After two tough games on the road it will be good to be finally back on home soil at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday.
I thought we were unlucky not to have got something out of our game at Middlesbrough, but Boro took full advantage of an unfortunate mistake on our part when they capitalised on a wayward backpass.
Mistakes happen in football and we will learn from it, but I believe we may have got something from the game if that hadn’t have happened. Their second goal, right at death, came about after we were trying to get back into the match.
All in all, it was a disappointing result but we cannot be too critical about our overall performance against a side that should be in contention for promotion to the Premier League in May.
Just three days later we had another long distance trip to Suffolk and with a bit more fortune I have no doubt that we might have picked up a victory.
All was going to plan until Marc Wilson was unfortunately sent off, meaning that we had to play the majority of the game with ten men. We firmly believe that it was a harsh decision to send off Marc – in my opinion, a caution would have sufficed – but after much deliberation, we reluctantly decided to accept the punishment and not to appeal the decision, and Marc will therefore miss out on Saturday’s game against Derby County.
His dismissal meant we had to alter our game plan much sooner than we had originally envisaged. Despite this, we were always in with a chance of grabbing the points. I thought we contained Ipswich very well and only restricted them to one shot on target, which Ben Alnwick saved spectacularly.
I suppose given the circumstances, a point away from home when you have had to play most of the game with ten men, is more than respectable.
Looking at the league table, not many points separate us from the play off positions and a couple of positive results will help boost our place. Indeed, if we can improve our goal difference that will help us move up the table and this is something the management team are working on.
Saturday’s opponents Derby County currently sit in sixth position having won five of their opening matches.
They will be a tough test for us but I am confident that we have what it takes to get a positive result.
Loud and passionate backing from our home fans will most definitely help and lift the players, and I hope you all do your utmost to make the atmosphere at the weekend as intimidating as possible. Believe me, it really does help and inspire the players.
If you haven’t already bought tickets for the game, please do so by clicking here. There are also a number of hospitality packages available so please call our Sales Team on 01204 673761 for more information.
On Monday, we announced the arrival of Lloyd Dyer who I am pleased to welcome to the club.
Lloyd is a very experienced and versatile player, who will give us an extra dimension on the left hand side, particularly with Sammy Ameobi being on the sidelines. It also gives us different options, particularly when playing with three at the back. Lloyd’s goal scoring rate is excellent for a wing back having scored 15 in the last couple of seasons with seven of them being scored in the Championship last season.
Despite the transfer window closing, our recruitment team are always looking for the right player and if he becomes available and will add extra quality to our squad then we will be interested in bringing him to the club.
After this Saturday’s game we have another two games coming up in quick succession and it’s crucial that you continue to get behind the boys.
We make the journey to Stoke City on Tuesday and will be looking to continue our decent away record. Having dropped out of the Premier League last season, it is fair to say that Stoke have yet to find their feet in the Sky Bet Championship.
We will need to be at our best to get something from the game and I hope as many fans as possible can make the journey to the Bet365 Stadium.
Neighbours Blackburn Rovers will be our next visitors to the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday 6 October and you can rest assured that they will bring a very large contingent of travelling fans for the short trip across Lancashire.
Looking at our recent match at Preston, we only need to look at the positive effect our own fans had on our performance.
We need to make sure that we don’t give the Rovers fans anything to cheer about and if they do we need to drown out their noise from the outset.
Tickets and hospitality for this match are now on sale and I urge you all to get down to the stadium for this Lancashire hotpot. Bring your friends, families and colleagues. Your support can make the difference. Tickets are available to purchase by clicking here.
We have a number of sponsorship packages available for the course of the season, including match day sponsorship opportunities as well suite and executive boxes packages available. Please contact our Sales Team on 01204 673761 for more information or click here to view the brochure.
Finally, I am personally delighted that Rod Stewart will be performing at the University of Bolton Stadium next summer. Tickets and hospitality packages are selling very well for this concert so please book early to ensure you don’t miss out on seeing and hearing this global star. I have seen him several times and cannot wait to experience another of his concerts again.
In the coming days we are hoping to bring you some more exciting concert related news so watch all the usual channels.
Best wishes,
Ken