20 Years Ago PHIL Neal had a job on his hands lifting spirits at Burnden Park after Wanderers crashed out of two cup competitions in the space of four days.

Tributes flowed about the spirit and the quality of the performances but there was no hiding the hurt after the Whites were left to focus on league matters after losing 2-1 at Blackpool in the FA Cup and going out of the Littlewoods Cup by the same scoreline at Swindon — after the longest-running tie in League Cup history.

Injuries had cut Wanderers down to the bare bones when they pitched up at the County Ground for what was billed as “mission impossible” but they came away with their heads held high, beaten but not bowed after 450 minutes of a marathon third round tie.

They played themselves to a near-standstill to take Swindon into extra time and were just three minutes away from taking the tie to a fourth replay, when Ross MacLaren’s goal finally broke their resolve.

Neal had joked about the prospect on the morning of the game, but was pressed into service himself — going on as a second half substitute in a patched-up team that had centre-back Mark Came alongside Mike Jeffrey in a makeshift attack.

It was Came, in fact, who kept Wanderers hopes alive was a 69th minute equaliser 10 minutes after Steve White had headed the home side in front.

It was an heroic performance that drew praise from relieved Swindon manager Ossie Ardiles.

“Injuries decimated them but Bolton were magnificent,” the former Spurs midfielder said after shaking hands with all the Bolton players as they left the field.

Neal was winning a lot of admirers for the way he had turned things round at Burnden Park after famously surviving the sack the previous season when it was chairman Barry Chaytow who was forced out.

Wanderers left Blackpool disappointed to be knocked out of the FA Cup, but Seasiders manager Jimmy Mullen was full of admiration for the work Neal and his assistant Mick Brown had done to revive the team’s fortunes.

“They had lost only three games in 43 before this and that is a terrific run,” Mullen said. “But I remember last season when they were screaming for Phil and Mick to go. They stuck at it and they’ve done a tremendous job since.

“We’ve got to take a leaf out of Bolton’s book.”

Big-spending Bury were at it again. Goalkeeper Gary Kelly, on loan from Newcastle, had impressed enough to convince the Shakers to splash out £60,000 to make the move permanent.

There was serious concern in the Michael Watson camp as he prepared for a crack at Mike McCallum’s WBA world middleweight crown.

Watson’s manager Mickey Duff was unhappy at the appointment of judges from Venezuela, Spain and Canada for the title fight.

30 Years Ago IAN Greaves was under no illusions: Wanderers were bottom of the First Division and, just 18 months after successfully guiding the club back to the top flight in a blaze of glory, supporters were calling for the manager’s head.

Sections of the Burnden Park crowd chanted “Greaves Out” as Wanderers lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City — record signing Steve Daley scoring the only goal of the game for Malcolm Allison’s Blues — and hit rock bottom with just one win and nine points from 16 games.

Greaves was enough of a realist to know that the pressure was on and that he was in the firing line — not least because of what was perceived as a rift between him and fans’ favourite Frank Worthington.

So there was no glossing over the situation when he admitted: “Things look desperate for us and look pretty bad for me.

“It was a bit of a funeral for us because we lost our unbeaten home record. I’m sure the public feel despondent.”

Worthington was missing from the team that missed a number of chances to have taken at least a point, amid increasing speculation that the former England striker — top scorer in Division One the previous season — was heading for Second Division Birmingham City.

But Greaves denied claims that his relationship with Worthington had broken down. “Frank may think there is a rift between himself and us. All I want — and not nesessarily in this order — is for him to leave Burnden Park or get back in the first team.

“For the City game I decided the nearest I could come to having him back in the team was to make him sustitute. He didn’t want that.”

Worthington was so convinced he was on his way that he effectivelty said his farewells to the Bolton fans who had taken him to their hearts.

“I am disappointed the way things have worked out for me this season,” he said.

“I have enjoyed myself at the club and the fans have been terrific.

“I certainly didn’t play well at the start of the season but I didn’t play badly or worse than any of the other lads.”

England manager Ron Greenwood, meanwhile, was ready to give Tottenham’s gifted young midfielder Glenn Hoddle his first full international cap in the European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria.

Greenwood described the 22-year-old Spurs kid as “on song and scoring goals”.

Kevin Keegan went into the game with Leeds United the latest club to express an interest in the former Liverpool striker, who was in the final year of his contract with German club Hamburg.

Bolton boxer Alek Penarski was told he could face an inquiry after his scheduled light heavyweight bout against Manchester’s Danny Lawford was called off because he was a stone overweight.

45 Years Ago “THE best England centre-forward since Lofthouse” was the verdict after Blackrod-born Frank Wignall scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Wales at a half-full Wembley.

Wignall, who played for Nottingham Forest, was one of the few successes on either side in a mediocre game and did enough to suggest he could become a permanent fixture in Alf Ramsey’s squad.

He certainly overshadowed Wyn Davies, the Wanderers centre-forward, who had a very quiet game.

As the England FA considered assembling a special committee to clean up the game, which was being tarnished by disciplinary problems on the field and trouble on the terraces, the Jamaica FA announced the suspension of their entire league programme for two weeks.

Authorities in the Caribbean said the steps had been taken because players had been assaulted by spectators while referees had been threatened and, in some cases, assaulted by players.

Former shot-putt champion Arthur Rowe, who received £1,500 when he signed for Oldham Rugby League Club two years ago, was transfer-listed at £750 after making only four ‘A’ team appearances for the Watersheddings club.

Anita Lonsbrough, only the second British woman to win the triple crown of Olympic, European and Empire championships, announced her retirement from swimming at the age of 23.