2011–12 Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team
The team finished with a record of 2–29, the worst in program history, and finished last in America East play with a 1–15 conference record. Binghamton began the season by losing 26 consecutive games and were the final remaining winless team in Division I. The Bearcats ended the regular season at 1–28. They defeated UMBC in the first round of the 2012 America East Men's Basketball Tournament before losing to Stony Brook to end their season. The Bearcats' .065 winning percentage ranked 343rd out of 344 Division I programs, ahead of just Towson's 1–31 (.031) record.


2011–12 Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team
In the aftermath of the Bearcats' historically inept season, Macon was fired and replaced by Tommy Dempsey. Freshman forward Ben Dickinson and freshman guard Chris Longoria both transferred to other programs as a result.


2011–12 Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team, Previous season
In Mark Macon's second season as Binghamton head coach, the Bearcats struggled to remain competitive following the fallout from the scandal. The team finished 8–23, tied for eighth in the America East with a 4–12 conference record. The Bearcats earned the ninth seed in the 2011 America East Men's Basketball Tournament, beating eighth-seeded UMBC 91–65 in the first round before losing to Vermont 57–46 in the semifinals.


2011–12 Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team, Roster
Note: Senior Kyrie Sutton, the last remaining player from Binghamton's 2009 champion squad, was dismissed from the team in November after he was arrested for the misdemeanor of criminal possession of stolen property.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season
The 2011–12 season was Birmingham City Football Club's 109th season in the English football league system. It ran from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season
After relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11 under previous manager Alex McLeish, the team finished in fourth position in the 24-team Football League Championship under manager Chris Hughton, who was appointed in June. They lost on aggregate to fifth-placed Blackpool in the promotion play-offs semi-finals. Having won the 2011 League Cup, they qualified for the Europa League, in which they reached the group stage and finished third in their four-team group, only one point behind the two teams qualifying for the knockout rounds. In the 2011–12 League Cup, they were eliminated in the third round by Manchester City, and they lost to Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup after a replay.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season
Twenty-nine players made at least one appearance in first-team competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Chris Burke, who received Birmingham's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards, played in 61 of the 62 matches over the season, scored 14 goals and made 19 assists. Marlon King was leading scorer with 18 goals, of which 16 came in league games; he also made 12 assists. Nathan Redmond was the club's young player of the year. Curtis Davies was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
After leading the club to victory in the League Cup and relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11, Alex McLeish unexpectedly resigned on 12 June, having already made two signings and with another two players close to an agreement with the club. He was immediately linked with the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa. Acting chairman Peter Pannu threatened to report Villa to the League for making an illegal approach to McLeish, and insisted that they could speak to him only if they agreed to pay the £5.4 million compensation due under the terms of his contract.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
On 17 June, McLeish was appointed manager of Aston Villa. The matter was finally settled on 11 July, when the clubs issued a joint statement confirming that Villa would pay an undisclosed amount in compensation, all proposed legal action would cease, and coach Peter Grant and medical officer Dr Ian McGuinness would be free to follow McLeish to his new club. Chris Hughton, who had led Newcastle United to the Championship title in 2010, was appointed manager on 21 June. He confirmed that promotion back to the Premier League, rather than progress in the Europa League, was his main objective for the season, and brought Paul Trollope in to replace Andy Watson as first-team coach.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
On 29 June, club president Carson Yeung was arrested in Hong Kong on charges of money laundering, relating to a period before his involvement with the club. He was bailed to re-appear in August, his assets were frozen, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange suspended trading of shares in the club's holding company, Birmingham International Holdings (BIHL), in which Yeung was the single largest shareholder with around 26%.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
BIHL appointed acting chairman Peter Pannu and Yeung's 18-year-old son Ryan to the board of the football club, and Michael Wiseman stepped down from the board, ending an 83-year formal association between the club and the Wiseman family. Although it appeared that HSBC, the club's bankers, were unlikely to call in a loan secured on the St Andrew's site, as such a course of action would make it difficult for the club to continue, thus reducing the likelihood of HSBC recovering their money, Yeung's situation impeded the search for new investment. Such a combination of factors, added to the reduced income to be expected following relegation, left the club in financial difficulty and ready to off-load high-earning players, particularly in light of the Football League's adoption of UEFA's financial fair-play regulations relating to clubs not spending in excess of their revenue.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
After the shirt sponsorship deal with F&C Investments expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, no long-term sponsor met the value the club set on the brand, so they chose to sell advertising on the shirt on a match-by-match basis. This had the by-product of replica shirts being sold without advertising. However, a one-year shirt sponsorship deal was reached with foreign exchange and money transfer company RationalFX. It emerged that the club had taken legal action against kit manufacturers Xtep for using a derivative version of the club's logo on their own leisurewear, thus infringing intellectual property rights and reducing royalties from sales of officially licensed clothing on the Chinese market.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
The players reported back for pre-season training on 4 July ahead of a training camp in Ireland that included a friendly fixture with League of Ireland First Division side Cork City. Without Cameron Jerome and Nikola Žigić, who did not travel due to injury, and Barry Ferguson, who returned to England ahead of his transfer to Blackpool, Hughton used 19 players in a game settled by a 30th-minute goal from new signing Adam Rooney.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
In the next friendly, at League Two club Hereford United, Hughton made fewer changes but the game finished goalless as his team failed to convert several chances, a pattern continued at Oxford United, also of League Two, where Curtis Davies and Chris Burke both hit the bar as Birmingham lost 2–0. A Birmingham side without Scott Dann, Liam Ridgewell, Jerome, Žigić and Marlon King lost 2–1 to a strong Everton eleven.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Background and pre-season
Everton opened the scoring after an hour through a Leighton Baines free kick, then after Louis Saha was allowed too much time on the edge of the penalty area, his shot bounced awkwardly in front of debutant Boaz Myhill. Rooney pulled one back with a back-heel to turn Morgaro Gomis' shot into the net.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, August–September
Birmingham fielded five new signings, Boaz Myhill, Steven Caldwell, Chris Burke, Morgaro Gomis and Adam Rooney, on the opening-day visit to Derby County. Curtis Davies opened the scoring with a header from Jordon Mutch's 19th-minute corner, but soon afterwards a Ben Davies free kick was headed home by the unmarked Jason Shackell. Just before half time, Steve Davies was allowed time on the ball to set himself and beat Myhill with a swerving shot from 20 yards (18 m).


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, August–September
In the second half, Stephen Carr missed a fine chance to equalise when Burke's shot after a fine forward run rebounded into his path. At home to Coventry City, loanee Chris Wood started as a lone striker. Birmingham were fortunate that Lukas Jutkiewicz failed to convert a good chance after turning Caldwell, and Myhill came close to carrying the ball over his line when saving a misplaced cross. After 73 minutes, Rooney, who had replaced Wood five minutes before, headed against the post, was first to the rebound, and turned the ball back into the path of the oncoming Keith Fahey who shot home from ten yards out.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, August–September
Playing on the Sunday because of their Europa League play-off match on the Thursday, Rooney opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Burke was fouled, but Middlesbrough went on to complete their third consecutive victory by three goals to one. Rooney again opened the scoring the following Sunday, at Watford, with a first-half tap-in after David Murphy headed on Jean Beausejour's corner. Marvin Sordell equalised from distance in the 80th minute, then Beausejour intercepted a pass and fed Chris Wood who finished neatly with two minutes of normal time remaining. However, in stoppage time, Myhill could only parry Sordell's shot up in the air, and former Birmingham defender Martin Taylor was first to the ball as it came down.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, August–September
Myhill made two early saves against Millwall before Wood's first senior hat-trick, courtesy of Beausejour and Burke crosses and hard work by Rooney, took Birmingham into mid-table. Marlon King made a debut delayed by injury. Southampton beat Birmingham 4–1 at St Mary's to go top of the division, before a first half at home to Barnsley that Chris Hughton called "as poor as we've played since I've been here".


