Bolton Wanderers 2 West Ham United 1

Loss Leaves Gianfranco Zola In State Of Disbelief by Gary Jacob

As a player, Gianfranco Zola could always run off any frustrations on the pitch, but losing a ridiculously one-sided match presents different problems as West Ham United manager. The Italian emerged from the dressing-room more than an hour after the match in stunned disbelief, head shaking, bemoaning the injustice of a farcical result that spoke volumes for Bolton Wanderers’ sole ambition of staying in the top flight with little regard for their football... Times

Bolton Hang On Despite Scott Parker's Toil by Mark Ogden

There is something about the Reebok Stadium that brings West Ham United out in a cold sweat. Not a single victory has been secured in Bolton since Burnden Park was vacated for the Reebok in 1997, but that could all have changed had there been eleven Scott Parkers in Gianfranco Zola's team on Saturday... Telegraph

Trotters Boss Megson Urges Fabio To Call Up Kev by Chris Wheeler

Very few defenders come out on top in a head-to-head with Kevin Davies - just ask West Ham's Matthew Upson. But there is one battle he seems destined to lose. A senior England cap remains a faint hope for the combative Bolton striker, despite his call-up to Fabio Capello's extended squad for the friendly against Spain earlier this month... Mail

Bolton Stir From Hibernation To Nail Hammers by Guy Hodgson

No one would mistake muscular Bolton Wanderers for a bunch of northern softies but they do not like the cold. Their form dropped like the temperature during the recent freeze so there is no need to look at the thermometer this morning. Just check this result. With the first breath of Spring in the air they recorded only their second win in eight Premier League matches yesterday to soothe relegation concerns that seemed a distant fear when they had six Premier League wins to their name by the end of November. This victory pushed the total to a princely nine... Independent

Taylor And Davies Give Bolton The Points Despite Parker Strike by Steve Bierley

Gary Megson may have felt the need to chant "Remember, remember the wins in November" before this important victory over West Ham United. That had been a golden month for Bolton Wanderers, with four wins out of five, and before this match Wanderers had only won twice since. A dreadful performance away to Everton had piled on the worries and there was huge need for a turn of fortunes... Observer

Hammers Bring Me Back To Reality On Bleecker Street
By Phill Jupitus

New York has hitherto been a place where I have had the word “brash” completely redefined. Imagine the pissiest waiting staff you ever had to deal with. Now imagine a city full of them. However, over these past few days, locals have been helpful, courteous and even, dare I say it, smiling! This proved to be such a culture shock that I craved some negativity just to put my world back in order. I knew just the thing.

Paul Blackman is the former artistic director of the Battersea Arts Centre and now lives in Manhattan. Over dinner, talk turned to football and he breezily told us about a bar on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village that shows Premier League games.

So two days later we found ourselves speeding down Park Avenue in a yellow cab, the driver bemoaning the lack of Test match coverage in America. He then mused philosophically that having two jobs and a family, he wouldn’t have much time for cricket anyway. The bar was sparsely filled with various Brits and interested locals.

A smiling girl in a West Ham hat wandered in from the cold and took a seat. Steaming mugs of decent tea were put in front of us and a full English was served. The Fox Soccer Channel is a very American-looking network, hosted by a very upright chap called Christian Miles (which sounds like an evangelical bus company) and Warren Barton, the former Wimbledon player, who has rather fallen on his feet with this gig.

Alongside us was Martin Bashir, the expatriate British journalist with whom I appeared in the UK soccer flick Mike Bassett: England Manager. Being a Chelsea man, he’d just seen them get three points and stayed on to watch us, presumably to look who they’d be buying in the summer. Right up until Matt Taylor’s free kick I was having a laugh. Then the second Bolton goal made me realise it was going to be one of those games and I felt oddly at home.

Hat girl got up and wandered out. “Where are you going?” we asked. “They’re losing!” she whined.

Not having the time to explain the practicalities of life as a Hammer, we let her go. After the final whistle, I realised the things I now hated most about New York were the Yankees and Gary Megson’s smiling face.

Times column