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Megson named Bolton chief
Bolton have confirmed their new manager
By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 25th October 2007 
Megson: New coach
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Bolton have confirmed Gary Megson as their new manager.
Megson has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal with The Trotters, ending their search for Sammy Lee's replacement.
Megson, who moves to The Reebok Stadium just six weeks after he was appointed manager of Leicester, will watch Bolton's Uefa Cup game with Braga on Thursday before officially taking charge.
Pleased
"We have been able to interview a number of quality candidates and have taken into consideration all the factors which we consider applicable for the post and, after due consideration, decided to offer the post to Gary Megson," said Bolton chairman Phil Gartside.
"We feel Gary is the right man to take Bolton Wanderers forward. I have paid particular attention to his career and he has demonstrated to me that he is prepared to roll his sleeves up and has the right temperament for a battle, which this season is undoubtedly going to be.
Hope
"We have made decisive decisions over the past few weeks and this is one of them. It is not about me, Gary Megson or any other individual, it is all about Bolton Wanderers surviving in the Premier League.
"We have to be fully-focussed on the task ahead to make sure we achieve immediate success. I have spoken to the staff and the players and we are all committed to get behind Gary and turn our fortunes around."
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Comments (38)
Jam Abram (Leicester City fan) says...
Christmas has come early to the Walkers Stadium, ho,ho,ho! A big thankyou to "Santa" Phil Gartside, you have made our xmas, saved our season, stopped my season ticket going in the river soar and given us £300k!!!!! Thanks Santa Phil. Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeen Bolton fans
Posted 23:15 25th October 2007
Nahan Dack (Norwich City fan) says...
There is no loyalty in football whatsoever is there?. For Leicester to take Megson on after being out of the game for so long was commendable, for him to walk out after 6 weeks was disrespectful. Phil Gartside would be the first to complain if it happened to him. I hope Megson gets sacked and ends up with nothing. Beware chairmen!!!
Posted 23:05 25th October 2007
Brian Neish (Derby County fan) says...
Bonsoir - I swear I heard a Leicester fan yelling 'hurrah!' from the fois gras farm down the road when this news broke!!! Sincere good wishes towards Leicester getting a manager who shares their aims and remains loyal to them, and to Bolton fans who are likely to be treated to some cracking football for the rest of the season! Pity Megson didn't take charge of Bolton for the Derby game - we may have had a chance of taking more than a point!!!!
Posted 22:34 25th October 2007
Dave Thacker (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
Mr Gartside, What have you done ? It was a big mistake to appoint Sammy Lee and you have made a bigger mistake appointing Gary Megson.Give him 10 games and you will be looking for another manager. Bolton are down and out.
Posted 22:23 25th October 2007
Jamie Cockayne (Leicester City fan) says...
Unbelievable, I am delighted that he is gone as he was never the man to lead us (or in fact any team) forwards! And the fact that he has stabbed us in the back to move makes you wonder why any chairman would even consider employing him! I genuinely feel sorry for Bolton, but delighted for us! See you in the Championship next year Megson, if you last that long!
Posted 20:05 25th October 2007
Martin Fowkes (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
I'm insulted by the way Gartside has conducted himself in the search for a new manager. He's already conceded defeat with the fact were going to get relegated, which won't instill much confidence in our players and the backroom staff. Gartside has to go, its the only way forward now as we've taken 2 steps back. Although I'm not against Megson, he's only doing what any normal person would do.
Posted 19:33 25th October 2007
The Pupi (Manchester City fan) says...
As a Manchester City fan I have to say that I feel Gary Megson will do to you what Alan Ball did to us. Football genius and all that. Your chairman also echoes another dark ghost from our closet in the name of Peter Swales. Grim times indeed for Bolton fans. Although we had some good laughs in the old second division going to loads of little clubs and getting beat more than we should have, I wouldn't want to go through it again and I don't envy your seemingly inevitable fate one little bit. Good luck.
Posted 19:19 25th October 2007
Ryan Lee (Newcastle United fan) says...