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, August–September
Davies suffered a knee injury after nine minutes and Jacob Butterfield scored the first opposition goal of the season at St Andrew's, but the introduction of Nikola Žigić for his first league appearance since April put pressure on the visitors, a late Burke goal from 25 yards (23 m), his first for the club, saved a point, and King nearly stole all three when his stoppage-time shot hit the inside of the post and came out.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, October–November
For the first time, Birmingham won the match after a Europa League fixture. A goal down at Nottingham Forest with 15 minutes left, Burke gathered a loose ball and hit a powerful shot from 25 yards, then set up Wood to score with the help of a deflection. Wood's second came from the Forest defence's failure to compete for a through ball. Manager Steve McClaren resigned after the match.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, October–November
After a change of referee at half-time because of injury, King converted a penalty before Leicester City's captain, Matt Mills, was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Gomis, and Wood brought his league goal tally to eight in nine games. They followed up with another win, away to Bristol City, despite missing several chances: Burke converted Beausejour's cross and beat the offside trap to score a 95th-minute second through David James's legs.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, October–November
Žigić's first goal since the League Cup final secured a 1–0 win at home to Leeds United, a sixth successive win in all competitions that placed Birmingham eighth in the table, one point off the playoff positions with two games in hand. October ended with a goalless "game of few chances" at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, October–November
In sharp contrast, November began with a game of many chances, with both goalkeepers "in sensational form", in which Reading's Noel Hunt scored the only goal with his first touch. After Grant McCann's "spectacular" free kick earned Peterborough United a 1–1 draw at St Andrew's, a disappointed King stressed the need "to be more clinical in the final third all around the team". Beausejour followed up a Lee Grant save to give Birmingham an early lead against Burnley, but again it looked as though the forwards' profligacy would prove costly.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, October–November
King produced what the Independent proposed as a candidate for miss of the season, and Marvin Bartley equalised after a corner was cleared straight to his feet, but in the first minute of stoppage time, Redmond and Murphy combined down the wing and Burke converted Murphy's cross from close range. Second-half substitute Žigić headed wide "from point-blank range" in the 85th minute at Blackpool, then equalised from Jonathan Spector's cross two minutes later.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
A string of Birmingham errors helped Cardiff City to third place in the table. Having missed two headed chances in the first half, just after the interval Žigić chose to pass rather than shoot with only the goalkeeper to beat. Then Davies was sent off for a clumsy tackle on Kenny Miller on the edge of the penalty area. Although Peter Whittingham's free kick hit the post, substitute centre-half Pablo gifted Miller a goal shortly afterwards by heading a cross straight to his feet.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
Chris Hughton thought that "over 90 minutes we certainly had enough chances not to lose the game" at Hull City, blaming the defeat on failure to take chances and failure to defend well enough. Birmingham came from behind to beat Doncaster Rovers 2–1, with goals created by Burke and scored by King, before losing at Crystal Palace to a late Kagisho Dikgacoi header in a match dominated by the goalkeepers.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
West Ham United, watched by joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold, former owners of Birmingham City, were the visitors on Boxing Day. They took an early lead when Pablo failed to deal with a ball in from the left, and goalscorer Carlton Cole's shot on the turn in stoppage time was thwarted only by a fine save by Myhill. But Birmingham had the better of the second period, Murphy's glancing header tied the scores, and Robert Green kept out King's close-range header.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
They went into the new year in 12th place, six points off the playoff positions with two games in hand, and still unbeaten at home in the league, after a comfortable victory against Blackpool, with goals from Davies, King and Redmond. Blackpool captain and former Birmingham midfielder Barry Ferguson was sent off for elbowing Guirane N'Daw.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
After a minute's applause in memory of former Birmingham defender Gary Ablett, who died of blood cancer the previous day, Peterborough United took the lead after 29 seconds of the first match of 2012 when Emile Sinclair beat the offside trap. Birmingham had the better of the match, but equalised only in the 94th minute, when the ball took an unkind bounce, striking man-of-the-match Gabriel Zakuani on the hand, and King converted the resultant penalty. Another late goal, this time by Žigić at home to Ipswich Town, gave them a win in the first of their two games in hand.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, December–January
Colin Doyle made his first league appearance of the season when illness prevented Myhill from continuing after half-time. Millwall had the better of the first half at The Den, despite being a goal and a man down, but when a second player was sent off (both for fouls on Žigić), they were unable to cope with the numerical imbalance and Birmingham scored another five. A 3–0 win at home to Watford followed by Žigić's four goals at Leeds United took Birmingham fourth, five points off automatic promotion and still with a game in hand.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, February–March
Guirane N'Daw returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal to play second-placed Southampton in freezing conditions and heavy snow. He missed an early headed chance as the game finished goalless. Birmingham's last game in hand was against a Portsmouth team who had not received their wages with the club on the verge of liquidation. An 86th-minute volley by substitute Nathan Redmond gave Birmingham a win that moved them up to third in the table. The visit of Hull City, the only team to have conceded fewer goals than Birmingham, finished predictably goalless. Winger Burke and playmaker Fahey starred in a 3–1 win at Barnsley, but the unbeaten run finally ended on 25 February at home to Nottingham Forest.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, February–March
Birmingham made three loan signings, Andros Townsend, Erik Huseklepp and Peter Ramage, in the days before the Football League imposed a transfer embargo because the club's accounts had not been submitted by the due date. They went 2–0 up at home to Derby County when Townsend's shot was deflected to Huseklepp and then after Townsend's "dazzling" run set up King, then after "slack defending" allowed Derby to draw level, both N'Daw and Caldwell came close to a winning goal.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, February–March
Mutch was sent off as relegation candidates Coventry City's Gary McSheffrey and Marlon King each scored against their former club, and Spector went off injured as Leicester City beat Birmingham with two late goals. Birmingham returned to winning ways in their 50th match of the season, at home to Middlesbrough. On the same day, Fabrice Muamba, who spent two seasons as a Birmingham player, suffered a cardiac arrest during a televised match. His heart stopped for 78 minutes before it was restarted, and after lengthy hospital treatment he recovered, but retired from football on medical advice.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, February–March
Žigić's tenth goal of the season gave Birmingham an early lead at Portsmouth, but it did not last. Chris Maguire equalised with a deflected free kick after a foul by Davies on Luke Varney, then Murphy received a second yellow card for a foul on Maguire, and from the resultant free kick, David Norris controlled the ball before turning to score; Birmingham lost their composure and the match, by four goals to one.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, February–March
Hughton said afterwards that he had "not been as angry with any other refereeing performance this season", suggesting that the foul on Varney, for which Davies was booked, was in fact a foul by Varney, as the player himself admitted, that Norris had used his hand to control the ball as he turned to shoot, and that Murphy's second booking, for "minimal" shoulder-to-shoulder contact, was harsh – a view reinforced by the normally undemonstrative Murphy's aggressive reaction to his dismissal. King had a penalty saved in a draw with Cardiff City, and a 3–1 win at Doncaster Rovers in which both King and Žigić struck the woodwork and King was booked for diving when apparently fouled by the goalkeeper, moved Birmingham up to fourth in the table.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, April
Mutch scored his first senior goal just a minute after Burnley's equaliser, and David Murphy made the final score 3–1. The scoreline was repeated at home to Crystal Palace; Birmingham were 3–0 up after 32 minutes, and the result was never in doubt. Mutch's second, a clever solo goal, opened the scoring at West Ham United, and King's 17th of the season gave Birmingham a two-goal lead. Ricardo Vaz Tê pulled one back going into half-time, but Burke restored the two-goal margin even further into stoppage time when his downward volley bounced over everyone.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, April
After the interval, West Ham pressed repeatedly but caused few problems until N'Daw, a big, strong, defensive midfielder, went off injured. Within two minutes, Kevin Nolan touched a long ball to Carlton Cole, who drove it low past Myhill, and West Ham equalised through Vaz Tê's 89th-minute penalty awarded for handball when "Lansbury's vicious shot struck the raised arm of Burke, who was in close proximity to the effort."


