Key events
Des Buckingham: “This is the most special day. I grew up in the area.
“We stuck to what we have done over the past two or three months. It is about enjoying the present.
“When you come in mid-season, you do not have time to implement ideas, and it takes time to transition. We have tried to get better every week.
“We come here playing some good football and have earned our right to be here. We are up against a Bolton side but it is up to us to go out and show what we can do.”
Ian Evatt: “I think it is a different kind of pressure to last season when we won the EFL Trophy. We have worked all season for this day and it is a great opportunity.
“It’s huge, obviously it’s a massive club but in a cost of living crisis to have 30,000 plus supporters is amazing.
“The players have reset really well and both legs of the Barnsley games we played well.
“They are a confident group anyway. Last season’s experience is good because it allows us to know what works. We came down two days before, did the tourism things yesterday and had no phones today.
“This is our 61st game of the season, so to have time to have a rest plan and put together is a rarity for us.
“We almost lost this club, it’s been a long journey, we are always fighting against the history of this club. We need to be patient. We’ve had highs and lows, but hopefully more highs. We are in a shootout now.”
This is what they are playing for …
Teams
Bolton: Baxter, Dacres-Cogley, Jones, Almeida Santos, Toal, Ogbeta, Sheehan, Thomason, Maghoma, Collins, Charles
Subs: Coleman, Iredale, Forrester, Morley, Dempsey, Jerome, Adeboyejo
Oxford: Cumming, Long, Brown, Moore, Brannagan, Harris, Bennett, Goodrham, Rodrigues, Murphy, Dale
Subs: Eastwood, McEachran, Bodin, Browne, Stevens, McGuane, Leigh
Preamble
Hello! Playoff final season is upon us. An entire season comes down to 90 minutes (and possibly a little more) for Bolton and Oxford. For one team they get the glory of promotion and playing in the Championship, for the losers utter dejection and a summer of misery as they accept they have to do it all again.
Bolton have come back from the brink of extinction to move up from the foot of League Two to Wembley. Ian Evatt and the ownership have brought stability to a club that was dropping down the pyramid with alarming speed amid financial crises, leaving the glory days of Big Sam behind but now they have the chance to be in the second tier once more.
Oxford were last in this position four years ago but lost the final behind closed doors to Wycombe. They have seamlessly transitioned from Liam Manning, who left mid-season for Bristol City, to Des Buckingham, possibly helped by the two coming through the City Football Group school of coaching.
Unlike their last visit, Wembley will be rocking today with more than 60,000 expected inside for this match.
Let’s hope for a cracker!
Kick-off: 4.15pm