Bolton news

Reo-Coker confident Bolton will stay up

May 7, 2012
By ESPN staff

Bolton midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker insists he has "no fear" heading into the club's vital clash with Stoke on the final day of the season, despite the Trotters' Premier League fate being out of their hands.

Nigel Reo Coker celeb
GettyImagesNigel Reo-Coker made 37 league starts for Bolton

Owen Coyle's side let a two-goal lead slip against West Brom on Sunday to draw 2-2 at the Reebok Stadium and leave them two points adrift of safety in the relegation zone.

It means Bolton have to win at the Britannia Stadium this Sunday and hope that other results go their way, though with QPR travelling to champions-in-waiting Manchester City there is certainly a chance that such a situation may unfold.

And Reo-Coker, who avoided the drop on the final day of the 2006-07 season when West Ham claimed a surprise 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, believes that he and his team-mates have what it takes to secure their Premier League survival.

"There is no reason why we can't go to Stoke and win," Reo-Coker said. "It would have been great to get the win but we knew we still needed two results from the last two games.

"That's still the case. We like to do it the hard way but when it's come to the crunch we've managed to do it.

"I have been in this situation before, when West Ham had to win at Old Trafford. So, there is no fear in my heart. That's something I can draw on because nothing in football is for certain."

Bolton were last relegated from the Premier League in 1998, but returned in 2001 and have been a top-flight side since.