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, April
Myhill injured his thumb while warming up for the match against Bristol City, so Doyle kept goal. The injury kept Myhill out for the rest of the season. Birmingham came back from two goals down but were unable to find a winner. A draw at Ipswich Town was followed by a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion. Gomis' aggressive attitude provoked Hughton into replacing him by Redmond after only half an hour, and it was Redmond who gave Birmingham the lead with a low 30-yard shot. Despite Brighton's late equaliser, the draw confirmed Birmingham's playoff place, barring exceptional results.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, April
Birmingham rested King and Burke for the last match of the season, at home to champions Reading. Žigić left the field after 19 minutes with an ankle injury and his replacement, Adam Rooney, gave Birmingham the lead soon afterwards. Pablo's eventful match – after two goalline clearances and hitting the post at the right end – culminated in conceding a penalty, which Doyle saved. Elliott increased the lead from the penalty spot, and then had a second penalty saved. The win placed Birmingham fourth in the table, which gave them home advantage for the second leg of the playoff semi-final against Blackpool.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Championship, Play-offs
Birmingham played fifth-placed Blackpool in the play-off semi-final. The match was played over two legs, the first leg being played at the ground of the lower-placed team. Birmingham lost the first leg 1–0, to a Tom Ince shot deflected past Colin Doyle by Curtis Davies. In the second leg, in front of a 28,483 sell-out crowd, Blackpool scored either side of half time to take a 3–0 aggregate lead before Birmingham staged a fightback, with goals from Nikola Žigić and Davies, but were unable to score the necessary third goal to take the tie into extra time.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The League Cup winners would normally enter the UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round. However, because Manchester City both won the 2011 FA Cup and qualified for the Champions League via their Premier League finishing position, Birmingham entered the competition at the play-off round, one round before the group stages. They were drawn to play Nacional, who qualified as sixth-placed team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and had beaten FH of Iceland and Swedish club Häcken to reach the play-off round.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Weakened by injuries for the away leg in Madeira, Birmingham gave David Murphy and Nathan Redmond their first appearances of the season, defender Liam Ridgewell played in central midfield alongside winger Jean Beausejour and debutant Jonathan Spector, and 19-year-old Chris Wood played as a lone striker. Captain Stephen Carr was making his 100th Birmingham appearance. Early in the game, Curtis Davies made a well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus opening the scoring. Midway through the half, Steven Caldwell's placed header from a corner struck the foot of the post.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Just before half time, a loose ball fell to Wood on the edge of the penalty area and his powerful shot rebounded down off the crossbar and back into play. Just after the interval, a driven shot from outside the area from the 17-year-old Redmond, playing his first 90 minutes at senior level, was pushed aside by goalkeeper Elisson and returned to Wood who headed against the post. The game finished goalless. For the home leg, Birmingham had to widen the pitch from its usual 66 metres (72 yd) to 68 m (74 yd) to comply with UEFA regulations.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
After an uncertain start, Birmingham took the lead when Murphy fed Redmond who scored with a low drive from 20 yards (18 m). Nine minutes later, Murphy's header from a Beausejour corner appeared to come off both Luis Alberto and the crossbar before crossing the line. After numerous chances to increase the lead, including a curled shot from Redmond that hit the inside of the post, Wood's 84th-minute tap-in secured a 3–0 win and qualification for the group stage. With a couple of minutes left, Birmingham gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Akwasi Asante and a first appearance of the season for fellow teenager Jake Jervis.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Birmingham were drawn in Group H, alongside last season's finalists Braga of Portugal, Slovenian champions Maribor, who beat Rangers of Scotland in the play-off round after losing in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, and fourth-placed Belgian team Club Brugge, who overcame Qarabağ of Azerbaijan and Georgian champions Zestafoni to reach the group stage. Matchday one produced a defeat at home to Braga.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Hélder Barbosa opened the scoring after just six minutes with a volley from a Nuno Gomes cross which Boaz Myhill could only palm into the net, then Lima doubled the deficit against the run of play. Hughton introduced Chris Burke and Chris Wood, and Burke's pass led to Marlon King's 71st-minute goal. Birmingham were caught on the break while going for the equaliser, Barbosa making the final score 3–1 to the visitors.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
In the absence through injury of Carr for the visit to Maribor, Ridgewell assumed the captaincy. Early in the game, Maribor had several shots off target, but they took a 29th-minute lead when Spector looped a casual back-pass which Colin Doyle missed entirely when attempting to clear. Dalibor Volaš picked up the loose ball and tapped into an empty net. The manner of the goal had a dampening effect on both players and fans.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
In the second half, Nikola Žigić and Wood were ready to come on as substitutes when King used his strength to hold up a ball in midfield and played it through to Burke, who rounded Martin Milec and shot low past Jasmin Handanović. Only Žigić came on, to replace King. Both he and Wade Elliott missed chances, Žigić heading over the bar from close range and Elliott shooting straight at the goalkeeper when clean through. In the 79th minute, a long clearance was controlled by Morgaro Gomis who touched the ball to Elliott, possibly via a defender's arm. Elliott scored what proved the winning goal, hitting a clean volley from outside the area, which Handanovič partly blocked, but was unable to stop creeping underneath him.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Despite pre-match scare stories suggesting 5,600 hooligans were about to descend on the "Venice of the north", Birmingham's visit passed off with only eight administrative arrests, and the Bruges police used their Twitter account to thank the visiting fans for their "friendly conduct". On the field, the defence made a shaky start as Brugge took an early lead through Joseph Akpala. After 25 minutes, David Murphy ran into the penalty area apparently unnoticed to finish Elliott's cross. Rooney failed to convert Žigić's knockdown and Žigić put a free header wide before Hughton brought on King and Wood in their place.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Near the end of normal time, a clash of heads with Akpala left Pablo Ibáñez unconscious for some minutes before he was carried off on a spinal board, leaving teammate Guirane N'Daw in tears. In the tenth minute of stoppage time, King crossed from the right and Wood shot into the roof of the net from six yards out, to make Birmingham the first English team to defeat Brugge in their own stadium, and put them top of Group H.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
After three more defeats from winning positions, culminating in a 5–4 loss to Genk when 4–2 ahead with 20 minutes left, Brugge dismissed manager Adrie Koster. For Birmingham, Pablo made his first appearance since suffering concussion. The visitors took the lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. From a Víctor Vázquez corner, Thomas Meunier had time to take a touch before shooting past the player on the post from eight yards out. Soon afterwards, Beausejour lost the ball in midfield and Vadis Odjidja crossed to Akpala who scored from an arguably offside position.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Žigić's 55th-minute blocked shot rebounded to Beausejour who controlled well and lashed it back past the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit. After 66 minutes, Birmingham made a triple substitution, bringing on Burke, King and Wood for Elliott, Rooney and Žigić. The equaliser came eight minutes later; Ryan Donk fouled Beausejour just inside the area and Marlon King converted the penalty.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The ball struck the woodwork three times: midway through the first half from Murphy's free kick on the edge of the area; just after the third goal, from Odjidja's curling 25-yard (23 m) shot; and just before the equalising goal, Vladan Kujović, given his debut in place of Colin Coosemans, "sensationally tipping Guirane N'daw's thunderous volley against an upright".


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
In front of a small crowd, a strong Birmingham side, with Žigić as lone striker, attacked Braga from the start. An early handball appeal was turned down, but after ten minutes, Ewerton pulled down Elliott as he cut into the penalty area. Žigić took the penalty, but Quim had no difficulty saving. Soon afterwards, Ewerton fouled Burke on the edge of the area, but the referee failed to award what would have been a second yellow card.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Early in the second half, Hugo Viana's shot from distance was going wide of Myhill's right-hand post but took a huge deflection off Curtis Davies to leave Myhill stranded and the ball in the other corner of his net. Birmingham brought on King and Wood, but to no avail. Both teams had chances near the end: Burke and King obstructed each other, and when Lima was clean through, Myhill parried his shot straight to Paulo César who hit the ball over the top. The result saw Braga qualify, and combined with Brugge's win in Maribor, who came back from 3–0 down to score four times in the last quarter-hour, left Birmingham needing to beat Maribor in the last group game and hope that Braga beat Brugge.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
One of nine changes to the starting eleven, Redmond produced an outstanding performance as Birmingham outclassed Maribor in the last group stage fixture. Apart from Jovan Vidović's early header that went wide, the attacking play was all Birmingham's. After 24 minutes, Rooney scored his first European goal, a close-range header from a Redmond cross, then Žigić failed to take a couple of chances, Davies failed to make contact with a Redmond corner when it would have been easier to score, and Redmond himself hit a half-volley against the post from distance. His marker, Arghus, was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card for a high tackle born of frustration. But ten-man Braga could only draw with Brugge, so Birmingham's ten points were not enough.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Note that for tie-breaking purposes, points, goal difference, goals scored and away goals scored in matches between clubs level on total points count before the same criteria in all group matches.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, League Cup
Together with the other clubs playing in European competition, Birmingham entered the League Cup in the third round, in which they were drawn away to Premier League club Manchester City. With top scorer Chris Wood ineligible and Wade Elliott cup-tied, Keith Fahey returned to the starting eleven after injury, Myhill, Caldwell and King were rested, Carr and Ridgewell injured, and Colin Doyle made his first appearance of the season. The match attracted attention for the return of England international Owen Hargreaves after just six minutes of first-team football in the previous three years.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, League Cup
Hargreaves and Mario Balotelli scored first-half goals as City won 2–0. Curtis Davies's overhead kick was cleared off the line by Kolo Touré, making his return to the City side after a six-month drugs ban, and Nikola Žigić came on as substitute for his first Birmingham appearance in nearly six months.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
Birmingham City, like all clubs in the top two divisions, entered the FA Cup in the third round (last 64), in which they were drawn to face Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League at home. A dull goalless draw was enlivened only by the booing of Roger Johnson and Doyle's double save, from Matt Jarvis and then Steven Fletcher, late in stoppage time. Neither team fielded a full first team in the replay; as in the original match, Birmingham selected Rooney as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield including youngster Redmond.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
In the first half, Murphy and Beausejour had to leave the field for treatment after a clash of heads, and both sides had scoring chances, before Elliott's close-range shot against the post rebounded to Murphy, who prodded the ball forward for Elliott, still lying on the floor, to score in the 74th minute. Again, Doyle made a late double save, this time from Fletcher and Stephen Hunt, to ensure Birmingham would face Sheffield United of League One at Bramall Lane in the next round. Goals from Redmond, Rooney (2) and Elliott gave Birmingham a comfortable victory, attributed by Sheffield United manager Danny Wilson to their "better clinical finishes", and youngsters Eddy Gnahoré and Callum Reilly were given debuts with ten minutes remaining.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
Away to Chelsea in the fifth round, despite starting without King, Žigić and N'Daw and losing Carr to injury after only 12 minutes, Birmingham opened the scoring when the defence failed to deal with Mutch's corner and Murphy shot firmly home. Two minutes later, Elliott tripped Ramires to concede a penalty, taken by Juan Mata and tipped onto the post by Doyle. In the second half, Chelsea equalised with a Daniel Sturridge header, and Redmond failed to convert a late chance to secure an unlikely victory.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
Under interim manager Roberto Di Matteo, after André Villas-Boas' dismissal, Chelsea won the replay, but they were made to fight by a weakened Birmingham side motivated by Žigić, who was angered by a facial gash courtesy of David Luiz's boot. Mata scored a scrambled goal soon after half-time, and Raul Meireles doubled the lead with a rising shot from 20 yards (18 m), but Doyle again saved a penalty from Mata to restrict the winning margin to two goals.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
At the end of the 2010–11 season, Birmingham released first-team players Sebastian Larsson, Kevin Phillips, Martin Jiránek, Lee Bowyer, Maik Taylor and Stuart Parnaby, and fringe players Marcus Bent, Jay O'Shea, Dan Preston and Robin Shroot. All the loanees returned to their owning clubs. The club attempted to agree a new contract with James McFadden but failed to do so before his existing deal expired. Teenage midfielders Luke Hubbins and Ashley Sammons were given contract extensions, and Belgian midfielder Brice Ntambwe and American defender/midfielder Will Packwood, both internationals at under-17 level, signed their first professional contracts.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
In early June, the club agreed the signings of Cardiff City winger Chris Burke, Coventry City striker Marlon King (who was accused by his former club of having reneged on a verbal agreement to remain with them), Dundee United midfielder Morgaro Gomis, and PSV forward Danny Koevermans, all of whom were out of contract and thus available as free agents under the Bosman ruling. When McLeish resigned on 12 June, Burke and King had already signed pre-contract agreements, but the moves for Gomis and Koevermans had not reached that stage.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
The Gomis deal was completed, but Koevermans pulled out, reluctant to join a club whose future manager might not want him. Hughton's first signing was Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Adam Rooney, also a free transfer under the Bosman ruling, soon followed by Scotland international defender Steven Caldwell, recently released by Wigan Athletic. United States international defender Jonathan Spector, who was released by West Ham United after their relegation, joined four days before the league season opened, and West Bromwich Albion's New Zealand international striker Chris Wood arrived three days later on a month's loan, later extended for a further month.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
The first departure of the summer transfer window was 2010–11 top scorer Craig Gardner, who joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee, believed by BBC Sport to be "about £6 million". Roger Johnson, who had made it clear to the club that he wanted to remain in the Premier League, was next, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, initially reported as £7m but later suggested by the Express & Star to be "just over £4m", then Barry Ferguson, who wanted to move closer to his family in Scotland, signed for Blackpool for an undisclosed fee in the region of £700,000. Next to leave was player of the year Ben Foster, who joined West Bromwich Albion on loan for the season, while Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill moved in the other direction, also on loan. It was reported that Albion were to pay the wages of both players.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
After the playing season started, midfielder Míchel returned to Spain to join Getafe for an undisclosed fee. Senegal international defensive midfielder Guirane N'Daw signed on loan from Saint-Étienne until January 2012. On the last day of the transfer window, Scott Dann and Cameron Jerome returned to the Premier League for undisclosed fees, Jerome signing for Stoke City for a fee believed by Sky Sports to be £4m, and Dann joining Blackburn Rovers. Birmingham signed 18-year-old Jack Deaman, a centre-back formerly of Wrexham, and the experienced Burnley winger Wade Elliott and former Spanish international centre-back Pablo Ibáñez from West Bromwich Albion, each for an undisclosed fee.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
During the January 2012 transfer window, Jean Beausejour returned to the Premier League with Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee, and Liam Ridgewell, whose transfer request in August had been turned down, joined West Bromwich Albion, again for an undisclosed fee. In February, with Portsmouth in administration, their Norwegian international forward Erik Huseklepp joined on loan until the end of the season, as did England youth international winger Andros Townsend, from Tottenham Hotspur, and right-sided defender Peter Ramage, from Queens Park Rangers.


