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GARY Megson has launched a passionate defence of his under-fire chairman, Phil Gartside.

The Wanderers boss says the long-serving Reebok chief does not deserve the abuse he has received from sections of the club's supporters.

"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," Megson said after steering the relegation-threatened Whites to 16th in the Premiership and securing an eighth successive season of Premiership football.

Gartside, chairman since October 1999, was criticised by fans when he appointed Megson to replace Sammy Lee seven months ago and was targeted again, along with the manager, last month when Wanderers were in grave danger of being relegated after taking just one point from eight games.

But they ended with a five-match unbeaten run to beat the drop, which was Megson's brief when he took over last October when the club was bottom of the table with just five points from 10 games.

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

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

See Thursday's The Bolton News for the full story

9:23am Thursday 15th May 2008

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