Wanderers host Gillingham on Monday night chasing an eighth successive home win in all competitions
Returning to league action after a successive Emirates FA Cup outing, bwfc.co.uk highlights five talking points ahead of the televised clash at Macron Stadium.
1. 10 in 10
Ten EFL games have been selected to be shown over the course of 10 days as part of Sky Sports festive football feast. The fourth fixture in the promotion sees Gillingham travel to BL6 for the first time since 2003.
It’ll be the third time Wanderers play in front of the Sky cameras this season, after our televised fixtures against Bury and Peterborough earlier in the season. Let's hope it's a repeat of the former result, instead of the latter.
2. Ben Alnwick
Having won the PFA Player of the Month award for November, Alnwick has slotted into the side effortlessly following the injury to Mark Howard. The 29-year-old has proved his worth to Phil Parkinson and restored his faith with a string of impressive performances.
He’s yet to concede a Sky Bet League One goal at Macron Stadium and hasn’t conceded in over 350 minutes of league football - recording clean sheets against Millwall, Coventry and Northampton.
3. First League meeting since 2001
It’s been 13 years since the two sides faced each other however, it’s 15 years since we faced Gillingham in a league fixture.
With names such as Michael Ricketts, Per Frandsen, and Gudni Bergsson in the side, Wanderers were held to a 3-3 draw by the South East club. Furthermore, it has been 29 years since Gillingham got the better of us, recording a 1-0 win in May, 1987.
4. Academy lads to score again?
Academy graduates Josh Vela and Zach Clough have scored a total of seven times in the last six Sky Bet League One fixtures.
Clough is in the best form of his career, netting five times in over the course of the seven games, while Vela has scored a further two.
The duo once again showed their quality against Sheffield United, with Vela finding the net after Clough’s pinpoint pass.
It’s testament to the work Jimmy Phillips and his team are doing at the academy, as fellow academy alumni Jake Turner and Alex Perry have also been included in the match day squads of late.
5. Chris Herd
A familiar face to Bolton fans, Chris Herd returns to Macron Stadium with Gillingham on Monday night.
Joining Wanderers on loan in 2014, the Australian international made his debut against Chelsea before an injury cut short his stay after just a handful of appearances. After spells with Wigan, Chesterfield and finally Perth Glory last term, Herd joined the Gills in October.
Half season tickets are now on sale, with adult supporters able to back Bolton during the second half of the campaign from just £13.33 a game!
Following an impressive start to their domestic exploits inside the opening months of the season, Phil Parkinson’s men will head into the New Year looking to build on their efforts so far as the Whites bid to return to the second tier of English football.
For more information or to purchase your half season ticket, please phone 0844 871 2932, visit Bolton Central in person or click onto the club’s ticketing website, www.eticketing.co.uk/bwfc.