DAVIES: BOLTON CAN RISE
KEVIN DAVIES believes that Bolton Wanderers need to summon the spirit of the side has was a part of as the Trotters prepare for their first season in the bottom tier of English football in 33 years.
Fixtures against the likes of Salford and Harrogate Town are a world away from those the club played against Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon and Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup just 12 years ago when they were a fixture in the Premier League.
Last season, though, the club’s existence hung by a thread.
Unfulfilled fixtures and mounting financial problems left Trotters’ fans wondering if the once-proud club had any future at all.
“It’s a pretty spectacular fall,” said ex-Bolton striker Davies. “Bolton were an established club at Premier
League level and it has been a steep decline with the ownership and the club being very close to going out of business last season.”
A return to those top-flight days is clearly a long way off, but Davies is confident that those at the head of the club can turn things around.
“I’ve met Sharon (Brittan, the club’s chairman), Ian (Evatt, the club’s head coach) and Tobias Pheonix (the club’s head of football) and it seems like everyone is on the page,” says Davies.
“There’s a bit of stability and a structure in place. I’m quietly confident.“