The Walsall Supporters’ Trust has issued a statement congratulating the club on its latest initiative.

The club has teamed up with the Walsall Primary Care Trust to take part in a “Healthy Eating” campaign, part of which will involve the giving away of nearly 2,000 tickets to local school children for tomorrow’s game.

Trust Chairman Richard Hall said “It’s good to see the club getting involved with such an innovative and worthwhile scheme”.

Upthesaddlers agrees, especially as, amongst those 2,000 kids, there may be season ticket holders of the future. A big well done to Roy Whalley and the commercial team.

Martin Allen has said on the Brentford web site that Walsall will be taking former Watford striker Scott Fitzgerald on loan.

The 5 foot 11 inch centre forward burst onto the scene at Watford in 2003, scoring a creditable 11 goals (all in his first season) in 29 league starts, with another 26 substitute appearances for the home counties club.

His career at Watford soon stagnated, however, and he went on a couple of not very successful loan spells at Swansea and Leyton Orient, before Brentford picked him up on a free in March 2005.

Since then, he has made 11 full appearances for Brentford, scoring 3 goals and 2 (plus one as sub) with 1 goal while on loan at Oxford United.

The biggest threat to Walsall’s survival this season is our lack of goals and extremely inexperienced strike force, so this should be a welcome addition to the squad.

The Express and Star is saying that Jeff Bonser has interviewed three candidates for the vacant manager’s job at Bescot.

Former manager Chris Nicholl is one of the candidates, but the Chairman has also seen two more personally and spoken to four more interested parties over the phone. Jeff was also due for talks with an eighth yesterday and has not ruled out even more interviews before making an appointment.

Bonser said: “Chris Nicholl rang me on Saturday and asked if he could speak to me and I was happy to meet him.

We met on Monday and spoke for a long time about a lot of things and it’s always good to speak to Chris because he is someone I have known for many years.”

Bonser declined to reveal the names of the other men he has spoken to, but he confirmed he would not be considering any applicants currently under contract with other clubs.

He said: “It is something I’ve got to think long and hard about and I’m not going to employ a manager just for the sake of doing it quickly. There are 5,000 people out there telling me what I should do and they might be right, but at the end of the day it is down to me. I can’t guarantee I will be right, but I’m the one that has to make the decision and I’ve got to take care with it.

One thing I can say is that I will not be approaching other clubs about taking their staff. It has been done to me in the past and it is not something I want to put other clubs through.”

Jeff does seem to be taking his time over this one, quite rightly in the current circumstances. With yet another squad rebuilding job to be done over the summer, he cannot afford another big mistake. At least the already improved performances under caretaker Mick Halsall have taken some of the immediate pressure off, so he can take a little more time over the decision.

wfc_2uk reports that the second half was a completely different story. Whatever Parkinson had said to his team worked, as they put Walsall on the back foot from the start.

It took outstanding performances from the two centre backs, Keates and Mills in central midfield and, especially, the outstanding Oakes to keep the Us at bay.

Walsall had only one chance in ths second half from a long range Grant Smith strike, but this was, all in all, a very good professional performance and the first clean sheet in seven games.

The downside was the number of yellow cards picked up (Smith, Roper, Barrowman, Mills, Gerrard).

The shoots of recovery seem to be there, but other results went against the Saddlers and they have ended the night in the relegation places.

This has started to look like one of our better away performances of the season, so far.

Whatever we have been doing in training seems to have worked, as the team as a whole has looked far more compact and has been defending from the front.

Colchester did have a chance in the first minute, when a lapse of concentration let Halford in, but he dragged his shot well wide. After that, the Saddlers looked the better side.

Smith smacked a shot from the edge of the box against the post and Roper just failed to get hold of the rebound for Davidson to save.

Colchester have had only a couple of long range shots which Oakes has dealt with comfortably and the first of those was in the thirtieth minute.

Keates hit the bar in the closing minutes, as Davidson just tipped the ball onto the woodwork.

Mills has hardly wasted a pass, Halsall is busy encouraging and organising from the sidelines and the only downside is the failure to hold on to the ball better up front.

wfc_2uk reporting in from the ground.

Mick Halsall, unsurprisingly, bought Anthony Gerrard straight back in tonight, lining up:

Oakes, Pead, Gerrard, Roper, Keates, Wright, Smith, Barrowman, Mills, Nicholls, James.

Subs are Standing, Gilmartin, Osborn, Bradley and Demontagnac.

The formation is a straight 4 4 2, with Mills playing as a holding midfielder, Wright at left back and Nicholls up front.

