So how do you draw a line under all of this? When is the right time to stop? Do I continue until after the play offs have been completed?
In reality our season is now over and I think this is as good a time to stop as any. There is still the retained list to be announced, season ticket prices to scare me and the play off winners to be found. But I think this is a natural end point.
The retained list should be out next week and it would be really unfair to release anyone because they all deserve a crack at next season. However spaces have to be found to improve and develop the squad so a small release may be inevitable.
Whoever is on it they leave with our great appreciation and their heads held high. No return to last season when the French boys scrambled through the back exit or like Hodgey did for the cash.
On the subject of season ticket prices just tell me how much and I’ll find the cash. As for the play off winners, does it matter?
A wonderful season has ended with a wonderful achievement. Without question the most enjoyable of all of the ones I can remember.
There wasn’t a day like Old Trafford or the Milk Cup Semi and missing out on the Auto Windshield Final again was devastating but promotion isn’t the worst alternative.
We’ve won more games in a season than I have ever seen and collected 87 points into the process. Again this is the most I’ve ever seen. I saw 71 of our 72 goals (63 league) and loved everyone of them.
I couldn’t even choose a player of the season. Walker has been simply outstanding, Marsh and Pointon impeccable, Viveash and Green were so solid, Larrusson and Brissett did the jobs we brought them in to do and Wrack is a born matchwinner. Rammell was the focal point of the team and it is his presence that probably made the difference. Keates has been stunning and there is no adjective to describe the continual improvement in Ian Roper. This though is undoubtedly a team effort and they all have earned and deserve their share of the limelight.
I have always been proud to be a Walsall fan and always will be. However the feelings I have had in the over the past nine months have been special and I am so pleased that they are documented here.
Given that promotion wasn’t on the agenda last Autumn I can’t finish with the phrase “mission accomplished”. Perhaps a more appropriate description would be Miracle Accomplished.
I also feel that it'd be fitting to finish this record of the miracle with one statistical sentence...
Nine months, fifty six games, nearly seven thousand miles, 2nd place and one Ray Graydon.
Sun 9th May
An added bonus to yesterday’s results was Bournemouth’s inability to beat Wrexham and the fact that Wigan won and snatched the final play off place at the Cherries expense. They join Manchester City, Gillingham and Preston North End.
Now then spiteful southern bastards remind me of what it’s like to nearly get to the party and have the invitation stolen from you at the very last minute. I bet they weren’t on the pitch taking the piss at five to five last night and if I really cared I’d call it poetic justice. Adios Bournemouthy.
The final day of the Nationwide First Division leaves Bury and Oxford making way for the Saddlers.
Bradford City follow up a year of consolidation with promotion to the Premiership (don’t even think about it!) and Ipswich have to settle for the play offs.
The end of season shake up, unfortunately, has to take place without our neighbours though. The tatters home defeat by Bradford leaves them in seventh place and ensures that we have a three strong Black Country tournament to look forward to next season as Albion , wolves and Walsall go head to head for the millennium.
Technically as the season is now over and the new season is preparing itself to start we are above West Brom and the tatters in the new table. It may only be alphabetically but we still lead.
Now then spiteful southern bastards remind me of what it’s like to nearly get to the party and have the invitation stolen from you at the very last minute. I bet they weren’t on the pitch taking the piss at five to five last night and if I really cared I’d call it poetic justice. Adios Bournemouthy.
The final day of the Nationwide First Division leaves Bury and Oxford making way for the Saddlers.
Bradford City follow up a year of consolidation with promotion to the Premiership (don’t even think about it!) and Ipswich have to settle for the play offs.
The end of season shake up, unfortunately, has to take place without our neighbours though. The tatters home defeat by Bradford leaves them in seventh place and ensures that we have a three strong Black Country tournament to look forward to next season as Albion , wolves and Walsall go head to head for the millennium.
Technically as the season is now over and the new season is preparing itself to start we are above West Brom and the tatters in the new table. It may only be alphabetically but we still lead.
Sat 8th May - Stoke City
A 2 - 0 defeat. The foot was most certainly off the gas and without doubt thirteen or fourteen players were already in the airport departure lounge preparing for tomorrows holiday in Cyprus. It doesn’t matter and it didn’t hurt.
The Stoke fans were right up for it though and proved yet again that if Bristol Rovers had a competitor for the smallest of small town mentalities then the Britannia would be a good place to begin the comparison.
With both sides having nothing to play for we were left with the spectacle of knuckle dragging Stokies being dragged out of their seats and frog-marched in front of us and onto a court appearance. All because they got so hyped up over beating little Walsall, or First Division Walsall as I currently prefer to call us. Inevitably, the sad and predictable “down with the Vale, you’re going down with the Vale” ditty was also reassuringly evident, as was the even more pointless almost continual rendition of “Delilah”. Why? why? why? Indeed.
For the record should we be relegated next season it will have still been worth it. To find a more bitter and spiteful bunch – and I’m including our nearest and dearest in this - would be pretty hard. The first 45 minutes were pretty dull. Nothing really happened apart from a fine elbow by Keates on some irritating little shit and Rob Stiener’s probable final appearance in the Walsall shirt.
