Walsall F.C.
Full name | Walsall Football Club | |||
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Nickname(s) | The Saddlers | |||
Founded | 1888 (as Walsall Town Swifts) | |||
Ground | Poundland Bescot Stadium | |||
Capacity | 11,300 | |||
Owner | Trivela Group | |||
Chairman | Benjamin Boycott & Leigh Pomlett (co-chairmen) | |||
Head Coach | Mat Sadler | |||
League | EFL League Two | |||
2022–23 | EFL League Two, 16th of 24 | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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Walsall F.C. is a professional association football club based in the town of Walsall, West Midlands, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system.
The club's nickname, "The Saddlers", reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture. Walsall moved into their Bescot Stadium in 1990, having previously played at nearby Fellows Park for almost a century. The team play in a red and white kit and their club crest features a swift. They hold rivalries with nearby Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion, as well as farther away but more regularly contested rivalries with Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale.
The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town and Walsall Swifts.
Invited to help form the Football League Third Division North in 1921, Walsall remained in the third tier for 37 years. In 1958 they became a founder member of the Fourth Division, winning that Division in 1959–60, and securing promotion out of the Third Division the following season. At the end of the 1987-88 campaign, they won promotion into the Second Division for the first time, but were soon relegated back to the Fourth Division. Starting in 1998–99, they spent four of the next five seasons in the second tier. Two relegations in three years left them back in the fourth tier in 2006, but they secured an immediate promotion as 2006–07 League Two champions.
Their first match at
History
Formation and early years (1888–1939)
Walsall were formed as Walsall Town Swifts F.C. in 1888 when Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. amalgamated.[2] Walsall Town had been founded in 1874 as Walsall Football Club and Walsall Swifts in 1875 as Victoria Swifts.<Birth of the Saddlers, Bradbury 2015> Both clubs had played at the Chuckery, since April 1881 when Walsall Swifts had lost their old ground on Follyhouse Lane where they had played during 1877-1881 and the newly formed club remained at the same ground. Walsall Town Swifts' first match was a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa in the Birmingham Charity Cup final on 9 April 1888. A disagreement over the venue of the replay meant Aston Villa were awarded the trophy.[1]: 7 [3]
Later that year, Walsall Town Swifts played friendly matches against two founder members of the
The club were first admitted to the
In 1896 the club changed their name back to simply Walsall F.C.
Walsall's highest "home" attendance was set in 1930, when they played in of front of 74,646 fans in a 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.[4] Although a home match for Walsall, the tie was played at their opponents' Villa Park ground to ensure as many people could watch the local David vs Goliath match as possible. It remains the highest attendance that Walsall have ever played in front of and was a record crowd for Villa Park at the time.[1]: 28
In the years from 1921 leading up to World War II Walsall's success remained limited, with finishes of 3rd in 1922–23, 5th in 1932–33 and 4th in 1933–34 the closest the club came to achieving promotion. The decent results in the early 1930s were spearheaded by the emergence of one of Walsall's greatest ever players, Gilbert Alsop, who scored a remarkable 169 goals between 1931 and 1935.[1]: 29
Alsop also inspired Walsall's finest ever FA Cup result, scoring the opening goal in a 2–0 home win against Arsenal in 1933. Arsenal were regarded as the best team in the country at the time and went on to win the First Division that season and the two seasons following that.[1]: 30–31 As such, the cup defeat to Third Division North side Walsall is still regarded as one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history.[5][6]
In the following season,
Post-war era and first league title (1945–1980)
1945–46 signalled the final season of local war-time competitions. Between January and May 1946 the
The return of football following the war saw a spike in attendances for many clubs across the Football League and Walsall were no different. In the 1947–48 season a number of impressive turnouts at Fellows Park, including a season-best 20,383 for the visit of Notts County, saw the club record its highest average league attendance to date of 15,711.[1]: 191 In the same season Walsall finished in 3rd place but once again missed out on promotion to the Second Division.
