Why Josh Magennis and Dion Charles have different Bolton Wanderers tales to tell

Separated by 41 months, the signing of each striker was said to be ushering in a new era of recruitment at Bolton Wanderers.

Magennis had cost £200,000 from Charlton Athletic and had been the club’s first cash transfer fee since Neil Lennon paid out £75,000 to bring forgettable Czech midfielder Filip Twardzik to Lancashire from Celtic some two-and-a-half years earlier.

The burly Bangor-born forward had been recruited by Phil Parkinson as the muscle his attack had lacked since the £6million departure of Gary Madine to Cardiff in the previous transfer window – and there was the promise of more, as Parkinson was given licence to pursue two of his other attacking targets, Charlie Wyke – then of Bradford City – and Forest Green’s Christian Doidge.

Magennis was not meant to be the answer to Bolton’s goal-scoring prayers, although little did fans realise it would be only a matter of weeks before Adam Le Fondre was allowed to join Sydney FC. But Parkinson was keen on Magennis’s hustle and his physicality flanked by Sammi Ameobi and Yanic Wildschut, the Dutchman on loan from Norwich, made for an interesting look to the Whites’ attack.

Like most number nines who like a bit of rough and tumble, Magennis struck a chord with the Bolton faithful, at least at first. A goal on debut in a memorable win at West Brom certainly helped – and Magennis went on to score four times in his first eight games.

But that is where the good times started and ended. Quicker than most, Magennis became frustrated at the inconsistencies which started to creep in with player and staff wages.

The permanent signing of Wyke never materialised, and Doidge was loaned in an arrangement Forest Green would soon come to regret.

Bolton’s early promise had faded, and the striker was not shy about voicing his displeasure.

His last goals for the club – ending a 19-goal drought – came in an FA Cup third round win against Walsall. Magennis became the first player since Dean Holdsworth in 2001 to score a hat-trick in the competition but it was certainly no accident that he did not appear to speak to the club cameras, or the local press after the game.

He failed to score again in his 18 remaining games for Bolton, which by that point had turned into a complete circus thanks to the actions of owners real, imaginary and otherwise.

As the club slipped into administration, Magennis spent time with Northern Ireland – which provided some footballing relief but also a chance to speak freely about the situation at the UniBol, which would soon spiral completely out of control.

Players had gone on strike in the final home game against Brentford – and Magennis said when preparing for a Euro qualifier against Estonia that it had been the hardest time in his career.

“Without a shadow of doubt,” he said. “It has been really tough and I’ve learned more about myself in terms of how I dealt with it.

“There was and is a lot of uncertainty and communication was very much lacking. It seemed we only found out the information we needed when it was released to the press.

“It wasn’t a good scenario and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Quite against the odds, Magennis was still technically a Bolton player on the first week of the following season, which would kick off at Wycombe.

Pre-season had been heavily disrupted, with chains only taken off the gates and offices at Lostock shortly before the campaign began.

Players had gone without wages from the club since March and though the PFA interjected, provided loans and mediation, the majority wanted out.

For Magennis, however, the timing of his decision to leave would spark yet more negative headlines.

Just 48 hours before the opening game at Adams Park, the striker had made it known to the administrators that he wanted to terminate his contract.

Hull City had voiced some interest in signing him – but the club wanted to dig in their heels for a transfer fee.

Even Parkinson, who had stayed impressively composed during a hellish 12 months, had to vent in what was described at the time as a “heated exchange,” having been forced to push 17-year-old youth teamer Eddie Brown into the starting line-up.

“Josh put in his notice like quite a few of the lads and he was obviously hugely frustrated by not being paid for five months,” he told The Bolton News. “He put that in, the administrators appealed against it, and there is a hearing, going forward.

“My gripe with Josh is that he told us just as we were walking out to training and we’d picked the team and he knew we were already struggling.

“We know he is a very emotional lad, and it has affected him mentally in terms of what has happened, his career, and not getting any money.

“We will have to wait for the hearing to see whether Josh stays or whether he goes.”

Within a week, Magennis went. The administrators did receive their nominal fee of £75,000 but it would be several weeks before the mess was finally cleared up and Football Ventures’ takeover completed.

Although Magennis suffered a second successive relegation on Humberside, he did eventually find his mojo again, scoring 20 goals for club and country last season, leading to a move to Wigan Athletic in January this year.

“I’ve signed for the biggest team in League One,” he proclaimed at the time, loud enough for fans of his former club to hear him.

And though life at the DW started slowly, he appears to be finding form at just the right time to meet with the Whites again, scoring three times in three games for club and country before Tuesday night’s defeat to Hungary.

“I am pleased to see Josh being greedy actually,” said his Northern Ireland boss Ian Barraclough. “Strikers have purple patches and he scored two in the last two games for his club. I have been to see him a few times this season and watched him and he has been unlucky with goals disallowed.

“It is difficult to go to a new club and start scoring but he is now on a hot streak and a confident Josh Magennis is difficult to handle.”

Charles followed Magennis through them door at Bolton 1,252 days later as the next cash signing at Wanderers – again with the promise that more money would be spent to strengthen Ian Evatt’s squad.

Only this time, the promise was kept almost instantly.

The Accrington striker cost £320,000 in a deal which would be spread over time, but was joined by six other permanent and loan signings which made Wanderers look a different prospect.

Charles proved an instant hit with the Bolton fans, scoring six goals, and that after a note of controversy in his first week – ironically sparked by an online spat between fans of Bolton and Wigan.

He goes into Saturday having not scored in six league games but arguably as the freshest of Evatt’s attacking options, having replaced Magennis to play just 45 minutes in midweek.

Centre forwards with very different Bolton tales to tell, which one will have bragging rights when next they meet on international duty?