Much more notable however was the magnificently spontaneous half time disco where for once the police and stewards showed admiral common sense and let the free spirited Saddlers fans let their hair down. Dancing and singing and drinking and beer throwing and more dancing and more singing and you get the drift. For about 200 people there was a release of ten years of frustration and hurt as we celebrated our return to the promised land in the loudest and most jovial way possible.
Memories of this season will live long. Times like the winner at Luton where we realised we were for real, the goal against Stoke at Bescot, Darren Wrack’s run and finish at Bournemouth or the stunning improvement in Ian Roper are all so memorable but for me half time in the Brittania Stadium will never be forgotten. Time will surely only serve to enhance what was a very special fifteen minutes - The legendary half time at Stoke.
The second half offered nothing new and our four year spell in the Second Division symmetrically ended exactly as it had started with a 2 - 0 defeat. At the final whistle when the players had left the field I wanted to stay there. I really wanted to have five minutes more of a remarkable season, I just wasn’t ready to let it go.
As I left the stadium I said goodbye. Goodbye to the likes of Stoke City, the Second Division, to the mess of yesteryear and the ghost of not replacing David Kelly. Next season will be different to 88/89, next season we will start with a manager who has a clue and a team on the up.
The Stoke fans were right up for it though and proved yet again that if Bristol Rovers had a competitor for the smallest of small town mentalities then the Britannia would be a good place to begin the comparison.
With both sides having nothing to play for we were left with the spectacle of knuckle dragging Stokies being dragged out of their seats and frog-marched in front of us and onto a court appearance. All because they got so hyped up over beating little Walsall, or First Division Walsall as I currently prefer to call us. Inevitably, the sad and predictable “down with the Vale, you’re going down with the Vale” ditty was also reassuringly evident, as was the even more pointless almost continual rendition of “Delilah”. Why? why? why? Indeed.
For the record should we be relegated next season it will have still been worth it. To find a more bitter and spiteful bunch – and I’m including our nearest and dearest in this - would be pretty hard. The first 45 minutes were pretty dull. Nothing really happened apart from a fine elbow by Keates on some irritating little shit and Rob Stiener’s probable final appearance in the Walsall shirt.
Much more notable however was the magnificently spontaneous half time disco where for once the police and stewards showed admiral common sense and let the free spirited Saddlers fans let their hair down. Dancing and singing and drinking and beer throwing and more dancing and more singing and you get the drift. For about 200 people there was a release of ten years of frustration and hurt as we celebrated our return to the promised land in the loudest and most jovial way possible.
Memories of this season will live long. Times like the winner at Luton where we realised we were for real, the goal against Stoke at Bescot, Darren Wrack’s run and finish at Bournemouth or the stunning improvement in Ian Roper are all so memorable but for me half time in the Brittania Stadium will never be forgotten. Time will surely only serve to enhance what was a very special fifteen minutes - The legendary half time at Stoke.
The second half offered nothing new and our four year spell in the Second Division symmetrically ended exactly as it had started with a 2 - 0 defeat. At the final whistle when the players had left the field I wanted to stay there. I really wanted to have five minutes more of a remarkable season, I just wasn’t ready to let it go.
As I left the stadium I said goodbye. Goodbye to the likes of Stoke City, the Second Division, to the mess of yesteryear and the ghost of not replacing David Kelly. Next season will be different to 88/89, next season we will start with a manager who has a clue and a team on the up.
Fri 7th May
I suppose it has to end sometime but if only we could drag it out for another couple of weeks.
If only we could go to Northampton or Chesterfield again and show them that there is only one way of doing things. Stoke is undoubtedly the perfect place to round things off though.
They really thought that they would be there at the end of this season and having built an expensive squad have flopped in a way that only teams like this can. The chip on the shoulder, the we’re a big club mentality, the how crap are you attitude that has served the Claret and Blue Brigade so well since Christmas is also very evident here.
In reality Stoke, like Villa, are pretenders to the big boys. A League Cup here and there but naff all else to show for god knows how long. Perhaps Stoke should also apply for the Inter Toto Cup.
As for tomorrow it could go either way. We could relax and destroy them or we could ease the pedal off the gas and get buried. Whatever happens wont matter though because our business is done. We're going to finish 2nd and they're certain to take 8th. Just the 6 places below us the.
For once the result is irrelevant, let’s enjoy the party.
If only we could go to Northampton or Chesterfield again and show them that there is only one way of doing things. Stoke is undoubtedly the perfect place to round things off though.
They really thought that they would be there at the end of this season and having built an expensive squad have flopped in a way that only teams like this can. The chip on the shoulder, the we’re a big club mentality, the how crap are you attitude that has served the Claret and Blue Brigade so well since Christmas is also very evident here.
In reality Stoke, like Villa, are pretenders to the big boys. A League Cup here and there but naff all else to show for god knows how long. Perhaps Stoke should also apply for the Inter Toto Cup.
