The 2016–17 season was Bolton Wanderers's first season in the third tier of English football since 1993 following their relegation from the Football League Championship. Along with Football League One, the club competed in the FA Cup, Football League Cup and Football League Trophy. The season covered the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.
Pre-season
On 20 May 2016, Bolton Wanderers announced their English pre-season schedule in full for both the entire squad and an XI squad. They also announced that there would be a training camp and further games abroad. These games were confirmed on 3 June as being against Danish teams HB Køge and FC Helsingør. On 17 June the away game at Ashton United was cancelled as the home side's pitch would not be ready. On 27 June the game at HB Køge was cancelled as it was felt that the date was too early in the pre-season. The Bolton XI game against Chester on 20 July was also cancelled as it was felt there was not enough first-team players to make up Bolton's team travelling to Tranmere Rovers a day earlier. Due to this, some of the Bolton XI traveled with the first-team for the game and both games were mixtures of first team players and the reserve players.
Competitions
League One
League table
Matches On 22 June 2016, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced. Bolton will start the season at home to Sheffield United on 6 August and finish at home to Peterborough United on April 30, 2017.
FA Cup
Bolton entered the competition at the first round stage for the first time since 1993, alongside all other Football League One and Football League Two sides.
League Cup
Bolton entered the competition at the first round stage and were drawn to play away at Blackpool in the first round.
EFL Trophy
Bolton entered the competition at the first round group stage and were drawn against Everton U-23, Blackpool and Cheltenham Town in Northern Group A.
Squad No. Name Pos. Nationality Place of birth Age Apps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee End Goalkeepers13Ben AlnwickGKPrudhoe260Peterborough United31 August 2016Free201833Mark HowardGKSouthwark290Sheffield United13 July 2016Free2018 Defenders2Lewis BuxtonRBNewport110Rotherham United5 August 2016Free20173Dean MoxeyLBExeter822Crystal Palace2 July 2014Free20174Dorian DerviteCBLille831Charlton Athletic27 May 2014Free20175Mark BeeversCBBarnsley517Millwall3 July 2016Free201815Derik OsedeCBMadrid510Real Madrid6 July 2015Free201820Andrew TaylorLBHartlepool400Wigan Athletic10 August 2016Loan201723Lawrie WilsonRBCollier Row392Charlton Athletic5 August 2015Free201725Reece WabaraRBBromsgrove10Free Agent15 February 2017Free201731David WheaterCBRedcar16715Middlesbrough20 January 2011Undisclosed2017 Midfielders6Josh VelaCMSalford13212Academy20 March 2011Trainee20198Jay SpearingDMWallasey17310Liverpool9 August 2013Undisclosed201710Jem KaracanCMCatford51Free Agent11 March 2017Free201711Viv Solomon-OtaborLWLondon40Birmingham City31 January 2017Loan201716Mark DaviesCMWillenhall20816Wolverhampton Wanderers26 January 2009Undisclosed201717Liam TrotterCMIpswich746Millwall1 July 2014Free201721Darren PratleyCMBarking16815Swansea City1 July 2011Free201822Filipe MoraisRWBenavente192Bradford City2 February 2017Free201724James HenryRWReading352Wolverhampton Wanderers31 August 2016Loan201732Tom ThorpeCMManchester251Rotherham United31 August 2016Loan2017 Forwards12Chris LongCFHuyton101Burnley31 January 2017Loan201714Gary MadineCFGateshead7816Sheffield Wednesday8 June 2015Free201719Max ClaytonCFCrewe302Crewe Alexandra18 September 2014£300,000201735Conor WilkinsonCFCroydon160Millwall2 July 2013Undisclosed201845Adam Le FondreCFStockport3614Cardiff City31 January 2017Loan2017 Out on Loan1Ben AmosGKMacclesfield450Manchester United1 July 2015Free20197Chris TaylorLMOldham230Blackburn Rovers2 July 2016Free20189Jamie ProctorCFPreston291Bradford City1 July 2016Free201828Tom WalkerMFSalford211Academy1 July 2014Trainee2017
Statistics
|colspan=14|Out on Loan:
|colspan=14|Player who left the club during the course of the season:
Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Total16 CMJosh Vela 91001014CFGary Madine 910010310SSZach Clough 9000931CBDavid Wheater 9000955 CBMark Beevers 70007645CFAdam Le Fondre 60006722RWSammy Ameobi 2101488 DMJay Spearing 3000317CMLiam Trotter 210031022RWFilipe Morais 2000224RWJames Henry 11002129 CFJamie Proctor 0010110CMJem Karacan 1000111CFKeshi Anderson 1000112SSChris Long 1000119LWMax Clayton 1000123RBLawrie Wilson 1000130CFKaiyne Woolery 0010132CMTom Thorpe 10001Total 6642173
Disciplinary record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Total 18 DMJay Spearing 1200100000000130026 CMJosh Vela 1100000000100120035 CBMark Beevers 9001000000001000417CMLiam Trotter 50000000000050031CBDavid Wheater 500000000000500620LBAndrew Taylor 30010000000040014CFGary Madine 40000000000040083 LBDean Moxey 30000000000030016CMMark Davies 20000010000030035CFConor Wilkinson 300000000000300114CBDorian Dervite 2000000000002007 LMChris Taylor 2000000000002009 CFJamie Proctor 10010000000020010SSZach Clough 20000000000020015CBDerik Osede 20000000000020023RBLawrie Wilson 10010000000020032CMTom Thorpe 100100000000200172 RBLewis Buxton 10000000000010011CFKeshi Anderson 01000000000001012CFChris Long 01000000000001013GKBen Alnwick 00000000010010021 CMDarren Pratley 10000000000010022RWSammy Ameobi 10000000000010024RWJames Henry 10000000000010030CFKaiyne Woolery 000000100000100Total 72206002002008220
Transfers At the completion of the previous season the club announced that twenty players would not be offered new contracts once their present ones concluded. These players included senior squad members Neil Danns, Stephen Dobbie, Tom Eaves, Liam Feeney, Robert Hall, Emile Heskey, Paul Rachubka, Oscar Threlkeld, David Wheater and Hayden White. These players were followed out of the club by young defender Tyler Garratt who signed for Doncaster Rovers on 28 June for an undisclosed fee.