The early 1950s saw some of Walsall's most troubling and dismal times in the Football League, as the club faced the re-election process four years in a row. They finished bottom of the league in 1951–52, 1952–53 and 1953–54 and improved to only second bottom in 1954–55. The club, however, managed to retain its Football League status through this period, largely thanks to the high attendances at Fellows Park demonstrating a healthy desire for League football in Walsall.[1]: 41–42
In 1958, following a reorganisation of the Football League, Walsall became founder members of the Fourth Division — now holding the distinction of being founder members of the Second, Third and Fourth tiers. Under the management of Bill Moore, the club achieved successive promotions, scoring 102 goals on their way to winning the Fourth Division title in 1959–60 and finishing as Third Division runners-up in 1960–61. The league title in 1960 was the club's first in their 72-year history.
In the club's first season in the second tier of English football since the early 1900s a post-war record 14th-place finish was achieved.[1]: 203–205 It was during this season that the club also recorded its record attendance, as 25,453 crammed into Fellows Park to see The Saddlers beat Newcastle United 1–0 in August 1961.[1]: 47 [7] However, after just two seasons in the Second Division, the club were relegated back to the Third Division in 1962–63. An unfortunate defeat to Charlton Athletic in a replayed final match of the season sealed Walsall's relegation, as the London club leapfrogged them in the table to survive.[1]: 47
One of Walsall's finest ever talents, Allan Clarke, made his breakthrough as a first team regular in the 1964–65 season. Aged just 18, he scored 23 league goals in 1964–65 and a further 23 goals in all competitions in 1965–66. He was sold to First Division Fulham for a then club record fee of £37,500 in March 1966 and went on to earn 19 caps for England and win a league title at Leeds United.[8][1]: 98
1970–71 saw the first league meeting between Walsall and their very first opponents Aston Villa. The two clubs met in the Third Division with Walsall winning the home tie 3–0, thanks to two goals from Geoff Morris and a Colin Taylor penalty. The away tie at Villa Park later in the season ended goalless.
Ken Wheldon, a local businessman made good, took over the club in 1972 and brought some optimism of a brighter future.[9] The following years were inconsistent but were buoyed by a few good cup results and the emergence of Alan Buckley, who signed for the club in 1973 and went on to become a prolific goalscorer for the club.[10] Walsall remained in the Third Division until a further relegation to the Fourth Division in 1978–79.
It was Buckley who took on the role of player-manager for the re-build in the fourth tier. Once again The Saddlers rose from the ashes of adversity as they secured an immediate promotion. At one stage in 1979–80 Walsall recorded 21 consecutive matches without defeat, a record that still stands today. This saw the beginning of an era that became a hallmark for some of the most attractive football seen in Walsall as, under the guidance of Buckley, the side gradually established itself as promotion contenders in the Third Division.[1]: 55
League Cup run, move to Bescot and the fourth tier (1980–1995)
While consolidating in the Third Division in the early 1980s, off-the-pitch issues took prominence throughout the decade. The dilapidated state of the club's Fellows Park home was becoming a problem and, in 1982, the intention to move in to groundshare Molineux with Wolverhampton Wanderers was announced by owner Ken Wheldon. The club's fans' quickly protested against the idea, as the Save Walsall Action Group was formed, and it never came to pass.[9]
The
By 1986 further plans were announced to groundshare with one of the club's local rivals. This time it was at Birmingham City's St Andrew's ground. The Save Walsall Action Group was again pressed into action and, after peaceful protests and the support of the local press, the Football League blocked the move.[9] Walsall were subsequently bought by millionaire entrepreneur and racehorse owner Terry Ramsden[12] and with his money came high-profile signings and the attention of the national media. In 1986–87, under new manager Tommy Coakley, Walsall narrowly missed out on the play-offs but made considerable progress in the FA Cup as they defeated First Division Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City and took Watford to two replays in the fifth round.