As for tomorrow it could go either way. We could relax and destroy them or we could ease the pedal off the gas and get buried. Whatever happens wont matter though because our business is done. We're going to finish 2nd and they're certain to take 8th. Just the 6 places below us the.
For once the result is irrelevant, let’s enjoy the party.
Thu 6th May
Jason Brissett is in trouble again. This time the FA have banned him from receiving Cup Final tickets after one of his from last season ended up in the hands of a tout. Well done Jase. He’s following in a fine tradition of Saddlers forwards who have been caught up this stuff.
In reality all Jason was doing was ensuring that a fan got to go to the game which is obviously in direct contrast to the FA’s cup final ticket allocation policy.
In reality all Jason was doing was ensuring that a fan got to go to the game which is obviously in direct contrast to the FA’s cup final ticket allocation policy.
Wed 5th May
A 5 - 0 win at Chester City secures promotion for the reserves. With the Youth Team also reaching the Midland Youth Cup Final it’s been a really successful year. Long may it continue.
Tue 4th May - Fulham
The runners-up host the Champions in a pat each other on the back and mutual congratulatory fixture. The only gatecrasher being the home town leg breaker.
The Saddlers entered the pitch through a Fulham guard of honour which was so very Kevin Keegan and took a deserved standing ovation from all four sides of the stadium.
The match itself resembled a friendly as both sides had nothing to gain from a victory or a broken leg (with the exception of SH) - isn’t it ironic that his initials are the first two letters in the word shit.
Rob Stiener opened the scoring before former wanderer Jamie Smith levelled following some neat work from the impressive Coleman. Ian Roper restored our advantage late on before the leg breaker levelled matters from 25 yarder. He then proceeded to put his hand to his ear to mock the Alsop End, before scarpering for his life at full time as half of the Alsop End looked to put their hand on his ear.
The players returned shortly after to receive their runners up medals and did a lap of honour. At times like these you realise why you went to Wigan and stood in the pouring rain watching another away defeat.
Not being a glory hunter I’m not sure what it’s like for the ‘twice a season brigade’ when the good times come. Does it mean as much to them as it does to me? I doubt it can but it must mean something or they wouldn’t come.
Runners up eh. Who would have believed it?
The Saddlers entered the pitch through a Fulham guard of honour which was so very Kevin Keegan and took a deserved standing ovation from all four sides of the stadium.
The match itself resembled a friendly as both sides had nothing to gain from a victory or a broken leg (with the exception of SH) - isn’t it ironic that his initials are the first two letters in the word shit.
Rob Stiener opened the scoring before former wanderer Jamie Smith levelled following some neat work from the impressive Coleman. Ian Roper restored our advantage late on before the leg breaker levelled matters from 25 yarder. He then proceeded to put his hand to his ear to mock the Alsop End, before scarpering for his life at full time as half of the Alsop End looked to put their hand on his ear.
The players returned shortly after to receive their runners up medals and did a lap of honour. At times like these you realise why you went to Wigan and stood in the pouring rain watching another away defeat.
Not being a glory hunter I’m not sure what it’s like for the ‘twice a season brigade’ when the good times come. Does it mean as much to them as it does to me? I doubt it can but it must mean something or they wouldn’t come.
Runners up eh. Who would have believed it?
Mon 3rd May
The papers are full of us. Promotion front covers everywhere and quotes galore. My personal favourite is one from Darren Wrack. “It’s not until now that everyone’s realised what we’ve achieved. But this beats Wembley. You can’t beat going up.”
Sun 2nd May
Walsall was properly rocking last night.
Whether it be the players bar, the Saddlers Club or the hostelries of the Town Centre the liquid was brown, cool, fizzy and going down faster than the Wolves in the 80’s.
I left the party at 11pm exhausted by the events of the day and the strange effect of a diet entirely based on golden liquid and bar snacks.
It hasn’t really sunk in yet and it may take some time to do so.
I didn’t decide to write this diary on the basis that we would achieve something and I wanted to commemorate it or anything. I wrote it because I wanted to detail the thoughts and feelings of an average fan over the full nine months(obviously I didn’t expect the play off’s either).
The fact that we have done what we have makes this more special. I can’t recollect when I first realised that promotion was on but I’m sure I noted it here somewhere. I’ll have a look one day. One thing is for sure though - I’m bloody glad I did write this.
Whether it be the players bar, the Saddlers Club or the hostelries of the Town Centre the liquid was brown, cool, fizzy and going down faster than the Wolves in the 80’s.
I left the party at 11pm exhausted by the events of the day and the strange effect of a diet entirely based on golden liquid and bar snacks.
It hasn’t really sunk in yet and it may take some time to do so.
I didn’t decide to write this diary on the basis that we would achieve something and I wanted to commemorate it or anything. I wrote it because I wanted to detail the thoughts and feelings of an average fan over the full nine months(obviously I didn’t expect the play off’s either).