On 1 July, it was reported that the transfer embargo that the club had been under since the previous season was to be at least partially lifted by the Football League and the day after former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Chris Taylor signed on a free transfer, followed the following day by Millwall defender Mark Beevers, also on a free transfer. They were followed on 5 July by Bradford City forward Jamie Proctor, also signed on a free transfer. Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Mark Howard then signed for the club. David Wheater re-signed on a one-year deal after initially being released at the end of the previous season. He was shortly followed to the club by defender Lewis Buxton after his release from Rotherham United.
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 2 July 2016 LM Chris Taylor Blackburn Rovers Free transfer 3 July 2016 CB Mark Beevers Millwall Free transfer 5 July 2016 CF Jamie Proctor Bradford City Free transfer 13 July 2016 GK Mark Howard Sheffield United Free transfer 5 August 2016 RB Lewis Buxton Rotherham United Free transfer 31 August 2016 GK Ben Alnwick Peterborough United Free transfer 2 February 2017 RW Filipe Morais Bradford City Free transfer 15 February 2017 RB Reece Wabara Wigan Athletic Free transfer 11 March 2017 CM Jem Karacan Unattached Free transfer
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 28 June 2016 LB Tyler Garratt Doncaster Rovers Undisclosed 1 July 2016 GK Harry Campbell Burton Albion Released 1 July 2016 DM Channing Campbell-Young Free agent Released 1 July 2016 CM Jon Ceberio Real Sociedad C Released 1 July 2016 CM Chris Cvetko FC Blau-Weiß Linz Released 1 July 2016 CM Neil Danns Bury Released 1 July 2016 SS Stephen Dobbie Queen of the South Released 1 July 2016 CF Tom Eaves Yeovil Town Released 1 July 2016 RW Liam Feeney Blackburn Rovers Released 1 July 2016 GK Ross Fitzsimons Braintree Town Released 1 July 2016 LW Robert Hall Oxford United Released 1 July 2016 CF Emile Heskey Free agent Released 1 July 2016 CM Jordan Lussey Southport Released 1 July 2016 RB Niall Maher Bury Released 1 July 2016 GK Paul Rachubka Bury Released 1 July 2016 CB Quade Taylor Braintree Town Released 1 July 2016 CF Jamie Thomas Burnley Released 1 July 2016 DM Oscar Threlkeld Plymouth Argyle Released 1 July 2016 LB Yvan Wassi Free agent Released 1 July 2016 RB Hayden White Peterborough United Released 7 July 2016 RB Francesco Pisano Olbia Calcio 1905 Released 22 July 2016 CBRob HoldingArsenal£2,500,000 1 August 2016 DF Nathaniel Phillips Liverpool Free transfer 1 August 2016 DMFilip TwardzikFree AgentReleased 8 August 2016 ST Daniel McKenna Witton Albion Free transfer 12 August 2016 CBAlex FinneyQueens Park Rangers Released 31 August 2016 CFKaiyne WooleryWigan Athletic£207,000 31 January 2017 SS Zach Clough Nottingham Forest £2,610,000
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Until Ref. 10 August 2016 LB Andrew Taylor Wigan Athletic End of Season 31 August 2016 LW Sammy Ameobi Newcastle United 3 January 2017 31 August 2016 CF Keshi Anderson Crystal Palace 16 January 2017 31 August 2016 RW James Henry Wolverhampton Wanderers End of Season 31 August 2016 CB Tom Thorpe Rotherham United End of Season 30 January 2017 SS Chris Long Burnley End of Season 31 January 2017 CF Adam Le Fondre Cardiff City End of Season 31 January 2017 LW Viv Solomon-Otabor Birmingham City End of Season
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Until Ref. 5 August 2016 ST George Newell AFC Fylde End of Season 26 August 2016 GK Ben Amos Cardiff City End of Season 31 August 2016 CM Tom Walker Bury End of Season 31 August 2016 CF Conor Wilkinson Chesterfield January 2017 31 January 2017 CF Jamie Proctor Carlisle United End of Season 31 January 2017 LM Chris Taylor Oldham Athletic End of Season
Summary Games played 54 (46 League One, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 3 EFL Trophy)Games won 28 (25 League One, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 EFL Trophy)Games drawn 12 (11 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 EFL Trophy)Games lost 14 (10 League One, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 EFL Trophy)Goals scored 75 (68 League One, 4 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 1 EFL Trophy)Goals conceded 47 (36 League One, 4 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 3 EFL Trophy)Goal difference +28Clean sheets 20 (17 League One, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 EFL Trophy)Yellow cards 82 (72 League One, 6 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 2 EFL Trophy)Red cards 2 (2 League One, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 EFL Trophy)Worst Discipline Jay Spearing (13 , 0 0 )Best result 4–0 vs Gillingham (12 Dec 16), 4–0 vs Gillingham (14 Mar 17)Worst result 2–4 vs Blackpool (9 Aug 16)Most appearances Josh Vela (53)Top scorer Josh Vela, Gary Madine (10)Points 86
References