Walsall finally earned promotion to the Second Division for the first time since 1963 by winning the Third Division play-offs in 1988. Bristol City were beaten 4–0 in a replayed final at Fellows Park thanks to a David Kelly hattrick. However, the 1988–89 season saw the club immediately relegated from the Second Division and Ramsden's business empire collapse.[12] Walsall were minutes from going out of business but survived, again through the actions of the supporters and local businessmen. A second successive relegation followed at the end of 1989–90 as Walsall were consigned to the Fourth Division once again.
The club moved to the Bescot Stadium in 1990.[13] At the time it was a state-of-the-art arena and was only the second new Football League ground since the 1950s.[13] The arrival at Bescot Stadium saw some stability brought back to the club after two successive relegations and the club was taken over by Jeff Bonser in 1991.[14] Kenny Hibbitt managed the club for four years, setting the groundwork for a golden era for the club that would follow soon after his dismissal in September 1994.
New manager Chris Nicholl led the club to promotion back to the third tier (now known as Division Two after the formation of the Premier League) in his first season, building the nucleus of a strong and under-rated team. A run of four straight wins at the end of April meant Walsall needed just a point from their final game, away to Bury, to secure promotion; they duly obliged with a 0–0 scoreline to send the travelling fans home celebrating.[1]: 66
A series of ups and downs (1995–present)
Two seasons of stability followed back in Division Two before Nicholl resigned. Jan Sørensen took the helm after Nicholl's departure and led the club to the fourth round of both the League Cup and FA Cup in 1997–98. Each run was ended away to a Premier League side as West Ham United won 4–1 in the League Cup[15] and a glamour tie at Manchester United resulted in a 5–1 defeat in the FA Cup.[16] Despite the club's cup exploits, a poor finish in the league signalled the end of Sørensen's time at Walsall after just one season.
In
Graydon was dismissed in January 2002 following a 2–0 defeat against local rivals West Brom. Colin Lee took over and secured survival in the second tier for the first time since the early 1960s. The 2002–03 season saw Walsall avoid relegation again. However, the 2003–04 campaign ended in relegation despite a storming start which had seen the club on the brink of the play-offs going into the New Year. A slump in form saw Lee sacked in April[19] and the appointment of star player Paul Merson as manager did not halt the slide. Walsall were ultimately relegated, agonisingly by a single goal, despite a 3–2 victory over Rotherham United on the season's final day in front of a record Bescot Stadium crowd of 11,049.[20]
Despite the club's relegation and no previous managerial experience, Merson was immediately appointed as full-time manager of the club in May 2004.
Walsall's form continued into the new season, as the club performed strongly in
The following seven seasons spent in League One saw largely mid-table security apart from a few flirtations with relegation. Notably, in the 2010–11 season the club sat in the relegation places from October through to March but ultimately survived thanks to an upturn in form following the appointment of Dean Smith as manager in January 2011.[29] Walsall had been ten points adrift of safety, however, despite accumulating only 48 points by the end of the season they escaped relegation by one point.[30]
The
Walsall started the 2015–16 season well, leading to interest in manager Dean Smith. At the end of November, with The Saddlers fourth in the table, he left Walsall for Brentford; at the time of his departure he was the fourth longest serving manager in the Football League.[33] Walsall turned to Sean O'Driscoll to replace Smith.[34] However, after a six-game winless run and just 16 games in charge, O'Driscoll was sacked.[35] Ultimately, Walsall missed out on promotion by just one point and lost in the play-off semi-finals to Barnsley.[36]
Following the decimation of their promotion challenging team, Walsall struggled for the next three seasons in League One and, after a disastrous spell in charge for former playing hero Dean Keates, were relegated back to the fourth tier at the end of the
Rivals
A 2013 survey revealed Walsall fans consider Black Country neighbours
More regularly-contested rivalries exist with
Grounds
The Chuckery
This multi-purpose sports ground was situated in a district near to the Walsall Arboretum. It comprised some 12 football pitches and four good-sized cricket squares. It was the first ever home ground for Walsall F.C. from 1875 until 1893.[49]
West Bromwich Road
The new ground in West Bromwich Road, which had a capacity of just over 4,500, proved to be a lucky omen for The Saddlers between 1893 and 1896.
