Bolton Wanderers vs Stockport County: Who will seal Championship football at Wembley?
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Can the Trotters' promotion play-off final experience turn out to be their trump card?
It has been seven years since Bolton Wanderers last featured in the EFL Championship, and they now stand on the brink of ending their long wait for a return to the second tier.
The Trotters finished fifth with 75 points in the EFL League One table to secure one of the four promotion play-off spots. Their opponents in the play-off semi-finals were Bradford City, and they had no trouble securing a 2-0 aggregate victory. It was the first time in the club's history that they kept a clean sheet in the play-off semi-finals.
Head coach Steven Schumacher will now be aiming to guide Bolton Wanderers back to the Championship at the first time of asking. This is not his first rodeo, having guided Plymouth Argyle to Championship promotion back in 2023.
It's also a bonus that he is leading a club with experience in the promotion play-off finals. Bolton have navigated six matches at this stage, both in the Championship and League One.
However, their last two attempts in the third tier haven't gone according to plan, losing both matches: to Tranmere Rovers in 1991 (1-0) and, most recently, to Oxford United in 2024 (2-0).
Stockport are 90 minutes away from reaching the second tier for the first time in 14 years
Underdogs or not, Stockport County have the opportunity to end their exile in the third tier with a win in the promotion play-off final. The Edgeley outfit seemed condemned to life outside the Football League after spending 11 consecutive seasons in the National League and National League North.
It wasn't until Mark Stott became the club's owner in 2020 that their fortunes began to change, setting them on a path back toward the Football League. His investment made a big change as this saw the club become more competitive. In the 2021-22 season, they topped the National League and secured promotion back to the EFL. After spending two seasons in the fourth tier, they secured automatic promotion to League One as champions.
That's four years after being promoted from the National League, and the Hatters are on the brink of gracing the second-tier stage for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
Stockport County are in the EFL League One promotion play-off final after seeing Stevenage's threat in the semi-finals, winning 3-0 on aggregate.
Stockport County have lost both of their EFL League One promotion play-off final games. The first encounter was against Peterborough United in 1991-92, followed by Burnley in 1993-94.
For Dave Challinor's men, there's a belief they can get something positive this Sunday afternoon, given their strong record against Bolton Wanderers. Entering this clash, they've won three of their last four games against this opponent (D1).
However, their experience at Wembley Stadium has not always translated to success in recent years. They have won just one of their last seven matches at this venue (D1, L5).
A detailed record of Stockport's performance at Wembley:
- 1992 – Lost 1–0 to Stoke City (Associate Members Cup Final)
- 1992 – Lost 2–1 to Peterborough United (Play-off Final)
- 1993 – Lost 2–1 to Port Vale (Autoglass Trophy Final)
- 1994 – Lost 2–1 to Burnley (Second Division Play-off Final)
- 2008 – Won 3–2 vs Rochdale (League Two Play-off Final)
- 2023 – Lost 1–0 to Carlisle United (League Two Play-off Final, penalties 5–4 after 0–0 draw)
- 2026 – Lost to Luton Town (Vertu Trophy Final)