WM reported that Constable is missing through injury.

Former Walsall Manager Paul Merson has launched a stinging attack on the small number of fans criticising Chairman Jeff Bonser at the Scunthorpe game last Saturday.

In his column in the Express and Star, Merson says:

“Certain supporters can often be heard demanding that Jeff puts his hand into his pocket to buy better players - and it is totally out of order.
The facts are simple. The money is not there within the club to fund the type of signings that the supporters, and Jeff for that matter, would like to see.
So for the available budget to be increased it would mean Jeff dipping into his personal funds. And while the accounts show he has lent the club money in the past it has to be his decision.

No-one has the right to tell him how to spend his own money.

If Walsall were attracting crowds of 8,000 every week combined with Jeff’s management of the club they would be right up there in the promotion hunt in League One and spending a lot more time in The Championship.
But until that happens they will always find it difficult to attract the improved calibre of player needed to lift them to the next level.

As for the minority calling for Jeff’s head in the wake of this season’s events, it is laughable. Who is going to take over from him and look after the club better than he has, unless they are willing to throw big money at it?

One thing that is certain is that Walsall fans will always have a football club to follow. Jeff has seen to that throughout his time in charge and he will continue to do so for as long as he is there.

Mick Halsall has had one game to get his thoughts together about how the squad should be playing, but faces a really tough test tonight, as the Saddlers head for deepest Essex and high flying Colchester United for what may well be his last game in charge. Rumours have been flying on the message boards with names of prospective managers and I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least one of those in the crowd tonight!

Anthony Gerrard returns from his one match ban to strengthen the defence and the only question mark there revolves around whether left back Fox will have recovered from his calf strain (what a surprise!).

Paul Devlin’s complete aberration in getting himself stupidly sent off on Saturday and the second game of Leary’s ban means that the midfield is close to picking itself with Smith, Keates and Osborn as the main choices in the centre, assuming Timm’s injury will keep him out.

All the strikers are fit and, we hope, raring to go.

If Fox is fit, I’d expect a 4 4 2 or 4 5 1, with Oakes, Pead, Gerrard or Mills or Roper, Fox, Wright or James, Keates, Smith, Demontagnac or Wright or James, Barrowman and James or Nicholls or Constable (or Osborn, depending on the formation). If Fox isn’t fit, 3 5 2 might even be an option with Wright and Demontagnac as wing backs.

As for Colchester, they will be missing promising defender Richards, sent off at the weekend, but, in the main, the Divison’s over achievers will be at near full strength.

Their danger men will be the massive Iwelumo, scorer of their second at Bescot, and Garcia, who suddenly seems to have found some goal scoring form. However, as we proved in that home defeat against them, their main creative spark is Neil Danns and, if you can keep him quiet, they do not find life so easy. Unfortunately, he did wriggle clear in the end at Bescot, to side foot home their first goal.

http://upthesaddlers.com/wp/archives/2006/01/15/walsall-vs-colchester-report/

Predictions? We were comprehensively beaten at home by Colchester, even though we weren’t comprehensively out played. That was the first game for the loan signings (Smith, Leary and Timm) and we played some good stuff, but, unfortunately, we looked as if we could have still been playing now and not scored, then fell to two straightforward set piece goals. I think we have the wherewithal still to give them a run for their money, but, I don’t see where the goals might be coming from. A home win, I’m afraid.

Layer Road football ground, home to the world’s smallest tea-hut.

Layer Road itself is home to one pub The Drury Arms which is very lively on a match-day. Never been any problems getting in or getting served, as the pub is generally geared up for its position as the nearest to the ground and is away friendly.

If you have the time and find yourself in the centre of England’s first Roman capital, then there are plenty more establishments to choose from.

The Castle Inn on the High Street has a sign proclaiming “wanderers welcome”, but don’t be put off by this, its an excellent pub for those that crave friendly service and even an occasional bit of live jazz to soothe the nerves while the beer goes down.

The Dragon on Butt Road, about seven minutes from the ground is another away friendly real ale pub. There is always a selection of Adnams ales as well as a few “guests” and this is a bar that serves proper bar food for anyone travelling straight from work and in need of sustenance. Don’t trust the tea-hut!

The ground itself is worthy of comment, a veritable picture of eccentricity. The home end must be the smallest in the league, and the away end is laughably split into two sections, only one of which was open when we visited one year en-route to promotion in 99’.

That same year Layer Road witnessed the first ever pay-per-view goal, an occasion that was more expensive to watch at home than at the ground!

