THE family of a lifelong Bolton Wanderers who died last year have gathered together to watch the team he loved.

Don Lomax attended the 1995 League Cup Final as the Bolton News’s guest of honour, despite living all the way in Johannesburg.

A regular subscriber of this newspaper even after emigrating to South Africa in 1976, Don made the pilgrimage to watch his beloved Bolton in their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Wembley Stadium.

Mr Lomax died last August, but has passed on his affection for the club to his son Ross and grandsons, who were joined by family members from far and wide at the Macron Stadium to take in the Whites’ defeat to Preston North End on Saturday.

Ross, who still lives in South Africa, said: “This is the first time I’ve been back in many years so it’s wonderful to have the whole family together in memoriam of dad.

“Bolton Wanderers was one of the most important things in my father’s life and he hadn’t wanted a funeral or a memorial service, so we decided to do the thing that would be most important to him.

"The Macron was like a cathedral for my father so to get the family together is exactly what he would have wanted. I don’t think we’ve ever been together in these numbers. “

Born in Bolton, Don attended his first Whites game - a 6-0 victory over Southport - in 1944, and from there on he was hooked.

After attending Leigh Grammar School, he began working as a professor at Manchester University before taking up a job at the University of Johannesburg, more than 5,600 miles away.

But his passion for the club remained so intense that he even relied on live commentary of the 1995 League Cup semi-final over Swindon Town by long distance telephone.

And it is this love for the club that still unites the family today.

“My grandfather took my father to his first game when he was four,” said Ross.

“My father took me to my first game when I was four. It’s a support that goes back as long as the family memories exist.

"My dad never wavered in his support even when we were down in the fourth division, he continued supporting the team.

"We used to listen on the shortwave radio which was the only way you could get the results at that time.

"When we got to he Premiership we used to watch on the television when we could.

Joining the South African contingent, were relatives from Yorkshire, London, Chorley and Bolton.

And despite Saturday’s result, the family remain optimistic about the Whites’ chances of survival.

Ross said: “We’ve been following the results religiously, and after a poor start to the season we’ve come back. It’s going to be great if we avoid relegation and I’m sure we’ll do it.”