Momentum continues to grow behind the campaign to stop the Football League, Dataco, and its legal allies trying to close down unofficial sites like UptheSaddlers. Today’s Guardian contains a full page article by David Conn, sports news reporter of the year, highlighting Dataco’s attempts to extract money from the Watford fansite BSad.Org.

Ridiculous as it may seem it appears the Football League through Dataco spend more money hiring legal people to monitor whether an unofficial site publishes fixture information than they actually charge a website for publishing a club’s fixtures (£266 + VAT per year).

Although the sum looks small in fact £300 quid is usually more than the annual running costs of all but the biggest unofficial sites, the vast majority of which - including this one - are not-for-profit, free from ads, and serve as a benefit for fans and therefore the football clubs. Football clubs including Walsall have long operated an antagonistic relationship based on suspicion with unofficial sites as they don’t understand the non-commercial motives - grounded in the belief that a website must exist to make money, and if upthesaddlers is making money then it is taking money away from saddlers.co.uk

Every year on fixture release day in June UptheSaddlers receives a strongly worded email warning from both Andrew Poole at Walsall FC and a firm of lawyers in London usually because a visitor in their excitement has posted the season’s fixtures on this site’s message board. By pursuing other sites in a similar way Dataco have managed to get sites taken offline. Meanwhile the official site attempts to generate further cash from supporters by first releasing the fixtures via SMS at 25p per message.

First Half

The Fat Controller reporting from the ground.

Merson made several changes to the side for tonight’s LDV tie, but, if anything, the eleven was actually stronger than Saturday.

It is Murphy, Pead, Gerrard, Roper, Bennett, Leitao, Standing, Kinsella, Taylor K, Constable, Fryatt.

Wycombe were the better side for the first ten to fifteen minutes and took an early lead with a long range shot.

Constable fairly quickly equalised with a drive into the roof of the net and the Saddlers then began to take a measure of control. Bennett put Walsall into the lead later on in the half with a far post header.

Wycombe look a useful outfit, but Walsall should run out winners from here.

Second Half

The second half was a somewhat different story. Merson himself said that he was unhappy with the performance and wasn’t sure if we took our foot off the gas, but we did allow Wycombe far too much possession. They did grab an equaliser in the end and the game seemed to be heading towards penalties when a slick move led to Jorge Leitao grabbing what turned out to be the winner.

There was still some backs to the wall defending to be done at the death before Walsall gratefully headed into the Area Semi Finals.

All in all, a decent performance and another morale boost. Merson said afterwards, however, that we still need a higher level of effort, as we can’t afford to play like that against teams from our own Division.

Well, it’s the LDV lottery draw tonight!

Paul Merson has already said that he will be making changes tonight, in view of the difficulties ahead of the festive programme. There are no indications as to who is likely to be in or out, according to the Official site, but the Express and Star last night was saying that Michael Standing may be fit and Michael Oakes might get a start.

Wycombe have just as many, if not more, injury problems (Stefan Oakes will be missing, so there’ll be no booing) and have included no fewer than 4 youth team players in the squad.

Predictions? You’ve got to be joking! Nothing like a first choice line up from either side on a freezing cold December night in a competition which, no matter how much you’d like a trip to the Millenium Stadium, is still, really, second rate? Whichever team wants it the most. Given home advantage, that should be us.

Saturday’s result was an important one for the Saddlers. A defeat, following Scunthorpe’s win against Forest on Friday night, would have left the team perilously close to the relegation zone again. Instead, another clean sheet and three points from a game in which we played badly and were second best in midfield means that something has changed from earlier in the season. So what is it?

Back in August, Anthony Gerrard was only making the bench and Ian Roper not even in the sixteen, despite the fact that they were the successful centre back partnership at the back end of last season, when we had our all important winning run. Through circumstances, not least the injuries to Staunton and Westwood and the need to move Fox to midfield and Bennett to left back to cover, they have become the de facto first choice partnership. It is no co-incidence that our current run of form has been since they came back together.

Saturday’s performance against Hartlepool was not a good one. The midfield was over-run for most of the game and Hartlepool had the majority of possession. Granted they had three first choice strikers out with long term injuries, but the on loan Dean MacDonald looked a real handful in his last game for them before his recall by Ipswich. Despite that, Hartlepool didn’t really look like scoring, other than on the odd occasion they got some width into their attacks and that was, in the main, down to the superb performances by Gerrard and Roper. First message to Mr Merson: Paul, don’t break up this partnership when Westwood, Staunton and Bennett are available to play there again, as it is easily your best one.