2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season, Transfers
In addition, two free agents signed short-term contracts: former Ireland international forward Caleb Folan, who had been playing in America for Colorado Rapids, and the manager's son, right-back Cian Hughton, who had trained with the club for several months and was expected to spend his time primarily with the development squad. The day after the last of these signings, the Football League imposed a transfer embargo on the club for failure to submit its accounts by the 1 March deadline.


2011–12 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Blackburn Rovers 124th season as a professional football club. The 2011–12 season is Blackburn Rovers' 18th season in the Premier League, and their 11th consecutive season in the top division of English football.


2011–12 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
The club have been confirmed as relegated to the Football League Championship. The decisive result was failure to beat Wigan Athletic F.C. on 7 May 2012. They ended the season at 19th place after losing the last Premier League game 2–1 against Chelsea on 13 May 2012.


2011–12 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Transfers, Summer 2011, In
Total spending:  Undisclosed fee *(rep. minimal fee) £16 million-£18 million + additional undisclosed fees & add-ons


2011–12 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Transfers, Summer 2011, Out
Total income:  Undisclosed fee *(rep. minimal fee) £23.9 million-£29.4 million + Undisclosed fees


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season
The 2011–12 season was Blackpool F.C. 's first season back in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English professional football, after being relegated from the Premier League at the conclusion of 2010–11 campaign. It was their 103rd overall season in the Football League. It was Ian Holloway's third season as manager.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season
The club finished the regular season in fifth position, thus qualifying them for the play-offs. They reached the final, in which they lost to West Ham 1–2.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season
Kevin Phillips, in his first season at Blackpool, finished as the club's top scorer with seventeen goals (sixteen in the League).