The fact that we have done what we have makes this more special. I can’t recollect when I first realised that promotion was on but I’m sure I noted it here somewhere. I’ll have a look one day. One thing is for sure though - I’m bloody glad I did write this.
Sat 1st May - Oldham Athletic
So where exactly do I start?
Yes, we got the three points and yes we are promoted and yes we are a First Division Football Club for the first time in our history (granted, albeit on a name change).
We are a First Division Football Club. Excuse the repetition but it sounds pretty good.
So where do I begin? I’m not really sure. Success and Walsall Football Club have been such rare bedfellows over the years that I’m not overly used to writing about the good times. Today however the gates were open and success, for once, was good enough to come flooding through.
Hell, we’ve been through some hard times in the nineties - relegation in 1990, the receivers, the sale of Stuart Rimmer(amongst others), humiliation that bordered on disgrace at Halifax and Gillingham and Northampton and Scunthorpe and at home to Yeovil Town(amongst others) and last season generally (amongst others) but this was very much our day. A day we'd waited far to long to enjoy.
And it was truly fucking amazing.
For the record Darren Wrack opened the scoring from a tight angle following a challenge on the keeper by Rob Stiener before Chris Marsh appropriately got the second. His knee slide that followed the deftest of finishes was unbelievably fitting. Chest pumping with pride, head spinning with the intoxication of nudging us ever nearer to promotion and a home support going mental in front of him, only a slide of that magnitude would have sufficed.
Oldham threatened to spoil the day by halving the deficit before Siggy Eyjolfssen broke free, kept his nerve, beat the keeper and lifted the roof off the place with a beautifully taken third. Today wasn’t about individuals however.
Today, like the other eight and three quarter months was about a group of players. A group thrown together in August, given little chance by anyone, myself included, who have learned as they have gone along, moulded themselves into the tightest of units and shown character, discipline and belief in themselves beyond any reasonable belief.
A team who have responded to defeat by winning their next game nine times out of ten, players who have worn the red shirt with the same pride as the people who watch them wear it. Players who have grown together into one of the best teams to ever to represent the club and players who have tasted success elsewhere have now bought success to our now somewhat dizzy town. And possibly most importantly, players who have been honest enough to allow the supporters to feel part of the whole experience.
In 1987/88 when we did it last, the players appeared distant, almost aloof and didn’t appear bothered if the fans were with them or not. Being blunt, they were an expensive squad of mercenaries hired to get us up. This time was different and this squad of players should feel proud of this fact. “No big time Charlies” as Jimmy Walker described them.
I saw Martin O’Connor outside before the game, Blues weren’t playing until tomorrow and he's injured anyhow, but it was the kind of day when had they been playing and he been fit he may just have been unavailable for some reason or other. No longer a Walsall player but for me he was the flame that re-ignited this Football Club back in March 1993. For him to be here today in body rather than just spirit said it all. Once a Saddler, always a Saddler, forever a Saddler.
Apart from the goals noted above I have no real recollection of the actual game today apart from the fact that the first fifteen minutes flew by and the final fifty nine took an absolute age. Quite why the referee decided to play four minutes extra is anyone's guess. The game was well over by then and the biggest party the Town has seen for years was being delayed.
However, at 4:51pm on Saturday 1st May, the referee's whistle sounded and we crossed the finishing line. It was time to gather our belongings and move on as the fat lady and many thousand Saddlers fans burst into voice. WE ARE GOING UP.
Yes, we got the three points and yes we are promoted and yes we are a First Division Football Club for the first time in our history (granted, albeit on a name change).
We are a First Division Football Club. Excuse the repetition but it sounds pretty good.
So where do I begin? I’m not really sure. Success and Walsall Football Club have been such rare bedfellows over the years that I’m not overly used to writing about the good times. Today however the gates were open and success, for once, was good enough to come flooding through.
Hell, we’ve been through some hard times in the nineties - relegation in 1990, the receivers, the sale of Stuart Rimmer(amongst others), humiliation that bordered on disgrace at Halifax and Gillingham and Northampton and Scunthorpe and at home to Yeovil Town(amongst others) and last season generally (amongst others) but this was very much our day. A day we'd waited far to long to enjoy.
And it was truly fucking amazing.
For the record Darren Wrack opened the scoring from a tight angle following a challenge on the keeper by Rob Stiener before Chris Marsh appropriately got the second. His knee slide that followed the deftest of finishes was unbelievably fitting. Chest pumping with pride, head spinning with the intoxication of nudging us ever nearer to promotion and a home support going mental in front of him, only a slide of that magnitude would have sufficed.
Oldham threatened to spoil the day by halving the deficit before Siggy Eyjolfssen broke free, kept his nerve, beat the keeper and lifted the roof off the place with a beautifully taken third. Today wasn’t about individuals however.
Today, like the other eight and three quarter months was about a group of players. A group thrown together in August, given little chance by anyone, myself included, who have learned as they have gone along, moulded themselves into the tightest of units and shown character, discipline and belief in themselves beyond any reasonable belief.
