This was the first of four games on a mini-tour in February 2018. I had flown in to Manchester earlier in the day, checked in at my hotel and gone out to the Macron Stadium with an afternoon train. Horwich Parkway Station, where I got off, is right next to the stadium. When you enter the stadium from the direction of the station, you are met by the Nat Lofthouse statue. I went around the stadium to get to the ticket office inside the club shop and bought me a ticket for £26 in the Lofthouse Stand Upper. 

I managed to find a Frankie & Benny's restaurant in the shopping centre next to the stadium where I had dinner and a couple of pints before the game. I had forgotten that they usually kickoff at 8 instead of 7.45 at Bolton so I was early in my seat. On this night, Bolton vs Sunderland was a game between two former PL clubs fighting desperately to stay in the Championship. Sunderland had the better of the ball, but Bolton scored the only goal when Zach Clough got a touch on Filipe Morais's freekick in the 17th minute. 

Aftre the game, I hurried back to the station to get back to Manchester only to find a sign saying that due to ongoing rail works there would be a replacement bus at 23.10 and my clock wasn't even ten. It was a long wait in a place with no street life and no bars. 

I was back at the hotel around 30 minutes after midnight convinced that this would be my only trip to see Bolton Wanderers play at home. Macron Stadium was my 78th league ground.