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
Over the summer, the club released nine players. They were goalkeepers Paul Rachubka and Richard Kingson; defenders Rob Edwards, David Carney and Danny Coid; midfielders Malaury Martin (who did not make any appearances for the club), former club captain Jason Euell and Ishmel Demontagnac; and forward Marlon Harewood. In addition, on-loan defender Salaheddine Sbaï returned to Nîmes without appearing for the Seasiders, forward Sergei Kornilenko's loan move was also not made permanent, and midfielder Andy Reid decided to not to extend his short-term contract.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
The first arrival at Bloomfield Road was midfielder Bojan Djordjic, who had played under Ian Holloway at Plymouth Argyle.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
Two more departures occurred in early July. Midfielder Charlie Adam sealed his move to Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool for a £7-million fee. The Blackpool supporters' Player of the Year the previous term and Adam's midfield partner for the previous campaign, David Vaughan, also left after turning down a new contract. He signed for Sunderland on 7 July.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
Also in early July, the club tied-up contract extensions with four players: goalkeeper Matthew Gilks and defenders Stephen Crainey, Ashley Eastham and Ian Evatt.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
On 9 July, former Preston North End left back Matt Hill signed on a free transfer. He joined the club at their pre-season training camp in Portugal.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
The following day, former England striker and European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips joined, again on a free transfer.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
On 18 July, the eve of Blackpool's first pre-season friendly against Rangers, the club signed 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Gerardo Bruna from Liverpool on a two-year contract.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
Four days later, former Scotland international midfielder Barry Ferguson signed from Birmingham City, where he had been playing with Kevin Phillips, for £750,000, in a two-year deal with an option for a third. Fellow Scot, left-back Bob Harris, joined from Queen of the South. Another defender, Paul Bignot, became Ian Holloway's third signing in 24 hours when he joined from Newport County.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
On 25 July, Spanish midfielder Ángel Martínez joined on a two-year contract, with an option for a third, from Espanyol. This gave Ian Holloway a squad of 31 going into Blackpool's final pre-season friendly against Hibernian the following day.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
Prior to the evening kick-off against Hibs, Blackpool completed the signing of 22-year-old Scottish striker Craig Sutherland, who was playing in the US college leagues.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
A tenth close-season signing occurred on 3 August, when Liverpool midfielder Tom Ince, son of former England captain Paul, put pen to paper to seal a two-year deal, with an option for a third year.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Pre-season
On the eve of the new season, D. J. Campbell sealed his drawn-out move to Q.P.R. for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £1.2 million. The same day, Spanish centre back Miguel Ángel Llera joined the club on a free transfer. He had been on trial with the Seasiders, and scored a free-kick in Blackpool's friendly defeat to Lancaster City three days earlier. The same day, Louis Almond joined Barrow on loan. This gave Ian Holloway a squad of 33 to choose from for the 5 August League visit to Hull City.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Hull City hosted Ian Holloway's men in a Friday-night curtain-raiser for the 2011–12 Football League season. Six of the players that started against Manchester United in the club's final Premier League fixture 75 days earlier were featured in the starting line-up. They were Matt Gilks, Stephen Crainey, Ian Evatt, Alex Baptiste, Keith Southern and Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Meanwhile, starting debuts were given to Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips, while fellow new boy Craig Sutherland came on as a late substitute for Taylor-Fletcher. Matt Hill was an unused substitute. It was Taylor-Fletcher who scored the only goal of the game, on 81 minutes, to give Blackpool a perfect start to the campaign. The Tangerines topped the table for less than 24 hours, however: Ipswich Town replaced them the following day after their 3–0 victory at Bristol City.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Six days later, Blackpool travelled to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday in the first round of the League Cup, with Ian Holloway naming a completely different starting eleven to that of the previous game. The tie finished goalless after both ninety minutes of normal time and thirty of extra. To a penalty shootout it went, and Wednesday, managed by former Seasiders boss Gary Megson, won 4–2.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
It was back to League action on 14 August, and Blackpool hosted Peterborough United for the first home fixture of the campaign. Kevin Phillips opened the scoring one minute before half-time. He then doubled the Tangerines' lead three minutes into the second half. Six minutes from time, the visitors' George Boyd pulled one back. With their victory, which maintained their 100% start to the League campaign, Blackpool moved up to third in the table. With his substitute appearance, Matt Phillips became the 26th player used by Ian Holloway in their three games.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
The Seasiders then hosted Derby County in a midweek fixture at Bloomfield Road. The visitors, with a single goal, inflicted the hosts' first League defeat of the campaign. Blackpool slipped five places to eighth as a result.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 19 August, Ian Holloway's men endured an eight-and-a-half-hour coach ride down to the south coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion the following day. Craig Mackail-Smith opened the scoring for the Seagulls just before the half-hour mark. The lead was doubled five minutes into the second half via Ashley Barnes. Kevin Phillips pulled one back for the Tangerines on the hour mark, before levelling matters in the 90th minute. It was Phillips' fourth goal in as many games for his new club. Blackpool remained eighth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Eight days later, Blackpool again took to the road, this time Crystal Palace being the opposition. Alex Baptiste opened his goalscoring account for the season, with a 41st-minute strike. With eleven minutes remaining, Glenn Murray equalised for the Eagles. Blackpool climbed to seventh place with the result.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 31 August, transfer-deadline day in England, Blackpool secured the services of two players. The first, in a permanent, one-year deal, was Maltese forward Daniel Bogdanović, from Sheffield United for £250,000. The other was West Bromwich Albion right-back James Hurst, on loan for the rest of the season. He was, however, recalled in October.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
After an international break, Blackpool hosted Paul Jewell's Ipswich Town at Bloomfield Road on 10 September. After a goalless first half, Gary Taylor-Fletcher put the hosts ahead four minutes after the break. Barry Ferguson, with his first goal in English football for seven years, doubled Blackpool's lead on the hour mark, before leaving the game with a hamstring injury with fourteen minutes remaining. Blackpool climbed one place to seventh with their victory. With eleven points taken from a possible eighteen, it has been Blackpool's best start to a League season in twenty years.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Cardiff City were the visitors to Bloomfield Road a week later – the first meeting between the two clubs since Blackpool's victory in the play-off final sixteen months earlier. The visitors took the lead through Don Cowie four minutes into the second half. Kevin Phillips equalised for the Tangerines just after the hour mark – his fifth League goal in seven games. Blackpool remained seventh with the point gained.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 24 September, Blackpool made the long trip to the south coast to face Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Matt Phillips was given a rare start by Ian Holloway, but the 20-year-old missed two golden chances in the first half. He was substituted in favour of Ludovic Sylvestre nine minutes after the restart. The game remained goalless until the fourth minute of added time, when Norwegian Erik Huseklepp netted the vital goal. Blackpool slipped one place to eighth with the defeat, which ended a four-game unbeaten streak.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Three days later, Coventry City were the opposition at the Ricoh Arena. Gary Taylor-Fletcher opened the scoring on eighteen minutes. Gary Deegan leveled for the hosts an hour later. Lukas Jutkiewicz put the Sky Blues ahead five minutes later, before Keith Southern equalised two minutes into stoppage time. Blackpool sat in tenth place with the result.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 1 October, Blackpool marked their tenth League fixture with a 5–0 victory over Bristol City at Bloomfield Road. Gary Taylor-Fletcher, with his fourth goal of the season, put the Tangerines in front eight minutes before the break. Jonjo Shelvey, signed the previous day on loan from Liverpool, doubled the lead with a low thirty-yard free-kick. Daniel Bogdanovic opened his scoring account for Ian Holloway's men with the third, on 83 minutes. Two minutes into injury time, Brett Ormerod made it four. Bogdanovic scored his second and Blackpool's fifth in the 94th minute.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
After a two-week break, Blackpool suffered a heavy defeat, 4–0, at the hands of West Ham United at Upton Park. They dropped to thirteenth place with the loss.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Three days later, they returned to winning ways, at home to Doncaster Rovers, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Tom Ince. It was his second of the game. He had levelled proceedings just after the hour mark with his first goal for the club. The three points lifted Blackpool to eighth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Two successive defeats ensued — 1–2 at Nottingham Forest and 1–3 at Burnley — before a 5–0 whitewash of Leeds United at Elland Road on 2 November. It was former Seasiders manager Simon Grayson's first meeting with the club since he left them in 2006. Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, who crossed the Pennines during the summer, was at fault for three of Blackpool's goals, and he was withdrawn at half time in favour of 18-year-old Alex Cairns. Blackpool climbed to eighth place with the victory.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Three days later, Blackpool hosted Millwall at Bloomfield Road in what was Ian Holloway's 100th league game in charge of the club. Kevin Phillips struck the only goal of the game on 61 minutes, just two minutes after coming on as a substitute for Keith Southern. It was Phillips' seventh goal of the campaign. Blackpool, who had taken six points and scored as many goals in four days, moved up to fifth. It was also their second-consecutive clean sheet.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Two 2–2 draws ensued — at Middlesbrough on 19 November, then the following week at home to Birmingham City. Ludovic Sylvestre and Jonjo Shelvey netted in the first fixture, while full-back duo Stephen Crainey and Neal Eardley scored the goals in the latter. Blackpool moved into the play-off places with the second of the two points.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
A midweek trip to Leicester City resulted in a 2–0 defeat, meaning Ian Holloway had yet to beat his former club as a manager. Blackpool dropped two places to eighth with the result.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
December was rung in with the visit of Reading to the seaside. The Seasiders' on-loan forward Callum McManaman scored the only goal of the game ten minutes into the second half to give the hosts the three points, which moved them up one place to seventh.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
