued a statement in December via club channels to reaffirm the board’s “loyal support” asking disenfranchised supporters to look at the “bigger picture” and league progress during the manager’s reign.

The mood had soured by that point at the Toughsheet Stadium and by the turn of the year season ticket holders had begun to stay away from matches. Evatt was barracked by large sections of the fanbase and “Evatt Out” banners became a regular feature, home and away.

Despite the unhappiness, two more signings – Randall and the loan of Newcastle United defender Alex Murphy – were also sanctioned in the January window, which now has just a fortnight left to run.

Evatt’s own behaviour also came under scrutiny as the pressure told. In September he was banned for three games for “improper and/or violent conduct” by the Football Association after an angry exchange with Shrewsbury Town captain Morgan Feeney.

And just a few days ago he had to apologise to supporters after an X-rated outburst on his way off the pitch at half time during the 2-2 draw against Cambridge United prompted a flurry of complaints from supporters.

His players have also suffered with discipline issues this season with the 73 yellow cards shown a dozen more than any other side in League One.

Defeat against Charlton on Tuesday night proved the final straw, and though many agreed it had been one of the more convincing recent performances, two defensive lapses in the final 20 minutes meant a 10th defeat of the campaign – more than the entire of 2023/24.

“The way that we played tonight deserved a lot more,” he said. “I think for most of the game, if not all the game, the fans enjoyed what they've seen. There's no hint of the negativity that we've had in recent weeks and that's down to the way that we performed.

“If we'd have done that more consistently, we certainly wouldn't be where we are now. That's what hurts really, that given how well we've played, we've still managed to lose.”

Evatt took over as Bolton manager on July 1, 2020, after a compensation deal was reached with his former club Barrow.

He had taken the Cumbrians back into the Football League for the first time in 48 years and was regarded in the game as a progressive, bright young manager.

His early months with Bolton proved tough, however, and he became the first manager in the club’s history to lose his first five competitive games in charge.

Recruitment had been an issue both in terms of the EFL’s spending caps during the Covid era and Evatt’s relationship with the incumbent head of football operations, Tobias Phoenix, which quickly deteriorated.

Fortunes transformed post-January, however, with the club able to make a handful of new signings including Dapo Afolayan, Kieran Lee, MJ Williams and Declan John. Evatt was also made manager – rather than head coach – after Phoenix’s departure, which then paved the way for Chris Markham as a replacement.

Bolton surged up the table, moving from 21st in late January to clinch automatic promotion with a 4-1 win at Crawley on the final day of the 2020/21.

Life in League One also started with some rocky results and a run of injuries. The acrimonious departure of club captain Antoni Sarcevic to Stockport County in mid-season raised eyebrows but, again, the January window proved Evatt’s saviour – in particular the loan signing of goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City, Aaron Morley from Rochdale and striker Dion Charles from Accrington Stanley.

After a ninth placed finish, Bolton built again over the following summer, bringing Trafford back for a full season and also recruited untested wing-back Conor Bradley from Liverpool.

Wanderers met their target of the play-offs but lost out over two legs to Barnsley and lifted their first domestic knockout silverware since 1989 with a stunning 4-0 win against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley in the Papa Johns Trophy final.

Another strong start to the following season hinted at automatic promotion. Bolton were well-placed until the New Year and though £750,000 was spent to bring in striker Aaron Collins as a ‘final push’ to the line, form faltered and it was the play-offs again.

This time Bolton made it past Barnsley over two legs, sparking memorable scenes of celebration on the pitch, but Oxford outclassed them on the big stage, a blow from which Evatt and many of his players never recovered.