Having narrowly escaped the drop in the previous season, Bolton started the 2008-09 campaign determined to return to the top half of the table.

A comfortable 3-1 home win over newly-promoted Stoke City got the season off to a happier start than 12 months previously. Striker Johan Elmander, signed as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka, scored on his debut.

But the side had to wait another seven games before tasting victory again and Elmander struggled to find his form after suffering an injury setback.

The early season defeats, including a 2-1 defeat at home to Northampton in the League Cup, left Bolton flirting with danger at the wrong end of the table by the end of September.

November however was a much happier month. Wins over Man City, Hull, Middlesbrough and 4-1 away at Sunderland had taken Megson's men up to seventh spot.

It seemed as though after 18 months of turbulence Wanderers had at last turned a corner. That Sunderland win however proved to be a high water mark as one win and six defeats in the next seven games left Bolton hovering in mid-table.

In January, Wanderers went out of the FA Cup in the third round following a defeat at Sunderland, while in the Premier League form remained inconsistent.

Successive home wins against Spurs, West Ham and Newcastle were encouraging and meant that by March relegation could be discounted.

But that run of victories was followed by another barren spell. In the final 11 games of the season Bolton won just once more. This time they earned a 4-1 victory over relegation threatened Middlesbrough.

Wanderers did stage an amazing fightback at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, coming back from 4-0 down to scare the Blues and make it 4-3, but aside from that the season fizzled out gently on a sea of drawn games. Defeat at Man City on the final day of the season didn't matter as Bolton secured 13th spot, well away from danger.