Walking Down the Manny Road: Inside Bolton's Football Hooligan Gangs

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Every club needs a mascot in modern day football, in recent times mascots can be considered as important as a club badge as part of a clubs identity and Bolton have had one of the longest serving mascots in the Football League and Premier League. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

JAY SPEARING | Walking Down the Manny Road - Episode 1

Adam Le Fondre joins us from his new home in India to discuss the ups and downs of his three separate spells at Bolton. In 1997 he caused a national up-roaaaar when Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters claimed he incited them during a Division 1 game between the two sides at Burnden Park. Matt Mills gives an honest and insightful look into his time at Bolton - telling the story of how he went from outcast to club captain under Dougie Freedman (twice).

Keith Branagan drops in on the podcast to discuss THAT penalty save in the 1995 Division One Play-Off Final against Reading and how the very mention of the topic used to annoy him. The club has their own line of Lofty the Lion merchandise on sale and in the 2007-2008 season they produced a comic for younger fans in their official programme called Lofty's Adventures written by Katherine Bibby and illustrated by Daniel Smyth.

GUDNI BERGSSON | Walking Down the Manny Road - Episode 6

Lofty the Lion is the official mascot of Bolton Wanderers Football Club. He first burst onto the scene in the 1995-1996 season when the Trotters first made their way into the Premiership and has remained at the club ever since. Named after club legend Nat Lofthouse, he stands at the same height as Peter Crouch (near enough) and is a very popular figure amongst many of the Bolton Junior Whites contingent. Of course these claims had no substance to them and in the same year he was voted as the best mascot in the Nationwide League by far. The Wanderers favourite reveals just how much he had wanted to remain at the club under Neil Lennon, how Phil Parkinson wasted the opportunity to pair him with Zach Clough, as well as why beating Nottingham Forest to remain in the Championship ranks as a career highlight. A favourite with the crowd due to his Elvis Presley impressions, Lofty also stands on the touchline during each game trying to drum up support from the Reebok Stadium faitful who often in turn get him flexing his muscles.