A team who have responded to defeat by winning their next game nine times out of ten, players who have worn the red shirt with the same pride as the people who watch them wear it. Players who have grown together into one of the best teams to ever to represent the club and players who have tasted success elsewhere have now bought success to our now somewhat dizzy town. And possibly most importantly, players who have been honest enough to allow the supporters to feel part of the whole experience.
In 1987/88 when we did it last, the players appeared distant, almost aloof and didn’t appear bothered if the fans were with them or not. Being blunt, they were an expensive squad of mercenaries hired to get us up. This time was different and this squad of players should feel proud of this fact. “No big time Charlies” as Jimmy Walker described them.
I saw Martin O’Connor outside before the game, Blues weren’t playing until tomorrow and he's injured anyhow, but it was the kind of day when had they been playing and he been fit he may just have been unavailable for some reason or other. No longer a Walsall player but for me he was the flame that re-ignited this Football Club back in March 1993. For him to be here today in body rather than just spirit said it all. Once a Saddler, always a Saddler, forever a Saddler.
Apart from the goals noted above I have no real recollection of the actual game today apart from the fact that the first fifteen minutes flew by and the final fifty nine took an absolute age. Quite why the referee decided to play four minutes extra is anyone's guess. The game was well over by then and the biggest party the Town has seen for years was being delayed.
However, at 4:51pm on Saturday 1st May, the referee's whistle sounded and we crossed the finishing line. It was time to gather our belongings and move on as the fat lady and many thousand Saddlers fans burst into voice. WE ARE GOING UP.
Fri 30th April
OK so here’s the story.
Walsall Football Club, perennial bridesmaids, you’re at the Church, the colour co-ordinated dresses of all other occasions have been swapped for a white one and the church is full to the rafters. Your groom and his best man are already inside and the bridesmaids are watching your every move.
For too long this has been a day for others but your time has finally arrived. The vicar is ready, the bells ringing and bridal march playing. Be brave, look straight ahead and walk the aisle as classily as you got to here.
It's down to you now, it's your day. Do it. Do it.
Walsall Football Club, perennial bridesmaids, you’re at the Church, the colour co-ordinated dresses of all other occasions have been swapped for a white one and the church is full to the rafters. Your groom and his best man are already inside and the bridesmaids are watching your every move.
For too long this has been a day for others but your time has finally arrived. The vicar is ready, the bells ringing and bridal march playing. Be brave, look straight ahead and walk the aisle as classily as you got to here.
It's down to you now, it's your day. Do it. Do it.
Wed 28th April
To say it’s a little quiet on the Bescot front would be an understatement.
The sold out signs are now out for Saturday and Bescot will be humming with promotion fever. The national newspapers seem to have located Walsall for the first time since the Watford games in the late 80's and the Word according to Ray is being splashed across every workplace in the lane.
I wonder if they’ve pinned it up around Moss Side and inside Maine Road?
Now at Manchester City in September they sang “3 - 0 in your cup final..3 - 0 in your cup final..” Well with City not kicking off until 6 O Clock on Saturday night they’re going to have to sit there and listen to a bigger game. This is our cup final and in many ways it’s also Manchester City’s. Should we win then they lose.
It’s their Cup Final and they can’t even get a ticket. He who laughs last laughs the loudest. He with the Manc accent isn’t finding us funny anymore.
The sold out signs are now out for Saturday and Bescot will be humming with promotion fever. The national newspapers seem to have located Walsall for the first time since the Watford games in the late 80's and the Word according to Ray is being splashed across every workplace in the lane.
I wonder if they’ve pinned it up around Moss Side and inside Maine Road?
Now at Manchester City in September they sang “3 - 0 in your cup final..3 - 0 in your cup final..” Well with City not kicking off until 6 O Clock on Saturday night they’re going to have to sit there and listen to a bigger game. This is our cup final and in many ways it’s also Manchester City’s. Should we win then they lose.
It’s their Cup Final and they can’t even get a ticket. He who laughs last laughs the loudest. He with the Manc accent isn’t finding us funny anymore.
Sun 25th April
With no midweek game we’re going to have to wait until next Saturday to have a crack at completing the miracle. I’ve got a feeling that we’re in for a long week.
Sat 24th April - Lincoln City
The day that the muddy waters that stream through the Second Division cleared. In fact so clear that there’s a possibility of a Lincoln spring being unveiled.
I’ll go for this one in chronological order. Inside the first five minutes rumours sweep the very expensive away terrace(£13) that Wycombe had taken the lead at Maine Road. The first rule of such days is don’t believe anything you hear until you can confirm it.
Almost simultaneously Lincoln get a chance and a cross is headed in from three yards out. I remember screaming “offside” at the referee but I’m not 100% sure it was. Fortunately the Assistant Referee or useless prick as I had called him only two nano seconds previously agreed with my decision and we were still all square. Just.
About five minutes later a reliable source confirms the Man City scoreline. So a chance of Wycombe stealing a point is on the cards. Another five minutes later it’s 2 - 0 Wycombe and we search for confirmation of this one. Yes it is true.
