It’s been a season of déjà vu for Bolton Wanderers. Their 2025-26 campaign kicked off with a 2-0 defeat at Stockport County—and now, nearly nine months later, the same opponent stands between them and a place in the Championship. The League One play-off final at Wembley brings the Trotters full circle, offering a shot at redemption after a year of near misses and tight contests.
Bolton booked their spot in the final by overcoming Bradford City over two legs, but they’ve yet to get the better of Stockport this season. After that opening-day loss, the sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last month, meaning Dave Challinor’s Hatters carry the bragging rights into the Wembley showdown. Manager Steven Schumacher knows the challenge ahead. “Every time we’ve played them it’s close and always tight,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “They’ve got some good players, but we’re looking forward to it. We know what’s at stake, and we have to be prepared as best we possibly can.”
Midfielder Xavier Simons, whose goal sealed the second-leg win at Valley Parade, is confident his side can rise to the occasion. “It’s not easy,” he admitted. “But we know when we’re at it, we are a very dangerous team—a team that can win games. That’s what we’re going to do.”
For Bolton, this final carries extra weight. Back in 2019, the club was not only relegated from the Championship but faced an existential crisis, saved only by a last-gasp takeover. A second straight relegation followed during a Covid-disrupted season, leaving the club in League Two. Under Ian Evatt, they climbed back to League One and came agonizingly close to the Championship in 2024, missing out on automatic promotion. Now, after years of rebuilding, they have another shot at returning to the second tier—exactly five years after it all unraveled. Historically a prolific play-off side, with two Premier League promotions via the same route, Bolton knows what it takes to win when it matters most.
Whether they can finally break their Stockport hoodoo and complete the circle remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: this is more than just a final. It’s a chance to turn a season of frustration into a story of triumph.