The following week, Blackpool made the long trip to table-toppers Southampton. Former Tangerine Rickie Lambert opened the scoring on the half-hour mark. Chris Basham, making only his second League start of the season, brought the visitors level six minutes later with his first goal for Blackpool. Callum McManaman put Blackpool ahead four minutes into the second half with his second goal in as many games. Lambert equalised for Southampton three minutes into injury time, preserving their unbeaten home record for the campaign; however, the result ended their 21-match winning run at St Mary's. Blackpool slipped one place to eighth with the point.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Watford visited Bloomfield Road on 17 December for what turned out to be a goalless draw. Blackpool remained eighth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On Boxing Day, Blackpool travelled to face Barnsley at Oakwell. Mark Howard made his debut in the Blackpool goal, replacing the injured Matt Gilks. The hosts' Matt Done opened the scoring on eighteen minutes. Just under twenty minutes later, Matt Phillips opened his scoring account for the season for Blackpool. On 67 minutes, Phillips put the visitors ahead, before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot eight minutes from time. Blackpool climbed one place to seventh.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
New Year's Eve saw a visit to Birmingham City, with Barry Ferguson facing the club he left in the summer. Ferguson was sent off ten minutes into the second half, with Blackpool 2–0 down. Nathan Redmond sealed the result in the final minute. Blackpool dropped to ninth with the defeat.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Blackpool rang in 2012 by welcoming Middlesbrough to the seaside. Matt Phillips opened the scoring five minutes after the break. Seven minutes later, Lomana LuaLua doubled the lead. A Seb Hines own goal on 70 minutes ended the scoring. Blackpool climbed back up to seventh with the three points.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 7 January, Blackpool raised the curtain on their FA Cup campaign with a seven-mile trip to Fylde Coast neighbours Fleetwood Town, managed by former Seasiders midfielder Micky Mellon. Lomana LuaLua broke the deadlock on 24 minutes. Two minutes after the restart, Matt Phillips doubled Blackpool's lead. On 55 minutes, Tom Ince made it three. The Cod Army pulled a goal back through Jamie Vardy before Phillips (77' and 81') completed his second hat-trick in as many weeks (and in the process became the club's joint-top scorer with namesake Kevin Phillips) to put Blackpool through to the Fourth Round with a 5–1 scoreline.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Seven days later, Blackpool travelled to face Paul Jewell's Ipswich Town at Portman Road. The Tractor Boys went two goals up within an hour, through a Ángel Martínez own goal and a Tommy Smith header, before substitutes Elliot Grandin and Kevin Phillips rescued a point for the visitors, which dropped them two places to ninth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 21 January, Blackpool hosted Crystal Palace. Dougie Freedman's men took the lead via an Owen Garvan penalty just before the half-hour mark. The score remained the same until five minutes from the end of normal time, when substitute Elliot Grandin scored his second goal in as many games. Also for the second consecutive game, it was two substitutes who scored, this time Chris Basham, with his second of the campaign, with thirty seconds remaining, to give the Seasiders the three points. They moved up to seventh with the victory.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
A week later, and Blackpool faced Sheffield Wednesday in a cup competition for the second time this season, this time the FA Cup Fourth Round at Bloomfield Road. Clinton Morrison put the Owls ahead seven minutes into the second half. Kevin Phillips sent the match to a replay with an injury-time penalty.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 31 January, Blackpool repeated the feat of coming back from a goal down in the dying minutes, this time against bottom club Coventry City. Conor Thomas put the visitors ahead just inside the hour, but strikes from Kevin Phillips (87') and Gary Taylor-Fletcher (94') gave the Tangerines the three points, which lifted them two places to sixth, the final play-off position.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Into February, and Blackpool travelled to Wales to face third-placed Cardiff City. The Bluebirds took the lead just before the hour mark, via Joe Mason. Substitute Kevin Phillips levelled twenty minutes later, with his tenth League goal of the campaign, before a double from Matt Phillips sealed the victory for Blackpool. With the three points, their third consecutive victory, the Seasiders climbed three places to fourth — two points behind their hosts and eight behind leaders West Ham.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Blackpool coupled their third consecutive victory with a progression to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup after beating Sheffield Wednesday 3–0 at Hillsborough in their replay on 7 February. Matt Phillips opened the scoring on seven minutes, with his tenth goal of the season. Seven minutes later, Lomana LuaLua doubled their lead. Ludovic Sylvestre settled the tie on 54 minutes.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Back to League action on 11 February, and Blackpool hosted Portsmouth. Erik Huseklepp put Pompey ahead on the stroke of half-time. Fourteen minutes from time, Stephen Crainey levelled matters with a curling free-kick from just outside the penalty area. It was the first time he had scored two goals in one season. Blackpool slipped one place to fifth with the point.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Three days later, Blackpool made the midweek trip to Doncaster Rovers. Gary Taylor-Fletcher put the visitors two goals ahead with strikes on 20 minutes and 34 minutes. El Hadji Diouf pulled one back for Donny from the penalty spot two minutes before the break. Frenchman Nouha Dicko, on loan from Wigan Athletic, notched his first goal for Blackpool on 72 minutes, sealing the three points for Ian Holloway's men, which moved them back up to fourth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
A trip to Everton in the last sixteen of the FA Cup occurred on 18 February. It was the two clubs' first-ever meeting in the FA Cup. It was also Blackpool's furthest venture in the competition since the 1989–90 campaign, when they were knocked out by Q.P.R. The Seasiders' exit was effectively sealed six minutes into the tie, at which point they were already two goals down. An unmarked Royston Drenthe put the Toffees ahead after 49 seconds. Denis Stracqualursi doubled their lead four minutes later, and that's how the score remained. A mostly second-string Blackpool — captained in Barry Ferguson's absence by Alex Baptiste — lost Gary Taylor-Fletcher to injury just twenty minutes in. Kevin Phillips missed an injury-time penalty for Blackpool.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 21 February, former Blackpool manager Sam Allardyce returned to Bloomfield Road with West Ham, his fifth managerial role since leaving the seaside fifteen years earlier. James Tomkins put the Hammers ahead just before the half-hour mark. Four minutes later, their lead was doubled via Nicky Maynard's close-range strike. On the stroke of half-time, Kevin Phillips, who came on ten minutes earlier for the out-of-sorts Chris Basham, scored his eleventh League goal of the campaign. Eight minutes after the break, West Ham's goalkeeper Robert Green was sent off for a professional foul on Roman Bednář.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Midfielder Henri Lansbury was put in goal, and proceeded to keep the ball out of his net for the remainder of the game. Indeed, West Ham stretched their lead on 74 minutes, through Gary O'Neil, and sealed the victory in the final minute through Ricardo Vaz Te. Blackpool slipped to seventh with the defeat, their first in the League in 2012.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Four days later, Blackpool travelled to Bristol City, arch-rivals of Ian Holloway's former club, Bristol Rovers. City took the lead through Jon Stead after 29 minutes. Tom Ince, in front of watching father Paul, levelled ten minutes into the second half. Ince then put the Seasiders ahead on 84 minutes, three minutes before Kevin Phillips notched his thirteenth goal in all competitions. With the victory, their sixth in nine League games, Blackpool moved up three places to fourth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Into March, and on the second Blackpool hosted Hull City at Bloomfield Road, the reverse fixture to that which opened the campaign. Tom Ince put Blackpool in front on 27 minutes with a thirty-yard strike, ending the Tigers' six-game run of clean sheets. A last-minute equaliser from Matty Fryatt prevented Blackpool from climbing into third, but they remained fourth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Two successive away defeats ensued, at Derby County and Peterborough United, which saw Blackpool slip out of the play-off places into seventh.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
They returned to winning ways on 17 March, with a 3–1 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Joe Mattock put the Seagulls ahead after seven minutes. Ian Evatt levelled matters eight minutes before the break. Three minutes later, Kevin Phillips put Blackpool ahead. Ten minutes from time, Phillips doubled his tally and secured the three points for the hosts.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Kevin Phillips netted another brace in the midweek fixture with Leicester City, his second — scored in the fourth minute of injury time — earned Blackpool a point in a 3–3 draw. Roman Bednar, with his first goal for the club, scored Blackpool's second.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 24 March, Blackpool travelled to Reading. They returned empty-handed after a 3–1 defeat. Lomana LuaLua scored Blackpool's goal.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Seven days later, Blackpool closed out March by hosting top-of-the-table Southampton. Ian Holloway rang the changes — seven in total — after their previous result. Recent loan signing, the returning Stephen Dobbie (who became the tenth Scot in the Blackpool squad), opened the scoring with a 22nd-minute penalty. He doubled the Seasiders' lead nine minutes later with a route-one strike. Ian Evatt headed in a third on 52 minutes from Matt Phillips' corner to seal the three points. Blackpool climbed back into the play-off zone with the three points.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
A Good Friday visit to Watford resulted in a second successive victory and clean sheet. Another Stephen Dobbie double, including another from the penalty spot, ended the Hornets' seven-game unbeaten run and put Blackpool three points clear of sixth-placed Brighton, who lost at Burnley.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Three days later, a struggling Barnsley visited Bloomfield Road and held on for a draw after taking the lead two minutes into the second half. Matt Phillips leveled for the hosts on 71 minutes.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Another — this time goalless — draw followed, at Nottingham Forest, on 14 April.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Blackpool returned to winning ways on 17 April, with a single-goal result against Neil Warnock's Leeds United at Bloomfield Road. Ángel Martínez got the goal, his first in English football. He became Blackpool's 22nd different goalscorer of the season. The Tangerines remained fifth — two places inside the play-off zone — four points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Four days later, Blackpool secured a play-offs appearance for the second time in three seasons, with a 4–0 defeat of local rivals Burnley. Stephen Dobbie, returning after a brief spell out through injury, opened the scoring, with his fifth goal in as many starts. Gary Taylor-Fletcher doubled the lead early in the second half, with his eighth League goal of the campaign. Stephen Crainey made it 3–0 just after the hour mark, before Nouha Dicko completed the scoring with ten minutes remaining. The victory was Blackpool's fourth in their last six outings, and their third-successive clean sheet. It lifted them two places to fourth.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
On 28 April, the final day of the regular season, Blackpool drew 2–2 at Millwall. The Lions went ahead, but Ian Evatt levelled with a header just before the half-hour mark. Nouha Dicko scored his second goal in as many games to put the visitors ahead, but Millwall restored parity in the final minute. Blackpool finished in fifth place, with 75 points to their name.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Blackpool hosted Birmingham City in the first leg of their play-off semi-final on 4 May. A Tom Ince strike, a minute before the break, was deflected past his own 'keeper by Curtis Davies. It proved to be the only goal of the game. The victory was Blackpool's tenth successive in play-off fixtures, dating back to 2001, when they were in the basement division.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
The second leg, played five days later at St. Andrew's, ended 2–2, which meant Blackpool progressed to the final 2–3 on aggregate.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Season summary, Season proper
Blackpool faced West Ham in the final at Wembley on 19 May. The Hammers took the lead through a first-half Carlton Cole strike. Tom Ince levelled the game three minutes into the second half, but the Londoners scored what proved to be the winner on 87 minutes, via the boot of Ricardo Vaz Te.


