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Walsall away preview

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Walsall away preview

Postby Sweden Stag » Thu Oct 24, 2019 2:28 pm

For the first time in thirteen years, the Stags travel to Walsall for a League fixture. Last time out, it was at League Two level during the 2006-07 season, a campaign overshadowed by the sale of Richard Barker to Hartlepool weeks before our home fixture against the Saddlers in January 2007.

But the Stags played Walsall very frequently in the middle sixties and early seventies when both sides were stalwarts of the old third division and during that time, the Stags won at Walsall's old ground, Fellows Park, for the first time, and that was on the opening day of the 1966-67 season, August 20, 1966, when Bill Curry netted twice in front of 10429. And that season, the Stags did the double over the Saddlers as the 4-1 victory at Field Mill on December 17, 1966, was the last of six consecutive league wins, which made the Stags sit in second place behind runaway leaders QPR. The scorers then in front of 8771 in Stagsland was once again Curry twice, maybe his taste of goal-poaching was too strong for the Saddlers then? The other Stags goals that December Saturday were scored by Mitchinson and a Morris penalty. And on two other occasions have the Stags done the double, and this in consecutive mid-seventies division 3 seasons. The 1-0 on April 6, 1976, was the sixth of seven consecutive away wins during the run-in, scorer Hodgson, and the 2-1 at Fellows Park was the first of six games unbeaten run late on in the Stags' second championship season, scorers on April 19, 1977 in Black Country attended by 7001 were Ernie Moss and an own goal, Walsall scorer then, not unexpectedly, Alan Buckley from the spot. And the sides have also faced each other at Walsall on a final day of a season. The date was May 7, 1994, when Sykes and Lampkin netted for the Stags, whose line-up included Adrian Boothroyd, later manager of Watford while the Stags' most recent EFL promotion manager, Stuart Watkiss, starred for the Saddlers.

Due to the geographical position of both clubs, the sides managed to face each other in both sections of the regionalized third division up to 1957-58. January 19, 1933, is a day that any Stags fan would best like to forget. On that day, the Stags suffered their biggest-ever league defeat, a 1-8 reverse, scorer Bowater in front of 3068 in the first-ever league fixture between the sides, and that game was played only a few days after one of the biggest FA-Cup giant-killings of all time, as on January 14, 1933, Walsall kayoed then mighty Arsenal at Fellows Park to a 2-0 scoreline in the FA Cup third round, and on the way to that game, the Saddlers kayoed the Stags 4-1, Mansfield scorer Johnson in front of 9838 in Saddlers Country.

Revenge was sweet on April 8, 1933, when Fisher and Bowater striked for the Stags without reply attended by 4023 at Field Mill, this in the northern section of the old third. A few seasons later, both clubs had due to relegations from the second tier been transferred to the southern section, and in the last pre-war season, 1938-39, both games ended goal-less. After WW II, Walsall hadn't before the latest EFL home fixture beaten the Stags at home by more than two clear goals compared to two 3-0-victories at Field Mill, on January 15, 1966 and on May 4, 1968 up to the fixture in the Black Country on September 30, 2006, when the Saddlers took four out of five chances in the second half. And at Field Mill, Walsall have in fact won five of the seven latest league outings there, the other two won by the Stags, the latest on November 30, 1991, when 3398 watched Phil Stant net twice, Gary Ford once for the Stags, McDonald for the Saddlers. By the way, Gary Ford came to the Stags after playing a few games on loan for the Saddlers from Port Vale. Assistant manager for the Stags in 1991-92 was - Billy Dearden!

Not only Stuart Watkiss has appeared for both sides. Others include Matt Gadsby, who sadly died on the pitch playing for Conference North side Hinckley a few weeks before the Stags' latest trip to Walsall, fittingly enough tributes were made at Bescot Stadium that Saturday. Another one is Terry Austin, who in the 1978-79 season managed 49 league games; 33 for Walsall and after his transfer to the Stags (which took Dave Syrett the other way) the last sixteen Stags league fixtures. That 1978-79 season, Austin played for Walsall at Field Mill on October 14, 1978, and SCORED one of the goals in the Saddlers' 3-1-victory in front of 6066. After Austin's transfer to the Stags, he managed five Stags goals, one of them in a 2-1 win at Hillsborough over Sheffield Wednesday in front of 11065 on April 3, 1979. Other both-sides-men include Tom Curtis and David Kelly.

So far this season, both sides haven’t yet lived up to expectations. While the Stags were unlucky to lose at home to Salford the other night, but were more lucky in the 2-2 draw at Forest Green last Saturday, Walsall have lost their last four EFL fixtures, the latest to a 2-0 scoreline at another former League One stalwart, namely Oldham Athletic. Walsall, as late as in 2015-16 finishing third in League One, were relegated last term after playing twelce consecutive campaigns at that level. But between 1963-64 and 1978-79, the Saddlers played sixteen consecutive campaigns at that level. And during these years, sides like Manchester United and Leicester were dumped out of the FA Cup at the Saddlers old ground. Walsall have also over the years played a couple of seasons on current Championship level, most recently early on in the 2000’s.

