Bolton Wanderers season by season

Every Bolton Wanderers season on record, from 1881–82 to 2026–27 — league record, finishing position and leading scorer. Click a season for every match it contained.

135seasons
5,855matches

Season	Division	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pos	Leading scorer
1881–82		3	1	1	1	8	11
1882–83		5	2	2	1	10	3
1883–84		5	3	1	1	23	5
1885–86		1	1	0	0	6	0
1886–87		3	2	0	1	11	9
1887–88		3	0	2	1	4	12
1888–89	Football League	23	11	2	10	72	59	5	James Brogan (13)
1889–90	Football League	26	12	1	13	81	71	9	Davie Weir (21)
1890–91	Football League	24	12	2	10	50	41	5	John McNee James Cassidy (9)
1891–92	Football League	27	17	2	8	52	41	3	James Cassidy (18)
1892–93	First Division	32	13	7	12	58	58	5	James Cassidy Joe Dickenson (9)
1893–94	First Division	35	14	4	17	50	61	13	James Cassidy (15)
1894–95	First Division	33	11	7	15	64	64	10	Charlie Henderson (14)
1895–96	First Division	35	19	6	10	59	41	4	Bill Joyce (12)
1896–97	First Division	34	13	8	13	47	52	8	Bob Jack (11)
1897–98	First Division	34	13	5	16	30	45	11	James Cassidy (8)
1898–99	First Division	36	9	8	19	37	52	17	Sandy Gilligan Hugh Morgan (6)
1899–00	Second Division	35	22	8	5	79	26	2	Laurie Bell (23)
1900–01	First Division	36	14	7	15	40	56	10	Laurie Bell (9)
1901–02	First Division	36	13	8	15	54	58	12	Tom Barlow (10)
1902–03	First Division	35	8	3	24	37	78	18	Sam Marsh (9)
1903–04	Second Division	40	16	11	13	70	46	7	Sam Marsh (21)
1904–05	Second Division	38	29	3	6	93	36	2	Sam Marsh (27)
1905–06	First Division	39	17	7	15	81	70	6	Albert Shepherd (26)
1906–07	First Division	42	20	9	13	64	51	6	Albert Shepherd (19)
1907–08	First Division	43	16	7	20	64	66	19	Albert Shepherd (25)
1908–09	Second Division	39	24	4	11	60	31	1	Billy Hughes (16)
1909–10	First Division	39	9	6	24	45	75	20	Billy Hughes (12)
1910–11	Second Division	39	21	9	9	69	42	2	Billy Hughes (21)
1911–12	First Division	41	22	3	16	57	45	4	Joe Smith (24)
1912–13	First Division	39	16	10	13	62	65	8	Joe Smith (22)
1913–14	First Division	41	18	10	13	72	57	6	George Lillycrop (25)
1914–15	First Division	45	15	10	20	83	93	17	Joe Smith (36)
1919–20	First Division	43	19	9	15	72	66	6	Frank Roberts (26)
1920–21	First Division	43	19	14	10	77	55	3	Joe Smith (38)
1921–22	First Division	44	21	7	16	70	62	6	David Jack (24)
1922–23	First Division	49	20	13	16	61	60	13	Joe Smith (19)
1923–24	First Division	45	19	15	11	75	40	4	David Jack (27)
1924–25	First Division	45	23	12	10	80	36	3	David Jack (27)
1925–26	First Division	51	23	13	15	94	82	8	Joe Smith (21)
1926–27	First Division	46	21	11	14	90	65	4	David Jack John Smith (17)
1927–28	First Division	44	17	11	16	85	71	7	David Jack (24)
1928–29	First Division	50	20	14	16	90	86	14	Harold Blackmore (37)
1929–30	First Division	43	15	9	19	74	75	15	Harold Blackmore (30)