2011–12 Blackpool F.C. season, Squad statistics
Players used: 37Goals scored: 92 (79 League; 4 play-offs; 9 FA Cup) (includes two own goals)


2011–12 Bloomington Blaze season
The 2011–12 Bloomington Blaze season was the first season of the Central Hockey League (CHL) franchise in Bloomington, Illinois.


2011–12 Bloomington Blaze season, Transactions
The Blaze have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011–12 season.


2011–12 Bobsleigh World Cup
The 2011–12 Bobsleigh World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for bobsleigh. The season started on 2 December 2011 in Igls, Austria and ended on 11 February 2012 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The World Cup is organised by the FIBT who also run World Cups and Championships in skeleton. This season is sponsored by Viessmann.


2011–12 Boise State Broncos men's basketball team
The 2011–12 Boise State Broncos men's basketball team represented Boise State University during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Broncos, led by second-year head coach Leon Rice, played their home games at Taco Bell Arena and were first-year members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 13–17, 3–11 in Mountain West play, to finish in a tie for last place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Basketball Tournament to San Diego State.


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season
The 2011–12 season is Bologna Football Club's 102nd in existence and 4th consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football.


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Season review
Having parted ways with Alberto Malesani during the offseason, Bologna began the season with a new head coach, Pierpaolo Bisoli. Under Bisoli, Bologna started the Serie A season very poorly. They managed just 1 point from their first five league games, while scoring only 2 goals and conceding 10. Following the 2–0 defeat to Udinese, Bologna sacked Bisoli after five games in charge and replaced him with Stefano Pioli. Pioli took over the club, himself having already been fired by Palermo earlier in the season.


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Season review
In Pioli's debut, Bologna picked up their first win of the season with a 2–0 victory away to Novara. They continued to find their footing in the league winning three of the first four games under their new manager. Bologna finished the season in ninth place, earning Stefano Pioli a contract extension. The club was led by their captain Marco Di Vaio, who scored 10 goals for the club and formed a lethal attacking trident alongside Alessandro Diamanti and Gastón Ramírez. Prior to the end of the season, Di Vaio announced it would be his last at Serie A, as he bid farewell to Bologna in order to finish his career with the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer (MLS).


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Kit
The kits for the 2011–12 season were made by Macron. The home kit features the traditional red and blue stripes with yellow inserts. The home shorts are white with red and blue details. The away kit is a white shirt with red and blue details, paired with blue shorts. The third kit is sky blue with red and blue details, a tribute to Uruguay, as a way to celebrate the historic "twinning" between Bologna and the South American country that has provided the Rossoblù many foreign players in its history. The main sponsor for the season's shirts is NGM Mobile, with Serenissima Ceramica also sponsoring the home kits and Manifatture Ceramiche on the away uniforms.


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Statistics, Top scorers
Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by shirt number when total goals are equal.