During the 2006-07 season, there were quite a few Sweden connections in Black Country. Their boss then, Richard Money, had managed Västerås SK at Swedish Superettan=UK Championship level. And in eleven games, among them the Stags 2-1 home victory in January 2007, a Swedish player starred for the Saddlers. And that is the Swedish Superettan topscorer of all time since that league was inaugurated in 2000, namely Pär Cederquist with 140 goals at that level, most of those for IFK Värnamo. But Cederquist failed to score in eleven Walsall games. Current Walsall boss is Darrell Clarke, a former Stags player. Other famous Walsall bosses include Paul Merson, Kenny Hibbitt and Dave Mackay. Our two-goal hero at Forest Green, will now return to Walsall on Saturday but in the Stags’ colours. Come on Mansfield!

Played for both sides: Colin Askey, Terry Austin, Andrew Barrowman, James Baxendale, Lee Beevers, Malvind Benning, Eric Betts, Mark Blake, Michael Cain, Steve Cherry, Trevor Christie, Andy Cook, Tom Curtis, Gary Ford, Matt Gadsby, David Grof, Bryn Gunn, Ashley Hemmings, Joe Hill, Kevan Hurst, Robert Hutchinson, David Kelly, Brian Kilcline, Cyrille L'Helgoualch, Tony Lowery, Vincent McBride, Paul McLoughlin, Harry Middleton, Frederick Morris, Stuart Naylor, Dean Peer, Steve Peplow, David Prentice, Matt Preston, Stuart Ryder, Dave Syrett, Wayne Thomas, Adrian Thorpe, Gus Uhlenbeek, Stuart Watkiss, Craig Westcarr.

Home stats: P 26, W 12, D 6, L 8, GF 44, GA 36
Away stats: P 26, W 5, D 6, L 15, GF 22, GA 50

Season Home Date Away Date

1932-33 2-0 1933-04-08 1-8 1933-01-19 Div 3 (N)
1933-34 1-2 1933-12-25 0-0 1933-12-26 Div 3 (N)
1934-35 4-2 1935-01-19 2-2 1934-09-08 Div 3 (N)
1935-36 2-2 1936-02-28 0-7 1935-10-05 Div 3 (N)
1937-38 3-1 1937-09-03 0-2 1938-05-02 Div 3 (S)
1938-39 0-0 1938-09-17 0-0 1939-02-02 Div 3 (S)
1946-47 1-1 1946-09-18 0-0 1946-09-09 Div 3 (S)
1963-64 2-1 1963-09-07 1-3 1964-11-01 Div 3 (old)
1964-65 2-0 1964-12-28 1-2 1964-12-26 Div 3 (old)
1965-66 0-3 1966-01-15 1-2 1965-10-23 Div 3 (old)
1966-67 4-1 1966-12-17 2-1 1966-08-20 Div 3 (old)
1967-68 0-3 1968-05-04 1-2 1968-04-23 Div 3 (old)
1968-69 2-1 1969-04-25 1-3 1969-01-04 Div 3 (old)
1969-70 0-0 1969-08-23 0-1 1969-12-26 Div 3 (old)
1970-71 2-2 1970-10-14 1-0 1971-03-09 Div 3 (old)
1971-72 1-1 1972-04-01 1-2 1971-12-27 Div 3 (old)
1975-76 4-1 1975-09-27 1-0 1976-04-06 Div 3 (old)
1976-77 3-0 1977-02-28 2-1 1977-04-19 Div 3 (old)
1978-79 1-3 1978-10-14 1-1 1979-02-24 Div 3 (old)
1986-87 2-0 1987-05-02 0-2 1986-11-29 Div 3 (old)
1987-88 1-3 1988-04-05 1-2 1987-11-28 Div 3 (old)
1989-90 0-2 1989-10-14 0-1 1990-03-20 Div 3 (old)
1991-92 3-1 1991-11-30 3-3 1992-02-11 Div 4 (old)
1993-94 1-2 1993-11-27 2-0 1994-05-07 Div 3
1994-95 1-3 1994-11-26 0-1 1995-02-04 Div 3
2006-07 2-1 2007-01-20 0-4 2006-09-30 League Two

FA Cup

1926-27 0-2 1926-12-11 Round 2 at Fellows Park, Walsall
1932-33 1-4 1932-11-26 Round 1at Fellows Park, Walsall
1949-50 4-1 1949-11-26 Round 1 at Field Mill

League Cup

1986-87 0-1 1986-08-26 at Fellows Park, Walsall
1986-87 2-4 1986-09-02 at Field Mill
(Walsall through 5-2 on aggregate)

Details from various sources, mainly the centenary book, the history CD and various editions of Rothman's Football Yearbook
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
Sweden Stag
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