Eyebrows were raised when Gartside appointed Megson last October and fans called for the chairman's head during Megson's first game in charge, a 1-1 home draw against Aston Villa on October 28.

But, after the Trotters won three and drew two of their last five games to safeguard their Barclays Premier League status, Megson said: "The chairman gave me this opportunity because he thought I could keep Bolton in the Premier League, which is what has happened. He did it for reasons that he believed would take the football club forward."

He added: "It's a huge first step to avoid relegation and I've been surprised at the amount of animosity and stick that he came in for.

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

"They are looking at ways of getting more children to come to games and they recently paid for the supporters to travel to the Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Chelsea games.

"The fans are very much at the forefront of the club's thoughts here at Bolton, so I find it strange that they (the club's hierarchy) come in for that amount of stick.

"We've got an owner here in Eddie Davies who puts an awful lot of money into the club and does as much as he possibly can to make it successful.

"It's unfortunate that when things don't go right on the football pitch, invariably the people who cop for it are the board and the manager."