By Mark Heys
March 3 2006

Bolton Wanderers will be looking for their first league win at St James Park in nearly 47 years as they travel to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Not since October 1959 have the Wanderers proved victorious on Tyneside when two Ray Parry goals gave them a 2-0 victory over the Magpies in the old First Division.

Since then trips to the North East have more often than not ended in defeat with last season's fixture going the way of the Geordies via Kieron Dyer despite Stelios Giannakopoulos goal bringing Bolton back into the contest just before half time to cancel out Lee Bowyer's effort.

It is fair to say the Toon Army are on a good run of form under caretaker manager Glenn Roeder at the moment but the Wanderers themselves can be bouyed by the fact that they picked up a valuable three points in an entertaining game against Fulham last time out.

Contraversial striker El Hadji Diouf could be selected for Bolton for the first time since playing against former club Liverpool in early January after having a hernia operation.

Fellow front man Henrik Pedersen could also return to the fold despite damaging a heel in his comeback game in the UEFA Cup defeat to Olympique Marseille just over a week ago.

Former Blackburn forward Matt Jansen has an ankle problem and is once again expected to join Khalilou Fadiga and Ivan Campo on the Trotters treatment table.

England star Kieron Dyer and defender Titus Bramble are both missing for the Geordies with hamstring trouble with striker Michael Owen also out of action due to a broken foot.

Veteran Alan Shearer may return to action as could Irish defender Stephen Carr who has been suffering with a hernia problem but fellow defender Stephen Taylor is still yet to come back from a shoulder injury.

Ex-Wanderer Robbie Elliott is competing with Celestine Babayaro for the Newcastle left back spot, whilst old stager Gary Speed looks also likely to be involved for the visiting Trotters team against his former club and could come in for Hidetoshi Nakata.

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

21/08/1995 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Bergsson) NEWCASTLE UNITED 3 (Ferdinand 2, Lee)

20/01/1996 NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Kitson, Beardsley) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Bergsson)

01/12/1997 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Blake) NEWCASTLE UNITED 0

17/01/1998 NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Barnes, Ketsbaia) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Blake)

13/10/2001 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 NEWCASTLE UNITED 4 (Solano, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy)

02/02/2002 NEWCASTLE UNITED 3 (Shearer 2, Bellamy) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Gardner, Southall)

26/12/2002 BOLTON WANDERERS 4 (Okocha, Gardner, Ricketts 2) NEWCASTLE UNITED 3 (Shearer 2, Ameobi)

22/01/2003 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (Jenas) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

20/09/2003 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 BOLTON WANDERERS 0

28/03/2004 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Pedersen) NEWCASTLE UNITED 0

31/10/2004 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Diouf, Davies) NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (Ambrose)

27/02/2005 NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Bowyer, Dyer) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Giannakopoulos)

24/08/2005 BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Diouf, Giannakopoulos) NEWCASTLE UNITED 0

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 13

Won: 5

Drawn: 1

Lost: 7

CONNECTIONS

Peter Beardsley, Franz Carr, Tony Cunningham, Wyn Davies, Robbie Elliott, Les Ferdinand, Alan Gowling, Steve Howey, Mike Jeffrey, Glenn Keeley, Neil McDonald, Ron McGarry, Scott Sellars, Gary Speed, Alan Thompson, Andy Walker, Tommy Wright

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED NEWCASTLE

It is ten seasons ago since Bolton faced Newcastle in their first home Premiership match. Incidentally one of the Newcastle scorers that night was Les Ferdinand who later had a short spell with Wanderers

When these two sides met in January 1998 it was Newcastle who claimed victory thanks to a last minute goal from Temuri Ketsbaia. The balding Georgian international celebrated by repeatedly kicking the advertisement hoarding

In October 2001 Jussi Jaaskelainen was sent off during this meeting and Bolton had no reserve goalkeeper so midfielder Bo Hansen had to go in goal and the Trotters lost 4-0

The season before last saw Henrik Pedersen score a bizarre goal from near the corner flag after debutant Steven Taylor had misjudged the bounce of the ball. Pedersen's cross cum shot looped over the head of Shay Given and into the net