Bolton Wanderers have parted ways with manager Ian Evatt following a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.
The defeat left Bolton sitting ninth in the League One table, three points adrift of the play-off spots, capping off a disappointing first half of the season.
According to BBC Radio Manchester, the decision was made during an emergency board meeting held after Tuesday night’s match.
“There comes a point in football when a change needs to happen and the last thing I want is to damage what we have all built together,” Evatt said in a statement.
“I believe the club is still well placed to achieve its goals this season, and I want to give the board and players the best chance of doing that.”
The 43-year-old arrived at the club in 2020 and won automatic promotion from League Two in his first season.
He led Wanderers to the EFL Trophy at Wembley in 2023 as well as last season’s League One play-off final, where they were defeated by Oxford United.
Bolton chairman Sharon Brittan said that Evatt’s dedication to rebuilding the club had been “commendable”.
“He instilled a renewed sense of professionalism and purpose, and we are grateful for his significant contributions during his four and a half years at the helm,” she said.
The club said they were committed to finding the “right” candidate to replace Evatt with an announcement regarding the interim management to be made in due course.
A season to forget leads to Evatt exit
Bolton Wanderers narrowly missed out on automatic promotion from League One last season, finishing just behind Derby County on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
Despite overcoming Barnsley in the play-off semi-finals, they faltered in the final at Wembley, losing 2-0 to Oxford United in a performance manager Ian Evatt attributed to fear, preventing their return to the Championship for the first time since 2019.
That disappointment carried into the current season, with a 10th league defeat against Charlton leaving Bolton ninth in the table, three points outside the play-off places after 24 matches.
Evatt has faced a challenging season, including early struggles that led to calls for his dismissal, which he dismissed in September, citing support from the club’s board. He also revealed his son had faced abuse from fans.
While Evatt has pointed to psychological factors for the team’s inconsistent form, a run of 10 wins in 17 matches across all competitions helped them climb back into the play-off race. However, he remains critical of fans’ harsh judgments of the team’s performances.
Club chairperson Sharon Brittan publicly backed Evatt despite a disappointing defeat to struggling local rivals Wigan Athletic, which left Bolton trailing League One’s automatic promotion contenders.