ARCHIVE: Rolled Up Sleeves – From Warriors To Worriers; Battlers to Bottlers
The Sunderland defeat caused a deep wound. Not just because it was against the only team in the division that the bookies favoured more than us, but because they weren’t as talented as our lads... just physically tougher and more up for it.
Selling fanzines can, at times, be pretty shite. But occasionally it can be quite interesting, especially when fans actually stop to have a quick chat.
Standing outside the Reebok trying desperately to flog Issue 24 of White Love to a very disillusioned set of fans was extremely hard. “That guy’s been trying for four games to get rid of those.” was one comment I heard before the Tranmere game. Usually an issue can be cleared in three home games, two at a push. But since the team have nosedived to below mid-table the crowds have also taken a turn for the worse. The smallest league gate at the Reebok was witnessed against Port Vale and what should have been an attractive cup tie against Wimbledon drew only 7,800 in. All of this meant that we had to stretch our sales to a fourth home game.
Anyway, I appear to have gone away from the point I really wanted to make, which the title suggests. Quite a lot of fans have approached me saying it’s time for Todd to leave, but not half as many that have told me we lack fight, a backbone and some bottle. Each and every time the names of Pollock and Taggart are mentioned, with the character and inspiration of McGinlay being thrown in for good measure too. Each and every time I have readily agreed with the points thrown up at me – how many fans have noticed our lack of spirit and fight? Surely I don’t just mix in circles of Wanderers supporters that prefer brawn to pure skill? Surely other fans have noticed this. GMR’s pundit Alan Gowling has. So why does Colin Todd not see it? And why the hell did he let Pollock and Taggart leave and not replace them with anything of the sort?
“It’s now over twelve months since Jamie Pollock came over to the Bolton fans at Filbert Street with a screwed up face and a clenched fist.”
All season Bolton fans have checked the press to see if Todd has spent the remaining Thompson £2 million on a gritty midfielder. Those who hadn’t been participating in this act certainly were after the Sunderland debacle. Kevin Ball, no skill and probably no brain, illustrated what Bolton Wanderers urgently need. Rolled up sleeves, clenched fists and bollockings given to team-mates only usually witnessed in army court martials.
Kevin Ball, up for the fight and walking all over the gutless Whites
I’ll never forget playing football at primary school because there was always one tip booming in the back of my mind... “if in doubt, kick it out”. Sounds primitive and lacks invention doesn’t it? Kevin Ball and gritty midfielders in all the other Division One teams probably don’t think so. In fact, they take it to the extreme, one step further than its actual meaning. Not only do they kick the ball out of play when necessary, but they kick the opposing players out of play when necessary. “Kick them first in the opening minutes son, and they’ll come nowhere near you for the rest of the game.” was another uncreative tip I can recall from those days (it came from my Dad who was meant to have been a dirty bastard!!). The likes of Ball wouldn’t class this as uncreative either. Get in hard early on and the likes of Gardner, Jensen, Sellars, Gunnlaugsson, Holdsworth and Fish won’t want to know. Against Sunderland Ball made sure that all his players played in that way – kick or be kicked – and against the current Bolton team you won’t ever be kicked!
It’s now over twelve months since Jamie Pollock came over to the Bolton fans at Filbert Street with a screwed up face and a clenched fist. I’ll never forget that moment – every travelling Wanderer responded and the team FOUGHT out a creditable 0-0 draw. We, the fans are admittedly slow on the take and need to be prompted in this manner, but as yet, I cannot recall once this season when any of the players have approached us to create an atmosphere or any intimidation. I saw Fishy think about it against Tranmere, but he didn’t go through with it. I was also under the impres-sion that Mike Whitlow was a sleeves-up-battler, but he’s been playing so bad that I don’t think he dares approach the fans for help in fear of receiving abuse. Basically we have no-one to kick the opposition and no-one to ask for our help.
No leadership.
No drive.
No battle.
Seems strange doesn’t it when you contemplate our management team – Phil Brown and Colin Todd – two players who knew how to play it hard when necessary. How the hell can Brownie not notice that there isn’t a player who can lead like he did. Every time the mid 80s Bolton conceded a corner or free-kick Brownie would be handing out bollockings left, right and centre – so why the hell isn’t he coaching his team in this manner? Is it simply that you can’t give players the belly for a fight, they either have it already or, in the case of the current crop of players, don’t? If so Phil Brown’s next step should be to tell Toddy to purchase a leader. Toddy himself a classy no-nonsense centre back should have the best defence in the country bar none. Why isn’t he seeing this? Simple, Alan Gowling pointed out that he needs to spend far more time up in the stand not down at pitch level – look at George Graham for instance. Always up in the stand – a great view – where none of his players can hide from him. Todd really needs to consider doing this.
“You had the all out pitch battle with the players – Sheridan, Blake, Taggart, Pollock, Fairclough, McGinlay, etc. got in amongst the rucking and handed out a fair share of the fisticuffs.”
Back to the fighting spirit... and in particular the fighting. Remember when we entertained Wolves at Burnden and whipped them good and proper 3-0. First up you had John McGinlay baiting the opposition fans before the game had even kicked off – he’d even dragged himself back from injury just to play in the game – something none of the present crop of players would ever dream of doing. Then you had the all out pitch battle with the players – Sheridan, Blake, Taggart, Pollock, Fairclough, McGinlay, etc. got in amongst the rucking and handed out a fair share of the fisticuffs. British players the lot of ‘em – brimming with spirit and up for it from the off. Next up was our mascot, Lofty, even he had a go at winding up the Wolves fans. And finally, the scoreline, 3-0 – the players weren’t only up for a battle they also had a mammoth desire to win the game and bury the opposition into the ground. The statement that the Bolton Wanderers players made that afternoon was quite simply “Don’t fuck with us ‘cos we’ll kick you off the park and punish you with goals to match!”
Now then, Sunderland weren’t quite that brutal, but if the game had erupted I can imagine watching some of our players running for sanctuary in the players tunnel! However, Sunderland did make it clear that they can battle and play a bit too – similar to the Wanderers side of 1995/96 – and not too many foreigners in their side either I notice.
So can Toddy and Brownie spot all of this and turn our current side into battlers – we know we’re classed as the most skilful and talented side in the division? The answer is quite possibly, Todd has brought in both Jon Newsome and Paul Warhurst on loan, neither of them pussycats, and has earmarked an experienced midfielder. But why has it taken until now when we’ve already lost very important ground on the likes of Ipswich and Sunderland? The fans knew this at the start of the season when Bradford, Sheffield and Crewe outfought us and denied us six valuable points. In the end, we’ll have to fork out money to purchase either (or both) of Newsome or Warhurst, and the salaries they will want won’t be far short, if not more, than what Gerry Taggart was asking. Senseless isn’t it?
First appeared in White Love Issue 25, Christmas 1998.