| 1888-89 | Founder member of Football League |
| 1889-90 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1893-94 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1895-96 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1899 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1899-00 | Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1903 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1903-04 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1904-05 | Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1908 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1908-09 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1910 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1910-11 | Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1914-15 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1922-23 | F.A. Cup Winners |
| 1925-26 | F.A. Cup Winners (2nd time) |
| 1928-29 | F.A. Cup Winners (3rd time) |
| 1933 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1933-34 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1934-35 | Football League Division Two runner-up (on goal average) |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1939-40 | Football League programme abandoned due to outbreak of war |
| 1945-46 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1952-53 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1957-58 | F.A. Cup Winners (4th time) |
| 1964 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1971 | Relegated to Division Three |
| 1972-73 | Football League Division Three Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division Two |
| 1976-77 | Football League Cup semi-finalists |
| 1977-78 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1980 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1983 | Relegated to Division Three |
| 1986-87 | Relegated to Division Four after play-offs (SF Aldershot 1 |
|
| Bolton Wanderers 0, Bolton Wanderers 2 Aldershot 2 - Agg 2-3) |
| 1987-88 | Promoted to Division Three |
| 1989-90 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Bolton Wanderers 1 Notts County |
|
| 1, Notts County 2 Bolton Wanderers 0 - Agg 1-3) |
| 1990-91 | Missed automatic promotion spot on goal difference, and not |
|
| promoted after play-ofs (SF Bury 1 Bolton Wanderers 1, Bolton |
|
| Wanderers 1 Bury 0 - Agg 2-1, F Bolton Wanderers 0 Tranmere |
|
| Rovers 1 @ Wembley) |
| 1992-93 | Division Three re-designated Division Two on formation of F A |
|
| Premier League |
|
| Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1994-95 | Football League Cup runner-up |
|
| Promoted to F A Premiership after play-offs (SF Wolverhampton |
|
| Wanderers 2 Bolton Wanderers 1, Bolton Wanderers 2 Wolverhampton |
|
| Wanderers 0 - Agg 3-2, F Bolton Wanderers 4 Reading 3 @ Wembley) |
| 1996 | Relegated to Football League Division One |
| 1996-97 | Football League Champions |
|
| Promoted to F A Premiership |
| 1998 | Relegated to Football League Division One by goal difference |
| 1998-99 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Bolton Wanderers 1 Ipswich Town 0, |
|
| Ipswich Town 4 Bolton Wanderers 3, Agg 4-4, Bolton Wanderers won |
|
| on away goals, F Watford 2 Bolton Wanderers 0 @ Wembley) |
| 1999-00 | Football League Cup semi-finalists |
|
| F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
|
| Not promoted after play-offs (SF Bolton Wanderers 2 Ipswich Town 2, |
|
| Ipswich Town 5 Bolton Wanderers 3, Agg 5-7) |
| 2000-01 | Promoted to F A Premiership after Play-offs (SF West Bromwich Albion |
|
| 2 Bolton Wanderers 2, Bolton Wanderers 3 West Bromwich Albion 0 - |
|
| Agg 5-2, F Bolton Wanderers 3 Preston North End 0 @ Millennium |
|
| Stadium, Cardiff) |
| 2003-04 | Football League Cup runner-up |