Fellows Park
Fellows Park was a former football stadium in Walsall, England. It was the home ground of Walsall F.C. from 1896 until 1990, when the team moved to the Bescot Stadium.
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, currently also known as the Poundland Bescot Stadium for sponsorship purposes,
Players
Current squad
- As of 12 March 2024[51]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserves and Youth
Management, staff and directors
First Team
Academy
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Medical Staff
Directors
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Information correct as of 25 May 2023.[52]
Former players and managers
Players of the Year
As voted for by Walsall supporters at the end of each season. Current players in bold.[a]
- 19??–?? Tony Richards[53]
- 1968–69 Bob Wesson[53]
- 1970–71 Bob Wesson[53]
- 1971–72 Colin Harrison[53]
- 1973–74 Alan Buckley[53]
- 1975–76 Alan Buckley[53]
- 1980–81 Colin Harrison[53]
- 1981–82 Peter Hart[53]
- 1994–95 Kevin Wilson
- 1995–96 Adi Viveash
- 1996–97 Adi Viveash
- 1997–98 Jeff Peron
- 1998–99 Jimmy Walker
- 1999–2000 Gino Padula[54]
- 2000–01 Jorge Leitão[55]
- 2001–02 Jimmy Walker
- 2002–03 Ian Roper
- 2003–04 Paul Ritchie
- 2004–05 Matty Fryatt[56]
- 2005–06 Anthony Gerrard[57]
- 2006–07 Dean Keates[58]
- 2007–08 Anthony Gerrard[57]
- 2008–09 Clayton Ince[59]
- 2009–10 Troy Deeney[60]
- 2010–11 Andy Butler[61]
- 2011–12 Andy Butler[61]
- 2012–13 Will Grigg[61]
- 2013–14 Sam Mantom[62]
- 2014–15 Richard O'Donnell[63]
- 2015–16 Adam Chambers[64]
- 2016–17 Jason McCarthy[65]
- 2017–18 Joe Edwards[66]
- 2018–19 Andy Cook[67]
- 2019–20 Josh Gordon[68]
- 2020–21 Liam Kinsella[69]
- 2021–22 Liam Kinsella[70]
- 2022–23 Donervon Daniels[71]
Top goalscorers
Includes league goals only. Current players in bold.[72]
- 1994–95 Kyle Lightbourne (23)
- 1995–96 Kyle Lightbourne (15)
- 1995–96Kevin Wilson(15)
- 1996–97 Kyle Lightbourne (20)
- 1997–98 Roger Boli (12)
- 1998–99 Andy Rammell (18)
- 1999–2000 Michael Ricketts (11)
- 2000–01 Jorge Leitão (18)
- 2001–02 Jorge Leitão (8)
- 2002–03 Júnior (15)
- 2003–04 Jorge Leitão (7)
- 2004–05 Matty Fryatt (15)
- 2005–06 Matty Fryatt (11)
- 2006–07 Dean Keates (13)
- 2007–08 Tommy Mooney (11)
- 2008–09 Michael Ricketts (12)
- 2009–10 Troy Deeney (14)
- 2010–11 Julian Gray (10)
- 2011–12 Alex Nicholls (7)
- 2011–12[c] Jon Macken (7)
- 2012–13 Will Grigg (19)
- 2013–14 Craig Westcarr (14)
- 2014–15 Tom Bradshaw (17)
- 2015–16 Tom Bradshaw (17)
- 2016–17 Erhun Oztumer (15)
- 2017–18 Erhun Oztumer (15)
- 2018–19 Andy Cook (13)
- 2019–20 Josh Gordon (9)
- 2020–21 Elijah Adebayo (10)
- 2021–22 George Miller (12)
- 2022–23 Danny Johnson (12)
International Saddlers
List of players who have earned full international caps while at Walsall.[1]: 251 Current players in bold.