1930–31	First Division	45	16	10	19	71	85	14	Harold Blackmore (30)
1931–32	First Division	44	17	5	22	74	85	17	Jack Milsom (19)
1932–33	First Division	45	14	9	22	87	98	21	Jack Milsom (27)
1933–34	Second Division	47	24	10	13	92	61	3	Jack Milsom (27)
1934–35	Second Division	50	30	7	13	109	55	2	Jack Milsom (35)
1935–36	First Division	44	14	14	16	68	78	13	Jack Milsom (20)
1936–37	First Division	47	12	16	19	47	73	20	Jack Milsom (14)
1937–38	First Division	43	15	15	13	65	63	7	Ray Westwood (23)
1938–39	First Division	45	15	17	13	67	59	8	George Hunt (23)
1945–46		9	5	2	2	13	6
1946–47	First Division	45	14	9	22	65	74	18	Nat Lofthouse (21)
1947–48	First Division	43	16	5	22	46	60	17	Nat Lofthouse (18)
1948–49	First Division	45	14	12	19	61	71	14	Willie Moir (25)
1949–50	First Division	45	11	15	19	50	64	16	Nat Lofthouse (13)
1950–51	First Division	44	20	7	17	68	64	8	Nat Lofthouse (22)
1951–52	First Division	43	19	10	14	65	65	5	Nat Lofthouse (18)
1952–53	First Division	50	20	11	19	77	80	14	Nat Lofthouse (30)
1953–54	First Division	48	21	14	13	83	66	5	Willie Moir (25)
1954–55	First Division	44	14	13	17	66	72	18	Nat Lofthouse (15)
1955–56	First Division	44	19	7	18	75	60	8	Nat Lofthouse (33)
1956–57	First Division	43	16	12	15	67	68	9	Nat Lofthouse (28)
1957–58	First Division	49	20	11	18	80	90	15	Nat Lofthouse (20)
1958–59	First Division	48	23	12	13	88	72	4	FA Charity Shield
1959–60	First Division	45	21	9	15	64	56	6	Dennis Stevens Ray Parry (15)
1960–61	First Division	50	16	13	21	75	86	18	Billy McAdams (21)
1961–62	First Division	45	16	11	18	64	70	11	Fred Hill (14)
1962–63	First Division	44	15	5	24	56	82	18	Francis Lee (13)
1963–64	First Division	48	12	10	26	57	89	21	Francis Lee (16)
1964–65	Second Division	46	22	10	14	87	66	3	Wyn Davies (25)
1965–66	Second Division	47	18	10	19	73	67	9	Francis Lee (18)
1966–67	Second Division	46	15	15	16	66	64	9	Francis Lee (24)
1967–68	Second Division	46	14	14	18	67	74	12	Gordon Taylor (12)
1968–69	Second Division	45	13	14	18	60	77	17	Roy Greaves (12)
1969–70	Second Division	47	13	14	20	64	70	16	John Byrom (25)
1970–71	Second Division	46	8	11	27	37	78	22	Roger Hunt (8)
1971–72	Third Division	56	23	18	15	69	55	7	John Byrom Roy Greaves (13)
1972–73	Third Division	57	30	15	12	90	47	1	John Byrom (22)
1973–74	Second Division	50	18	15	17	59	51	11	John Byrom (24)
1974–75	Second Division	46	15	14	17	46	48	10	Hugh Curran (11)
1975–76	Second Division	49	22	15	12	72	46	4	Garry Jones Neil Whatmore (13)
1976–77	Second Division	52	24	15	13	93	67	4	Anglo-Scottish Cup
1977–78	Second Division	49	28	11	10	73	42	1	Anglo-Scottish Cup
1978–79	First Division	45	13	11	21	58	81	17	Anglo-Scottish Cup
1979–80	First Division	48	7	17	24	43	79	22	Anglo-Scottish Cup
1980–81	Second Division	46	14	11	21	65	75	18	Neil Whatmore (21)
