Not just for Walsall, but for a myriad of smaller clubs all over the country. The ground has shifted violently and permanently under our feet since the creation of the Premier League and latterly the Champions League. Money is everything now for owners, clubs, players and agents. Look at the BBC fixtures pages on their website: they list the Women’s Premier League before Leagues 1&2. We are getting left behind as an irrelevant reminder of the ‘old days’ season by season. Is there a future? I doubt it myself, clubs like ours simply don’t have the money or the clout to change anything.
Depressing as this post is, there is a huge amount of truth in it.
Paul Pogba’s haircut is more important than Bury to the media.
Walsall FC will survive longer than some, due to the prudence of the ownership, but ultimately our goose is cooked, due to the weight of our rent obligation, low attendance & premier league hyperbole.
Covid has accelerated this process, as it has in many industries.
I’m gutted, but not surprised.
I’m not so sure about that mate.
If we did go under I’d rather watch us reform in non league football than watch premier league ■■■■■.
I have no idea what Pogba’s hair looks like and have no interest in finding out.
I’m 54 years old but have a 14 year old son who feels exactly the same.
Good post my friend and you may well be right but I am slightly more optimistic about football at our level. The big danger for us and others like us is that no matter how ambitious we are the best we can achieve the days is a decent team in the third tier and if we had a Manager who was bothered a decent cup run or two. Whether that is enough to sustain full time football in the long run is an open question as youngsters today seem to only want to support the “big boys” they see almost every day on the television.
So would I. I’d rather be in National League with a plan & a ground. Then where we are now or PL. absolutely.
Fan groups need to be more involved in the running of the clubs now to maintain some form of identity and link to their fanbase, and at times be a nuisance. Currently reading James Montaque’s 1312 book about Ultra fan culture. I think we need elements of that back here. A lot of fan bases over here have become sanitised and passive.
Sorry everyone that was a reply to the original post.
No worries
What worries me is that nothing has changed or looks likely too, same landlord, same board, same management team; yet we’ve lost our manager & two of our best players in a fortnight and most importantly not replaced any of them.
This summer is going to be pivotal, but we’re going to have to get seriously lucky, as we’ll have less money than ever.
However, we are more than just a football club. We have conference facilities and sometimes when you go to the ground during the day you can hardly move for British Gas vans or whatever. We are also an entertainment venue with all types of events. Then there is a very popular Sunday market, not to mention a large advertising board overlooking the M6.
All these things bring in money, I don’t know the facts but it must make a difference.
Yeah but they need to churn £460k net profit just to pay the rent
FTFY.
I’ve got no issues with Women’s football. I’ve got no issues with them playing or being given a platform to grow their sport
But
Quality wise it’s not even non league
Organisationally outside the top two divisions It’s not even non league it’s Sunday league
The pundits are forced on us. Would we be interested in what a L1 or L2 pundit had to say as a co commentator or pundit ? Not really - but that’s what we are getting the equivalent of. Box ticking
Sad that the BBC are categorising it like this.
But that’s the BBC for you. They’re on a mission.
All clubs,(ours included)will fight that to the bitter end,I can understand why they are so protective of there Privileges in the boardroom,I think as a last desperate throw of the dice they might include a fan’s perspective,but I’m with the board, it would cause more problems than it solved if you get the wrong fans group or fans group representatives in the boardroom.
The Spanish and German ownership models are interesting from a ownership with paid up members. Although you can get the farce of elections for president of the club it does allow fan input into the leadership of a club and potential stops a club been wholly owned by a leadership that does not have the club’s best interest in its heart.
As the air balloon that is Walsall FC jettisons assets to remain in flight we need to know whether the basket has a hidden two tonne weight dragging it inexorably towards a bumpy end.
But there is plenty of hot air to keep it afloat
It’s anchored deep in Cyprus.
It’s not over and it never will be .
Up the Saddlers