- Alf Jones (2) 1882[d]
- Albert Aldridge (1) 1889
- Caesar Jenkyns (2) 1889
- Jack Taggart (1) 1899
- Mick O'Brien (1) 1929
- Roy John (1) 1931
- Dick Griffiths (1) 1934[73]
- Mick Kearns (15) 1973–79
- Miah Dennehy (2) 1975–77
- David Kelly (3) 1987–88
- Kyle Lightbourne (?)[e] 1993–97
- John Keister (3) 1999–00
- Paul Hall (5) 2000–01[74]
- Gábor Bukrán (1) 2000[75]
- Fitzroy Simpson (10) 2001–03[76]
- Danny Hay (4) 2002–03[77]
- Jamie Lawrence (6) 2003[78]
- Carl Robinson (1) 2003[79][f]
- Chris Baird (1) 2003[80][g]
- Paul Ritchie (1) 2004[81]
- Clayton Ince (15) 2008–09[82]
- Will Grigg (1) 2012[83]
- Romaine Sawyers (15) 2014–16[84]
- Neil Etheridge (9) 2015–17[85]
- Jason Demetriou (5) 2015–16[86]
- Tom Bradshaw (1) 2016[87]
- Andreas Makris (7) 2016–17[88]
- Simeon Jackson (2) 2016–17[89]
- Maziar Kouhyar (6) 2017–19[90]
- Liam Gordon (7) 2023–[91]
- Brandon Comley (1) 2023–
- Donervon Daniels (1) 2023–
Players with 300 or more appearances
Includes competitive appearances only. Current players in bold.[1]: 257
- Jimmy Walker (535)[92] 1993–04, 2010–13
- Colin Harrison (527) 1964–82
- Colin Taylor (504) 1958–63, 1964–68, 1969–73
- Nick Atthey (503) 1963–77
- Kenny Mower (493) 1978–91
- Alan Buckley (482) 1973–85
- Chris Marsh (481)[93] 1987–01
- Peter Hart (476) 1980–90
- Brian Caswell (459) 1972–85
- Frank Gregg (445) 1960–73
- Stan Bennett (438) 1963–75
- Darren Wrack (384)[94] 1998–08
- Sammy Holmes (381) 1888–02
- Ian Roper (380)[95] 1995–08
- Albert McPherson (367) 1954–64
- Craig Shakespeare (355) 1981–89
- Tony Richards (355) 1954–63
- Ken Hodgkisson (352) 1955–66
- Billy Bradford (352) 1926–38
- Charlie Ntamark (338) 1990–97
- Adam Chambers (331)[96] 2011–19
- Mick Kearns (322) 1973–79, 1982–85
- Dave Serella (304) 1974–82
Players with 50 or more goals
Includes competitive appearances only. Current players in bold.[1]: 257
- Alan Buckley (202) 1973–85
- Tony Richards (197) 1954–63
- Colin Taylor (189) 1958–63, 1964–68, 1969–73
- Gilbert Alsop (171) 1931–35, 1938–47
- Sammy Holmes (108) 1888–02
- Kyle Lightbourne (85) 1993–97
- David Kelly (80) 1983–88
- Jorge Leitão (71)[97] 2000–06
- Richard O'Kelly (65) 1979–86, 1988
- Bill Evans (64) 1934–39
- Craig Shakespeare (60) 1981–89
- Don Penn (58) 1977–83
- Ken Hodgkisson (56) 1955–66
- Jack Aston (55) 1896–99, 1903–04, 1905–06
- Moses Lane (55) 1920–21, 1927–29
- Wally Brown (53) 1938–44, 1945–48
- Jack Vinall (53) 1940–43, 1944–47
- Darren Wrack (52)[94] 1998–08
- Nicky Cross (52) 1985–88
- George Andrews (51) 1972–77
- Johnny Devlin (51) 1947–52
- W. Robinson (51) 1907–09, 1910–13
Notable managers
The following managers have all made notable achievements for Walsall. Each has led the club to at least one of the following while in charge: winning promotion, reaching the final of a cup competition or recording the club's best result in a league season or cup competition.[98][1]: 74–87
Name | Years | P | W | D | L | Win% | Honours | Notes |
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G. Hughes sec | 1898–99 | 35 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 42.86 | Second Division 6th place 1898–99 | [h] |
Andrew Wilson
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1934–37 | 130 | 47 | 30 | 53 | 36.15 | Third Division North Cup runners-up 1935 | |
Tommy Lowes | 1937–39 | 102 | 32 | 21 | 49 | 31.37 | FA Cup fifth round 1938–39 | |
Harry Hibbs | 1944–51 | 305 | 113 | 73 | 119 | 37.05 | Third Division South Cup runners-up 1946 | |
Bill Moore | 1957–63 1969–72 |
470 | 190 | 113 | 167 | 40.43 | Fourth Division champions 1959–60 Third Division runners-up 1960–61 |
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Doug Fraser
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1974–77 | 163 | 60 | 45 | 58 | 36.81 | FA Cup fifth round 1974–75 | |
Dave Mackay
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1977–78 | 72 | 30 | 27 | 15 | 41.67 | FA Cup fifth round 1977–78 | |
