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Reebok Stadium, Bolton

After the stadium disasters in the 1980’s and the Taylor Report, all-seating at stadiums were imposed by law under Margaret Thatcher. Grounds either had to be redeveloped – or replaced.

Bolton Wanderers, one of the founding members of the football league, chose to leave their ground, Burnden Park. A ground made famous by Lowry’s painting, “Going to the match.”

Well, compared to this painting, the new ground, The Reebok Stadium, sums up the transition of English football. In stead of being located in an industrial city with people walking to the ground, The Reebok is located outside the city with sloping hills in the distance – and a highway, huge car parks and a trainline next to it. There are no pubs or chippys next door – butto that.

A few fans from both sides were far more preoccupied with gaining eyecontact with opposing fans, gesticulating, singing – but in an overall goodhumoured way. There was a lot of Lancashire-Yorkshire rivalry in the chanting. “Sheep, sheep, sheepshaggers” were chanted from the Bolton section, with the Huddersfield fans responding, singing: “he s…… all your kids, he s…… all your kids, Jimmy Saville, he s……. all your kids”. That response was greeted by smiles and grins and even applauds from the Bolton fans, before they returned the chant: “he s…… all your sheep, he s……. all your sheep, Jimmy Saville, he s…… your sheep”.

As the game gradually lost a bit of its initial spark, the responses from the Bolton fans peetered out at the end of the half,