Williamson has been sidelined since late August with an ankle problem, but he made his comeback for the reserves last week, and manager Alan Pardew admits he isn’t far away from a first-team return.
Pardew’s side have conceded a series of goals from set-pieces since they lost Steven Taylor to a season-ending injury.
Alan Pardew: “Mike’s trained well.
“We’ve missed our No1 header of the ball since Steven’s been out, and Bolton are a big side.
“We’ve conceded from set plays, and it’s important that he comes back in the team at some point.
“The fact that we haven’t won for five or six games is beginning to have a slight influence on us, and we want to get that out of the way as quickly as we can.
“We are having to look at our squad because we are stretched, especially defensively.
“We have made some calls to try to find out who is available, but it’s a difficult window.
“You want to try to get a good player in a window when teams don’t want to lose their good players, so it’s not just difficult for us, it’s difficult for every team.”
REEBOK STADIUM - BOLTON WANDERERS
What Is It Like For Away Supporters?
Away fans are housed in the two tiered South Stand at one end of the ground, where up to 5,000 supporters can be accommodated, although the normal allocation is nearer 3,000. The lower tier is shared with home supporters, but the upper tier is given entirely to away fans. The leg room and facilities within this stand are good and the atmosphere is boosted in the home end by the presence of a drummer. Alex Smith adds; 'away fans should note that the bottom rows of the lower tier are not covered by the roof and therefore you may get wet if it rains'. Whilst Paul Kelly warns; 'the stewards at the Reebok can be a bit over zealous, often throwing out fans for little reason. My advice to away fans is do not even think about celebrating a goal by going further forward than the front row. They'll have you even if you're just on the bit of track behind the adverts. Also you may be told to sit down during the game, take heed and do so. Fans have been removed who persistently stand up during the game'.
The refreshment facilities are good (albeit queuing times can be long on occasion) and I wish that other clubs would copy the way that supporters in the Reebok are served. There are proper queuing barriers and exit lanes. One person takes the order and deals with the money, whilst another prepares your order at the same time. Simple when you think about it, it is just a pity that other clubs seem to think that supporters enjoy the lottery of being in the scrum that develops around the refreshment kiosk. The stadium is certainly one of the best in England, although a capacity of under 30,000 means that by Premiership standards it is on the small side. A 125 room hotel has been built behind the away end of the ground, 19 of which have views of the pitch. I just wonder if hotel guests occupying these rooms may at some time put on their own half time show!
Where To Eat & Drink?
Alas the favoured away pub of many years the Bromilow Arms has closed down. There is the Barnstormers on Lostock Lane (from the M61, go past the stadium on your left, move into the right hand filter lane and turn right at the traffic lights into Lostock Lane, the pub is down on the right) which does admit away fans. There is also a mixture of street parking and paid parking (at some industrial units) in this area.
There is also the Beehive Pub near to the ground where you can also park your car. Otherwise alcohol is served within the ground, although for some games such as local derbies, the Club opt not to sell any. Or on my last visit alcohol was available to away supporters before the game but not at half time, much to the annoyance of the travelling fans.
There are a number of bars on the nearby Middlebrook Retail Park (Reebok Stadium is on the Middlebrook Retail estate). However most of these have bouncers on the doors that only admit home fans on production of a matchday or season ticket, There are though plenty of eating outlets on the Retail Park; KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway and a Bolton Wanderers themed McDonalds as well as several other themed restaurants. Whilst inside the stadium there is the usual array of pies, rollover hot dogs & burgers on sale. How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
From The South:M6 to Junction 21a, take eastbound M62 leaving at Junction 12. Follow signs for M61 (Bolton/Preston) and leave the M61 motorway at Junction 6. The ground is visible from this junction and is clearly sign posted.
From The North:M6 to Junction 29 and take the M65 towards Blackburn. Leave the M65 at junction two and join the M61 towards Manchester. Leave the M61 at junction six. The ground is visible from this junction and is clearly sign posted.
John Walsh adds; 'Because of traffic congestion on the M60 (formerly M62), caused by the Trafford Centre, I would recommend that those supporters travelling from the South should take the North directions above. It is about 10 miles further but can save 30 minutes and a lot of frustration!'
