Much has changed since Bolton Wanderers made the move from their spiritual home at Burnden Park but so many of the loyal faces remain the same.

Those now in possession of a bus pass were in their mid-thirties when the decision was taken to move away from the middle of town, where the club had grown for more than a century, to a state-of-the-art stadium six miles away adjoining a plush new retail development.

Change was embraced by many. However emotional the move, there was a widespread understanding that for Bolton to compete in the upper echelons of a football world now seeing massive financial investment that the club needed to be commercially competitive and less reliant on the traditional income streams.

For the venture to work, though, Wanderers also had to make some compromises and ensure that the generations of supporters who had walked up the Manny Road could still get to see their team.

Displacing the club from the town centre had a profound effect on the matchday habits of Bolton’s fans – not to mention the town centre itself.

The new stadium had an enviable infrastructure and location, lying just off the M61, and ample parking compared to so many football grounds of the day. By mid-1999 the public transportation options were improved with the opening of Horwich Parkway rail station.

Despite all that, the club had made a pledge to its supporters a quarter of a century ago that those who hopped on a bus or train into town to walk up to Burnden would still be catered for. They put on bus services from several satellite towns which, at their peak, were tremendously popular but have gradually been amalgamated or dropped, with eight routes now operating on a matchday.

Passenger numbers have also fallen, and Wanderers – who say operating the buses costs them “tens of thousands of pounds” per year – are now considering scrapping them altogether.

It is understood that between 250-300 people still use the Tyrers-provided services to come in from the direction of Breightmet, Radcliffe, Leigh, Boothstown, Farnworth, Bromley Cross and Pendlebury, many of which are non-drivers.

Those who use the service say high ticket prices – now £7 for a single or return – are to blame for the empty seats, some even suggest the situation has been engineered to substantiate cancelling the buses altogether.

Wanderers find themselves in an awkward situation. Whilst the buses are, by all accounts, financially unviable, by scrapping them they are cutting off a section of their fanbase, and demographically, most likely the one that has followed them from Burnden and has stuck with them through good times and bad.

It was considered to scrap matchday buses last summer but, primarily through the work of the Supporters’ Trust, extra time has been allotted so that alternatives can be examined and organised in advance of next season. Wanderers have already run the gauntlet in the last 12 months with a membership scheme and new parking system, both schemes attracting criticism from some quarters, not least for the lack of pre-warning given to those affected.

Confirmation of a consultation on the bus services, conducted with the BWFC Supporters’ Trust, was only made after a question was asked of chief executive Neil Hart at last week’s AGM and has not yet been addressed on any official club channels.

Wanderers are looking to build on what has been an exciting campaign, and positive outlook among its supporters, by launching their early bird season ticket offer last week. An official survey of the fanbase is also in the offing.

Change, they say, is inevitable. The town centre, once buzzing on a matchday, barely reflects the fact a Bolton game is happening these days. General supporter habits do not necessarily reflect what was happening 25 years ago when Wanderers were asking them to stick with them for the bright new dawn.

But should this really be about the bottom line? The service currently offered ensures some of the most isolated and potentially vulnerable supporters can still watch their club. And while the modern-day custodians may say a promise made 25 years ago is no longer theirs to keep, this seems a loss leader that might be worth trying to salvage.