1981–82	Second Division	46	15	7	24	46	68	19	Chris Thompson (14)
1982–83	Second Division	47	12	12	23	52	70	22	Tony Henry (11)
1983–84	Third Division	52	21	11	20	67	69	10	Football League Trophy
1984–85	Third Division	52	18	8	26	81	91	17	Football League Trophy
1985–86	Third Division	51	16	9	26	60	80	18	Football League Trophy
1986–87	Third Division	55	12	19	24	56	69	21	Football League Trophy
1987–88	Fourth Division	51	25	12	14	74	51	3	Football League Trophy
1988–89	Third Division	51	18	17	16	64	61	10	Football League Trophy
1989–90	Third Division	57	20	20	17	76	65	6	Football League Trophy
1990–91	Third Division	57	30	12	15	82	65	4	Football League Trophy
1991–92	Third Division	56	19	19	18	77	75	13	Football League Trophy
1992–93	Second Division	56	33	11	12	98	52	2	Football League Trophy
1993–94	First Division	58	21	17	20	82	78	14	1993–94 Anglo-Italian Cup
1994–95	First Division	58	29	14	15	90	60	3	John McGinlay (22)
1995–96	Premier League	46	12	8	26	49	76	20	John McGinlay (9)
1996–97	First Division	54	32	16	6	120	64	1	John McGinlay (30)
1997–98	Premier League	43	11	14	18	51	69	18	Nathan Blake (14)
1998–99	First Division	57	26	17	14	98	73	6	Bob Taylor (18)
1999–00	First Division	62	31	16	15	98	69	6	Eiður Guðjohnsen (22)
2000–01	First Division	55	29	17	9	94	56	3	Michael Ricketts (24)
2001–02	Premier League	44	11	15	18	54	78	16	Michael Ricketts (15)
2002–03	Premier League	41	10	15	16	42	55	17	Youri Djorkaeff Jay-Jay Okocha Henrik Pedersen Michael Ricketts (7)
2003–04	Premier League	48	19	12	17	66	71	8	Kevin Nolan (12)
2004–05	Premier League	44	20	11	13	58	48	6	Kevin Davies El Hadji Diouf (9)
2005–06	Premier League	53	22	16	15	66	53	8	UEFA Cup
2006–07	Premier League	43	18	9	16	56	58	7	Nicolas Anelka (12)
2007–08	Premier League	51	12	17	22	46	64	16	UEFA Cup
2008–09	Premier League	40	11	8	21	43	57	13	Kevin Davies (12)
2009–10	Premier League	45	13	11	21	51	77	14	Kevin Davies (9)
2010–11	Premier League	46	17	11	18	60	64	14	Johan Elmander (12)
2011–12	Premier League	47	15	8	24	61	87	18	Ivan Klasnić (9)
2012–13	Championship	50	19	15	16	75	67	7	Chris Eagles (12)
2013–14	Championship	50	16	18	16	65	64	14	Jermaine Beckford (9)
2014–15	Championship	52	16	13	23	63	75	18	Adam Le Fondre (8)
2015–16	Championship	50	6	16	28	46	87	24	Zach Clough (7)
2016–17	League One	54	28	12	14	76	47	2	EFL Trophy
2017–18	Championship	50	12	13	25	45	82	21	Gary Madine (10)
2018–19	Championship	49	9	8	32	36	84	23	Josh Magennis (7)
2019–20	League One	40	6	13	21	34	77	23	EFL Trophy
2020–21	League Two	51	24	10	17	68	62	3	EFL Trophy
2021–22	League One	55	25	13	17	90	68	9	EFL Trophy
2022–23	League One	59	31	14	14	93	50	5	EFL Trophy
2023–24	League One	61	34	14	13	121	65	3	EFL Trophy
2024–25	League One	56	25	10	21	82	84	8	EFL Trophy
2025–26	League One	57	27	19	11	94	64	5	EFL Trophy
2026–27		3	1	1	1	2	2