There is a car park at the ground, but this costs £6 for cars (£12 for minbuses). Plus on my last visit the cars in the away section of the car park were packed in like sardines, meaning that away fans leaving early (my team had just been stuffed!) couldn't get a quick getaway as there were cars blocking them in. However a lot of the surrounding industrial estate units offer cheaper parking, usually around the £4 mark. Some of these are located on either side of Lostock Lane. From the M61, go past the stadium on your left, move into the right hand filter lane and turn right at the traffic lights into Lostock Lane. If you continue down Lostock Lane and take a left hand turn before to the Bromilow Arms, then I noticed on my last visit that there was some street parking to be had at the bottom of this road. Neil Casson a visiting Tottenham Hotspur fan informs me; 'I've been to Bolton a couple times and parked at a factory unit on Cranfield Road, which is the first right off Lostock Lane. Its the first unit on the right as you enter Cranfield Road costs £3.50 and it's staffed for the duration of the game. Away fans are located in the South Stand, so it's just a short walk back to your car. The official car parks seem to be well snarled up and parking I recommend parking just away from the ground if you want a quick getaway'.
Gary Lovatt adds 'On the parking front, a handy little idea is to park at the Beehive pub which is on the roundabout (half a mile past the stadium coming from the motorway) where you pay £5 per car but get it all back at the bar. I also recommend the cajun chicken baguette there!' To get to the Beehive leave the M61 at Junction 6 and drive down towards the stadium. Then continue straight on past the stadium and the Beehive pub is situated at the next roundabout, on Chorley New Road.
Whilst Mark Pickering suggests; 'St Joseph's school on Chorley New Road, offers parking on matchdays at £4 per car. On reaching the roundabout with the Beehive pub, turn left and St Joseph's School is on the left hand side after about 250 yards. There is a path way from the school leading down to the stadium - allowing fairly rapid entrance and exit to and from the ground.'
By Train
Horwich Parkway railway station serves the stadium, with regular trains from Bolton's main railway station. Horwich Parkway is only a few minutes walk from the stadium.
Thanks to Football ground guide
PREMIERSHIP HOLIDAY PROGRAMME Monday 26th December 2011 Chelsea v Fulham 13:00 Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Newcastle United 15:00 Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers 15:00 Manchester United v Wigan Athletic 15:00 Sunderland v Everton 15:00 West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City 15:00 Stoke City v Aston Villa 19:45 Tuesday 27th December 2011 Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers 17:00 Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur 19:30 Friday 30th December 2011 Liverpool v Newcastle United 19:45 Saturday 31st December 2011 Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers 12:45 Arsenal v Queens Park Rangers 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00 Chelsea v Aston Villa 15:00 Norwich City v Fulham 15:00 Stoke City v Wigan Athletic 15:00 Swansea City v Tottenham Hotspur 15:00 Sunday 01st January 2012 West Bromwich Albion v Everton 12:30 Sunderland v Manchester City 15:00 Monday 02nd January 2012 Aston Villa v Swansea City 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Stoke City 15:00 Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City 15:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea 15:00 Fulham v Arsenal 17:30 Tuesday 03rd January 2012 Tottenham Hotspur v West Bromwich Albion 19:45 Wigan Athletic v Sunderland 19:45 Manchester City v Liverpool 20:00 Wednesday 04th January 2012 Everton v Bolton Wanderers 20:00 Newcastle United v Manchester United 20:00 NEWCASTLE UNITED 20011/12 PREMIER LEAGUENEWCASTLE 2 WEST BROM 3 (Ba 2)Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon (Ryan Taylor 46), Obertan (Shola Ameobi 72), Vuckic, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Ben Arfa 61), Ba.Subs Not Used: Elliot, Williamson, Abeid, Sammy Ameobi.
NEWCASTLE 0 SWANSEA CITY 0Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 82), Cabaye, Tiote (Vuckic 82), Gutierrez, Best (Shola Ameobi 71), Ba.Subs Not Used: Harper, Williamson, Ben Arfa, Abeid.
NORWICH 4 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ba 2)Krul, Santon (Ferguson 90), Simpson, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 80), Cabaye, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi (Smith 90).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Ben Arfa, Lovenkrands, Best.
NEWCASTLE 0 CHELSEA 3Krul, Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini (Perch 27), R Taylor, Lovenkrands (Sammy Ameobi 71), Guthrie, Cabaye, Obertan, Ben Arfa (Shola Ameobi 46), Ba.Subs Not Used: Harper, Santon, Gosling, Best.