Alan Buckley | 1979–82 1982–86 |
349 | 148 | 92 | 109 | 42.41 | 1983–84
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[i] |
Tommy Coakley | 1986–88 | 148 | 62 | 37 | 49 | 41.89 | FA Cup fifth round 1986–87 Third Division play-off winners 1987–88 |
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Chris Nicholl | 1994–97 | 157 | 72 | 38 | 47 | 45.86 | Third Division runners-up 1994–95 | |
Ray Graydon | 1998–02 | 199 | 79 | 49 | 71 | 39.70 | Second Division runners-up 1998–99 Second Division play-off winners 2000–01 |
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Colin Lee | 2002–04 | 116 | 38 | 30 | 48 | 32.76 | FA Cup fifth round 2001–02 FA Cup fifth round 2002–03 |
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Richard Money | 2006–08 | 102 | 44 | 33 | 25 | 43.14 | League Two champions 2006–07
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Dean Smith | 2011–15 | 260 | 84 | 96 | 80 | 32.31 | 2015
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Honours and achievements
League
- Third Division / Second Division (level 3)
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
Cup
- Football League Trophy
- Runners-up: 2014–15
- Third Division North Cup
- Runners-up: 1934–35
- Third Division South Cup
- Runners-up: 1945–46
- Birmingham Senior Cup
- Winners: 1880–81, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1993–94
- Staffordshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1881–82, 1884–85, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1967–68
- Walsall Senior Cup
- Winners: 1888–89, 2014–15, 2016–17
Club records
Competitions
- Highest ever Football League position: 6th, Second Division 1898–99
- Highest post-war Football League position: 14th, Second Division 1961–62
- FA Cup: 5th Round, 1938–39, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1986–87, 2001–02, 2002–03
- League Cup: Semi-final, 1983–84
Scores
- League Win: 10–0 vs. Darwen. Second Division, 4 March 1899
- League Defeat: 0–12 vs. Small Heath. Second Division, 17 December 1892
- Cup Win: 12–0 vs. Warmley. FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round, 27 September 1890
- Cup Defeat: 0–7 vs. Worcester City. FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round, 11 October 1913
Sequences
- Most Games Won in a Row (7): 1959, 2005
- Most Games Lost in a Row (15): 1988–89
- Most Games without Defeat (21): 1979–80
- Most Games without Victory (18): 1988–89
Attendances
- Highest League Attendance (at Fellows Park): 25,453 v. Newcastle United. Second Division (now Championship), 29 August 1961
- Highest League Attendance (at Bescot Stadium): 11,049 v. Rotherham United. First Division (now Championship), 9 May 2004
- Highest Third Division (now League One) Attendance: 19,589 v. Notts County, 18 March 1950
- Highest Fourth Division (now League Two) Attendance: 15,403 v. Carlisle United, 10 September 1959
- Highest FA Cup Attendance: 24,045 v. Fulham, 4th Round Replay, 30 January 1962
- Highest League Cup Attendance: 21,066 v. Liverpool. 4th Round, 17 February 1968
- Highest Football League Trophy Attendance: 10,038 v. Preston North End. Area Final Second Leg, 27 January 2015
- Highest Average Attendance (at Fellows Park): 15,711, 1947–48
- Highest Average Attendance (at Bescot Stadium): 7,853, 2003–04
Players
- Most Appearances: 534 – Jimmy Walker 1993–04, 2010–13
- Most League Appearances: 473 – Colin Harrison 1964–82
- Top Goalscorer: 202 – Alan Buckley 1973–85
- Top League Goalscorer: 185 – Tony Richards 1954–63
- Most League Goals in a Season: 39 – Gilbert Alsop 1933–34 and 1934–35
- Most capped players:
- 15 Mick Kearns 1973–79[1]: 251
- 15 Clayton Ince 2008–09[82]
- 15 Romaine Sawyers 2014–16[84]
- Highest Transfer Fee Paid: £270,000 (€300,000) – for Andreas Makris to Anorthosis Famagusta, August 2016[99][100]