2011–12 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Competitions, Serie A, Matches
The fixtures for the 2011–12 Serie A season were announced by the Lega Serie A on 27 July.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
The 2011–12 season was Bolton Wanderers's thirteenth season in the Premier League, and their eleventh consecutive season in the top-flight of English football. It is their third season with shirt sponsors 188BET.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
It covers the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. As Bolton Wanderers didn't win the 2011–12 Premier League title, it is the 73rd time that they have competed at the top level without winning the title, the most of any club.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
The home strip for the 2011–12 season was revealed on 12 May 2011 bearing the 188 Bet logo. The Reebok home strip has a white and blue body with a white right arm and a blue left arm. The away strip is all black with a yellow trim.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
At the end of the season, Bolton Wanderers finished in eighteenth place in the Premier League, meaning relegation to the following season's Football League Championship and ending their longest run in the top division for forty eight years.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Pre-season
Bolton Wanderers preceded their 2011–12 campaign with a tour of the United States for the second year in a row. They originally announced games at Orlando City on 17 July, with Bolton winning the game 3–1, and against midfielder Stuart Holden's former club Houston Dynamo on 20 July, which they also won, 2–0. On 14 June they announced an extra game at FC Tampa Bay which was played on 14 July, with the home team winning 1–0. On 3 June, the club announced two initial games to be played against domestic opposition.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Pre-season
They met Newport County on 30 July and won 3–1. However, the game was overshadowed by an injury suffered by Lee Chung-Yong who broke his leg following a challenge by Tom Miller. Initial reports suggested that Lee would miss the vast majority of the season. Two days later they beat Hereford United scoring three goals with no reply. On 7 June the club announced further games at Bradford City and a local derby at Bury.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Pre-season
The Bradford game took place on 24 July, with Bolton winning 4–1 and the Bury game followed three days later, Bolton beating their nearest rivals 2–0. On 13 June, Bolton announced their only pre season game at the Reebok Stadium would be on 5 August against La Liga side Levante. The Spanish side won the match 1–0. This meant that Ivan Klasnić finished the pre season as the club's leading scorer with five goals. In addition to this, the reserve team also played five games away from home at non-league opposition, winning three, drawing one and losing one. Lee was not the only Bolton player to suffer a major injury in pre season, with Tyrone Mears who had only just joined the club from Burnley, also breaking his leg in a training session on 4 August.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The fixtures for the 2011–12 season were announced on 17 June at 09:00 BST, and revealed that Bolton will begin the season away from home for the first time in six years. Bolton travelled to Loftus Road to take on newly promoted Queens Park Rangers on 13 August 2011. Goals from Gary Cahill, Ivan Klasnić, Fabrice Muamba and an own goal from Danny Gabbidon gave Bolton a 4–0 win. This was their best season opener since the first game of the 2001–02 season.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
They finished the weekend in joint first place with their next opponents, Manchester City, to whom they suffered a 2–3 home defeat. Manchester City scored two first-half goals from David Silva and Gareth Barry before Ivan Klasnić pulled one back shortly before halftime from Martin Petrov's cross for his second goal of the season. Edin Džeko restored Manchester City's two-goal cushion straight after halftime before Kevin Davies pulled a goal back with a header midway through the second half from Petrov's free-kick. The Saturday after, Bolton travelled to Anfield to take on Liverpool. The home side dominated the game, and scored three goals from Jordan Henderson, Martin Škrtel and Charlie Adam before Ivan Klasnić scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
After an international break, which saw Gary Cahill become the first Bolton player since Ray Parry in 1959 to score for England, Bolton's next home game was against the other Manchester club, Manchester United. In suffering a 0–5 loss, Bolton recorded their worst home defeat since their return to the Premier League in 2001. It was also the worst home defeat at the Reebok Stadium and the worst home defeat since Manchester United won 6–0 at Burnden Park in 1996. A Wayne Rooney hat trick and a Javier Hernández brace causing the damage.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
A week later there was a second successive home fixture, this time against newly promoted Norwich City. Two first half goals from Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson saw the away side on their way to their first win at Bolton since 1982. A second half Martin Petrov penalty was not enough for Bolton, who also saw Ivan Klasnić sent off for a head butt on Marc Tierney. The defeat, Bolton's fifth successive at home including the previous season, saw them fall into the relegation zone just over a month after leading the league.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
A week later they fell to bottom with a 3–0 loss at Arsenal, two goals from Robin van Persie and a late strike from Alex Song doing the damage. For the second week in a row they also had a man sent off, David Wheater being shown red for a foul on Theo Walcott. Bolton remained bottom going into an international break with a 1–5 home loss to Chelsea. Former loanee Daniel Sturridge added two goals to a Frank Lampard hat trick. This was Chelsea's ninth straight win at the Reebok Stadium, but Bolton did finally score a goal against them at home, through Dedryck Boyata, something they hadn't managed since 2002–03. This was Bolton's worst start to a top flight season since 1902–03, when they were relegated.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton returned after the international break with an away game at local rivals Wigan Athletic. A Gary Caldwell own goal was pulled back by Mohamed Diamé, but David N'Gog, opening his account for Bolton, regained the lead on the stroke of half time. Kevin Davies had a second half penalty saved by former Bolton goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi before Chris Eagles secured the win in second half injury time.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
However a week later their poor run at home continued with a 2–0 loss to Sunderland, late goals from Stéphane Sessègnon and Nicklas Bendtner leaving Bolton still in the relegation zone where they remained after the next game, away at Swansea City where goals scored by Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham saw Bolton fall to one off the bottom. Bolton's only goal was put into his own net by Graham, whilst Ricardo Gardner was sent off for the third time in his Bolton career after receiving two yellow cards.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Going into their next game at home to Stoke City, Bolton were in danger of setting a new record if they lost their sixth home game in a row from the start of the season. However an early, and contentious, Kevin Davies goal along with braces from both Chris Eagles and Ivan Klasnić gave Bolton a 5–0 win, equalling their best ever victory in the Premier League. The game also marked the league debut of Joe Riley who received a standing ovation from the fans when substituted late in the game. The scoreline was the reverse of the FA Cup Semi Final the previous March which, ironically, had been overseen by the same referee, Howard Webb. The result left Bolton just inside the relegation zone going into an international break.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Returning from the break, Bolton played West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. Jerome Thomas scored first for the home side but this was quickly levelled through an Ivan Klasnić penalty. However, Shane Long won the game for West Bromwich midway through the second half, leaving Bolton still just inside the relegation zone. The week after, Bolton faced Everton at The Reebok Stadium. David Wheater was sent off midway through the first half, his second red card of the season.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Second half goals from Marouane Fellaini and Apostolos Vellios gave Everton a 2–0 win and Bolton finished November still just inside the relegation zone. Bolton suffered a third successive defeat the following weekend, losing 3–0 at Tottenham Hotspur. Goals from Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe followed Gary Cahill's dismissal, Bolton's fifth of the season. This red card was overturned by the FA the following Tuesday after Bolton successfully appealed against it. The result left Bolton in nineteenth place, ahead of Wigan Athletic on goal difference only.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
A week later, Bolton returned to the foot of the table after a 2–1 home defeat to Aston Villa. Two first-half goals from Marc Albrighton and Stiliyan Petrov put Villa into a half time lead, before Ivan Klasnić scored his seventh goal of the season early in the second half. Before the match there was a minutes applause in memory of former player Gary Speed, who had died a fortnight earlier. This was followed by another loss, this time to Fulham at Craven Cottage.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Two first-half goals, the second coming just 66 seconds after the first, from Clint Dempsey and Bryan Ruiz ensured that Bolton stayed at the bottom of the table after a 2–0 loss. With only one team in Premier League history surviving at the end of the season when being bottom at Christmas, Bolton went into the local derby at Blackburn Rovers the following Tuesday knowing that only a victory would prevent this.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
An early Mark Davies goal, followed by Nigel Reo-Coker's first goal for the club, and his first goal in over three years, midway through the first half took Bolton into the lead and although Yakubu pulled one back in the second halfway, Bolton leapfrogged their opponents and moved up one place. The next match was against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, where two individual mistakes led to Newcastle's goals in a 2–0 win, Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba scoring.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton's final game of 2011 came at The Reebok against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 31 December, the game finishing 1–1, Bolton's first draw since their game at Newcastle United on 26 February, a run of thirty four consecutive matches. Sam Ricketts, making his return after a ten-month absence due to injury, put Bolton ahead midway through the first half from twenty yards, but Steven Fletcher equalised early in the second half. This draw coupled with Blackburn Rovers's win at Manchester United ensured that Bolton would finish 2011 bottom of the Premier League.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton's first game of 2012 came in midweek against Everton on 4 January. Tim Howard, Everton's goalkeeper, opened the scoring in bizarre fashion when a wind assisted clearance from his own penalty area took on bounce just outside Bolton's penalty area and looped over Ádám Bogdán. Goals from David N'Gog and Gary Cahill in an eleven-minute period gave Bolton the three points. This result moved Bolton up into eighteenth, one point and one place from safety. This was the first time since the previous April that Bolton had avoided defeat in two consecutive games.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The run didn't last however, with Bolton going down 3–0 at Manchester United ten days later. After Bogdán had saved a Wayne Rooney penalty midway through the first half, Paul Scholes scored his first goal since coming out of retirement just before the break. Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick added two further goals in the second half as Bolton slipped to nineteenth. However, by virtue of kicking off in the late game the following Saturday, Bolton knew that they would rise out of the bottom three with a win against Liverpool at The Reebok.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
An early Mark Davies goal was followed by Nigel Reo-Coker's second goal of the season. Craig Bellamy pulled on back late in the first half but Grétar Steinsson's first goal of the season secured the points in the second half as Bolton won by the same scoreline as Liverpool had done in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. The result took Bolton out of the relegation zone for the first time in over three months.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The club started February with a goalless draw at home to Arsenal which kept them just outside the relegation zone, two points ahead of eighteenth placed Blackburn Rovers. This was Bolton's first clean sheet since the 5–0 victory over Stoke in November and their first goalless draw since the opening day of the previous season when they had drawn at home to Fulham. However, they returned to the relegation zone the following weekend with a 2–0 loss at Norwich City, goals from Andrew Surman and Anthony Pilkington giving Norwich their first double over Bolton in forty years.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
A week later, they suffered their first home defeat of 2012 when losing 2–1 to relegation rivals Wigan Athletic. A first half goal from Gary Caldwell was cancelled out by Mark Davies midway through the second half. However, James McArthur put Wigan back in front with fifteen minutes left and the result caused Bolton to fall a further place to nineteenth. A fortnight later, Chelsea completed the double over Bolton with a 3–0 win at Stamford Bridge. Second half goals from David Luiz, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, the latter's 12th career goal against Bolton, leaving Bolton in 19th.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton began March with a derby at league leaders Manchester City, where manager Owen Coyle started with a 4–1–4–1 formation. However, this could not arrest Bolton's slump as a Grétar Steinsson own goal in the first half and a second from Mario Balotelli in the second half gave their opponents a 2–0 win and left Bolton still in nineteenth place. After four straight defeats, Bolton finally scored a win with a 2–1 victory over relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers at the Reebok Stadium a week later.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The away side thought that they had scored midway through the first half when Clint Hill's header appeared to, and was later shown to have, cross the line. However, the goal wasn't given and Darren Pratley gave Bolton the lead with his first Premier League goal late in the half. Djibril Cissé equalised for the visitors soon after the restart but substitute Ivan Klasnić scored late on to take Bolton out of the relegation zone into seventeenth place and to secure a double over the London side.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton's next game was due to be away at Aston Villa on 20 March, but due to the collapse, and subsequent hospitalisation, of Fabrice Muamba during Bolton's FA Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspur the previous Saturday, the game was postponed. This meant that Bolton's next game was a home fixture against local rivals and fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers the following Saturday. Before the game there was applause for Muamba and a mosaic formed in the lower part of the Lofthouse Stand, spelling out Muamba's name and his squad number.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton went on to win the game 2–1, thanks to two David Wheater goals, with Blackburn's sole reply coming from Steven Nzonzi. This result returned Bolton to seventeenth place after they had fallen into the relegation zone due to their midweek inactivity and gave them their first double over Blackburn since the 1977–78 season. A week later, Bolton won their third straight game with a 3–2 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Turning round at half time goalless, Wolves took an early second half lead when Michael Kightly scored.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
This was quickly cancelled out by a Martin Petrov penalty, after former Wolves player Mark Davies was judged to have been fouled in the area. With ten minutes remaining, Marcos Alonso scored his first goal for the away side and this was quickly followed by another from Kevin Davies. Although Matt Jarvis pulled one back straight away, Bolton held on for the win which lifted them to sixteenth in the table. Bolton's results in March earned manager Owen Coyle the Premier League Manager of the Month award.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The beginning of April saw Bolton's winning run came to an end when they suffered a 3–0 home loss to Fulham, a team that they had not beaten at home since 2007. Two Clint Dempsey goals in the first half were added to by Mahamadou Diarra late in the second half. Results elsewhere, however, meant that Bolton remained in sixteenth place. Two days later, Bolton travelled to high flying Newcastle United but fell to their second defeat of the Easter weekend, Hatem Ben Arfa and Papiss Cissé scoring second half goals for the home team.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The defeat initially left Bolton in sixteenth place but results later in the week returned them to the relegation zone. Due to the club's home game with Tottenham Hotspur being postponed as the London side were involved in an FA Cup Semi-Final, Bolton's next game was almost a fortnight later, at home to Swansea City. The away side opened the scoring early on through Scott Sinclair but Chris Eagles equalised within eight minutes. The subsequent draw saw Bolton fall back to nineteenth place.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
However, three days later they moved back up a place thanks to a win at Aston Villa, the game that had been postponed the previous month. The home side opened the scoring midway through the second half through Stephen Warnock but Bolton quickly replied, scoring twice in the space of just over a minute, first with a Martin Petrov penalty, after Mark Davies had been fouled in the area, and then a David N'Gog goal. This result left Bolton one point from safety with a game in hand.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The following Saturday they travelled to Sunderland and took the lead through a Kevin Davies volley. However, Nicklas Bendtner equalised before half time and James McClean scored from a free kick ten minutes into the second half to give Sunderland the advantage. However, a second Kevin Davies goal secured Bolton a point which left Bolton inside the relegation zone on goal difference only.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
Bolton began may with a home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, which had been rearranged due to the away side playing in the FA Cup Semi-Final. Before the game, Fabrice Muamba came onto the pitch to a rapturous reception from both sets of supporters which left him visibly moved. Tottenham took the lead towards the end of the first half through a long range effort from Luka Modrić but Bolton drew themselves level early in the second half with a goal from Nigel Reo-Coker.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
However, three goals in nine minutes, one from Rafael van der Vaart and a brace from Emmanuel Adebayor, gave Tottenham their first ever league win at the Reebok Stadium and left Bolton in the bottom three. There penultimate game, and last home game of the season, was against West Bromwich Albion. Bolton took a first half lead through a Martin Petrov penalty and looked to have secured the game when Billy Jones put the ball into his own net with less than twenty minutes remaining.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
However, Chris Brunt pulled one back for the away side almost immediately and, with time running out, James Morrison scored an equaliser just before the ninety minutes were up. This result left Bolton in eighteenth place and, with one game left, their fate wasn't in their hands as it left them two points from safety.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Premier League
The final game of the season saw Bolton travel to Stoke City, while their relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers were at title chasing Manchester City. Former Bolton striker Jonathan Walters scored a controversial early goal when he appeared to bundle goalkeeper Ádám Bogdán into the net when he had hold of the ball, but by the end of the half the away side were ahead through Mark Davies and Kevin Davies. However, Walters scored a second from the penalty spot after Bogdán had fouled Peter Crouch and, although Queens Park Rangers had lost, the point earned at the end of the game was not enough and consigned Bolton to relegation, ending their 11-year run in the Premier League.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, FA Cup
Bolton entered the FA Cup at the Third Round stage with the other Premier League clubs, as well as those from the Championship. The Third Round ties were played on the weekend beginning 7 January 2012. The draw made on 4 December 2011 gave Bolton an away tie at either Chelmsford City or Macclesfield Town who had drawn their second round tie. Macclesfield won the replay on 14 December. This marked the teams' second meeting of the season after their League Cup tie in August.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, FA Cup
Ivan Klasnić scored an early goal in the tie, his eighth of the season, before Macclesfield scored twice through Colin Daniel and Arnaud Mendy either side of half time. David Wheater, with his first goal for Bolton, equalised late in the second half, taking the game to a replay at the Reebok Stadium ten days later, which Bolton won 2–0. A goal within the first five minutes from Kevin Davies, his first since November, and Martin Petrov set up a home tie against Swansea City in the Fourth Round. The game took place on 29 January with Bolton winning 2–1.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, FA Cup
Darren Pratley's first goal for the club in first half injury time, against the team he left in the summer, equalised Luke Moore's opener for Swansea. Chris Eagles scored the winner early in the second half to send Bolton into the fifth round. The draw was held the following day and gave Bolton an away tie at either Millwall or Southampton who would be replaying their tie on 7 February. Milwall won the replay 3–2 and played Bolton on 18 February.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, FA Cup
Goals from Ryo Miyaichi, making his first start for the club, and David N'Gog took Bolton into the quarter finals for the second successive season where they were away to Tottenham Hotspur, who won their replayed tie against Stevenage. Bolton took the lead early in the first half through a Gareth Bale own goal but Kyle Walker equalised shortly afterwards. However, the game was abandoned after forty one minutes when Fabrice Muamba collapsed and was taken to hospital. After Muamba, who has suffered a cardiac arrest, showed signs of improvement in hospital, the game was rearranged for 27 March.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, FA Cup
This game, however, would prove to be Bolton's last in the competition that season. Although they went in goalless at half-time, Bolton had not had a single shot in that time. They eventually held out until the seventy fourth minute before Ryan Nelsen scored his first goal from Tottenham. This was quickly followed by another Spurs goal as Gareth Bale scored. Kevin Davies gave Bolton some hope with a late goal but this was quickly extinguished when Louis Saha scored in injury time.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, League Cup
Bolton entered the League Cup at the Second Round stage along with the other Premier League clubs other than those involved in European competition. The draw took place on 11 August 2011, with Bolton starting their League Cup campaign at home to League Two side Macclesfield Town on 24 August. Goals from debutant Tuncay and Martin Petrov gave Bolton a 2–1 win and put them into the draw for the third round, which took place on 27 August and gave Bolton an away tie at Aston Villa.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, League Cup
The game was played on 20 September. After a scoreless first half, second half goals from Chris Eagles and debutant Gaël Kakuta gave Bolton a 2–0 win and put them in the draw for the last sixteen which took place on 24 September. Ironically, on the day that Bolton played Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the league, they were drawn to play them away in the next round on 25 October. Former Arsenal youth player Fabrice Muamba opened the scoring early in the second half, but two quick replies from Andrei Arshavin and Park Chu-Young ensured Bolton's exit from the competition.


2011–12 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Transfers
On the commencement of the summer transfer window on 1 July, long-serving midfielder Joey O'Brien, central midfielder Tamir Cohen, and defender Jlloyd Samuel all left the club as their contracts had expired. Swedish forward Johan Elmander, who three years previously had been the club's record signing, also left at the end of his contract and quickly signed for Turkish club Galatasary. On the same day, the club signed Darren Pratley on a free transfer after he had rejected a new deal at Swansea City.