Ah the days when we were better than Man City,

Did you hear the one about the curate’s egg? You know, good in parts?

Mick Halsall, for the first game of the post Merson era, decided to line up:

Oakes, Pead, Roper, Mills, Wright, Devlin, Osborn, Keates, Smith, Timm, Barrowman, with Gilmartin, James, Nicholls, Bradley and Demontagnac on the bench. Fox had picked up an injury and Paul Merson’s attempts at wheeler dealing in the January window left us with no cover at all at full back.

It was still a poor first half, however. With one player making his debut and two more making their home debuts, there was far too much disjointed play. Scunthorpe, like so many teams in this Division, looked fit and organised and not much else, but their extra power and fitness made them always dangerous. There were signs, however, that Walsall were not going to be the push overs they have been of late, as we were working harder, especially when we weren’t in possession.

However, enter the referee, Mr Curson. He had already made one or two strange decisions when, after 19 minutes of fruitless endeavour for both sides, Mads Timm fell over clutching his back while in possession on the half way line. It was an obvious re-occurence of the injury he was suffering from last week. The Walsall side stopped for a second or two, the referee didn’t stop play, Scunthorpe ignored the player lying on the ground, broke forward and Keogh scored from 25 yards. Stunning shot, but you thought Oakes should have got closer to it.

Walsall replaced Timm with James and immediately the shape was better, with a strightforward 4 4 2. We were still looking disjointed, however, when, 10 minutes after the opener, Dean Keates won the ball 20 yards out, took a touch and sent an absolute screamer into the roof of the Scunthorpe net.

Walsall now started to look the better side, if not by much, but couldn’t create a decent chance, although the growing wierdness of the ref’s decisions wasn’t helping. Scunthorpe, however, then decided to take the lead again. Barrowman won the ball about 25 yards out, but the ref saw an infringement from somebody else that no one else did. Scunthorpe tried a corny “go to take the kick, but pretend to get it wrong, then slip it to one side quickly and hit the shot” routine, which wouldn’t have fooled anyone. It did, however, manage to fool our defense and keeper completely. MacKenzie, the “shooter”, fortunately scuffed his shot somewhat, but Oakes, unfortunately, made a complete pig’s ear of going for the shot and missed it completely.

2 - 1 down at half time, not playing well and some elments of the crowd getting restless. Sounds familiar.

The second half started much like the first had gone, with a Walsall just the better side, if anything, but failing to find any fluency. Osborn was replaced by Demontagnac in an attempt to liven things up, to not much effect, before the moment which changed the character of the game completely. Devlin went up for the ball with Foster, caught him with an elbow, which the ref saw as deliberate and received a straight red. Foster had to be replaced after receiving treatment, so, whether intentional or not, Devlin did catch him.

The rest of the game was as exciting as you could wish. Keates and Smith decided to start tackiling everything like tigers, as the aggrieved players’ spirit got them going. Eventually, a long punt forward found Barrowman running clear of the defence and, as the keeper advanced, he cooly lobbed the ball over him for the equaliser. It was no more than deserved at the time.

The remainder of the match was end to end stuff, with the 11 men just having the edge over the 10, well as we were playing now. Oakes at least atoned for his error when parrying a relatively straightforward shot out back to a forward instead of sideways, by somehow twisting in mid air to get a hand to the ball and knock it out for a corner.

All in all, although a relief when the whistle went, we played well with 10 men and had chances to win it.

As for the performances? Oakes was at fault with the second goal (and maybe should have got closer to the first) and didn’t inspire confidence. Pead and Roper were solid, Mills got better and better as the game wore on and Wright proved yet again he isn’t a full back, getting constantly caught out of position. You can hardly complain when he was just filling in in an emergency, however.

Barrowman looked lost most of the time and doesn’t look to be the answer to our problems up front, yet, at least. There is some promise there, however, and he took his goal well. As or Timm, we looked to have a better shape the moment he went off, which says a lot.

The midfield was where we stuttered most. Osborn did some good things and some bad, Smith similarly (although he looked far, far better when he moved inside). Keates was easily the pick of the middle of the park. Oh. And Devlin. Mostly anonymous, looked unable to beat his man, lost his pace. He now will, presumably get a three game ban for violent conduct, so we’ve got 25 minutes out of him, then an injury that kept him out for three or four games, then 60 minutes and then a three game ban. Not, it would appear, the best of signings.

All in all, though, we did look fitter and were trying harder, especially when not in possession. I think the basis is there for someone to improve on.