- Highest Transfer Fee Received: £1,500,000 – for Rico Henry from Brentford, August 2016[101]
Notes
- ^ Players of the Year list is incomplete.
- ^ Lightbourne and Wilson joint top scorers in 1995–96
- ^ Nicholls and Macken joint top scorers in 2011–12
- ^ Alf Jones earned both England caps while playing for Walsall Swifts but later went on to play for Walsall Town Swifts.
- ^ Kyle Lightbourne is listed as having achieved international caps while at the club in The Complete Record of Walsall Football Club but no number is given to how many.
- ^ Carl Robinson on loan from Portsmouth when he earned his cap.
- ^ Chris Baird on loan from Southampton when he earned his cap.
- ^ G. Hughes served as secretary-manager.
- ^ Alan Buckley's totals include short spell as joint-manager with Neil Martin.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1859831564.
- ^ "Walsall FC to host Aston Villa in 125th birthday bash". Express & Star. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ "Aston Villa v Walsall, 25 January 1930". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "Arsenal v Walsall 1933: The Greatest Cup Upset Ever". www.angryofislington.com. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Walsall 2–0 Arsenal". www.thegiantkillers.co.uk. Steve Porter. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ "Walsall v Newcastle United, 29 August 1961". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Allan Clarke was the magnetising frontman of Don Revie's Leeds". Leeds Live. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "100 Owners: Number 76 – Ken Wheldon (Walsall & Birmingham City)". Two Hundred Percent. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Alan Buckley". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Walsall's Wembley near-misses". The Football League. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Ex-Walsall owner Terry Ramsden back at the races". Express & Star. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ a b "25 years at Bescot: The stadium that changed Walsall's fortunes". Express and Star. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Jeff Bonser saved Walsall and boosted his savings". Express & Star. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Lampard hat-trick announces arrival". The Independent. 20 November 1997. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Cole and Solskjaer the perfect partnership". The Independent. 26 January 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Up where we belong! Graydon upsets the odds to take Walsall into Division One". Birmingham Evening Mail. 19 May 1999. Retrieved 5 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Walsall break Reading hearts". BBC Sport. 27 May 2001. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Walsall sack Lee". BBC Sport. 16 April 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Walsall 3–2 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. 9 May 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Merson takes permanent manager's job at Walsall". The Independent. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Merson sacked as struggling Walsall lose patience". The Guardian. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Walsall sack manager Broadhurst". BBC Sport. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Notts County 1-2 Walsall". BBC Sport. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Swindon 1–1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Promoted Walsall's open top tour". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ "Scott Dann follows Fox to Coventry from Walsall". Birmingham Mail. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Richard Money resigns from Walsall post". Telegraph. 22 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
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