Today, we go back just the three and a bit months, to last season’s denouement against Peterborough
Each day until September 1st, we`ll be looking back at 20 famous games or moments at the Reebok to celebrate the ground`s 20th anniversary. These are being done in a completely random order, we should add. Today, we`re not winding the clock back that much. In fact, we`re only going back to April.
The last game of last season, and although we don`t really have to remind you of what happened that day, the whole point of this piece is that we do look back on it. We were playing in our first season in the third tier since 1993-94, and went into the final day in the driving seat to make a swift return to the Championship. A win against Peterborough would guarantee it. If we were to slip up, Fleetwood were waiting in the wings, as they faced Port Vale at home.
We needn`t have worried. Jem Karacan put us ahead after a great pass from Dorian Dervite, and although Mark Beevers had to make a couple of great tackles, which was fitting given how great he was in his debut season with us, we sealed promotion in the second half with goals from David Wheater and Adam Le Fondre. I remember checking my phone for updates from Fleetwood, but they actually failed to win, which meant we didn`t need to win in the end.
Wanderers fans had suffered over the last few years, and the chance to celebrate something huge like a promotion was amazing. Some fans even jumped the gun, starting the obligatory pitch invasion before the match had finished. After they were eventually cleared, including the sight of a copper taking away someone who had been hanging off the crossbar, the last few seconds were played, and then they could go on.
It was the first time in 20 years we saw a trophy lifted on home turf, and the first at the Reebok. Sweet Caroline became an unofficial anthem of sorts over the next few days, and David Wheater appeared to drink so much it`s a surprise he wasn`t killed by alcohol poisoning.
Are there any games you`d like to see included in this series? Email your suggestions to bolton@vitalfootball.co.uk or tweet us @VitalBolton