Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher stood on the Wembley turf with a tear in his eye and a lump in his throat and with half a national stadium singing his name. Asked for his immediate reaction, Schumacher described winning the League One play-off final as the biggest achievement of his career. Even allowing for swirling emotion and recency bias, it was a significant statement.
But you could see Schumacher’s point. Bolton had been in League One for five years. At first they were breezing through, then stopping by, then rebuilding. By the end supporters wondered and worried that roots were sinking into soil in the third tier. Years of financial turmoil had been replaced by the pain of coming close and failing.
After five years of Ian Evatt, one season of Schumacher got it done. That may seem simple from the outside. The manager is happy to concede that it was nothing of the sort.
“I felt the pressure that was building around the club,” Schumacher tells The i Paper.
“It had to be that season. Because if we didn’t achieve that promotion, I’m not quite sure what this season may have looked like. That’s why it was the biggest achievement for me: you were dealing with expectation.
