I think picture was taken before Milk cup Semi final 2nd leg v Liverpool. From memory the caption read something like ‘They shall not pass’
Think you’re right with Ian Handysides. One of my favourite lineups that, played arguably the best football in my 50 years under Buckley.
6 Likes
On the Twitter account it says this was after the Arsenal cup win (29 Nov 1983?)
It was a beautiful football team. Handysides, Child and especially Preece were majestic. Hard to fathom that two of them are no longer with us.
Ultimately frustrating in the league as we lacked somebody at the base of that midfield to do the ugly stuff. Nearly every successful Walsall side I’ve seen had a player like that. Very rarely the darlings of the crowd but the likes of Goodwin, Bennett (Tom), Dobson (Michael) and Chambers (Adam) ensured that even the most expansive of teams had a bit of steel in its backbone.
3 Likes
Saw Phil Hawker a few years after he left football, buying cars at the auctions on green lane, does anyone remember our only foray into the screwfix masters at the indoor arena in birmingham? it was normaly villa wolves albion coventry blues etc but we entered a team, i know Ron green was in goal, i got talking to him and i think he said he was a postman? I entered the competition as i entered the stadium, and won it, i got our only ever 6 a side masters shirt signed by all the players and a signed ball, been meaning to get the shirt framed for years.
4 Likes
We’ve played in it twice mate.
1 Like
Finding that photo prompted me to check out the video highlights yet again. That’s nine very enjoyable minutes of viewing. We really did play them off the park, such a joy to watch.
Did we? what were the years?
That is one thing about that Buckley team. They did lack a physical presence at times. I can remember one manager, might have been Ian Branfoot, saying," If you try to play football against them, they’ll murder you." So a lot of teams stopped trying. I think even during that great season, Sheffield United and Wimbledon just out-muscled them towards the end.
That might have been the rationale for signing Bamber. Get a goalscorer and someone physical at the same time. Still might have worked, but from what I remember , they also started playing more of a long-ball game with him in the side.
Can’t remember the years without Googling but we also played with a lot younger players a few years later with Sir Ray as boss.
1 Like
The whole Bamber or Aldridge dilemma that Buckley had ultimately saw Aldridge’s Oxford go up and Bamber’s Walsall fade. If the story is true and Buckley did have that choice then with a big dollop of hindsight he messed up. Quite spectacularly.
I think Bamber might still have worked, if they’d kept on playing the same type of game, although there’s no doubt who turned out the better striker between him and Aldridge. But ,as I say, the play got worse with more balls just being banged up to Bamber. For me, they should have stuck to the same approach play, but then to have a cross into Bamber, rather than the ball to feet that favoured the likes of ROK.
They also should have looked to sign a tough , defensive midfielder, who could have been brought in when a scrap was expected.
1 Like
For a big bloke, Bamber was a bit of a ponce.
4 Likes
That dow make much sense - since Kearns was in goal against the Arse.
Ron Green was in goal
Mick Kearns was in goal in 1978 4,1 defeat
I wonder how Barry Blower felt when Ramsden breezed in and sacked Buckley? I wouldn’t have been at all comfortable with that if I’d have been in his shoes. Then fast forward to season 90-91 as we suffered a pretty pathetic start to life at our new “home”, and Buckley was sweeping Grimsby to a second successive promotion. I havn’t read his book (yet), but like most managers in his 30’s he was still very much learning his trade with us even after 6-7 years on and off as manager. I think its telling that despite being renowned for the type of flowing football that characterised his Walsall sides, his Grimsby teams were actually built from the back with defenders like Andy Tillson, Paul Futcher, and Mark Lever. I reckon he learned from his “mistakes” with us, or at least came to realise where his Walsall teams came up short, but unfortunately another club reaped the benefits.
Shame the play-offs wern’t around in 84 and 86. I think the 86 team in particular would have fancied their chances. There can’t be many teams that have scored 90 league goals in a season and ended up 6th!!
2 Likes
It was Mick in goal in 1983 at Highbury. Unless my eyes are deceiving me.
2 Likes
He was, just not against Arsenal in 1983…