MEGSON: TIME TO GET ON GART'S SIDE

Megson - behind Gartside.

Bolton manager Gary Megson insists chairman Phil Gartside does not deserve the abuse he has received from a section of the club's supporters this season.

Eyebrows were raised when Gartside appointed Megson last October after Sammy Lee was bundled out of the Reebok Stadium following just 171 days in the job.

Bolton fans were not impressed and called for the chairman's head during Megson's first game in charge, a 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa on October 28.

Gartside came under further attack as recently as last month following an eight-match winless streak but he has had the last laugh as the Trotters won three and drew two of their last five games to safeguard their Barclays Premier League status.

"The chairman gave me this opportunity because he thought I could keep Bolton in the Premier League, which is what has happened," said Megson. "He did it for reasons that he believed would take the football club forward.

"It's a huge first step to avoid relegation and I've been surprised at the amount of animosity and stick that he came in for.

"He brought me into the job, which people weren't ecstatic about, but this is a very good football club.

"They are looking at ways of getting more children to come to games and they recently paid for the supporters to travel to the Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Chelsea games.

"The fans are very much at the forefront of the club's thoughts here at Bolton, so I find it strange that they (the club's hierarchy) come in for that amount of stick.

"We've got an owner here in Eddie Davies who puts an awful lot of money into the club and does as much as he possibly can to make it successful.

"It's unfortunate that when things don't go right on the football pitch, invariably the people who cop for it are the board and the manager."

It is worth remembering that Bolton were bottom of the table with a pitiful five points from 10 games when Megson was handed the reins.

Even Derby looked down on them but Megson steadied the ship, restored belief and made the Trotters competitive again.

The former West Brom and Nottingham Forest boss cannot see why his managerial pedigree was even brought into question.

"My mate Tony Pulis, who has just got Stoke promoted, has a saying about glossy and non-glossy managers," said Megson.

"We're both non-glossy managers but we get the job done, and I've got the job done here at Bolton."