The other difference? Matty Fryatt. His movement on Saturday was superb and he took his chance as well as any player could have been expected to. The game had 0 – 0 written all over it, if not for his intervention and he was the only player on either side who looked like scoring. In fact, if he had been playing for the opposition, as well as Gerrard and Roper were playing, the result would almost certainly have been the other way round. If he does go in January, I just do not see how we could replace him for the sort of money we would be offering for players and, let’s not forget, he has scored at a rate of 0.52 goals per game this season and that is a tremendous record for a 19 year old. Second message to Mr Merson: Don’t sell him unless it’s a ridiculous offer and 350,000 isn’t ridiculous enough.

Hartlepool United are the visitors to Bescot Stadium tomorrow, as the Saddlers look to build on the hard fought point won at the City Ground, Nottingham, last Saturday. Walsall’s home form has become crucial this season, as they hover in mid table and the crunch period is about to arrive. Will the improvement continue, or will it be another season of struggle?

Confusion seems to be reigning at the ground as to the state of the squad for the game. The Press are definitely agreed that Murphy, Pead, Gerrard, Roper, Bennett and Fox are fit and that Staunton isn’t, but after that it gets more confusing. Some sources are saying that Chris Westwood might be available to play some part, whereas others say no. There have been rumours on the message board, however, that the former Hartlepool man is not happy.

Midfield is even more confusing. Demontagnac is suspended following his rush of blood last week and Merson was suggesting earlier in the week that either himself or Kris Taylor would play wide left. The Express and Star said yesterday, however, that Merson had picked up an injury in training and was doubtful. The same paper had said Standing was approaching fitness and might be in the sixteen. Kinsella won’t be considered, though, by all accounts, but Mark Wright has made good progress and may make an appearance before the end of Christmas.

Up front, Leitao is suspended after five yellows (and is injured as well), so the front positions seem to be between Fryatt, Larossa and Constable, given that Merson is injured, as he might well have accompanied Fryatt otherwise.

So, what does that mean? Pure guesswork, of course, but I’d expect a 4 4 2 of:

Murphy, Pead, Roper, Gerrard, Bennett, D Taylor, Osborn, K Taylor, Fox, Fryatt, Constable.

Confused? You should be!

Hartlepool are without long-term absentees strikers Adam Boyd, Joel Porter and James Brown (all knee), while midfielder Matty Robson has returned to full training but has a lack of match practice. Former South African International Mark Tinkler and former Cardiff man Lee Bullock are also both doubts for Martin Scott.

On loan striker Dean McDonald will play his last game for Pools having been told to return to Ipswich Town at the end of his temporary deal as cover for the injured Porter.

Predictions? Hartlepool will be a good test of the lad’s current home form. They are seventh in the away form table, with no less than five wins, the same number as the top three. Only their four defeats are keeping them out of the top six. They have also only conceded 11 goals in their 10 away games. The good news is they have only scored ten, which seems to be their Achilles’ heel at the moment.

This has all the signs of being a very close game, with few goals (cue 5 – 5) and I’ll go with a 1 – 0 home win.

Paul Merson himself is the latest player to pick up an injury in training.

Merson has told the Express and Star that he is doubtful for Saturday’s game after his Achilles tightened up following a training session this week. He had earlier said that he would be playing either on the left wing, with Demontagnac suspended, or up front with Leitao suspended (and, as it happens, also injured).

The paper also says that Standing and Westwood are nearing fitness and may both figure in the squad against Hartlepool, seemingly lending a lie to the rumours about Westwood on the message board yesterday. Mark Wright has also made better than expected progress and may figure over the Christmas period.

Eric Skora’s loan period has been officially terminated.

Eric Skora has returned officially to Preston and his loan terminated, following his knee injury picked up in the warm up to the Oldham game recently.

Paul Merson was quoted as saying “It’s a shame because Eric did well for us but he’s not going to play for a while so there was no point in him staying, but I wouldn’t rule out him coming back at some point in the future.”

Meanwhile, the club have, indeed, fined Ishmel Demontagnac the maximum two weeks wages for his sedning off at Forest on Saturday. Merson had made it quite clear that he would be taking stringent action against the left winger.

Manager Paul Merson has said that he will be fining Ishmel Demontagnac for his sending off on Saturday, presumably the maximum two weeks wages, although, with the player being a youth team member, that may be limited even further.

