Walsall Fc Match Of My Life

Sixteen Walsall legends tell the stories behind their most memorable games for the club, enabling fans of all ages to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there. Stretching from Allan Clarke's memories of FA Cup glory to Adam Chambers's account of how Walsall finally reached Wembley after almost a century of trying, this unique collection covers some of the most enthralling encounters in the club's history. Along the way, Alan Buckley tells of how the mighty Saddlers conquered Manchester United, Peter Hart and Craig Shakespeare recall how Arsenal and Liverpool trembled as Walsall came within a hair's breadth of reaching the Milk Cup Final, David Kelly returns to the afternoon when his hat-trick won a play-off final, while Chris Marsh and Adi Viveash look back on the day Walsall pipped Manchester City to promotion. Spanning half a century of Saddlers history, Walsall FC Match of My Life captures the precious memories of the heroes who mean so much to the fans.

Sixteen Walsall legends tell the stories behind their most memorable games for the club, enabling fans of all ages to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there. Stretching from Allan Clarke's memories of FA Cup glory to Adam Chambers's account of how Walsall finally reached Wembley after almost a century of trying, this unique collection covers some of the most enthralling encounters in the club's history. Along the way, Alan Buckley tells of how the mighty Saddlers conquered Manchester United, Peter Hart and Craig Shakespeare recall how Arsenal and Liverpool trembled as Walsall came within a hair's breadth of reaching the Milk Cup Final, David Kelly returns to the afternoon when his hat-trick won a play-off final, while Chris Marsh and Adi Viveash look back on the day Walsall pipped Manchester City to promotion. Spanning half a century of Saddlers history, Walsall FC Match of My Life captures the precious memories of the heroes who mean so much to the fans.

Steve Cherry was born into a large family in 1960 in the Nottinghamshire pit village of Calverton. His family initially assumed that he would follow his father and brother into the nearby pit, but it was clear from an early age that he had a special relationship with football, and this quickly became his main obsession in life. Aged 15, Steve was already goalkeeping in the local colliery team playing with and against full grown miners when he was spotted by a scout from Derby County, then in the top table of English football. He signed as a schoolboy before turning professional, and was capped for England several times in his youth before eventually winning Derby County’s ‘Player of the Year’ in 1983. He then played for Walsall, again winning ‘Player of the Year’, before heading south for Plymouth Argyle where he distinguished himself by winning ‘Player of the Year.’ After a short time at Chesterfield he joined the boyhood club of his dreams, Notts County just after Neil Warnock arrived. County progressed from the bottom of Division Three up to the top of English football via two Wembley play-off wins, and yet again Steve won ‘Player of the Year’. He left Notts in 1995 for a return to Plymouth Argyle via Watford, then Rotherham United, Rushden & Diamonds, and several other clubs. In his later years Steve used his love of the game to coach young boys in many different teams until only recently hanging up his boots. Steve worked with some of the best football managers in the business and played against some of the English football greats. He played for a dozen clubs in 743 League games and is still fondly remembered and welcomed back at all of them.

90 Minutes from Europe tells the story of how an innovative British Airways advertising slogan foretold Walsall's greatest ever cup run; an adventure that saw the club defeat Arsenal, stun Liverpool and come closer to reaching Europe than anyone would have dared imagine. It's a tale so implausible that you just couldn't make it up.

This book is part of the Classic Matches series, in which long-term followers of various sporting clubs and teams look back on some of their finest moments. This book looks at fifty of Walsall Football Club's best matches.

Mascots help their clubs, their fans, and their communities. This book tells their remarkable stories--of heroic deeds, embarrassing moments, squabbles, and even tales of love, jealousy, and revenge. It gives a glimpse of the drama and the plotting that make mascots part of today's football folklore.

The Football Association of England has become a multi-billion pound industry. But how did English football become not only the defining sport of the nation but also one of the most successful sports in the world? With The Leaguers, football historian Matthew Taylor tells the story of the early days of professional football in England, revealing the distant origins of today’s game. Making extensive use of archival materials from football clubs, unions, and associations, Taylor presents a compelling picture of football teams and players in the early days of the twentieth century, tracing the development of the system of professional teams from the hundreds of town, club, and school teams that dotted the countryside. The top tier of those teams comprised the Football League that, by the 1920s, was synonymous with the very idea of professional football in the minds of fans and sportswriters alike. The Leaguers illuminates the role played by the Football League—and by successful clubs in the League such as Arsenal and Aston Villa—as the rules, standards, and structure of the modern game were being codified. Taylor also considers the careers and influences of early players, including such well-known names as Billy Meredith, “Dixie” Dean, and Alex James. As football’s popularity grew and sports media proliferated, players found themselves becoming national stars, their portraits on cigarette cards bought by fans throughout England. The first full-length history of the early days of the Football League, The Leaguers will be essential reading for football fans who want to know how their favorite sport grew from modest origins to the worldwide phenomenon that is English football today.