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30 Greatest Teams in Premier League History

By Benjamin Taylor

Who will lift this trophy in May and join these 30 teams among the greatest ever to compete in the English Premier League? (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Who will lift this trophy in May and join these 30 teams among the greatest ever to compete in the English Premier League? (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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16. Bolton Wanderers, 2004-05

BOLTON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 19: Kevin Davies (2nd from L) of Bolton Wanderers celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Reebok Stadium on August 19, 2005 in Bolton, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
BOLTON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 19: Kevin Davies (2nd from L) of Bolton Wanderers celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Reebok Stadium on August 19, 2005 in Bolton, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

Starting XI: J. Jaaskelainen (GK); N. Hunt, B. N’Gotty, I. Campo, R. Gardner; J. Okocha, G. Speed, K. Nolan, S. Giannakopoulos; E. Diouf, K. Davies.

It’s difficult to imagine if you’ve only been watching EPL football for a few years, but Bolton used to be one of the most entertaining and reliable teams in the Premier League. No, honestly.

Under Sam Allardyce, who brought the club up from the First Division in 2001, Bolton built a squad filled with experienced top flight players like Gary Speed and Kevin Davies, and cult figures like Jay-Jay Okocha and Stelios Giannakopoulos. They even managed to lure established European talent to North West England, most notably former Real Madrid skipper Fernando Hierro, for whom 2004-05 was his only season at the club. Allardyce never spent great sums of money, instead preferring to source diamonds in the rough and players who were on the fringes of bigger clubs and could therefore be brought in cheaply. He also brought Kevin Nolan through the club’s youth system.

After Allardyce’s departure from the club in 2007, there was never the same feeling around the Reebok Stadium again, and Bolton’s decline was confirmed as they were relegated following the 2011-12 season.

Next: No. 15

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