The Purple Stand, newest development at Bescot Stadium. Although now the Floors-2-Go Stand even the Walsall OS still calls it the Purple Stand. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

The Saddlers actually dropped out of the fledgling Football League with fairly monotonous regularity during their early years, always being re-elected immediately afterwards, until 1901 that is, when their fellow league clubs tired of their feckless ways. Walsall were left out in the cold until 1921, when they joined the newly-formed Division 3 North or was it South?. Actually it didn't matter, for the next 37 years they were put in either the North or South divisions depending on which other clubs were also promoted/relegated from those divisions. The procession of mediocrity followed until 1958 when Walsall finally left the Third Division - to join the newly formed 4th division, naturally.

This was a prelude to one of the Saddlers finest hours however, to date one of only major trophies the club has ever won - the Fourth Division Championship in 1960. Don't sneer Glovers fans - we're very proud to have won the modern-day equivalent, the League Two Championship, to put the achievement in perspective. The Walsall team put together at the time was obviously a formidable one as they went on to gain back-to back promotions, finishing runners-up the following in season in Division Three and then gaining what to date is still the best ever league position for the club, finishing 14th in the then Division Two (today's Championship).

It didn't last of course, and a couple of years later the Saddlers were back in Division Three (League One as we now know it) where they've stayed for the greater part of their history, brief flirtations with the other divisions excepted. They moved into the new Bescot Stadium in 1990 - look quickly and you might think you're at a version of Huish Park, until you notice the all-seated and covered away end and the new and impressive Purple Stand. Look longer and you'll also notice lots of pillars. Don't get stuck behind one. The overall red colour isn't very Huish Park-like either, come to think of it. Their recent history has included a couple of seasons back in the Championship, but they never finished better than 18th before coming back down to League One.

The Txt64446 Health Stand - bad luck H.L. Fellows, who it used to be namesd after. Rather unimpressive as a main stand. The Bonser Suite conference centre and clubhouse, built in 1998, which can hold 500 and is far more impressive, is attached. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

There aren't too many Glover/Saddler links that we're aware of (leather industries apart). In fact in recent times the only players that we can think of are Howard Pritchard, Paul Sanderson, Steve Winter, Andy Bishop, who we took on loan from the Saddlers for a month a few seasons back, Joe Broad who we had on a short loan from Plymouth Argle, and of course Dani Rodrigues, who had brief spells with both outfits.

There have been a number of meetings in the F.A. Cup. As a Non-league side the Glovers had a good record. In 1936-37 Yeovil & Petters United secured a 1-1 at The Saddlers then home of Fellows Park in Round Two before losing 0-1 in the replay at Huish. The next meeting, in 1960-61, saw Yeovil Town win away in Round One, Dave Taylor getting the solitary goal. By the time the clubs met again in 1991-92, also in Round One, Walsall had moved to the Bescot, and it was there, after a 1-1 at Yeovil's new home, Huish Park, that The Glovers knocked out the League side 0-1 with a winning header from Richard Cooper. In the first ever meeting between the clubs on equal terms in football's hierarchy on 10th September 2005 Yeovil Town emerged with a 2-1 victory. The meeting at the start of December 2005 in the F.A. Cup is probably best forgotten about.

. Used to be The Banks's Brewery Stand, but now The West Bromwich Building Society Stand. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

The Glovers and Walsall parted company at the end of the 2005-06 season, with Yeovil putting one of the nails in the Saddlers coffin in the form of a 2-0 win at the Bescot Stadium, in one of the oddest atmospheres we've ever experienced. Walsall fans abused their players throughout, their brand new manager, the man announcing the man of the match over the tannoy and pretty much anyone representing their own side. That sort of spleen-venting went on hold with Richard Money stabilising their club, and within a season they'd pushed themselves back up to League One, winning their second piece of silverware in the process as Champions. So after the briefest of absences here they were again. However Yeovil is not the only club that can make strange decisions. The relationship between Walsall and Money got tenser and tenser as he felt he was being starved of funds, and eventually he resigned in 2008. Jimmy Mullen took over for the last few games of the season but lasted a mere nine months, his position terminated in January 2009. Assistant John Schofield got one game as caretaker before he was hoofed out of the club, and in came Chris Hutchins, with fellow former Saddlers' skipper, Martin O'Connor, as assistant.

