The Buff

Welcome to The First Word - and this time we'll be talking about more than just a football match. With the transfer window still open and Wanderers yet to really get their business going we will be talking about some of the key points in Steven Schumacher's press conference, and some of the big stories which have emerged over the past few days. We hear from Sam Dalby in the build up to a game agai...

Welcome back to The Buff - and what a difference a week makes! A welcome win at Wigan was followed by a solid point at Stevenage, making things feel a little bit better in the world of Bolton Wanderers. There is plenty to contemplate, however, not least a transfer window in which Steven Schumacher's side still have plenty of work on their hands. Marc Iles and Henry Hewitt are back to examine the w...

Welcome back to The Last Word... and a bowling shoe ugly game of football. Bolton Wanderers' 0-0 draw at Stevenage won't be appearing on any end-of-season highlights packages but a point and a clean sheet isn't a terrible day's work. We hear from Steven Schumacher and Jordi Osei-Tutu after the final whistle, plus Russ Pollitt joins us with his take on the game. We have a very special offer for lis...

We're back with a special midweek episode of The First Word as Wanderers face a tough trip to Stevenage. Saturday's win at Wigan came at the perfect time after a poor run in League One, and now the Whites are aiming to kick on in the race for promotion. We caught up with Steven Schumacher to get his thoughts on the game, plus Russ Pollitt drops by and there's plenty of analysis from Marc Iles. We...

Welcome back to The Last Word... and what a difference a win at Wigan Athletic makes. It's three in a row against the Tics for Steven Schumacher's Wanderers, and a thoroughly deserved three points came courtesy of a lovely strike from Josh Sheehan. As ever, The Last Word brings you a flavour of everything that went on - post-match interviews with Schumacher, Sheehan and Ryan Lowe, plus some though...

The First Word is back, and looking forward to a short trip to Wigan Athletic. Well, 'looking forward' might be the wrong turn of phrase. It has been a tough old week for Bolton Wanderers and we can't be the only ones heading down the road with a pinch of scepticism on what we are going to see from Steven Schumacher's side. We caught up with the Bolton boss at the training ground in the build-up t...

To quote our good pal Derek Clark: "Holy moly!" It has been a newsy week to say the least at Bolton Wanderers. And where do you start...? Well, The Buff Podcast, of course. Marc Iles and Henry Hewitt sift through all the headlines this week to give their verdict and a bit more background on all the events at the Toughsheet Stadium. On the menu this week... Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Tyler Miller's exi...

Welcome back to The Last Word as Wanderers toppled out of the Vertu Trophy with a woeful performance against Port Vale. Richard Taylor's error in the final minute cost Bolton dearly as Ben Waine scored to end their Wembley dreams and leave Steven Schumacher needing some inspiration from somewhere to ease the massive pressure starting to weigh on his shoulders. We consider some of the issues facing...

Welcome back to The Last Word and another frustrating afternoon on the road, this time at Peterborough United. Hit the play button for an interview with Steven Schumacher after the final whistle, plus analysis from Dan Barnes and Henry Hewitt. We have a very special offer for listeners of The Buff Podcast - so take note. Subscription to The Bolton News will cost just £26 for a WHOLE YEAR! Al...

Back on the road for Bolton Wanderers - it's another First Word podcast bringing you all the very latest ahead of matchday. This week we will be reading out some of your emails after a bumper crop on The Buff, along with the regular interviews and analysis. Russ Pollitt drops by with a scene setter for London Road, and we hear from Steven Schumacher and Kyle Dempsey ahead of a big week for the clu...

We're back! Did you miss us? When last we recorded a main episode of The Buff we were looking forward to the festive fixture list with optimism and Henry - possibly as a result of one too many chocolate liqueurs - had predicted 12 points from the five games between Wycombe and Northampton. Let's be honest, it didn't go according to plan. But why? That's what we are here to look at as The Buff make...

Welcome back to The Last Word and a pretty unremarkable goalless draw between Bolton Wanderers and Northampton Town. A forgettable stalemate between two tired teams, or a symptom of issues for Steven Schumacher to tackle against sides who come to frustrate and contain?  Either way, things haven't gone according to plan over Christmas at the Toughsheet, so we go through the potential issues. H...

