With #FixtureReleaseDay upon us, Wanderers’ final day clash is no doubt one of the first that our supporters looked for at 9am on Thursday morning.
And with Wanderers set to travel to Oxford United's Kassam Stadium on Sunday 3 May 2020, bwfc.co.uk takes a look back at some of the club’s most memorable final day encounters.
Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Middlesbrough
Sunday 11 May 2003
(Frandsen 10', Okocha 21'; Ricketts 60')
Wanderers staved off relegation on the final day of the 2002/03 campaign with victory over Middlesbrough at the then-named Reebok Stadium.
The Whites opened the scoring inside ten minutes through Per Frandsen who lashed home from distance, before Jay-Jay Okocha doubled the hosts' tally with a beautifully taken free-kick.
And although former Trotters striker Michael Ricketts pulled one back for Boro on the hour mark, it was ultimately a consolation effort as Bolton held out to secure safety.
Bolton Wanderers 3-2 Everton
Sunday 15 May 2005
(Jaidi 53', Davies 61', Stelios 66'; Cahill 9', Carsley 63')
The Trotters came out on the right side of a five-goal thriller against Everton on the final day of the 2004/05 season.
Falling behind to a Tim Cahill effort with nine minutes gone, Wanderers turned the game on its head with goals from Radhi Jaidi and Kevin Davies before Lee Carsley pulled the Toffees level in the 63rd minute.
Not to be deterred however, the home side hit the visitors with a sucker punch just three minutes later as Stelios struck what proved to be the decisive effort in the clash, with Sam Allardyce's side running out winners come full time.
Chelsea 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
Sunday 11 May 2008
(Shevchenko 62'; Taylor 93')
Having secured their safety in the Barclays Premier League a week earlier with victory over Sunderland at BL6, Wanderers capped off the season with a point taken from the league runners-up, Chelsea.
The Blues went into this game knowing that they needed to win and hope that Manchester United faltered to have any hope of clinching the title, but with the Red Devils running out victorious away at Wigan Athletic, their result against the Whites meant nothing.
Andriy Schevchenko's 62nd minute goal had the Stamford Bridge outfit losing out on the championship on goal difference, but Matt Taylor's 93rd minute equaliser ensured that they finished two points adrift of the summit and gave Bolton a point-cushion on the bottom three of the division.
Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Peterborough United
Sunday 30 April 2017
(Karacan 22', Wheater 53', Le Fondre 75')
Wanderers clinched automatic promotion back to the Sky Bet Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Peterborough United at the University of Bolton Stadium in April 2017.
The scoring was opened inside 22 minutes by Jem Karacan to settle some nerves, with David Wheater doubling that advantage eight minutes after the restart with a close-range header.
And Adam Le Fondre made it three with 15 minutes to go, to ensure that party time could well and truly begin for the Trotters as they returned to the second tier of English football at the first time of asking.
Bolton Wanderers 3-2 Nottingham Forest
Sunday 6 May 2018
(Le Fondre 67', Wheater 87', Wilbraham 88'; Osborn 70', Colback 79')
The highest drama was on show at BL6 in May 2018 when Wanderers staved off relegation in incredible circumstances against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the campaign.
Needing to win and hope that results went their way elsewhere to stand a chance of survival, Adam Le Fondre sent the Bolton faithful into raptures with 67 minutes on the clock but those fans were soon deathly silent as Forest turned the game on its head with goals from Ben Obsorn and Jack Colback.
David Wheater then gave the Trotters hope with three minutes remaining by levelling proceedings and, with results falling in Bolton's favour, up popped Aaron Wilbraham to head home from close range, in turn sending the University of Bolton Stadium into absolute deliria.