In 2007-08 and 2008-09 they were a solid mid-table League One outfit, finishing 12th and 13th respectively. This season they look set to do pretty much the same.

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RECENT RESULTS

13/02/2010	Oldham Athletic	Away	CCL1	L	0-1	3968
16/02/2010	Leeds United	Away	CCL1	W	2-1	18941		Mattis 46, McDonald 81
20/02/2010	Brentford	Home	CCL1	W	2-1	3616		Nicholls 35, Deeney 84
23/02/2010	Yeovil Town	Home	CCL1	L	0-1	2929
27/02/2010	Southampton	Away	CCL1	L	1-5	20461		Richards 3
06/03/2010	Millwall	Home	CCL1	D	2-2	3835		Nicholls 12, Taundry 27

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name	LGE	FAC	FAT	LGC	CC	Total
Troy Deeney	11	0	0	0	0	11
Steve Jones	8	0	0	0	0	8
Darren Byfield	7	0	0	0	0	7
Alex Nicholls	3	0	0	1	0	4
Matthew Richards	3	0	0	0	0	3
Sam Parkin	3	0	0	0	0	3
Richard Taundry	2	0	0	0	0	2
Dwayne Mattis	2	0	0	0	0	2
Clayton McDonald	1	0	0	0	0	1
Emmanuele Smith	1	0	0	0	0	1
Mark Hughes	1	0	0	0	0	1
Own Goals	1	0	0	0	0	1

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 8483, vs Leeds United, 18/08/2009
Lowest League Attendance: 2929, vs Yeovil Town, 23/02/2010
Average League Attendance: 4081

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	3		Games Without A Home Win:	2
Games Without An Away Win:	1		Games Without Defeat:	1
Games Without A Home Defeat:	1		Games Without An Away Defeat:	0
Games Without A Draw:	0		Games Without A Score Draw:	0
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	7		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:	LDDWLD
Away Results Sequence:	LDWLWL		Overall Results Sequence:	LWWLLD

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The away end, your home for the evening. Officially The Dains Stand, but with the usual fans dislike of ever-changing sponsorship names more commonly referred to as the William Sharpe Stand. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

You can train it from Pen Mill (change at Bristol Temple Meads) or Yeovil Junction (changes at Basingstoke and Reading), but obviously with an evening kick-off can't get back to Yeovil on the night and would need to stay over somewhere.

By Bus

Nos. 401 and 405 run every 15 minutes from Walsall town centre to Bescot Crescent. Alternatively, No. 404 runs every 8 minutes from the town centre and stops on the nearby West Bromwich Avenue.

By Taxi

A selection of Walsall taxi companies can be found here. The stadium is a couple of miles from the town centre. Expect to pay about £5.00 for that journey.

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The brewery in Walsall is Highgate. It produces Special Bitter, Davenports Bitter, Saddlers Best Bitter, Dark Mild and the seasonal (winter) Old Ale.

Half the Yeovil support seem to end up in the McDonalds on the trading estate the stadium is part of, not out of choice but because there is sod all else in the vicinity.

Club Bar :

The Saddlers Club generally allows away fans admission before and after games, with an entrance charge of £1.00. It's a good club house dating from 1998, part of the very impressive Bonser Suite facilities, with a wide range of keg, though oddly when we were last there no Banks's beers which, given they are the team's main sponsors and the ground carries their name too, is weird. However with so few alternatives near the stadium it soon fills up, at which point they stop new entrants, so you have to get there early pre-match.

