Important notice to those Saddlers who value the unofficial sites - there is a nasty little outfit called Football Data Co Limited, jointly owned by the Premier and Football League, who are stepping up their campaign to close down any website who so much as dares to print anything resembiling a fixture list.

A well-respected Watford site, bsad.org, was this week taken down, despite the fact the right to publish fixtures lists free of charge is currently being pursued in the European Court.

We are ourselves were threatened with closure a couple of seasons ago, which is why we display a link to the excellent BBC Sport website who publish the Walsall fixtures, rather than linking you to the advertising-laden graphics-intensive official site lottery.

UptheSaddlers is, understandably, not having any of this nonsense, and will be making available the contact details of the elusive individuals behind Football Data Co in the coming days so fans across the land can make their views known. A google search reveals just how many fan sites are being threatened - so any information you can supply the editorial team here with will be appreciated.

A feature on the dubious practices of Football Data Co and their expensively assembled lawyers, paid for by the fan at the turnstile, will be appearing in the Observer in the next few weeks…

LATEST - Football Data Co currently employ an agency who are issuing unofficial sites with threatening letters. Their address is:

NetResult
A Division of Projector NetResult Ltd
Mulberry House,
583 Fulham Road,
London
UK
SW6 5UA

Football Data Co can be contacted as follows:

David Folker
General Manager
Football DataCo
Tel. +44 (0)20 7298 1656
dfolker@football-dataco.com

Whoever decided that milking money from publishing a fixture list needs to consider the nature of the absurd. Do theatres charge for publishing what’s on? Cinemas? Any example of a money-making outfit desperate to chew off the hand that feeds it gratefully appreciated…

Your view here please

The Walsall Supporter’s Trust is running a prediction league competition this year, as part of their fundraising initiative

The Trust, unlike the Independent Supporters Association, was set up as part of a Government sponsored initiative to enable Supporter’s Groups to obtain shares in their clubs. Such groups have already played a huge part in saving the likes of Stockport, AFC Wimbledon and Lincoln from extinction.

The competition basically involves placing all the teams from our division in the order they think they will finish the season.
Scoring is 25 points for every team that is in the correct positon and they lose a point for everyone they have incorrect, its all done on a spread sheet and monthly league tables will be produced.
Cost is £3.00 per entrant closing date 11/11/2005.

Full details on the Trust web site along with cut and paste league table. The link is:-
http://www.walsallfctrust.co.uk/
and it can be found from the Home Page.