So for once Bolton's Board and fans are in agreement, that Owen Coyle is the right man to manage the club, retain its Premiership status and bring entertaining football back to the Reebok. Will this be the same view come next May, well I for one think so.

Much has been made in some sections of the media and by Burnley supporters of Colye leaving them to come to Bolton, mutterings about loyalty abound but when he left St Johnston in similar circumstances to go to Turf Moor nothing much was said. What goes around comes around and he was right in saying if a manager does well he moves on, if he does not do well he is moved on - it's the nature of football these days. The media bashing of Bolton continues with comments about the backroom staff at Turf Moor following Coyle and Megsons team departing, but again that's football these days. You don’t hire a manger you hire a management team. Bolton had a taste of that when Allerdyce took over Newcastle and many of his backroom team followed.

Lastly, comment has been made about Coyles legendary status with the Bolton faithful after only spending a little over two years here, appearing 55 times and scoring 18 goals. But anyone who followed Bolton in those years knows it was a special time of the team finally shaking off the shackles of the lower leagues and gaining the heights of the Premier League and to go on to, unbelievable as it seems even now, European football. Perhaps just one game, and one goal, might go some way to explain why Owen Coyle has a special place in Bolton hearts.

It's the 29th May, 1995, Wembley Stadium and Bolton are playing Reading the First Division (now Championship) Play-Off Final for a place in the Premier League. After losing in the League Cup final to Liverpool a few short weeks before, I was one of the Bolton faithful watching desperately hoping this would be our day. Reading started brilliantly and Bolton, frankly, didn't. 4 minutes in and Readings Lee Nogan twisted and turned the Bolton defence and coolly slotted home a left foot shot into the bottom corner. On 12 minutes Readings Simon Osbourne floated a free kick in from the edge of the box, Boltons defence stood still, Adie Williams didn't and deftly clipped the ball past Keith Brannigan to make it 2-0 to Reading. With 34 minutes on the clock it got worse as Jason McAteer upended Micheal Gilkes in the box to give Reading a penalty. Head in hands I was looking for the exit. The Reading fans were chanting to their Goalkeeper "Shaka!, Shaka! Whats the score?, Shaka!, Whats the score?" while Shaka Hislop smiled and waved.

At 3 nil down the game would have been over. Then a miracle, Keith Brannagan pulled off a brilliant save from Stuart Lovells penalty and the tide turned. Suddenly Bolton started to play but for most of that long afternoon Reading held out stubbornly. With a bare 15 minutes remaining John McGinley turned his man far out on the right wing and floated a long, almost leisurely cross into the box where Owen Coyle leapt like a salmon above Jeff Hopkins to head the ball into the top corner. Clenched fist in salute he ran towards the Bolton fans, we were back in it. Tense nail biting minutes ticked by until with 5 minutes remaining Alan Stubbs broke up a Reading attack and brought the ball forward and passed to Alan Thompson. The midfielder put a slide rule pass through to Fabian De Frietas who slipped his marker on the edge of the box and shot low across Shalka Hislop. It seemed to take an age before it crept inside the post. 2-2 and extra time. Now it was the turn of Bolton fans to chant "Shaka!, Shaka!, Whats the score?, Shaka!, Whats the score?". This time Shaka Hislop neither smiled nor waved.

Reading were dead on their feet while Bolton seemed to have an extra gear. At the end of the first period of extra time Jason McAteer ran almost the length of that huge Wembley pitch before a back heel found Owen Coyle whose cross eventually found Mixu Paatelienen who sent a looping header into the net to put Bolton in front for the first time in the afternoon. With minutes of extra time remaining de Freitas latched onto a Paatelienen cross to steer the ball against the post but quicker to react he steered the rebound into the roof of the net, 4-2 to Bolton. A consolation goal from the Reading player manager Jimmy Quinn could not spoil the day and Bolton were in the Premier League with Owen Coyle playing his part to the full.

One game, and one goal but if Owen Coyle can reproduce the excitement and passion of that day at Wembley then he may well be a legend at the club, this time as a manager.