The race for automatic promotion from League One was dominated by eventual champions Lincoln City and Cardiff City, who finished in as runners-up, 14 points ahead of third-place Stockport County.
However, County had a second chance of winning promotion via the play-offs, alongside Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Stevenage.
Bolton defeat County in the final
Jim McNulty’s team navigated their way to the play-off final, where they would meet fellow Greater Manchester outfit Bolton Wanderers. Wanderers finished fifth-place in the League One table, but were just two points adrift of County.
The final was expected to be a close affair, but Bolton ended up running out 4-1 winners over their opponents.
In truth, the game was in the balance until substitute Sam Dalby scored Bolton’s third goal in the 81st minute. Ruben Rodrigues stoppage-time goal from the penalty spot was the icing on the cake for Wanderers.
Return to the Championship is long overdue for Bolton
While Stockport will be disappointed by the defeat, Bolton’s return to the Championship is long overdue. The Wanderers have not featured in the English second tier since 2019.
That is a long time for a club that was once considered a stable Premier League club, let alone a Championship club. The victory has finally given Wanderers fans hope of moving in the right direction.
Brighter times after dark days
The club now looks to have a positive future after some dark days in recent seasons. The club was put in administration in May 2019 due to an unpaid tax bill of around £1.2m.
The club had also failed to pay any of the club’s staff, including the players. Reportedly, the water had even been cut off at the club’s training ground. Things got so bad that Wanderers were in danger of liquidation.
Despite the club welcoming new owners in August 2019, Wanderers suffered relegation to League Two in the 2019/20 season. A five-point deduction played a big role in the demotion, as did the season ending early.
However, they won promotion back to League One in the 2020/21 season by finishing third in the table. That season also saw the club settle debts to avoid a 15-point deduction.
Bolton came close to winning promotion back to the Championship in the 2023/24 season, but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United in the play-off final after Wanderers had finished third in the table.
After a disappointing 2023/24 season, Wanderers’ return to the English second tier is exactly what the club’s long-suffering fans deserve.