Ranked: Bolton Wanderers' opening day fixture wins of the last 50 years

AND so it all starts again. Less than three months after the agony of Wembley, Wanderers will start another season looking to escape League One.

Once again, Ian Evatt's side is one of the favourites to get promotion and chairman Sharon Brittan says the board will be giving their manager everything they can to get the job done.

But how will a play-off final defeat impact upon the squad? And can Bolton lead from the front again with some big-hitting budgets around?

How that all maps out will be decided today as the EFL release the fixture lists – allowing thousands of fans to start planning their lives for trips up and down the country.

Of course, there are no prizes handed out for winning on the opening day, and in Bolton’s case that is probably a good job. They have taken maximum points on just 15 occasions in the last 50 years.

Just for fun, we looked back on the opening day wins Wanderers have achieved in the last half a century and ranked them in order of achievement.

15. Wanderers 3-0 Lincoln City (2024)

It started so well. Jack Iredale put Bolton in front just four minutes into the new season, Victor Adeboyejo doubled the lead and Paudie O'Connor's own goal gave the swaggering Whites a very comfortable win befitting their pre-season tag as promotion favourites.

14. Wanderers 3-0 Portsmouth (1974)

One of the final home games under Jimmy Armfield, a comfortable 3-0 win at Burnden Park was achieved with two goals from Paul Jones and a third from John Byrom.

13. Wanderers 3-1 Stoke City (2008)

Johan Elmander, the most expensive player in Bolton’s history, scored on his debut as Gary Megson’s men beat promoted Stoke City in the Premier League.

Gretar Steinsson’s cross shot opened the scoring and Kevin Davies headed a second before his new striker partner Elmander, an £8.2million capture from Toulouse, grabbed the third.

Ricardo Fuller scored a consolation for Tony Pulis’s Potters.

12. Shrewsbury 0-1 Wanderers (1990)

After losing in the play-off semi-final to Notts County a few months earlier, Phil Neal’s team picked themselves back up with a narrow win at the old Gay Meadow.

Substitute Stuart Storer scored the only goal of the game, with full-back David Burke playing his first game after returning to the club from Crystal Palace.

11. West Brom 1-2 Wanderers (2018)

Had the season worked out better for Phil Parkinson’s side, this win would be higher up the list. There were no signs of the toils to come for the Whites as Josh Magennis and Harvey Barnes traded first half goals – setting the stage for new signing Yanic Wildschut to score the winner a minute from full time.

10. QPR 0-4 Wanderers (2011)

Much like the last entry, this comprehensive win proved a false dawn for Owen Coyle’s team, who were relegated later that season with QPR the beneficiaries saved on the final day.

Gary Cahill rifled a brilliant opener, and Bolton pulled into a three-goal lead by the break thanks to Danny Gabbidon’s own goal and an Ivan Klasnic strike.

Fabrice Muamba made it four and Clint Hill was sent off for Neil Warnock’s newly promoted side.

9. Cardiff 0-2 Wanderers (1989)

A few months on from the Sherpa Van Trophy win and extending an unbeaten run to 21 games across the two seasons, Bolton beat Cardiff comfortably at Ninian Park.

Tony Philliskirk netted on his debut after signing for £50,000 from Preston and went on to score another 24 times that year. Julian Darby netted the second, and Cardiff went on to get relegated.

8. Wanderers 1-0 Burnley (1977)

Nothing quite like beating a Lancashire rival on the opening day of the season – and that is exactly what happened at Turf Moor in front of nearly 15,000 fans in August 1977.

Four days before the death of Elvis Presley and a couple of months before the arrival of his biggest fan, Frank Worthington, Roy Greaves’s goal was enough to get the season off to a perfect start. Promotion would, of course, be sealed down the road in Blackburn the following April.

7. Wanderers 2-0 Huddersfield (1992)

Bruce Rioch’s managerial reign could hardly have got off to a better start when ace marksman Andy Walker scored after just 47 seconds.

Julian Darby scored the second for a team that didn’t yet look like the Rioch team we would come to know and love – but who had Keith Branagan in goal for the first time.

6. Southampton 0-1 Wanderers (1997)

After the record-breaking exploits of the previous season Colin Todd’s team were out to prove they could mix it in the Premier League.

With the finishing touches still being put on the Reebok the first three games were played away, starting with this sun-kissed win at The Dell, courtesy of a goal just before half time from Nathan Blake.

Neil Cox and club record signing Robbie Elliott made their debuts against the Saints, who also brought a young striker by the name of Kevin Davies off the bench for his debut.

5. Wanderers 2-0 Wimbledon (1983)

Relegated to the third tier the previous season, John McGovern’s young side gave everyone reason for cheer with a 2-0 win against the Dons, who were destined for promotion at the end of that season and just a few years off top-flight football.

Fewer than 4,000 people turned out at Burnden to see Simon Rudge open the scoring and Jeff Chandler score from the penalty spot.

Tony Caldwell was among the new faces on show for the Whites and just a few weeks later he would grab five goals in an 8-0 thrashing of Walsall.

4. Wanderers 4-1 Charlton (2004)

Birthday boy Jay-Jay Okocha and Dane Henrik Pedersen scored two goals apiece in a thumping win in front of more than 24,000 at the Reebok.

Gary Speed made an impressive debut in the Bolton midfield after his move from Newcastle United and there was also a first start for Brazilian defender Julio Cesar. Both Les Ferdinand and Tal Ben Haim made their debuts from the bench in the second half.

Kevin Lisbie scored the consolation for Alan Curbishley’s side in a year where Wanderers would qualify for Europe for the first time.

3. Wanderers 2-0 Spurs (2006)

There had been rumbles of concern throughout pre-season as Sam Allardyce clashed with the board over the lack of funds for signings but it was two of his very best who made the difference against Tottenham.

Kevin Davies turned in Gary Speed’s corner early on to open the scoring before Ivan Campo connected with a brilliant low shot from 40 yards to leave keeper Paul Robinson helpless.

A few weeks later, Nicolas Anelka would arrive at Bolton from Fenerbahce, but Allardyce would quit just a couple of weeks before a second European campaign was booked.

2. Wanderers 1-0 Sheff Utd (2016)

Much was expected of new manager Phil Parkinson’s team as they dropped into the third tier for the first time in 23 years and Sheffield United’s inability to escape the division in their last few attempts was definitely a warning call.

Jay Spearing scored the only goal of a tight and physical game which saw the debuts of Mark Howard, Mark Beevers, Chris Taylor, Lewis Buxton and Jamie Proctor.

The Blades would recover from a poor start to win the title but Parkinson’s men held on to second spot to bounce back from relegation at the first time of asking.

1. Leicester City 0-5 Wanderers (2001)

As Premier League results go, this 5-0 battering of Leicester City at Filbert Street goes down in the annals as one of the best Wanderers ever managed.

Given little hope of survival on their return to the glitz, glamour and fireworks of the Premier League, Sam Allardyce’s side swept the Foxes aside with two goals from Kevin Nolan, two from Per Frandsen and another from Michael Ricketts.

Four of the goals came before half time – and Bolton, who had just one new signing on show in the former of Danish sub Henrik Pedersen, would go on to show they belonged at English football’s top table for more than a decade.