Half time arrives no goal in this one and a 2 - 1 scoreline at Maine Road. Can Wycombe hold on? I doubt it. We didn’t get the Preston score so I tried to forget the fact that they were playing.
The second half was really tense and the notable silence from Maine Road made merely served to up the tension another notch. That is until with twelve minutes remaining he only went and did it again.
Latching onto an Andy Rammell through ball, he broke through the Lincoln back line, sat the keeper on his arse, dribbled round him, slotted into an unguarded net and ran towards his adoring people.
Boooooooooooom! Pandemonium.
Super Darren Wrack had delivered again. I honestly can’t think of a more passionate celebration. I can rarely remember what I’m thinking when we score but this was at a different level. Now when you see people going mental as the Pope touches them and you don’t understand what the fuss is about then you won’t really follow the next bit. It was like that. A maul of grown men, myself included began to race into the area of the terrace/pitch where three or four green shirts were celebrating.
A packed away terrace went absolutely mental. A small child stood in my way or otherwise I’d have been one of the first there. A loss of acceleration and a quick side-step had cost me a vital half second and I had to make do with trying to get a touch of our goalscoring hero.
There were others who arrived later than me who didn’t even get a sight let alone a sniff of those sweaty green shirts but it didn’t matter.
We'd done the hard bit, now all we had to do was hold on for twelve minutes. Twelve very long minutes. In the twelfth and final minute the reserve official raised the overtime card. I never knew they did on that long! It had a six on it but for all the pressure I felt it could have said Tuesday.
Despite the huge amount of extra time we made it through to the final whistle unscathed and now it was time for mobile phones and even more mobile radios to break our hearts.
Wycombe couldn’t hold on could they? And what did Millwall have to gain from beating Preston?
And than we knew.
Unbelievably, Wycombe had held on for the result of the day and Millwall repaid their Auto Windshield debt by coming back from 2 - 0 down with six minutes to go to snatch a point.
It wasn’t relief and it wasn’t joyous celebrations, it was just kind of strange. Perhaps because as Walsall fans we’ve been raised to expect the worst, I don’t know, but there was a pungent aroma of success in the air. Suddenly two points are all we require from our final three games and should City and North End fail to win any of their final two fixtures then we have already done enough.
"Only two more points” someone said to me. What’s all this “only” I replied. As always, the pessimist but the ride home was a mighty nice one.
I’ll go for this one in chronological order. Inside the first five minutes rumours sweep the very expensive away terrace(£13) that Wycombe had taken the lead at Maine Road. The first rule of such days is don’t believe anything you hear until you can confirm it.
Almost simultaneously Lincoln get a chance and a cross is headed in from three yards out. I remember screaming “offside” at the referee but I’m not 100% sure it was. Fortunately the Assistant Referee or useless prick as I had called him only two nano seconds previously agreed with my decision and we were still all square. Just.
About five minutes later a reliable source confirms the Man City scoreline. So a chance of Wycombe stealing a point is on the cards. Another five minutes later it’s 2 - 0 Wycombe and we search for confirmation of this one. Yes it is true.
Half time arrives no goal in this one and a 2 - 1 scoreline at Maine Road. Can Wycombe hold on? I doubt it. We didn’t get the Preston score so I tried to forget the fact that they were playing.
The second half was really tense and the notable silence from Maine Road made merely served to up the tension another notch. That is until with twelve minutes remaining he only went and did it again.
Latching onto an Andy Rammell through ball, he broke through the Lincoln back line, sat the keeper on his arse, dribbled round him, slotted into an unguarded net and ran towards his adoring people.
Boooooooooooom! Pandemonium.
Super Darren Wrack had delivered again. I honestly can’t think of a more passionate celebration. I can rarely remember what I’m thinking when we score but this was at a different level. Now when you see people going mental as the Pope touches them and you don’t understand what the fuss is about then you won’t really follow the next bit. It was like that. A maul of grown men, myself included began to race into the area of the terrace/pitch where three or four green shirts were celebrating.
A packed away terrace went absolutely mental. A small child stood in my way or otherwise I’d have been one of the first there. A loss of acceleration and a quick side-step had cost me a vital half second and I had to make do with trying to get a touch of our goalscoring hero.
There were others who arrived later than me who didn’t even get a sight let alone a sniff of those sweaty green shirts but it didn’t matter.
We'd done the hard bit, now all we had to do was hold on for twelve minutes. Twelve very long minutes. In the twelfth and final minute the reserve official raised the overtime card. I never knew they did on that long! It had a six on it but for all the pressure I felt it could have said Tuesday.
Despite the huge amount of extra time we made it through to the final whistle unscathed and now it was time for mobile phones and even more mobile radios to break our hearts.
Wycombe couldn’t hold on could they? And what did Millwall have to gain from beating Preston?
And than we knew.
Unbelievably, Wycombe had held on for the result of the day and Millwall repaid their Auto Windshield debt by coming back from 2 - 0 down with six minutes to go to snatch a point.
