Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester following his side's 2-1 win against Preston North End.

"That's what this division is like, it's mental. From being in complete control of the game [we] probably should be further ahead than what we were," he said.

"We are happy that they miss a sitter at the end to not take our three points away from us, which I felt on the whole we probably deserved. The Championship is going to be an exciting ride so strap in.

"We knew this was a big occasion for us today. The first game back at this level for such a long time. We're then playing against a local rival so there was so much riding on it and we prepared and we were ready to try to be positive."

Image source, Opta

Bolton return to the Championship for the first time since 2019 with a home game against Preston on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Steven Schumacher's men won promotion via the League One play-offs in May but began their campaign with an EFL Cup first round defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites overcame Huddersfield on penalties last time out but are winless in their past seven opening day fixtures, earning just three points, with their last win coming in 2018.

• Bolton Wanderers are winless in their past six league games against Preston North End (D3 L3), with this their first meeting since a 2-1 home loss in February 2019.

• Preston North End have won each of their past three away league games against Bolton Wanderers, as many as they had in their previous 19 visits to the Trotters (D4 L12).

• Bolton ranked third for expected goals (74.2) and second for expected goals against (48) in League One last season; they also scored the most goals in the final 10 minutes of matches in the third tier last term (21).

• Only Sheffield Wednesday (18) have lost more EFL Championship games in 2026 than Preston (11); the Lilywhites finished last season losing seven of their final 12 games (W3 D2).

• Only Lewis Dobbin (18) was involved in more of Preston's 55 EFL Championship goals last season than Alfie Devine (14 – 8 goals, 6 assists); four of his eight goals came following a carry, only Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene, Joe Gelhardt and Leo Scienza had more (6).

The 72+ podcast is BACK and it's got a brand new home.

Follow along as Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff dive into the biggest stories across the EFL, with expert analysis, exclusive guests and the moments everyone is talking about.

A new episode drops on Tuesday night so make sure not to miss it by clicking subscribe on the new 72+: The EFL Podcast BBC Sounds page here.

Kasey Smith
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

After a seven-year wait, Bolton are back in the Championship.

It has been a long old slog to get back here, and while there is plenty of optimism in the air under boss Steven Schumacher, Wanderers will have to pull their finger out to avoid their return to the second tier being a brief one.

Without wanting to be too negative before Saturday's opener against Preston North End, the reality is that Bolton are starting the season weaker than they finished the last.

Amario Cozier-Dubery has gone back to Brighton for obvious reasons, while Mason Burstow, Ibrahim Cissoko, Marcus Forss, Jonny Kenny and Corey Blackett-Taylor have also departed and haven't been replaced. Yet.

That has been the overwhelming theme of pre-season - Bolton need attacking reinforcements.

If there was any doubt over that, the cup defeat by Sheffield Wednesday made it blindingly obvious to any casual observer.

We controlled large parts of the game and looked bright early on, with new signing Gaizka Larrazabal looking dangerous on the wing.

Schumacher's men created chances, but once again struggled to turn that pressure into goals. In the end, there was just one shot on target.

That lack of cutting edge is nothing new. Last season, we broke a club record for the most draws in a season, with too many chances spurned in games.

The decision to allow players such as Forss, Burstow and Blackett-Taylor to leave surely means there are several irons in the fire, and there has to be trust in the process, given how successful it has been to this point.

It may take some getting used to for Bolton's expectant fan base, but we are no longer one of the division's big dogs.

The money sloshing around at the top of the Championship is eye-watering compared to what Bolton can offer.

Fortunately, Schumacher is no stranger to working under tight financial constraints – and, more importantly, working well under them.

The Bolton boss said there were more positives than negatives to take from Hillsborough and had Xavier Simons not seen red on the hour mark following an uncharacteristic lash out, we may well have been in the next round.

It was the second successive season in which Wanderers suffered an early cup defeat to Wednesday - and we all know how the last campaign unfolded.

This latest setback, then, should hardly define the year ahead. But it should serve as a warning.

We've waited a long time to get back to the Championship, and the club now needs to get a wiggle on if they are to stay there.

Bolton Wanderers defender Chris Forino said the club must "relish" the opportunity to play in the Championship this season after working so hard to win promotion from League One.

The 26-year-old was a key figure in the Trotters' defence in the 2025-26 campaign and has had the "honour" of wearing the armband during pre-season in the absence of injured club captain Eoin Toal.

"It's an exciting time for this football club. We all set out last season to be here, we're now here and we need to relish that," Forino told BBC Radio Manchester.

Forino said it "certainly" feels like Bolton are back where they belong, competing in the second tier after a seven-year absence.

"Going back further, everyone knows Bolton is a very historic club that has had so many great days in recent history before that," he said.

"For a fan at the moment it must be good to see us back on the rise. I've always associated Bolton with being a Premier League club.

"That was the era I grew up in. And to play a tiny, tiny part in its history of getting them back to the Championship, it's a great privilege."

