1920 - 1929: THE RULES were once again amended for the 1920/1921 season with no offside to be awarded from throw-ins. The Wanderers went into the transfer market and broke their record by paying Luton Town £2,500 for full back John Elvey. Goalkeeper Fred Hinton was also signed from Southern Leaguers Swindon Town.

Wanderers' first and second team players from the very early 1920s

Bolton entered 1921, 2nd in the First Division and all energies were able to concentrate on the League effort after Preston won a first round Cup-tie by 2-0.

Wanderers' first and second team players from the early 1920s. The picture is taken prior to a Possibles versus Probables trial match at the start of the 1921-22 season.

On 30th April Joe Smith equalled the Football League record of 38 goals in a season held by Bret Freemans who established that number in 1908, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Liverpool at Anfield. The win also put the team into the next round of the Lancashire Cup, however victory eventually went to Manchester City who defeated the Wanderers 2-1 in the final at Old Trafford.

The close season of 1921 saw plenty of movement on the goalkeeping front. Joe Hughes went to Charlton and Frank Drabble of Southport, whilst Dick Pym was secured for the Wanderers from Exeter City. The fee for Pym was kept secret but was undoubtedly a record for a 'keeper at the time.

The League season was rounded off with a 4-2 home win over Middlesbrough, but the cupboard once again was not bare. The Lancashire Cup was won for the fourth time, against Bury at Gigg Lane, the Manchester Cup also being lifted with a win over Eccles United at Old Trafford.

The Wanderers made a poor start to what was to become one of the most famous seasons ever, not just in the history of the club but to football in general. Bolton opened the 1922/1923 season with a visit to Preston where they went down 3-1. Charles Flood, a forward signed from Hull City, scored the Wanderers goal only three minutes into his debut.

The first away win in the FA Cup since 1905 was recorded by the Wanderers with a 2-0 scoreline at Norwich and Leeds were accounted for by 3-1 at Burnden in the second round. In between these games League points were being accumulated with a 2-1 home win over Burnley and a 1-0 win at 'Spurs where on the way to the game the team had a passing glance of Wembley Stadium under construction.

The Wanderers qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup with a 1-0 replay win over Huddersfield Town at Burnden.

David Jack was again to be the Wanderers hero a fortnight later when his 46th minute goal won Bolton an FA Cup final appearance, by defeating Sheffield United at Old Trafford. The crowd of 72,000 was a record at the time even though ticket prices were excessive.

Wanderers team from 1923 FA Cup Final victory.  Back row L to R: Nuttall, Howarth, Rowley, Seddon, Pym, Jennings, Finney. Front row L to R: Butler, Jack, J R Smith, J Smith, Vizard.

On April 28th 1923 Bolton took the field with the then Second Division West Ham United for what came to be known as the White Horse Final. The greatest ever crowd at an FA Cup Final was present, estimated at 150,000 with hoards pushed back behind the touchline by a police white horse named Billy. When the game eventually got started goals from David Jack and John Smith brought the FA Cup back to Bolton for the first time.

During November of the following season £1500 was spent on Rollo Jack, brother of David, from Plymouth Argyle for whom he had only played 15 league games. He made his debut on 22nd December in a 1-1 draw at Notts County, taking the place of his brother who had been injured a week earlier.

In 1924/1925 the Wanderers engaged 34 professionals for the term, including paying £4,400 for Joe Cassidy, a centre forward from Glasgow Celtic.

For the start of the 1925/1926 season the offside law was amended from requiring three opponents to only two between the attacker and the goal-line. In the opening game at home to Newcastle, in which the Wanderers fielded their Cup winning side of two years previous, there were only three offside decisions in the game that ended 2-2.

King George V shaking hands with the Bolton Team before the 1926 final against Manchester City

Later that season a David Jack goal five minutes from time gave the Wanderers a 2-2 draw in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Bury at Bournemouth. The replay was won 6-2, and within an hour of the victory the Wanderers had signed Charles Roberts from the south coast side in a dramatic piece of business.

It took three attempts to defeat Nottingham Forest in the 6th round, Joe Smith scoring the only goal in the second replay at Old Trafford.

Wanderers defeated Swansea Town in the semi final. All the goals in the 3-0 win came in the first half, Jack Baggett and Joe Smith with a couple, sending the club to Wembley for the second time.

On April 24th, a 78th minute goal from David Jack won the FA Cup for Bolton before a crowd of 91447. It was expected to be the last Cup Final to be played at Wembley due to its impending sale but history has since proved otherwise.

For only the second time since the war the first game of the 1926/1927 season was won, when Leeds were beaten 5-2, John Smith opening his account for the season with a hat trick.

At the end of March that same season, the club went on a West Country tour winning 1-0 at Plymouth and losing 3-2 at Exeter. Two of the Exeter goals were scored by 21 year old Harold Blackmore and after the game he signed for the Wanderers in a £2150 deal. He made his debut on 2nd April scoring after only five minutes in a 3-2 home win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The Lancashire Cup was again secured with a 1-0 win over Bury at Burnden, the winner coming from John Smith.

During the 1927/1928 season, Bolton Wanderers hit the bottom of the League, after a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle in the 9th game, for the first time since 1909/1910.

By then end of November a much more satisfactory position of 15th had been reached although the Lancashire Cup had been lost when Bury won a semi-final at Burnden.

