Big Sam Looks In The Past

Last updated : 23 October 2006 By Matt Bottom

Allardyce, who is on a ten-year fixed contract at Wanderers, said: "Seven years has only felt like three or four, it's gone that quick. It's quite scary because that means I've only three to do out of my 10.

"It's been seven very enjoyable years, and we never look back at them with any dismay or heartache. It's just been one roller-coaster after another.

"I remember when we started back in 1999 on my birthday against Crewe Alexandra, when it finished 2-2. We ended up finishing in three semi-finals that year - the FA Cup, League Cup and play-offs - which was a major achievement.

"It's been onwards and upwards from then on and we've become a well-established team in the Premiership. We've given Bolton Wanderers a solid business foundation, and it's got stability, and that stability is reflected in how the club is run and the results we're getting now."

He added: "Having gone through a couple of difficult periods where we've lost six or five on the trot, I've never once woken up on a Sunday or Monday morning and feared for my job.

"I've just got up and carried on with it, and that's how much confidence I have in the owners and the board. They've let me carry on to do the job the right way and never put me under too much pressure."