MAN UTD 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ba pen)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 65), Cabaye, Guthrie (Perch 74), Gutierrez, Ben Arfa (Lovenkrands 80), Ba.Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Gosling, Shola Ameobi.
MAN CITY 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gosling)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Ben Arfa (Lovenkrands 76), Guthrie, Cabaye (Perch 85), Gutierrez, Ba, Sammy Ameobi (Gosling 79).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Smith, Shola Ameobi.
NEWCASTLE 2 EVERTON 1 (Heitinga og, R Taylor)Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Marveaux (Sammy Ameobi 54), Cabaye (Gosling 37), Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best (Ben Arfa 73), Ba.Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Lovenkrands, Perch.
STOKE 1 NEWCASTLE 3 (Barr 3)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Guthrie (Gosling 90), Cabaye (Perch 78), Gutierrez, Best (Sammy Ameobi 86), Ba.Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Ben Arfa, Marveaux.
NEWCASTLE 1 WIGAN ATHLETIC 0 (Cabaye)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Marveaux 76), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Ben Arfa 46), Ba (Shola Ameobi 68).Subs Not Used: Harper, Santon, Perch, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 2 SPURS 2 (Ba, Ameobi)Krul, Simpson (Santon 77), Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Shola Ameobi 71), Ba (Ben Arfa 71).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Lovenkrands, Gosling, Marveaux.WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ba, Gutierrez)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Marveaux 90), Cabaye (Guthrie 89), Tiote, Gutierrez, Best, Ba (Lovenkrands 71).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sammy Ameobi.NEWCASTLE 3 BLACKBURN 1 (Ba 3)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez (Marveaux 84), Ba (Ben Arfa 74), Best.Subs Not Used: Harper, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Perch, Sammy Ameobi.ASTON VILLA 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Best)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez (Sammy Ameobi 85), Best (Shola Ameobi 69), Ba (Marveaux 80).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Perch.QPR 0 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 88), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Marveaux 82), Shola Ameobi (Ba 64).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands.NEWCASTLE 2 FULHAM 1 (Best 2)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands (Ba 62), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Obertan, Best (Vuckic 78), Vuckic (Smith 85).Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson.SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (R Taylor)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux.NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 0Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Simpson, Barton, Cabaye (Lovenkrands 81), Tiote, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi (Best 73), Ba (Obertan 46).Subs Not Used: Forster, Williamson, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi.CARLING CUPBLACKBURN 4 NEWCASTLE 3 (AET) Guthrie, Cabaye, Lovenkrands (pen)Krul, Simpson (Sammy Ameobi 70), Perch, Coloccini, Santon, Marveaux (Obertan 77), Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Ben Arfa (Lovenkrands 79), Ba.Subs Not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Gosling, Ranger.
NOTTINGHAM FOR. 3 NEWCASTLE 4 (AET) Lovenkrands 2, Simpson, ColocciniElliot, Simpson, Coloccini, Perch, Ferguson, Abeid, Guthrie, Gosling (Shola Ameobi 70), Marveaux, Ben Arfa (Sammy Ameobi 70), Lovenkrands (Obertan 80).Subs Not Used: Krul, Best, Dummett, Henderson.SCUNTHORPE 1 NEWCASTLE 2 AET (R Taylor, Sammy Ameobi)Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson (Steven Taylor 45), Ryan Taylor, Marveaux, Gosling (Vuckic 70), Cabaye, Lovenkrands, Best, Ba (Sammy Ameobi 65).Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Abeid, Smith, Ferguson.PRE-SEASON FIXTURESNEWCASTLE 0 FIORENTINA 0 (Ab 63 mins)Krul (Forster 46), Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gosling (Ba 46), Cabaye, Vuckic, Jonas (Marveaux 46) Lovenkrands (R Taylor 61), Best (Shola Ameobi 46).Subs: Sammy Ameobi, Ranger, Tavernier, Williamson.LEEDS UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (S.Taylor, Vuckic)Forster, Cabaye, Williamson, Barton, Simpson, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Taylor, Tavernier. Subs: Krul, Taylor, Best, Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett.COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper.SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46).DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.
Source: FOOTYMAD