It wasn’t relief and it wasn’t joyous celebrations, it was just kind of strange. Perhaps because as Walsall fans we’ve been raised to expect the worst, I don’t know, but there was a pungent aroma of success in the air. Suddenly two points are all we require from our final three games and should City and North End fail to win any of their final two fixtures then we have already done enough.
"Only two more points” someone said to me. What’s all this “only” I replied. As always, the pessimist but the ride home was a mighty nice one.
Fri 23rd April
The Brissett saga has gone a little quiet over the past 48 hours and Ray has decided to keep the punishment in house.
Personally, I reckon there’s more to this incident than we’re being told. Footballers are usually not the brightest of people but even Jason Brissett isn’t totally stupid. Following all his warnings and threats he still turned round and smacked his opponent on the nose. Whatever was said, it certainly hit a raw nerve.
There is no clear reason for JB’s actions and this is the bast I can come up with. One question though - If Ray is going to sack him how on earth will he keep this secret?
A big game tomorrow. We make the shortish trip to Lincoln City with both Clubs in real need for the spoils. The Imps return to the Second Division looks like being the briefest of stays and we are still looking for the first three of the eight points required for us to leave the Second Division, albeit by the much happier exit.
With Wycombe travelling to Maine Road tomorrow and Millwall hosting Preston we require three points to hold our own. I’d love to see Wycombe get a nil - nil’er but realistically Millwall are our main hopes when it comes to stealing a point or three.
Personally, I reckon there’s more to this incident than we’re being told. Footballers are usually not the brightest of people but even Jason Brissett isn’t totally stupid. Following all his warnings and threats he still turned round and smacked his opponent on the nose. Whatever was said, it certainly hit a raw nerve.
There is no clear reason for JB’s actions and this is the bast I can come up with. One question though - If Ray is going to sack him how on earth will he keep this secret?
A big game tomorrow. We make the shortish trip to Lincoln City with both Clubs in real need for the spoils. The Imps return to the Second Division looks like being the briefest of stays and we are still looking for the first three of the eight points required for us to leave the Second Division, albeit by the much happier exit.
With Wycombe travelling to Maine Road tomorrow and Millwall hosting Preston we require three points to hold our own. I’d love to see Wycombe get a nil - nil’er but realistically Millwall are our main hopes when it comes to stealing a point or three.
Wed 21st April
Ray spells it out to Brissett in black and white and it went along the lines of;
He has been warned about his conduct.
The club has bent over backwards to help him overcome such indicipline.
The manager has no wish to associate himself with this type of behaviour.
If video evidence convicts him of striking the opponent then the repercussions are that either Brissett or Graydon will leave the Football Club.
Now I know that our board are sometimes a little slow on the uptake but no prizes for guessing which one will go.
As for the game itself, Ray also plays down the significance of last night’s defeat by stating the fact that we still control our own destiny and he expected such slip ups on the way home.
The reserves, who I haven’t mentioned lately, win again and are in with a chance of promotion into a league that isn’t going to exist. I’m informed that the big boys don’t want to play with us and going to play on their own therefore breaking up the Central League.
He has been warned about his conduct.
The club has bent over backwards to help him overcome such indicipline.
The manager has no wish to associate himself with this type of behaviour.
If video evidence convicts him of striking the opponent then the repercussions are that either Brissett or Graydon will leave the Football Club.
Now I know that our board are sometimes a little slow on the uptake but no prizes for guessing which one will go.
As for the game itself, Ray also plays down the significance of last night’s defeat by stating the fact that we still control our own destiny and he expected such slip ups on the way home.
The reserves, who I haven’t mentioned lately, win again and are in with a chance of promotion into a league that isn’t going to exist. I’m informed that the big boys don’t want to play with us and going to play on their own therefore breaking up the Central League.
Tue 20th April - Preston North End
So we need eight points from four games instead.
Preston beat us tonight by the odd goal and to rub salt into a painful wound the ever irritating Simon Gregan got the winner. Not a classic by any means but that would have mattered little had we managed to scrape a point from somewhere.
The truth is we didn’t look like getting anything out of the game and Preston were worthy winners.
Sure we had a goal disallowed for offside when the Preston defenders hadn’t tried for offside and the referee didn’t give us anything all night but we just didn’t play. The goal came courtesy of a crossed free kick and an unlucky bounce off Ada which fell nicely to Gregan six yards out. He did what he had to and twenty minutes later Brissett did what he shouldn’t have.
Following a disputed corner call which clearly came off the full back Alexander, Brissett turned round, exchanged verbals and concluded the brief chat by chinning the PNE full back. hopefully he was showered, changed and well clear of the dressing room by the time Mr Graydon entered it.
Preston beat us tonight by the odd goal and to rub salt into a painful wound the ever irritating Simon Gregan got the winner. Not a classic by any means but that would have mattered little had we managed to scrape a point from somewhere.
The truth is we didn’t look like getting anything out of the game and Preston were worthy winners.
