Walsall FC

Poundland Bescot Stadium

Bescot Crescent,

Walsall,

WS1 4SA

Visiting supporters are housed behind one goal in the B.A.T Stand, which is complete with a licensed bar and TVs, where around 2,000 away supporters can be accommodated. There are a few pillars at the front which can block the view. A positive is that even a small number of away fans can really make some noise and make a good atmosphere.

Just outside the away end is a programme shop that stocks an interesting range of old programmes. Entrance to the away end is a little different as you have to pass under a giant elevated LED screen, which is designed to catch the attention of the M6 traffic going by.

There are 10 pitch-level wheelchair bays in the Experienced Energy Solutions Stand for away supporters. More Information for disabled supporters – Disabled Supporters & Accessibility – Walsall FC (saddlers.co.uk)

By Supporters Coach

For full details of Away Travel: –

Click here: – FGR Away Travel – Forest Green Rovers Supporters Club (fgrsc.com)

Book your coach ticket with your match ticket from FGR.

Discount for FGR Supporters Club members. Supporters Club Members need to book by phone or go to reception to get their discount.

Click – Tickets | WE ARE FGR

For coach departure times, ticket prices etc. please click here – Tickets & Travel: Walsall (A) | WE ARE FGR

By phone on 0333 123 1889 Monday to Friday, between 9am and 3pm.

Please try to book as early as you can.

By Train

From the Stroud area the journey time is less than 2 hours but will involve changing at Birmingham New Street and possibly Cheltenham too.

Please check train times in case there is a rail strike or engineering work.

Bescot Stadium Railway Station, just a two-minute walk from the stadium, is served by trains from Birmingham Grand Central (New Street) and Wolverhampton.

Travelling fans are advised to use Walsall station for disability access as unfortunately Bescot Stadium station is not able to support access needs.

By Car

Postcode: WS1 4SA

From M6 North: leave the M6 at junction 9 and take the A461 towards Walsall, turn right onto the A4148 (Wallows Lane) and right again at the second set of traffic lights. The ground will appear on your left.

From M6 South: leave the M6 at junction 7 and take the A34 towards Walsall. At the end of the dual carriageway, turn left at the Bell Inn pub into Walstead Road and continue straight on this road for two miles. The stadium will appear on your right.

Car Parking

Car parking is available at the stadium at a cost of £7 per car. Please note, payments for car parking are CARD ONLY. The car park is locked two hours after the final whistle; any vehicles left in the car park after this time will be locked in.

Parking is also available at the nearby Bescot Stadium Railway Station.

There are free parking facilities for cyclists outside the Tile Choice Stand.

Outside the Ground

There aren’t any pubs within walking distance of the stadium.

The nearby McDonalds is about the only place nearby that food can be bought so it can be very busy.

The Saddlers Club situated just outside the stadium is no longer available to away supporters.

The Park Inn Hotel (Bescot Crescent) is temporarily closed.

Hotels in Walsall, Birmingham | Park Inn‎ Birmingham Walsall Hotel (radissonhotels.com)

The George V pub (opposite Morrisons supermarket in Wallowes Lane) is closed.

Away fans are strongly advised to avoid the Fulbrook pub near to the ground.

It is in any case currently shut being converted into an Indian gastro restaurant with a new name.

Inside the Ground

The away end has food and a licensed bar (cashless, card only) and TV’s. Walsall claim to be the first football club to sell Balti pies.

Only food and drink purchased from the Poundland Bescot Stadium can be consumed inside the ground. Supporters bringing in their own food and drink, is not allowed under Walsall’s ground regulations.

Last season Walsall finished 16^th with 55 points.

This season they are currently 16th with 20 points.

FGR played Walsall in the Bristol Road Motors Trophy on 10th October.  The match finished 1-1 with FGR winning 4-2 on penalties.

November Results

Shrewsbury  3  Walsall 2 (EFL Trophy)

Walsall 0 Harrogate 1

Sheppey 1 Walsall 4 (FA Cup)

Danny Johnson has played for several clubs in his career both north and south of the border. He was Walsall’s top scorer last season with 14 goals and 2 assists despite being on loan from Mansfield for just the first part of the season. In June 23 he joined Walsall permanently.

Teenage striker Freddie Draper is on loan from Lincoln City. He does a forward roll to celebrate scoring so let’s hope we don’t get to see that.

Top scorers – Freddie Draper – 8 goals, Isaac Hutchinson – 6 goals, Danny Johnson – 3 goals.

Matt Sadler was a defender who played in the Premier League for Birmingham.