Welcome back to The Last Word and a game that won't live long in the memory. Kyle Dempsey scored a scruffy equalising goal 12 minutes from full time at Doncaster Rovers but, let's be honest, the performance barely warranted a share of the spoils. We hear from Steven Schumacher and Tyler Miller after the final whistle and Bolton fan Henry Hewitt drops by to give his verdict on the match. We have a...

It's a new year but will it be a new Bolton Wanderers? Steven Schumacher's side go to Doncaster Rovers looking for a pick-me-up after the frustrating defeat to Mansfield Town on Monday. Going into the game in sixth spot, there is a feeling around the fanbase that they are behind schedule. And we hear a few of your five-word verdicts on the club's progress in 2025. Russ Pollitt drops by with his ta...

THE end-of-year podcast that was so long we split it into two pieces! Hot on the heels (well, nearly two weeks after) part one, we bring you part two of our 2025 review at Bolton Wanderers. Marc Iles and Henry Hewitt discuss June onwards and make some predictions on what might happen in 2026 for the Whites. And to counteract the slightly out-of-synch enthusiasm we had at the start of December when...

Not much went right for Roy McFarland and Colin Todd during the 1995/96 season but the visit of Bruce Rioch's Arsenal was an exception to the rule. We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode 12 we take you back to Burnden Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras, where a new terrace hero was born and an old one...

Welcome back to The Last Word and a proper smash and grab job. For all their possession, all their pressure, all their goalscoring chances, Wanderers were seen off by some great goalkeeping, some brave defending and some very questionable penalty calls. We have all the fall-out from a disappointing defeat including interviews with Steven Schumacher, Nigel Clough and Max Conway. Henry Hewitt also d...

The turning point of the League Two promotion season - and an unlikely hero that happened to live nearby. We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode 11 we take you back to a wet February night at Field Mill, Mansfield, where Ian Evatt's new look side - bolstered in the January window - came back from two down...

Did Dougie Freedman nearly 'crack it' at Bolton Wanderers? We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode 10 we take you back to an incredible 5-1 win against Leeds United at Elland Road which suggested that an improving Bolton side might climb away from the relegation zone and go on to make themselves promotion w...

Welcome back to The Last Word and a game that had a real sting in the tail. Josh Sheehan looked to have scored the winner, until Sam Nombe's late, late penalty levelled matters and sent a lot of Bolton Wanderers fans trudging for the exit in frustration. But the Welshman then scored again on 93 minutes to put Bolton back ahead, and leave us all wondering exactly how we should be feeling? We hear f...

Was this the greatest goal scored by a Bolton Wanderers player? We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode nine we take you back to Molineux at the height of Owen Coyle's time as manager of the Whites, and a day that was illuminated by a brilliant strike from Johan Elmander. Marc Iles and Henry Hewitt take you...

Farewell to a footballing legend, and hello to a new era at Wanderers. We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode eight we take you back to the final day of the 2004/05 season. Wanderers were riding high having qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. What turned out to be a surprisingly bad-t...

If you're looking to kill some time on Christmas Eve or want some light listening after a feast on the big day, we've got you covered. We hear from Steven Schumacher and Ethan Erhahon in the build-up to Wanderers' clash with Rotherham on Boxing Day. We have a very special offer for listeners of The Buff Podcast - so take note. Subscription to The Bolton News will cost just £26 for a WHOLE YE...

Sorry if this spoils your Christmas but we need to talk (again) about Barry Knight. We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode seven we transport back in time to Portman Road in May 2000 and a play-off semi-final that goes down as one of the most controversial games in Wanderers' history. Marc Iles and Henry H...

If Stuart Pearce didn't laugh, he'd cry.  We're bringing you a show every day for 12 days recalling a famous game from the last 30 years of Wanderers history. And in episode six we take you back to the days when Big Sam's Wanderers rode high at the top end of the Premier League and could go to Manchester City and make a mockery of xG before anyone even knew what that meant. Marc Iles and Henr...