David Jack was transferred to Arsenal in the 1928/1929 season for a fee of £10,750, the first ten thousand pound player, the Londoners wanting his skills to replace those left by the retirement of Charles Buchan.

David Jack returned to Bolton on 5th January that season and went away having scored both goals in Arsenal's 2-1 win.

The FA Cup came round with the Wanderers in a mid table position. Oldham and Liverpool were defeated in the opening rounds and a rare goal from Jimmy Seddon helping the Wanderers to win 2-1 at Leicester in the 5th round. The Wanderers were then drawn to face the holders Blackburn at Ewood with over £500 worth of Wembley ticket applications having already been received at Burnden; such was the confidence of success.

Two Billy Butler goals gave the Wanderers a 2-1 win and a semi final match against Huddersfield at Anfield. The Yorkshire side led at half time but the Wanderers struck back to win 3-1.

On April 27th Bolton won the FA Cup for the third time, with two goals in the final 12 minutes against Portsmouth, with Billy Butler and Harold Blackmore, who had scored in every round, finding the net. Jimmy Seddon hold the FA Cup high after the Wanderers defeated Portsmouth in the 1929 Wembley showpiece.

At the beginning of September 1929, Rollo Jack was transferred to Clapton Orient but the London Club had difficulty in settling the £1,000 fee due to financial problems.

The Cup winning team was gradually being broken up, with Jim McClelland joining Second Division Preston North End and Dick Pym being dropped for the visit to Arsenal, his place going to Jimmy Gill.

During March the Club snapped up a youngster from Brierley Hill Alliance who was to become a household name in Bolton - his name - Ray Westwood.

1930 - 1939: Bob Howarth was appointed captain at the start of the 1930/1931 season, and opened with a 3-0 home win over Middlesbrough. 7-2 defeat at Liverpool later in the season heralded the end of one era and the start of a new, for Dick Pym ended his Bolton League career, with Bob Jones taking over as number one custodian, whilst Harry Goslin made his debut.

George Taylor, a youngster from Ashton-under-Lyne was taken on as a professional during December 1930 in what was to be the start of a long and distinguished Wanderers career both on and off the field.

George Eccles, the club's trainer, handed over the reins to Bob Young at the end of the 1931/1932 season. Eccles who was now 60 decided to take over the Reserves to cut down on travelling.

Jack Milsom lifts the ball over the bar, but in 1937 was sold to Manchester City for £4,000

During June that year Jack Milsom gained undisputed possession of the centre forward position when Harold Blackmore was sold to Middlesbrough for £4000 having scored 122 goals in 165 League and Cup games for the Wanderers.

Ted Vizard left the Wanderers the following season to become the Manager of Swindon Town, his charge of the 'A' team going to Jimmy Seddon.

In 1934/1935, Ken Cameron replaced Ray Westwood, who won his first international cap playing for England against Wales, the first such honour since Jimmy Seddon in 1929.

That same season Wanderers went down 6-2 to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane thus ending a run of 19 League games without a defeat, or 20 including the Lancashire Cup Final. The defeat didn't throw Wanderers off the promotion rails as the following week the club recorded their best ever League win when a crowd of 15009 saw Barnsley thumped 8-0.

At Bloomfield Road, Ray Westwood grabbed his 30th goal of the season, in a 1-1 draw, which netted the club's 96th League goal of the season and set a club record. Westwood, along with Milsom who netted 31 goals, headed the division's goalgetters.

Burnden Park's capacity was increased for the start of the 1935/1936 season thanks to the concreting of the Great Lever end and the disappearance of the remains of the cycle track. There was also a new top between the Burnden Theatre and Lever End.

A local brewery, Magee's, supplied clocks to be installed on the top of the stands, which were to remain there for 40 years.

Towards the end of that season Willie Cook was placed on the transfer list after declining to accept terms at the end of April, and later left to join Blackpool. This left Alec Finney as the only member of the 1929 Cup winning team still in the club's employment.

Stan Hanson made his debut for the Wanderers on September 19th 1936 in a 2-0 reverse at Huddersfield. Stan was to become another famous Wanderers custodian even serving the club when his playing days were over.

In December 1937 Charles Foweraker was appointed Secretary-Manager for a further five years and Jack Milsom was placed on the transfer list at his own request after losing his centre forward spot to John Calder.

A strange incident happened on New Year's Day when keeper Fred Swift received a £50 bribe to concede two goals at Brentford. He promptly handed it to his manager who advised the League but no action was taken, the game resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Jack Milsom got his wish to leave the club during February when he made the short journey to Manchester City for a fee of £4000. During 1938/1939 goalkeeper Fred Swift joined Birmingham League side Shrewsbury Town in an unusual arrangement. Swift had signed for Town without the Wanderers consent but they agreed to let the 'keeper remain there so long as Town gave Bolton first consideration on any of their players and that they kept Swifts registration for the Football League.

Once again a season that had promised so much in the early stages had collapsed with the Wanderers finding themselves too much to do in the latter stages of the season to make up the lost ground.

To assist with the compilation of these history pages, extracts were taken from 'Heroes, Heartbreakers & Headliners', The Official Bolton Wanderers History Book by Simon Marland.

The book is priced at £23.95 and can be purchased from the Club Superstore or online at www.bwfcsuperstore.co.uk