Bolton fans urged not to flock to Sussex for potential promotion party

The Trotters know a victory over Crawley would see them win automatic promotion to League One, or if they fail to win they could still go up automatically if other results go their way.

But despite urging fans to stay at home, they still flocked in their numbers to their games with Morecambe and Exeter (pictured below) recently.

However, after fans clashed with the police outside the ground, this time around Bolton have reiterated the message for supporters to stay at home.

Derek Clark, who is a commentator on Bolton FM, has spoken about the scenes when fans have turned up in recent weeks.

He told The Argus: “We saw it first-hand a couple of weeks ago at Morecambe where fans welcomed the team bus in and there must have been a good few hundred that made their way over, which was crazy to see.

“Last week thousands turned up and there was real party atmosphere.

“If anything, it was bit detrimental to them in the end because they turned up ready for a promotion party.

“But the club have said for fans not to make their way down to Crawley at the weekend just because of the scenes at the end of the game against Exeter with the police getting involved, it didn’t go the way the fans wanted.

“So, the club have said to stay at home to reiterate it.”

Bolton will be without of their key players for the clash with the Reds.

Clark said: “Kieran Lee came off in the defeat to Exeter and we asked Ian Evatt at the end if he will be fit for Saturday to which he replied “It is very unlikely”.

“So that is a blow for them because he was one of the additions in January and you can tell he is a step-up from League Two having come from Sheffield Wednesday and you can see he has played a higher level.”

“So he will be a big miss.”

The Trotters head into the game have only lost three of their last 19 matches in the league, which has seen them climb from 19th in the table in February to third in the space of just three months.