I saw Bolton as being a similar sized club as City up to the Mercer-Allison era. In the 1950s, they were a competitive club with at least two FA Cup finals, the 4-3 loss to Blackpool in 1953 and the win over United in 1958.
By mid-1960s, Bolton’s main local rivals were Bury rather than City. That is somewhat ironic in view of the events this year.
I used to hate Bolton and their fans with a passion but have mellowed over the years and now have a lot of time for them. I saw them at Maine Road when they were heading for promotion to the PL and beat City despite a cracking opening goal from Kinkladze. The Bolton fans were singing ‘We only hate United’ during the match and the City fans applauded them at the end of the match.
Good luck to Bolton and I hope better days lie ahead for Bury.