Sure we had a goal disallowed for offside when the Preston defenders hadn’t tried for offside and the referee didn’t give us anything all night but we just didn’t play. The goal came courtesy of a crossed free kick and an unlucky bounce off Ada which fell nicely to Gregan six yards out. He did what he had to and twenty minutes later Brissett did what he shouldn’t have.
Following a disputed corner call which clearly came off the full back Alexander, Brissett turned round, exchanged verbals and concluded the brief chat by chinning the PNE full back. hopefully he was showered, changed and well clear of the dressing room by the time Mr Graydon entered it.
Sun 18th April
In a game that we really should have been contesting Millwall make their post war Wembley debut in front of 40000 of their fans and 8000 of Wigan’s. I’m not going to go into detail of how pathetic taking only 8000 fans to Wembley is because they must know it for themselves. Pathetic Athletic and their Pathetic fan base. Even the ‘only on a big match day glory boy attendees’ couldn’t give a toss for Wigan. Little Wigan also had the bare face cheek to win game. Three minutes into injury time into the bargain. Ouch!
Sat 17th April - Macclesfield Town
Well we did our bit. A 2 - 0 win was all that we required but what about the others?
Preston’s poor current form continued when they lost to a late Blackpool winner but Manchester City produced the result of the day with a two nil victory at the Priestfield Stadium. Preston currently look out of the automatic promotion chase but they will know that we are going there on Tuesday night and a home win would ease them back into the chase.
City are on fire though. One defeat in twenty one games and something like fifty points out of sixty three in that time. They also look pretty certain to win their last three games into the bargain and so the equation for us is all very simple. We require eight points from our last five games to achieve the impossible. Everyone’s favourites for relegation need three wins to pip everyone’s favourites for promotion.
Say it quickly and it sounds easy. Think about it for long and it becomes a rather tougher task. Back to today’s game though.
The first half was incredibly tense and as word of Blackpool’s early kick off victory filtered through the home ranks the tension seemed to increase by another notch. The players looked almost as tight and basically scraped their way through a poor first half with the visitors looking the much brighter side.
Tension is a strange feeling though. As Rob Stiener converted a Rammell flick on and we took the lead the pressure release was incredible. You can’t smell, see, touch, hear or taste it but you know when it’s there and equally you know when it’s gone. For the next twenty five minutes we dominated the game and in addition to a Rammell sidefooted goal we had a couple of efforts ruled out.
The last fifteen minutes was all about protecting three priceless points and ensuring we picked up no injuries before Tuesday night. City may have taken the result of the day but it’s a long way back from Kent when, following such a cracking result, you still can’t make inroads into the lead of your rivals.
Preston’s poor current form continued when they lost to a late Blackpool winner but Manchester City produced the result of the day with a two nil victory at the Priestfield Stadium. Preston currently look out of the automatic promotion chase but they will know that we are going there on Tuesday night and a home win would ease them back into the chase.
City are on fire though. One defeat in twenty one games and something like fifty points out of sixty three in that time. They also look pretty certain to win their last three games into the bargain and so the equation for us is all very simple. We require eight points from our last five games to achieve the impossible. Everyone’s favourites for relegation need three wins to pip everyone’s favourites for promotion.
Say it quickly and it sounds easy. Think about it for long and it becomes a rather tougher task. Back to today’s game though.
The first half was incredibly tense and as word of Blackpool’s early kick off victory filtered through the home ranks the tension seemed to increase by another notch. The players looked almost as tight and basically scraped their way through a poor first half with the visitors looking the much brighter side.
Tension is a strange feeling though. As Rob Stiener converted a Rammell flick on and we took the lead the pressure release was incredible. You can’t smell, see, touch, hear or taste it but you know when it’s there and equally you know when it’s gone. For the next twenty five minutes we dominated the game and in addition to a Rammell sidefooted goal we had a couple of efforts ruled out.
The last fifteen minutes was all about protecting three priceless points and ensuring we picked up no injuries before Tuesday night. City may have taken the result of the day but it’s a long way back from Kent when, following such a cracking result, you still can’t make inroads into the lead of your rivals.
Fri 16th April
The point of no return comes tomorrow. Manchester City have their last real toughie at Gillingham and Preston entertain Blackpool in a local derby. We on the other hand are visited by relegation favourites Macclesfield Town and simply have to win.
If the others win then fair play to them and we go on to the next set of fixtures, but if we drop points and they win then we really will be on the ropes. We simply can’t afford to drop points tomorrow.
I worry that the crowd may be a problem tomorrow as they'll come expecting a landslide like last seasons FA cup tie and that simply isn’t going to happen. As long as we score one more goal than the Silkmen then we’ll be OK.
Come on Gillingham.
If the others win then fair play to them and we go on to the next set of fixtures, but if we drop points and they win then we really will be on the ropes. We simply can’t afford to drop points tomorrow.
I worry that the crowd may be a problem tomorrow as they'll come expecting a landslide like last seasons FA cup tie and that simply isn’t going to happen. As long as we score one more goal than the Silkmen then we’ll be OK.
Come on Gillingham.
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