The three months of waiting is nearly over as Bolton Wanderers welcome Charlton Athletic to the Reebok Stadium this Saturday for the first Premiership clash of the 2004-2005 season.
Charlton finished in 7th place last season after spending the majority of the campaign in the European places and although the disappointment of missing out on Europe lingered around The Valley the club were still happy to improve their league status under the steady guidance of Alan Curbishley - one of the Premiership's most astute and sought after managers.
Bolton will be hoping to put a summer of transfer frustration behind them as they look to secure their first win on the opening day of the season in three years. Not since the shock 5-0 drubbing against Leicester City in 2001 have the Trotters seen success in their first match of the campaign with the last two years ending in heavy defeats which is something Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce is keen to cut out in the season ahead.
Allardyce has added seven players to his cosmopolitan squad this summer and the majority of those could feature during the weekend game against the Addicks.
Of those former Newcastle United captain Gary Speed looks to be a likely starter whilst first eleven spots could also go to the impressive Brazilian Julio Cesar and experienced Tunisian international Radhi Jaidi both of whom arrived from the continent in the summer.
Fellow new boys Michael Bridges and Les Ferdinand will be looking to push strikers Henrik Pedersen and Kevin Davies for places in the Bolton forward line and the ex-Real Madrid defender Fernando Hierro and Israeli international Tal Ben-Haim look also likely to be vying for places in the Trotters sixteen however Frenchman Florent Laville is still some way off a first team return after a long standing knee problem.
Charlton manager Alan Curbishley has brought in England internationals Danny Murphy and Francis Jeffers this week for a combined £5 million plus from Liverpool and Arsenal respectively with both likely to feature for the trip to the Reebok Stadium.
Other new faces for the Addicks include former Sunderland loanee Talal El Karkouri - a tough defender recruited from Paris Saint Germain, Danish Euro 2004 winger Dennis Rommedahl from PSV Eindhoven and attacking midfielder Bryan Hughes who was picked up on a Bosman from Birmingham City. Two players who will definately not be involved are the contraversial yet flambouyant Paulo Di Canio who is negotiating a move back to Italy and former Wanderers favourite Claus Jensen who recently moved across London to join Fulham.
Two out of the Addicks last three visits to the Reebok Stadium have ended goalless with their last success against the Wanderers coming early on in the 2002-2003 season when goals from Chris Bart-Williams and Jason Euell gave the London side a 2-1 victory after Youri Djorkaeff had slid Bolton into an early lead. Bolton have never secured a home win against Charlton in the Premiership, the last home win for the Trotters against the Londoners came during the final ever game at Burnden Park which ended in a 4-1 victory in April 1997.
Both sides are known to play some attractive football at times and Saturday's encounter is sure to be no different.
LAST SEASON
31/01/2004 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (PREMIERSHIP)
30/08/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0 (PREMIERSHIP)
PLAYED FOR BOTH
Anthony Barness
Mark Fish
Claus Jensen
Alan Kernaghan
Don McAllister
Neil Redfearn
John Salako
Mike Salmon
Andy Todd
Charlie Wright
Charlton finished in 7th place last season after spending the majority of the campaign in the European places and although the disappointment of missing out on Europe lingered around The Valley the club were still happy to improve their league status under the steady guidance of Alan Curbishley - one of the Premiership's most astute and sought after managers.
Bolton will be hoping to put a summer of transfer frustration behind them as they look to secure their first win on the opening day of the season in three years. Not since the shock 5-0 drubbing against Leicester City in 2001 have the Trotters seen success in their first match of the campaign with the last two years ending in heavy defeats which is something Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce is keen to cut out in the season ahead.
Allardyce has added seven players to his cosmopolitan squad this summer and the majority of those could feature during the weekend game against the Addicks.
Of those former Newcastle United captain Gary Speed looks to be a likely starter whilst first eleven spots could also go to the impressive Brazilian Julio Cesar and experienced Tunisian international Radhi Jaidi both of whom arrived from the continent in the summer.
Fellow new boys Michael Bridges and Les Ferdinand will be looking to push strikers Henrik Pedersen and Kevin Davies for places in the Bolton forward line and the ex-Real Madrid defender Fernando Hierro and Israeli international Tal Ben-Haim look also likely to be vying for places in the Trotters sixteen however Frenchman Florent Laville is still some way off a first team return after a long standing knee problem.
Charlton manager Alan Curbishley has brought in England internationals Danny Murphy and Francis Jeffers this week for a combined £5 million plus from Liverpool and Arsenal respectively with both likely to feature for the trip to the Reebok Stadium.
Other new faces for the Addicks include former Sunderland loanee Talal El Karkouri - a tough defender recruited from Paris Saint Germain, Danish Euro 2004 winger Dennis Rommedahl from PSV Eindhoven and attacking midfielder Bryan Hughes who was picked up on a Bosman from Birmingham City. Two players who will definately not be involved are the contraversial yet flambouyant Paulo Di Canio who is negotiating a move back to Italy and former Wanderers favourite Claus Jensen who recently moved across London to join Fulham.
Two out of the Addicks last three visits to the Reebok Stadium have ended goalless with their last success against the Wanderers coming early on in the 2002-2003 season when goals from Chris Bart-Williams and Jason Euell gave the London side a 2-1 victory after Youri Djorkaeff had slid Bolton into an early lead. Bolton have never secured a home win against Charlton in the Premiership, the last home win for the Trotters against the Londoners came during the final ever game at Burnden Park which ended in a 4-1 victory in April 1997.
Both sides are known to play some attractive football at times and Saturday's encounter is sure to be no different.
LAST SEASON
31/01/2004 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (PREMIERSHIP)
30/08/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0 (PREMIERSHIP)
PLAYED FOR BOTH
Anthony Barness
Mark Fish
Claus Jensen
Alan Kernaghan
Don McAllister
Neil Redfearn
John Salako
Mike Salmon
Andy Todd
Charlie Wright