Our collection of retro Bolton Wanderers Vintage images picks up from the early 1950s in what was a good decade for the club in the FA Cup, its favourite competition. A Stanley Mathews-inspired Blackpool edged them out in 1953, but Bolton were back at Wembley five years later, this time to face Manchester United. The club’s greatest-ever player, Nat Lofthouse, scored both goals in Bolton’s 2-0 win and the trophy went to Burnden Park for the fourth time in the club’s history.

In common with Blackpool and other former pre-war giants from the north west of England, subsequent decades proved to be a lot less kind to Bolton. Relegation to Division 2 followed in 1964 and by 1971 Wanderers had plunged to the third division for the first time in their history. In 1977 – the final year we take in here – the club was thriving back in the second division and preparing for the successful promotion push that would lead them back to the top flight in 1978 after a 14-year absence.

Nat Lofthouse, Bolton Wanderers 1951

Bob Langton, Bolton Wanderers 1951

Willie Moir, Bolton Wanderers 1951

John Ball, Bolton Wanderers 1951

Doug Holden, Bolton Wanderers 1959

Nat Lofthouse, Bolton Wanderers 1960

Bolton Wanderers 1962

Graham Stanley, Bolton Wanderers 1963

Francis Lee, Bolton Wanderers 1963

Peter Nicholson, Bolton Wanderers 1972

Garry Jones, Bolton Wanderers 1973

John Byrom, Bolton Wanderers 1973

Peter Nicholson, Bolton Wanderers 1973

Bolton Wanderers 1975

Roy Greaves, Bolton Wanderers 1976

Bolton Wanderers 1977