Bolton Wanderers have carried the weight of expectation on them for several years now.This is a big club – one that has averaged crowds of over 21,000 for three seasons now; one that has dreams of an eventual return to the Premier League, where they have spent 13 seasons in all.
But it is also a club that has been in Sky Bet League One for five seasons now – the longest stay in the third tier in club history.
Two play-off campaigns have ended in heartbreak. In 2022/23, they were beaten by Barnsley in the semi-final, while in 2023/24 they reached the Wembley final, only to be beaten by Oxford.
Bolton’s League One record
2021/22 – Finished 10 points outside play-offs
2022/23 – Lost to Barnsley in play-off semi-finals
2023/24 – Lost to Oxford in play-off final
2024/25 – Finished 10 points outside play-offs
Steven Schumacher was not in charge for either, but he will already have been reminded of the recent history countless times going into his side’s crucial second leg against Bradford on Thursday night, which is live on Sky Sports Football.
Bolton take a 1-0 aggregate lead into the game, thanks to a brilliant strike from Brighton loanee Amario Cozier-Duberry.
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Highlights of the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final first leg match between Bolton and Bradford City.
Thursday 14th May 7:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
“I knew the expectation before I came because of the size of the club,” he tells Sky Sports.
“It’s a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.”The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there and once you’re in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.”When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that’s where both clubs find themselves…
2026-05-12 10:00:00