Everyone is a winner apart from Bolton Wanderers. Leicester City can't believe their luck in getting rid of a manager whom they did not want in the first place, making a nice profit in the process. That a currently mediocre Championship team does not rate him should speak volumes to Mr. Gartside, and thats before taking into consideration the views of the Bolton fans prior to appoinment. I'm sure Gary Megson can't believe his luck - statistically poor throughout his management career, relegation, disaster at Forest, showing no loyalty to Leicester, and 18 months away from football whilst nobody wanted him suddenly blunders his way back into the Premiership. Whilst I can appreciate that Gartside wouldn't wish to go for broke, like Leeds, I think he has miscalculated the teams ambitions. Granted the departure of Allardyce was likely to have a negative effect, but Bolton should not be battling relegation.
Posted 18:38 25th October 2007
Steve Newton (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
As much as i agree with some of the statements we always will need to use a shoestring budget. I mean its not like we`ll ever have a big enough fan base at the moment were only getting around 20,000 and in some cases not even that for the home games. Hows the board meant to use funds for that even with a full house the money from around 28,000 fans aint going to bring that much in. Kids will always prefer the man uniteds, citys, and liverpools because thats what most kids are like. I do think that Megson will most probably end up been a mistake and to be honest based on the last few performances regardless of the end result believe that if Archie Knox would of remained in charge it would definately of been a good thing as the passion was back and although it pains me to say we went back to playing the football like we did under Big Sam which although slated for it at times it did the job and got results I`d rather we play like that and get the results i know we can than play good passing attacking football and lose games from the defensive frailties this type of play seems to cause. Anyway i think we`ve missed out on a gem by not landing Paul Jewell he really is a very good manager. Big Sam should of got the England managers job and England wouldnt be in the position they are and we could of picked up Alan Curbishley (as at that point he was having a break from footy) and got him before west ham did then maybe we wouldnt be staring relegation in the face. Anyway please prove me wrong Gary but you really do have a lot to live up to. We really are a top ten club and deserve to be back where we belong. I think we all need to just accept the decision as its done now and just get behind the team as we have the quality to still do well and get back in the hunt for europe. Go Bolton!
Posted 18:38 25th October 2007
Noel Clarkson (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
As a Wanderers fan I was at first gutted to even be linked with Megson, but thinking back, I was gutted that Allardyce took over from Colin Todd. Allardyce did well for us but upon his departure, ripped the whole backroom staff apart and did more damage under the surface than people really know. Since Xmas last year Wanderers have had very poor results but there was never a question of sacking Allardyce - he jumped a sinking ship and Sammy Lee paid the penalty. I don't think Sammy Lee was given the right amount of time to turn it around. Megson now has a semi decent group of players with a few special ones to try and turn things around. I can't say I'm happy with the decision but we as Bolton fans must get behind him and see what, if anything, he can do, after all, thats what we did for Sam.
Posted 18:23 25th October 2007
Neil Shaw (Newcastle United fan) says...
If this appointment fails, Phil Garside should pay the ultimate penalty (in a similar way to how Barwick at the FA should soon do for his appointment of McClaren) after all, Bolton are only in this position because of the decision to employ Little Sam, which like the Megson appointment was also a cheap option gamble, which didn't come off! Chairmen should be more accountable and should not be left to make one costly error of appointment after another; the likes of Freddy Shepherd immediately spring to mind, he should have been held accountable long before he was forced to leave. The Bolton fans deserve better; some say they may have 6 fingers and 6 toes, date there immediate family and speak in such a way as nobody else understands, but the fact remains that Mr Gartside (post Big Sam) appears to be taking advantage of these people by trying to run the club on a shoestring. This appointment is a measure of his ambition for BWFC, if he had appointed a big named manager he would simply of had to put his hand in his pocket; by appointing Little Sam and now Megson he's showing that he wants a manager who will work on limited funds. Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Megson, at best is a Championship manager, he has never shown anything to the contrary (ask any Leicester fan) and so should never have been considered for a club who are now an established Premiership Club and who in recent years have regularly challenged for a European place. Mr Gartside should be showing real ambition to the fans in building on what has been acheived so far... this manager will simply not do that!
