Bolton Wanderers v Brentford Tuesday 5th April 2016 Griffin Park Kick-off: 7.45pm
The season so far
Off the field Bolton's season has been a difficult one and their on-pitch fortunes have been little better. The boys from the Macron Stadium have won just four league matches this season and are 15 points from safety with seven matches to play. It is two months since they last won a game and have taken just two points from a possible 27 since then. Jimmy Phillips side could be relegated as early as this weekend should they lose tonight and against Derby on Saturday.
The club has twice this season narrowly avoided winding-up petitions from HMRC over unpaid taxes. Last month saw former Wanderers and Brentford striker Dean Holdsworth's Sports Shield consortium and Ken Anderson's Inner Circle buy the club from long-time owner Eddie Davies. Wanderers, and the wider football community, were also shocked by the death of Chairman Phil Gartside, who had overseen their rise to the Premier League in the 1990s, in February.
Owing to their financial difficulties Bolton were placed under a transfer embargo in January meaning that no players have come in since The Bees 1-1 draw with Bolton in November. However, a number of players have left since then. Shola Ameobi joined Fleetwood on a free transfer in February while Francesco Pisano [Avellino], Quade Taylor [Dagenham and Redbridge], Liam Feeney [Ipswich Town], and Conor Wilkinson [Portsmouth] have all departed on loan in 2016.
The Gaffer
One of the first decisions taken by the new ownership consortium was to relieve Manager Neil Lennon of his duties after nearly two seasons with the club. He has been replaced in the interim by Jimmy Phillips.
Phillips played for Rangers, Oxford United, and Middlesborough in between two successful spells with Bolton. The defender made nearly 600 Football League appearances over an 18-year career appearing in the 1995 Football League Cup final with Wanderers and winning promotion to the Premier League the following season.
Following his playing career Phillips became the Youth Team Coach at Bolton before eventually progressing to Academy Director. He enjoyed a brief spell as Caretaker Manager in 2012 after the sacking of Owen Coyle and took over the reigns again this March. His first game in charge saw The Trotters thumped 6-0 by Bristol City before a 1-0 defeat to Reading on Saturday.
The officials
Referee: Andy Davies Assistant Referees: Adam Crysell and John Farries Fourth Official: Stuart Attwell
Ticket news
Tickets for the match are still on General Sale. You can hear live match commentary of the entire match on Bees Player from 7.15pm on Tuesday, with commentators Alan Denman and Dave Morley.