Bolton visit Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup for their first competitive game of the season on Saturday (15:00 BST) and Forino believes it will be a good test to prepare for the Championship opener against Preston the following weekend.

"I've never started with a Carabao Cup game before a league game. But it's good because we've got a very good side in Sheffield Wednesday to play against," Forino added.

"They'll be right up there, in my opinion, in League One next season. So it'll be really good game of football in a really tough away ground. So I'm looking forward to it."

Listen to Chris Forino's full interview above or on BBC sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Bolton Wanderers content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Can't get enough of your beloved Championship club? Fear not.

BBC Sport covers all 24 Championship sides with dedicated online and radio reporters at hand to tell the story from every angle.

Expect match reports, analysis, in-depth features, interviews, fan views, quizzes - the works.

We'll also have live text pages for every Championship match this season so you won't miss any of the action even when you're out of town.

Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.

Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.

And when following your Championship team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications which gives you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.

Bolton Wanderers have had an initial £1m bid for English striker Max Dean, 22, rejected by Belgian club Gent. (Football Insider), external

For more EFL transfer news and rumours, read Friday's full gossip column here.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with your club's latest news.

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has been answering questions put to him by supporters on BBC Radio Manchester.

The 42-year-old was asked about the level of investment in the squad, what to expect from the team in the Championship this season, and which positions in the squad still need to be addressed.

Schumacher also discusses what his idea of a strong season would be for the club.

"Most importantly, like I've said to everybody and try and stress to the players, we want to make sure that we give a good account of ourselves," he said.

"We've worked incredibly hard to get to this point, so we want to go and be positive. It doesn't really matter about budgets and finances.

"If we all stick together and use that momentum, invest wisely, recruit wisely, then I think we'll have a decent chance to hopefully surprise one or two."

Listen to Schumacher's Q&A above or on BBC Sounds here - and do not forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Bolton Wanderers content on BBC Sounds

Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United are eyeing a potential deal for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. The 39-year-old is a free agent after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season. (Darren Whitcoop), external

Meanwhile Sheffield United have made an offer for Fiorentina defender Nicolas Valentini. The Argentinian, 24, is also a target for Spanish club Alaves. (German Garcia Gova), external

There is more of Monday's EFL gossip here.

Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher says the club still need to sign at least another five players before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Trotters won promotion back to the Championship for the first time in seven years last season and are now trying to build a squad to stay in the division.

Winger Kyliane Dong, full-back Luca Stephenson, midfielder David Watson and defenders Akin Famewo, Ben Davies and Gaizka Larrazabal have all been added to the ranks so far.

But Schumacher has once again reiterated his desire for further reinforcements.

"There's still loads more to come, I still feel as though we need a lot of players in a lot of positions," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester after a 0-0 draw with Premier League side Everton in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

"We're still working really hard behind the scenes because we know that to get into the Championship and to compete week in, week out, we need more firepower.

"We need strength and depth in every position because physically it's demanding and you're going to pick up injuries.

"And if the squad isn't prepared for it, then you'll get found out, which we obviously don't want to happen."

The 42-year-old said it is "difficult to get players everybody knows about" because Bolton "cannot compete financially" with other Championship clubs.

"That's going to be the challenge that we then have to look further afield or be creative with some of the deals, maybe with loan deals," he added.

"But it's a challenge financially. That's why things are not moving as quickly as we would have liked.

"We have to be patient, keep trying to get people in the door as quickly as possible because the earlier we get them, the more time we get to work with them before the season starts, which is obviously a bit more beneficial."

Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, Wrexham and Middlesbrough are all interested in taking Ipswich Town's new Dutch goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen, 22, on loan. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external

For more EFL transfer rumours, read Monday's full gossip column here.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with your club's latest news.

Image source, Getty Images

Bolton Wanderers have announced a minority investment by Entrepreneur Equity Partners (EEP).

In a statement, EEP is described by the club as a "leading global investor in professional sports clubs and entertainment real estate".

Bolton chairman Sharon Brittan said the investment will help the club "solidify" its position in the Championship following promotion from League One last season.

"In EEP, we have found a partner who understands our town, our community and the way we do things, who shares our vision for the future and brings real, proven experience of successfully building clubs and bringing supporters closer to the team," Brittan told the club website., external

The club said EEP will have a particular focus on "fan engagement and enhancing the matchday experience".

Tim Leiweke, co-founder of EEP, will join Bolton's board of directors along with Brittan, Michael James and Nick Luckock, while fellow EEP co-founder Keegan McDonald will become a board observer.

Football Ventures remains the majority shareholder of the club and the day-to-day leadership will be unchanged, with Brittan and chief executive officer David Ray still in charge of operations.

"We were at Wembley to witness the club win promotion to the Championship and the support we saw from the fans that day told us everything we needed to know about Bolton Wanderers and this community," Leiweke said.

"We are here to honour that legacy and those supporters and take this club to the next level."