Posted 16:43 25th October 2007
Ben Smith (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
Does Gartside ever watch football? Employing a manager that got WBA relegated and Notts Forest in a mess in the second division is pure stupidity. Bolton have no ambition, we needed a manager who would be targeting Europe, not avoiding relegation. I would've liked to have heard George Burley's name mentioned.
Posted 16:33 25th October 2007
Mark Wood (Leicester City fan) says...
Thank you bolton!!!! we never wanted him here in the first place! and thanx for the £350,000 compensation (apparently, thats the sum) "ginger Mourhino" hahaha yeah right
Posted 16:31 25th October 2007
Anthony Hart (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
Much of the above is fairly accurate, albeit very negative. The only negative I would add is that of 'ambition' - sadly missing from BWFC's board - and probably the main reason Allardyce finally gave up. However, let's not forget the greatest asset which is the squad - a good one - which now needs to get together and deliver what's expected, under whoever is in charge. as for Megson - I can only base my view on seeing him as a fairly good, hard-working defensive midfielder at City some years ago. Maybe just what we need!!!
Posted 16:29 25th October 2007
Andy Brown (Leicester City fan) says...
Hats off to Milan Mandaric !! he is trying his upmost in making Leicester great again. He gives Megson a chance after being 18 months in the wilderness and he repays him by stabbing him in the back. Good riddance !! Milan I'm sure will have the last laugh eventually. Although £300,000 is not bad business for just 6 week "well done Milan"
Posted 16:28 25th October 2007
Slick Rhy (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
And we thought we had problems... you have my sympathy.
Posted 16:25 25th October 2007
Andy Baxter (Leicester City fan) says...
The Foxes supporters are in tears of laughter at this - what a relief for us ! There will be dancing in the streets of Leioester and party time at the Walkers stadium. POOR OLD BOLTON ! Say goodbye to the premiership
Posted 16:20 25th October 2007
Chris Ward (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...
Ridiculous decision, considering all the names that have been touted around over the past week/10days Gary Megson is undoubtedly the worst possible candidate for the position. He's a "championship" manager and no better than that! His premiership record speaks for itself 7 wins from over 45games is appalling, and for Phil Gartside to be talking about a survival "BATTLE" well thats exactly what he's going to get after appionting Megson! How is Gary Megson going to be able to command any respect from the likes of Diouf, Anelka and Campo who've worked under some of the best managers in the business (Arsene Wenger, Gerrard Houlier, Sam Alardyce to name a few). THE WANDERERS FANS ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS ON
Posted 16:18 25th October 2007
Pat Patterson (Leicester City fan) says...
It is the greatest day for Leicester City, finally we have got rid of him and gettin 300k on top is like the icing on the cake! We just hope Milan gets a good manager in, i would very happy if Paul Jewell comes to us. By the way Bolton fans dont worry, Megson will be gone within 6 weeks!
Posted 16:14 25th October 2007
Ian Ormrod says...
As a Bolton fan, I am mortified by Phil Gartside's recent performance in the role of Chairman. He handled the departure of Allardyce very badly, allowing himself to be drawn into a public slanging match and destroying any goodwill that may have remained following his departure. He then proceded to appoint Sammy Lee, a man with no experience whatsoever in front line football management and didn't have the nerve to support him when the going got tough. Next, Mr Gartside appointed an agent with a questionable reputation and one whom he said was impartial, to assist in appointing another Manager. It just so happened that Mr. Megson is a client of his! Little wonder people were not exactly lining up to be the next Manager when the contest was anything but even. Then we come to Mr. Megson, a man with a C.V. which does not offer any encouragement for the future. Enough said. During this time our interim manager, Archie Knox was the only person who seemed to be talking any sense at all and the only person who retained a semblence of dignity. He was forced to admit that no one had spoken to him about what was going on behind the scenes. I will continue to buy my season ticket and I will watch Bolton Wanderers whatever league they play in. In return, I expect Mr. Gartside to act responsibly, with the best interests of the club in mind. A little more honesty, dignity, professionalism and respect for the fans may not go astray either!
Posted 16:12 25th October 2007