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He said: "We know it's going to be a difficult game for us, it's been a difficult game for everyone who's gone there. One of the things they have got going for them is their crowd and the atmosphere they generate.
"But we'll take a lot of supporters with us; our away support has been terrific. Although it's only a short distance, the fans have been waiting a long time for this fixture. It's another derby in another long line of North West derbies that we compete on.
"We're on a decent run at the moment but we know it's going to be a tough game."
For Owen Coyle it is a first opportunity to pit his wits against the only other club in England he's been with, having played for them between 1993 and 1995 and scoring for them at Wembley in the Play Off Final against Reading.
"I had two and a half fantastic years at Bolton, loved every minute and it's just a fantastic club with a great set of supporters," Coyle said. "There are a lot of similarities with Burnley. They are two clubs from the old school with tremendous history and tradition.
"The team I played in was a fantastic team, a very exciting team and a team that won promotion to the Premier League. It also had tremendous cup runs and a fantastic team spirit, a lot of similarities with our own group here.
"They were great times and happy days but my focus now is on Burnley. My priority is getting three points for Burnley and making sure we develop."
Looking forward to the cash in front of a Turf Moor full house he added: "I enjoy every fixture. I feel very proud and very privileged to be the manager of Burnley Football Club and I enjoy any game that we can go and represent the club in the manner we want.
"That's by playing to our maximum and within doing that winning three points and Boxing Day represents that opportunity against a club very close to my heart.
"Each game in this league is a big game. We are all here for the same things, ourselves and Bolton wanting to remain in the league, so you will have two teams going all out to win the match.
"That's' the kind of game we like, played at a very high tempo and if we get to our maximum we can go and win."