Yet in these unlikely circumstances, a group of London based Wanderers fans began to recognise each other on the away terraces of the Capital. It was a mixture of people working in London, students, people with family connections to the Wanderers and a guy from Kent who was a fan because he was Charlie Hurley’s nephew!
A small group decided that they should share their experience of following Wanderers from London and they began meeting up regularly and attending matches together. Word of mouth soon led the group to expand, and the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Club London was officially formed in 1985.
Eighties football was in a sorry state, crumbling stadia, fan violence and the resultant negative media scrutiny made being a football fan something of a stigma. No sooner was London Whites formed than the Bradford Fire and Heysel disasters happened, and football was urged to take a long hard look at itself.
All was not lost, there were some grass roots movements at large to harness the positive side of the game. ‘When Saturday Comes’ had hit the newsstands, a healthy football fanzine culture was developing, and clubs were starting to listen to those fans who wished for a fresh approach. BWSCL decided to harness these influences and help make football a positive experience.
The club had four stated aims back in 1985, and these still hold true today.
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