Merson told the Express and Star:-

“He had to be sent off,” said Merson. “He raised his hands and it’s just not good enough. You could talk about him being young but that’s just an excuse. My sons are young and when they play on Sunday mornings they wouldn’t raise their hands to people.
He let the lads down, and luckily enough they still managed to get a result. God knows what the lads would have done to him if we had lost the game.
You have to learn and he didn’t. He caught the Forest lad in the back when he was down and could have got sent off for that, then he got up and raised his hands.
We were 1-0 up and doing well and what he did wasn’t good enough.
He has let the lads down, let the club and the staff down, and let the fans behind the goal down as well.
He’s been told time and time again and he hasn’t learned. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve told him”

Walsall are hoping that the promising left winger’s ban will only be for three games, for violent conduct, and that there will be no repercussions from the player’s actions after being sent off, when he had a row with the coaching staff.

Murphy Honoured

Menawhile (and hardly surprisingly), Joe Murphy has made the Football League Team of the Week for Division

Walsall managed to end their terrible run of away defeats with a 1 - 1 draw at the City Ground, Nottingham today, but that fails to tell the whole story.

Walsall took the lead early on in the game when Matty Fryatt headed home a Paul Merson corner, after the player manager caused a shock by dropping Jorge Leitao and playing a 4 4 1 1, with himself “in the hole”.

Forest, despite having most of the possession, were looking ponderous in front of goal, but were not really threatening, until the whole nature of the game changed when Ishmel Demontagnac was sent off on the half hour. He first kicked out at one defender, before he squared up to Nicky Southall and then raised his hands, after a free kick was given against him. The referee had no choice but to brandish the red card and Demontagnac then had “words” with Merson and with Kinsella as he left the pitch.

That was, basically, the end of the Saddlers as an attacking force and the game was then up to the performance of the back four and the goalkeeper. All five rose to the occasion.

Murphy had already made two superb saves from Brecken before the defender finally got the equaliser after 34 minutes.

The second half was almost complete one way traffic, but a superb performance by the defence, added to Forest’s incompetance, made sure that the Saddlers were able to hang on for the point with a backs to the wall effort. It’s a good job, with both Hartlepool (who go above us) and Gillingham winning.

Of course, it all depends on your perspective, doesn’t it? Walsall are off on their travels tomorrow to visit Nottingham Forest, in search of three points to either bolster their chances of staying in touch with the play offs, or to take the pressure off their home form, the only thing keeping them clear of the bottom four. Never a dull moment, is it? (Well, off the pitch, at least).

The line up and formation for the Saddlers tomorrow is anyone’s guess. In defence, Staunton and West wood are definitely out, so, presumably, Pead, Bennett, Roper, Gerrard and Fox will be competing for the places in either a back four, or possibly, a back five.

Leitao and Fryatt should keep their places, but whether Jorge is up front, or in midfield, is another matter. Constable and Larossa will be on the fringes, no doubt.

The main problem is in midfield. Skora is out with a knee injury picked up in the warm up on Tuesday (the third time this has happened this season, with Oakes and Staunton having previously suffered) and the club are waiting for the results of a scan which may mean the Frenchman’s loan is over. The injury is to the same knee that kept him out of the game for nearly twelve months recently. Kinsella is out, according to the Official Site (indeed, one wonders when he’ll ever play again), despite having played 45 minutes in the Staffs Senior Cup this week. Standing is still missing (for at least another two weeks) and Osborn looks at only 75% fitness, having been brought back from injury far too early. With the long term injuries to Wrack and Wright, Merson has decided to include himself in the squad, despite having been back in training for just two weeks and only having played 45 minutes at Chasetown in the week.

The likely line up? Pure guesswork, but I’d hazard a guess on a 4 5 1:

Murphy, Pead, Roper, Gerrard, Bennett, D Taylor, Leitao, Osborn, K Taylor or Fox, Demontagnac or Fox, Fryatt. Expect Merson, Bradley, Constable and Gilmartin to figure on the bench, along with whoever loses out between K Taylor and Demontagnac.

As for Forest, they have few problems, with former Norwich midfielder Gary Holt available again after suspension and only defender Danny Cullip, dangerous midfielder Kris Commons and long term injury victim David Johnson missing.

Predictions? Well, that tends to depend on where you look for form guides as well! Walsall are undefeated in their last eight League and Cup encounters with Forest, including no less than six wins. In our relegation season from the Championship, we even managed a superb 4 – 1 win, in one of Merson’s best games for the club (and Gary Birch’s finest hour!). We even managed a good home win this season, although we were more than helped by a very controversial sending off.

However, when you look at current league form, Forest are undefeated at home in the last six games, winning five and the Saddlers have, I’m afraid, lost five away on the bounce and have picked up only 8 points from 10 away games. One record is going to go by the wayside on Saturday, either our proud record against the Trees, or our appalling away form. The trouble is, with a very weak looking midfield unit, I have a horrible feeling it’s going to be our record against Forest that will suffer, especially given the possible potency of the Lester/Tyson striking partnership.