He spent most of his career though in the Football League, playing for Northampton, Watford, Stockport, Shrewsbury, Walsall, Crawley, Rotherham and Oldham.

In July 2019, Sadler returned to former club Walsall following his release from Shrewsbury Town at the end of the 2018–19 season.  Sadler announced his retirement at the end of the 20/21 season.

 In April 2023, Sadler was appointed interim manager of Walsall following the departure of Michael Flynn until the end of the 2022-23 season.

On 18 May 2023, he was appointed head coach on a permanent basis. Gary Waddock is his assistant

Matt Sadler – Walsall Manager.

Walsall’s match on 18th November was postponed due to International call ups.

Liam Gordon was playing for Guyana against the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, Donervon Daniels and Brandon Comley were in the Monserrat squad for matches against the Dominican Republic and Barbados.

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.

The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town and Walsall Swifts. The club moved to the Football Alliance from the Midland Association the following year, before being invited to help found the Football League Second Division in 1892. They failed re-election in 1895, but were elected back into the Football League after one season in the Midland League. They failed re-election again in 1901 and this time spent two decades outside the Football League, primarily in the Birmingham & District League. Invited to help form the Football League Division Three North in 1921, they would remain in the third tier for the next 37 years before becoming founder members of the Fourth Division. Walsall won the Fourth Division title in 1959–60 and then secured promotion out of the Third Division the following season, though were relegated in 1963 and again in 1979.

Walsall won promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1979–80 but suffered two successive relegations after winning promotion into the Second Division at the end of the 1987–88 campaign. Promoted in 1994–95 and again in 1998–99 (pipping Manchester City to the automatic promotion spot!), they spent four of the next five seasons in the second tier, punctuated by a successful third tier promotion campaign in 2000–01. Two relegations in three years left Walsall back in the fourth tier in 2006, but they secured an immediate promotion as 2006–07 League Two champions. Their first match at Wembley Stadium came in the 2015 Football League Trophy Final, which they lost to Bristol City. In 2016 they missed out on promotion to the Championship by a single point and lost the resulting playoff semi-final against Barnsley. The Saddlers ended an 11-year stay in League One with relegation in 2019.

The Walsall fans did have a tradition of crying ‘moo!, moo!’ whenever they spotted a Muller lorry with their black and white cow style livery going past on the M6. Something FGR fans may consider doing when FGR move to the new ground between the Oldends Lane Muller depot and the M5.

Swifty

Walsall’s original name was Walsall Swifts and a swift still features on their badge. So the mascot is a swift imaginatively named Swifty.

Jamille Matt needs no introduction – he played for FGR from 2020 to January 2023. He made 98 league appearances and scored 36 league goals. He captained FGR to the L2 Championship.

Taylor Allen played for FGR, July 2019 to June 22. He made 7 appearances plus 10 as a substitute and scored 1 goal – with virtually the first kick of his FGR career.

Matt Stevens played on loan at Walsall Jan 2023 – May 23.

Jacob Maddox played for Walsall Sept 2022 to August 23.

Troy Deeney played for Walsall Dec 2006 to August 10

Isaac Hutchinson – In 2021 Isaac played 10 matches on loan at FGR from Derby.

Eastbourne born Isaac started his career at Brighton before joining Southend where his performances caught the eye of Derby County, but he only played once for them. Apart from FGR he also had a loan spell at Crawley. He joined Walsall permanently in July 22.

Click here for the Walsall Supporters Forum – UpTheSaddlers Forum – Walsall FC Messageboard

Bescot Retail Park – next to the football ground.

The retail park is adjacent to the stadium  including Matalan, Halfords and McDonald’s.

Saddlers Shopping Centre – Sat Nav – Postcode: WS2 9NW.

Homepage – Saddlers Shopping Centre

Situated on Park Street, the Saddlers Shopping Centre has over 50 stores, including a variety of cafes and eateries.

Walsall Leather Museum – Littleton St West, WS2 8EQ.

Discover why Walsall became the British leather goods capital in this fascinating working museum, housed in a restored leather factory. For 200 years, Walsall people have been making some of the world’s finest saddles and leather goods.

Walsall Arboretum – WS1 2QB

Walsall Arboretum – Visit Birmingham

The Arboretum is the premier park within Walsall, located immediately adjacent to the town centre. It is one of the oldest parks in the borough, having been originally developed around two flooded limestone quarries, opening as a public park in 1874.

The New Art Gallery Walsall – Gallery Square, WS2 8LG.

The New Art Gallery Walsall

The New Art Gallery Walsall presents, collects and interprets historic, modern and contemporary art in innovative and challenging ways.