A major asset, and income earner - the clubhouse. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace

Local Pubs :

Home of one of the great beers. © Beacon Hotel: Included more for information than as a realistic option, with Walsall the closest we're likely to get in the near future. Sedgley is seven miles away from Walsall but the Beacon Hotel is one of the great pubs in the country, both for its Victorian authenticity and, more importantly, because it is the brewery tap for some of the best beers you'll ever drink. The brewery started in 1860 but was bought by Sarah Hughes in 1921. It was she who began brewing Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, a 6% beer which whilst technically an ale has many characteristics of a very strong mild. Whatever it is it's wonderful. After Sarah shuffled off this mortal coil the brewery was defunct for nearly forty years until her grandson John Hughes resurrected her genious and stable of beers in the late Eighties. The Beacon is the only tied pub and stocks the full range : Dark Ruby, Pale Amber, Sedgley Surprise and the seasonal (winter) Snow Flake at a scary 8%. Two guests are also carried, though why anyone one would drink them, whatever they are.........? The pub has four rooms, each served through hatchways from a tiny central bar, one of which is the family room and allows children. Has its own parking. Opening 12.00 noon - 2.30 p.m. weekdays (3.00 p.m. Saturdays), 5.30 p.m. (6.00 p.m. Saturdays) - 10.45 p.m. weekdays (11.00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7.00 p.m. - 10.30 p.m. Sundays. Beacon Hotel, 129, Bilston Street, Sedgley, West Midlands, DY3 1JE. Tel: 01902 883380. Map: Click Here.

On one of the routes in to the stadium. © Bell Inn: If you are coming in off Junction 7 of the M6 on the A34 you'll go past this pub; in fact it's on the corner where you turn into Walstead Road. The stadium is just over two miles further on. Banks's outlet, Cask Marque accredited, which is worth something though not necessarily a lot. Opening 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. A pleasant enough 'lounge' style pub. No character whatsoever, but did everything it did in terms of food and drink to a reasonable mainstream like standard. Bell Inn, 450, Birmingham Road, Great Barr, Walsall, West Midlands, WS5 3JP. Tel: 0121 3577461. Map: Click Here.

King George V: A few years back we gave this place an absolute slating. It was the worst pub we'd been in for many a year. The whole experience was thoroughly unpleasant and we walked out after one drink never, ever, to return. As we've stuck to that vow we can't speak from personnal experience, but various reports suggest significant improvement recently. There are two changing real ales on. As the closest pub to the ground, just off the junction of Wallows Lane and Bescot Road, expect it to get busy. Tuesdays are also Quiz Night, so it may be very busy. Opening is 11 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. King George V, Wallows Lane, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 9BZ. Tel: 01922 626130. Map: Click Here.

The Tiger Inn: Mile and a half from the stadium eastwards along the Walstead Road. More a home for West Brom supporters than Walsall ones. The Tiger Inn, Walstead Road, Walsall, West Midlands, WS5 4DP. Tel: 01922 724828. Map: Click Here.

White Lion: Closest outlet specialising in real ale to the ground we can find, and that's at a somewhat inconvenient 1.4 miles. Large back street local with a L-shaped bar, lounge and pool room with two tables. Does food, but not on a Monday or Tuesday. Has Adnams Bitter, Highgate Dark Mild, Greene King Abbot and IPA, Sharp's Doom Bar and a rotating guest as the real ales, and Thatchers Medium Scrumpy cider. A small walled garden provides for smokers. Opening is 12.00 noon - 11.00 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, noon - midnight Thursday to Saturday. White Lion, 150, Sandwell Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 3EQ. Tel: 01922 628542. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Half the world and his brother lives in and around Birmingham, they should have no problem with our rustic burr. Whether we'll understand them is something else entirely.

Top-Tip :

We may be missing something, but so far we've found nothing really likeable about Walsall at all. So our top tip is: be grateful you don't live there - er, unless you do that is.

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