Wigan Athletic Preview

By Mark Heys
October 1 2005

UEFA Cup hopefuls Bolton Wanderers return to league action this coming Sunday lunchtime as they face local rivals Wigan Athletic for the first time in over a decade.

The first ever meeting at the JJB Stadium will also be the first meeting since April 1993 when both sides had contrasting form at opposite ends of the old Division Three. Bolton went on to win that game 2-0 at the old Springfield Park ground with ex-Wigan favourite Tony Kelly scoring an uncharacteristic goal on the run following a one-two with Andy Walker.

At the time Wigan had just dismissed their manager Bryan Hamilton and where struggling in the relegation zone whilst the Wanderers looked for automatic promotion under future Latics manager Bruce Rioch.

Wanderers eventually went on to win automatic promotion to the newly structured Division One as runners up to Stoke City but Athletic found themselves relegated to the basement league along with fellow Lancashire club Preston North End.

Bolton have managed to stay in the top two divisions since then and have remained in the Premiership since 2001. Wigan have had a little bit more to do, winning promotion three times in 1997, 2003 and 2005 and now the two old foes find themselves going head to head in the top flight.

Sam Allardyce is expected to restore Kevin Davies, Kevin Nolan, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Hidetoshi Nakata to the Bolton starting line up after the quartet found themselves on the bench during Thursday's win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Ivan Campo and Nicky Hunt are definately ruled out, so Sam Allardyce will once again move Israeli international Tal Ben-Haim to right back, with either Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye or Radhi Jaidi partnering Bruno N'Gotty in the heart of the Wanderers defence.

Trotters vice captain Gary Speed has a 50/50 chance of returning after missing the European trip with a back injury.

Wigan manager Paul Jewell sees his side on the back of an impressive unbeaten four game run going into this contest and he will be hoping to take advantage of Bolton's extra fatigue on Sunday.

Bolton-born goalkeeper Mike Pollitt will be on the bench against his hometown club as Jewell prefers experienced Australian John Filan in goal for the Latics contingent

Athletic also have former Wanderer Emerson Thome in their squad but the big Brazilian has started just one Premiership game this season owing to persistant injury problems

David Connolly, Henri Camara, Jason Roberts and Lee McCulloch are all battling for the two striker places up for grabs against the Trotters

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

Never faced one another in the Premiership before

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 0

Won: 0

Drawn: 0

Lost: 0

CONNECTIONS

John Ball, Malcolm Barrass, Brian Bromley, Paul Comstive, Walter Crook, Ernie Corfield, Wayne Entwistle, Simon Farnworth, Gareth Farrelly, Dave Felgate, Per Frandsen, Scott Green, Ken Grieves, Ralph Gubbins, Derek Hennin, John Higgins, Paul Jones, Tony Kelly, David Lee, Paul Lodge, Dave McKearney, Tommy Neill, Neil Redfearn, Bruce Rioch, Ian Seddon, Geoff Sleight, Stuart Storer, Greg Strong, Steve Taylor, Emerson Thome, Chris Thompson, Gavin Ward, Stuart Whittaker, Roy Wilkinson, Tom Woodward.

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED ATHLETIC

Experienced striker Bobby Campbell scored a hat trick for Wigan to send them through from the First round of the League Cup in August 1987. Bolton's Jeff Chandler suffered a serious ligament injury in that game and was ruled out for the majority of the Wanderers promotion campaign from Division 4.

Ex-Wigan midfielder Tony Kelly made a bustling run from the Bolton midfield to score in the last ever meeting at Springfield Park.