Ian Evatt

[Johnno]

Difference there is they THOUGHT they were big clubs, in reality none of them ever were, barring a couple of seasons for Notts.

You used to be a big club in the days when Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn and Burnley were big clubs. None of those clubs are big clubs any longer - even Burnley who are in the Premier League - and you certainly are not. I live in Portsmouth and Portsmouth's attendences are far higher than yours (17,804 against your 11,511) and they aren't a big club either. You are a club which without a super-rich owner will be a Championship club at best but that won't be for a long time. The only really big clubs these days are from the huge cities i.e. London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham although Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderlan have the potential to match them if they were taken over by a mega-rich owner.

Where are the big clubs around Portsmouth? we have both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Everton within 25 miles all the clubs you mention have a huge catchment area, with no other clubs anywhere near them, so your argument doesn't quite stack up.

[Jonty]

Here we go, the big club argument starts...oh well we got to 22 pages

[Adam29]

Cant ignore the noises on this from the Bolton forums. Bolton will be the biggest club in L2, but with that comes an additional weight of expectation to get out at the first attempt. That will be difficult with the player embargo and constraints they are under.

Its took two years for Evatt to build what he has here, on and off the pitch and bringing everyone along with it. I hope he sees our promotion as not the sign of “my work here is done” but as the springboard for the bigger challenge- making us a competitive force in L2. It would be a massive blow for him to go now.

If a newspaper posted continuous stories that we were about to sign David Beckham then people on this forum would be making noises about it.

A newspaper posts continuous stories with copied and pasted quotes not from a direct interview with that journalist, they then quote a release clause which is plucked from the Sky seeing as they haven’t spoken directly to the club to get that fee
Because of this people flock to the bookies to pile money on Evatt to be the Bolton manager hence the odds shortening

Honestly stop stressing about it, Ian Evatt will be going to Bolton this coming season but he will be in the Barrow dugout

[russell_anderson]

You used to be a big club in the days when Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn and Burnley were big clubs. None of those clubs are big clubs any longer - even Burnley who are in the Premier League - and you certainly are not. I live in Portsmouth and Portsmouth's attendences are far higher than yours (17,804 against your 11,511) and they aren't a big club either. You are a club which without a super-rich owner will be a Championship club at best but that won't be for a long time. The only really big clubs these days are from the huge cities i.e. London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham although Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderlan have the potential to match them if they were taken over by a mega-rich owner.

Where are the big clubs around Portsmouth? we have both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Everton within 25 miles all the clubs you mention have a huge catchment area, with no other clubs anywhere near them, so your argument doesn't quite stack up.

It stacks up perfectly well as the fact that you have the Manchester and Liverpool clubs close to you means you will never attract the attendances needed to be a big club. In fact, if Portsmouth had a larger ground, you would never match its attendances! If you think Bolton are now a big club or ever will be in the furure without a mega-rich owner then you're living in a dream world. You are a middle table Championship club at best.

[Nigel Bamford]

Nat Lofthouse was alright, like.

[Johnno]

Where are the big clubs around Portsmouth? we have both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Everton within 25 miles all the clubs you mention have a huge catchment area, with no other clubs anywhere near them, so your argument doesn't quite stack up.

It stacks up perfectly well as the fact that you have the Manchester and Liverpool clubs close to you means you will never attract the attendances needed to be a big club. In fact, if Portsmouth had a larger ground, you would never match its attendances! If you think Bolton are now a big club or ever will be in the furure without a mega-rich owner then you're living in a dream world. You are a middle table Championship club at best.

I ask again where are the nearest club to Portsmouth? nowhere near them, in which case gives them a huge catchment area, so of course they get big crowds, your argument is flawed at best.

[Cubbins Paratrooper]

Southampton is pretty close, just along the the M27, though cannot imagine any body from Pompey supporting The Scummers.

[Electricblues]

Brighton and Bournemouth both about 1hr away.

[cuffy]

I know this is a forum but why are we allowing this avid Bolton Wanderers fan the time and place to keep agitating our fan base. We’re all Barrow aren’t we.

[Tom h]

+ 1

[russell_anderson]

Southampton is pretty close, just along the the M27, though cannot imagine any body from Pompey supporting The Scummers.

Southampton and Portsmouth now meet as there are developments the whole 20 miles beteen them but, as you say, no Portsmouth fan would ever support Southampton or vice versa!

[russell_anderson]

I see rumors are flying about Ian evatt again. Grimsby fans think he's on his way there and some saying Bristol rovers.

Can't see any truth in it and think it's just speculation but let's keep fingers crossed just in case someone is willing to buy out his contract.

Steve Cotterill is taking over at Bristol Rovers.

That's a shame for Bristol Rovers!

[NORTHERNSOUL]

I wonder whats happened here this must be the first time for years a North West FL club has been looking for a manager and John Coleman isn't on the betting list.

Wonder if its anything to do with Andy Holt saying last season that if Bolton got relegated it would probably take them 3 years to get back up and you should have heard the squealing coming from Horwich after that.

I've believed since the deal went thru last year the Bolton fans know they screwed up in that if their fanbase is as big as some of them think it is given the pittance that Football Ventures actually paid the fans could have raised that money and bought the club themselves.

[russell_anderson]

It stacks up perfectly well as the fact that you have the Manchester and Liverpool clubs close to you means you will never attract the attendances needed to be a big club. In fact, if Portsmouth had a larger ground, you would never match its attendances! If you think Bolton are now a big club or ever will be in the furure without a mega-rich owner then you're living in a dream world. You are a middle table Championship club at best.

I ask again where are the nearest club to Portsmouth? nowhere near them, in which case gives them a huge catchment area, so of course they get big crowds, your argument is flawed at best.

I won't repeat this again but that is exactly why you won't ever be a big club again because a large proportion of your potential support is now attached to (mainly) Manchester or Liverpool clubs.

[HenneysKnee]

Ian Evatt will be linked to most jobs that come up in League 1 and League 2 (and will leave us eventually) he would be daft to leave us now for another League 2 club though; much better getting a year in the league under his belt and if we have a comfortable season playing attractive football his stock will rise again and he’ll be linked to bigger and better jobs