The Voice - Match preview League One Playoff Semi-Final: Bolton Wanderers vs Bradford City Saturday 9th May 2026 8:00pm

What’s gone before is out of the window . Honestly I would have Stevenage over two or one leg every day of the week.

 

All down to pressure and we know how that can turnout ............daft things can happen ..........look at the Millwall game at our place 1-0 up and in a blink of an eye 3-1 down after being solid at home most of the season.

Whatever happen we are in for two epic battles

 

Did you know Greaves never actually said that, he admitted later that it was his spitting image puppet that started that phrase.

 

Bang on we allowed Stevenage to beat us by getting suckered into there shithouse tactics had we gone a goal up we would have battered them at home

 

A lot of people writing Stevenage of but they have been near the top most of the season their tactics are not easy on the eye but effective. Stockport won’t have it easy

 

Bolton fans seem worried that the Kenny rumours are true. One guy posted that he will be a big miss especially at Wembley though I get the opinion he didn't really know just what he had written.

 

I hope our players are not as nervous as the rest of us.

Bolton are certainly a class act no doubt about it. They have more quality than us. However we are much more of a team than they are and this is a team game.

It’s a free hit, but we all want win after the years of hurt we have had since Millwall. We probably were expecting a two or three years wait, but fate has decided to take a hand in our affairs.

Nobody can predict what is going to happen this is the playoffs and they have a life of their own. We have to be brave and stand tall and give it everything we have and see what happens.

 

Cissoko has been unplayable this past five or six games after a slow and somewhat unimpressive start. He's currently loving his football and playing for a contract, although we won't be paying the 1.2 mil his club have asked for!

I'm not sure many of us thought we'd get into the automatic places this season. I thought Cardiff. Blackpool and Stockport would be in the mix, along with Wycombe, Plymouth and Huddersfield. Whoever gets through this is going to have a tough season next year, with more losses than wins I suspect . Do I want promotion? Absolutely. Do I think I'll enjoy next season if we go up? Not at all!

 

That's pretty much how Im thinking which is why I see this as a free hit for us. The gulf between the 2 leagues is much wider than it was when we were last in this position and lost to Millwall. If we were to go up, 4th bottom would be the aim, so even if that was achieved, the season would be nowhere near as enjoyable as this one.
Obviously we'll take it with both hands if it happens though!!!

 

Cissoko's performance at VP, despite him not showing the final ball on that occasion, was what convinced me we'd better playing you in the semis than at Wembley - Cissoko danced around our defenders time and again, and with with Cozier on the other flank, I think you'd do us pretty comfortably in the final.

I'd definitely rather have the chance to play you at Valley Parade for at least one of the games!

 

Beat em in league 1-0 and FA Cup 4-0 that season I think...

 

Areet Yorkies ,
Late at night and cant really sleep .

Before I start this just like to say all my opinions are rubbish . I said 2 weeks ago the game would be a damp squib and it turned out to be a fantastic blood and thunder of a game with an almighty atmosphere .
Bradford fans were hugely welcoming but cant see it being the same way over the next 2 games.

This is the final that most neutrals wanted (tho Im sure Wembley police have breathed a sigh of relief) and I hope the winner of this 2 leg tie goes on to get promoted .
"If not us then you".

Rumours abound of our injuries to our key players , Kenny , Dalby , Johnstone, Crozier Duberry . Leaving us with nothing up front and only one fit midfielder . Hope its smoke and mirrors from the manager which has been known .

Being at home first the feeling amongst the fans is that its do or die in the first leg with at least a 2 goal advantage needed ,
Historically (recently) we are not great under pressure and as this is our tenth time in the play offs we have succeeded only twice.
The Bolton motto used to be Cup Fighting is our forte , a long time ago and oh for a Nat Lofthouse to lead us now .

Anyway , I cant wish you luck in the in the next 2 games but I will if you get to Wembley , especially if you are up against the anti=football of Stockport .

FWIW Ill go 4-1 Bolton , then 2-0 Bradford with squeaky bums all round .

 

Interesting. One line says Bolton have nothing up front and then goes on to forecast 4 goals.

 

Could be very very clever mind games and 'false leaks' from their end. Would be slightly dispiriting to think their might be some issues with injuries only to see a full strength team sheet.

 

I'm not sure we've given their line up much thought to be fair. GA will be setting us up to be pragmatic and defend in numbers I'd imagine and even if Bolton had all these attacking players missing I still don't see us going out and making it an open, expansive game.

 

I think first 30 mins very crucial tonight. Stop them scoring they will probably start to get slightly worried and that can only be good for us.

No matter what happens it’s being amazing this season I’m going to thoroughly enjoy both legs.
And even if we lose we can welcome Sheff Wed and Leicester to add to the other great games next season and looking at League 2 play off sides any of them are great away games too !

 

Yes a bit crazy really and even if we didn’t have any injuries, which I hope is the case, we aren’t scoring 4 goals tonight. In fact I’m expecting both games to be very much like the league encounters and be really tight with no quarter given by either side. I agree this would have made a good final with two good sides backed by big crowds to create a terrific Roses atmosphere but sadly it won’t happen so we’ll just have to create the atmospheres at home. Let’s hope injuries don’t spoil it and both teams can field strong sides to give the occasion the matches it deserves and let’s also hope it isn’t spoiled by poor officiating either as so many games at this level can be. Enjoy a safe journey over and back tonight for those travelling but sorry I can’t wish you a happy trip home!

 

Exactly.

GA has his way to play.
It got us to 4th in our first season.


He was never doing anything else than trying to keep it tight at their place regardless of who they are supposedly missing.

 

It won't change our tactics but it's more about psychological impact. I'd be lying personally if I won't feel a little wave of disappointment and irritation if the rumours don't materialise. Hopefully the players have a bit more of a capacity to avoid little edges like this getting in their head than I have. Let's not pretend that a fit and firing Kenny is not an advantage for them.

 

Totally agree, a pal who is a Rotherham fan always said he preferred them challenging at the top of league 1 rather than scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the championship, a proper yoyo club and that was 10 years ago !!