The master vs the apprentice: Blackpool legends Ian Holloway and Ian Evatt to do battle in League Two encounter

Ian Holloway takes his Grimsby Town side to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, who are now managed by former Pool defender Ian Evatt.

The two famously helped the Seasiders to their greatest achievement in recent times in 2010, Evatt lining up in Holloway’s side that clinched promotion to the Premier League against all the odds.

Evatt has now turned his hand to management having enjoyed a successful start with Barrow - guiding the Cumbrian outfit to the National League title in just his second season in charge, clinching the club’s long-overdue return to the Football League after a 48-year absence.

He’s made a slow start to life at Bolton though, losing six of his first seven games in all competitions.

The Trotters did, however, pick up their first league win of the campaign last week with a hard-earned 2-1 victory at newly-promoted Harrogate Town.

The result left Bolton 19th in the League Two table, three points and five places above Holloway’s Grimsby, who have only played two league games so far after one of their players tested positive for Covid-19.

The Mariners finished 15th in the fourth tier last season under Holloway’s management after the former Blackpool boss arrived at Blundell Park on New Year’s Eve last year.

Holloway will also be reunited with Matt Gilks, Alex Baptiste and Nathan Delfouneso, who are also involved with Evatt at Bolton.

Speaking to The Gazette earlier this year, Evatt paid tribute to his former boss Holloway, claiming the 57-year-old has been the biggest influence on his short managerial career.

“What he taught me the most was the mental side of the game and that you need to believe in yourself,” he said.

“Unless you don’t believe you’re the best then you have no chance to be the best.

“Winners and champions act like winners and champions long before they start winning football matches.

“That’s what he brought to us – that mentality and focus of believing in yourself and that you can be the best.

“Don’t be happy with just avoiding relegation, you need to aspire to be at the top and it was that mentality that we’d always take into games.”