I’ve just seen that Tony Young has died in the last couple of days, aged 71. He was the Utd right-back in the two games we played against them in the 74-75 F A Cup.
People of a certain vintage may recall the stadium in the opening and closing sequences of this episode of a 1980’s TV series.
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Lovely thread.
Great and not so great memories covering a lot of my formative years supporting the club at Fellows Park and other ramshackle provincial football venues around the country.
And I say that extremely fondly. These were places built by the local community for the local community. Usually bits of the place connecting all the way back to the Victorian or inter-war provinance of the club and ground.
Bits added on in random looking ways and bits taken off in random looking ways. Places reflecting the boom and bust of our post war years. Previous venues seen as cathedrals of football - Burnden Park, Bloomfield Road, Deepdale reflecting the economic decay of former powerhouses of the UK and its empire.
And Fellows Park fitted right in. A main stand that had been extended, but you could still see the joins, a slopey home end seemingly held up by corrugated metal and plastic, that unique double apex roof and its sea of stanchions if you stood at the back, a random wooden terrace next to the main stand.
Nowhere like it. And that was the beauty of it. Unmistakably Fellows Park which was unmistakably Walsall.
By blood I’m Walsall, by birth I should be Blues, but Fellows Park meant there was no contest. Maybe it’s that blood’s thicker than water or maybe, and I think this is the thing, it is a connection with a place. Almost a spiritual thing. Belonging, communion and something to stand for.
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Fascinating. Never seen that before. The story seems to revolve around a businessman using the opportunity of redeveloping a football club ground to become wealthy. Hmm 
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Truth can be stranger than fiction!
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Thanks for posting that .I had never seen it. The pictures of the ground bring back so many memories.
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Yes, thank you. Chilling to see the boarding at the end.
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Thanks for posting this, have never seen this before. When they walk up the steps to the “street end” I felt that I was walking with them. Remember the steps being very steep and then you got to the top and there were still a few steps to take before you could see the pitch. That feeling of expectation and feeling like I’d come home will stay with me forever.
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Anyone going to have a guess what game?
I’ll have a pop at Chesterfield at home in September 81.
Hard to tell but looks like we’re wearing red socks as opposed to green, and its light so early or late season. I’m pretty sure the BRMB radio advert on the stand roof went on in summer 81. Other team are in all blue by the looks, so that would narrow it down to Wimbledon or Chesterfield (assuming 81 on the basis of red socks and BRMB advert).
Chesterfield was a dullish blustery day, crowd was about 3.4k and Steve Waddington scored.
Wimbledon was bright sunshine, under 3k??, Don Penn scored and someone missed a penalty…quite possibly Penn as well. So notwithstanding the curveball of a pre-season friendly, I’m going Chesterfield Sept 81.
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Looks to be a late summer time of year too so that Chesterfield game stands every chance.
To think we’re in amongst those people. Ten year old me making my way around the ground from the popular side. Brass band music blaring out of those two big speakers attached to stanchion in the Hilary Street End.
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If it is Chesterfield, I was in the main stand that day, for reasons known only to my dad.
I think he used to get tickets now and again off the secretary because he used to sell piles of those “Goldliner/South Staffs pools” (or whatever they were called) lottery tickets everywhere he went, work…High Heath club…Shelfield Catholic Club etc etc. He just permenantly had dozens of the things about his person.
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One of my favourite memory of the years I spent going to Fellows park (and there are many ) was sitting on the wall with my mates.
It wouldn’t be allowed today but in those days the wall was lined with kids sitting there with their clackers. Lovely times.
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Them was the days.
Thought those ball thingies were called kerknockers?
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or wrist breakers!
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Brass Bands at the football. Now there is something needs to make a come back !
I’m trying to think where i was at some point in Eastern Europe (England game) possibly Hungary. A Brass band provided some pre match entertainment - way better than blasting a 90s dance classic, I remembered back to the days when some clubs would have a brass band or the FA Cup final.
Bring them back
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Chucking coins at the Salvation Army (blankets). Dunno whose idea it was but it was great.
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I think it was the Wimbledon game. It was the last game I saw before going off to college. There was a camera in the corner of the Street End which was unusual.
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Bring back the cheerleaders too.
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