Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has officially been charged with misconduct for squaring up to a Shrewsbury player following the full-time whistle.
Evatt was sent off as a result of his reaction which began with his complaining to the referee about the eight minutes of added time that were tacked on to the end of the game which ultimately ended up in a 2-2 draw.
The 42-year-old was unable to contain his frustration and although multiple players on both sides were trying to defuse the situation, the incident unfolded all too fast and the Bolton manager suddenly found himself pressing his forehead against Shrewsbury defender and captain Morgan Feeney.
You can see the moment he saw red (quite literally) here:
Ian Evatt charged by the FA for misconduct after this.
This isn’t an isolated incident either. He has a history of letting his emotions take control when things don’t go his way.
Following an investigation by the FA, Evatt has now been charged with “improper and/or violent” misconduct for leaning his head against Feeney’s and was given until Thursday, 10 October to respond.
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Although he has yet to issue an official statement following the decision, Evatt did speak to BBC Radio Manchester shortly after the altercation, admitting: “I’m disappointed and I’m not happy with how things turned out.”
“There wasn’t an issue with the referee [Declan Bourne] at all, we were discussing the timing situation”, he clarified, going on to add: “There was context to my actions. Their player grabbed me and was saying some not-nice things and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have done.”
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Nevertheless, many fans have remained enamoured with the Coventry-born coach’s passionate albeit sometimes overzealous behaviour on the touchline even if recent results have been very up and down for the Wanderers.
It was only last season that the Greater Manchester side narrowly missed out on promotion after losing the playoff final to Oxford United, having also fallen foul in the previous season’s knockout stages.
The Trotters missed out on the next round of the EFL Trophy competition following a tense but wasteful draw against Aston Villa’s under-21s before losing 4-1 on penalties in their previous game.
As for what’s up next following Evatt and the misconduct charge, his side have the international break to gather themselves and prepare to take on Burton Albion FC back in League One on Saturday, 19 October, where a win feels all but essential given the current atmosphere of the club.
What do you reckon, Bolton fans – Evatt in or out?
Featured Images — Sky Sports/ITV (screenshot)/Bolton Wanderers FC (via X)
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Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Danny Jones -
11th October 2024 
