Walsall Football Club

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.

Are you a fan of Walsall Football Club? Never missed a match? Have you picked up lots of little known facts about The Saddlers along the way? Then the time has come to find out how much you really know about your favourite team with The Official Walsall Football Club Quiz Book. The 800 questions contained within these pages, some easy, some more challenging, have been put together to test your memory of the people and places that have shaped the club's long and interesting history. With sections about all aspects of the game including players, managers, opponents, transfers, final scores, club honours, wins, draws and losses, this book is certain to have you disputing points with your friends and family to find out who really knows the most about The Saddlers. A fitting tribute to Walsall Football Club, this book is packed with information and is as educational as it is entertaining. A must have for all dedicated Walsall fans but just as certain to score a hit with football enthusiasts everywhere.

Association Football did not magically begin with the formation of the Football Association in 1863: for centuries before, leather and rag balls had been kicked about, often as a smoke-screen for a jolly good brawl amongst the ruffians of the town or village! In medieval times, the common people from all over the Midlands would chase after a stuffed leather football, sometimes from dawn till dusk, from one end of town to the other. Football, in all its various forms, was the game of the people. Centuries later, in England's universities and public schools, the game was brought under a unified set of rules by middle and upper-class young men who formed exclusive football clubs for their fellows and tried to keep the Association game between themselves. Back in the Midlands, however, pioneering men started football teams for the working-class society, and within a decade, there were hundreds of such teams from Worcester to Sheffield. Football had been given back to the common man. This book gives an insight into over sixty small clubs who were the mainstay of organised football across the Midlands from the embryonic 1860s to beyond professionalism in the 1890s. Many new details and photographs are being published for the first time, as the author travels all over the eight counties of the Midlands to find the lost grounds and the Lost Teams of the Midlands. In This Book, Author Mike Bradbury Brings together a history and description of over sixty of the most prominent lost' Midlands football clubs from the Victorian era, many defunct even before 1900 Discovers the location of the lost Trapezium Ground in Wednesbury Discovers the location of the Shrubbery Ground where Tipton FC played in the 1870s Establishes four of the grounds used by Derby Junction and other Derby teams Establishes the site of Derby Midland FC's lost ground near the railway station Discovers the true origins of Walsall Town Football Club Unearths previously unpublished pictures of Wellington St. George's and their Shropshire ground Discovers the previously unknown team colours for over twenty teams featured in this book, including Notts Olympic, B'ham Excelsior, Calthorpe, Derby Junction, Staveley Unravels the mystery of the two St. George's football teams in the Birmingham area Finds out what became of Walsall's oldest team, Rushall Rovers Publishes unseen photographs of Birmingham's oldest team, Saltley College, and their ground within the college Discovers the first two grounds of the early Bloxwich FC (Strollers) Presents maps showing the lost locations of the grounds of Rushall Rovers, Smethwick Carriage Works, Lozells FC, Wednesbury Strollers, Crosswells FC, and others Unearths the 1873 advert where players are asked to form the Walsall Football Club Discovers the lost' football ground at Aston Cross, used by Aston Shakespeare and Aston Victoria Finds and gets access to the lost' ground of the Willenhall Pickwicks, seven-times Staffordshire Junior Cup finalists Photographs all three grounds of pioneering Birmingham club, Calthorpe FC, and unearths their colours and their link to Aston Villa Discovers the lost' Vulcan ground used by early Derby teams in the city centre Has created a web site featuring over 100 photographs and maps of teams, players, and grounds, details of which are given inside the book

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.

Association Football did not magically begin with the formation of the Football Association in 1863: for centuries before, leather and rag balls had been kicked about, often as a smoke-screen for a jolly good brawl amongst the ruffians of the town or village! In medieval times, the common people from all over the Midlands would chase after a stuffed leather football, sometimes from dawn till dusk, from one end of town to the other. Football, in all its various forms, was the game of the people. Centuries later, in Englands universities and public schools, the game was brought under a unified set of rules by middle and upper-class young men who formed exclusive football clubs for their fellows and tried to keep the Association game between themselves. Back in the Midlands, however, pioneering men started football teams for the working-class society, and within a decade, there were hundreds of such teams from Worcester to Sheffield. Football had been given back to the common man. This book gives an insight into over sixty small clubs who were the mainstay of organised football across the Midlands from the embryonic 1860s to beyond professionalism in the 1890s. Many new details and photographs are being published for the first time, as the author travels all over the eight counties of the Midlands to find the lost grounds and the Lost Teams of the Midlands. In This Book, Author Mike Bradbury Brings together a history and description of over sixty of the most prominent lost Midlands football clubs from the Victorian era, many defunct even before 1900 Discovers the location of the lost Trapezium Ground in Wednesbury Discovers the location of the Shrubbery Ground where Tipton FC played in the 1870s Establishes four of the grounds used by Derby Junction and other Derby teams Establishes the site of Derby Midland FCs lost ground near the railway station Discovers the true origins of Walsall Town Football Club Unearths previously unpublished pictures of Wellington St. Georges and their Shropshire ground Discovers the previously unknown team colours for over twenty teams featured in this book, including Notts Olympic, Bham Excelsior, Calthorpe, Derby Junction, Staveley Unravels the mystery of the two St. Georges football teams in the Birmingham area Finds out what became of Walsalls oldest team, Rushall Rovers Publishes unseen photographs of Birminghams oldest team, Saltley College, and their ground within the college Discovers the first two grounds of the early Bloxwich FC (Strollers) Presents maps showing the lost locations of the grounds of Rushall Rovers, Smethwick Carriage Works, Lozells FC, Wednesbury Strollers, Crosswells FC, and others Unearths the 1873 advert where players are asked to form the Walsall Football Club Discovers the lost football ground at Aston Cross, used by Aston Shakespeare and Aston Victoria Finds and gets access to the lost ground of the Willenhall Pickwicks, seven-times Staffordshire Junior Cup finalists Photographs all three grounds of pioneering Birmingham club, Calthorpe FC, and unearths their colours and their link to Aston Villa Discovers the lost Vulcan ground used by early Derby teams in the city centre Has created a web site featuring over 100 photographs and maps of teams, players, and grounds, details of which are given inside the book

In 1959, Liverpool Football Club were in the Second Division. Liverpool Football Club had never won the FA Cup. Fifteen seasons later, Liverpool Football Club had won three League titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup. Liverpool Football Club had become the most consistently successful team in England. And the most passionately supported club. Their manager was revered as a god.Destined for immortality. Their manager was Bill Shankly. His job was his life. His life was football. His football a form of socialism. Bill Shankly inspired people. Bill Shankly transformed people. The players and the supporters.His legacy would reveberate through the ages. In 1974, Liverpool Football Club and Bill Shankly stood on the verge of even greater success. In England and in Europe. But in 1974, Bill Shankly shocked Liverpool and football. Bill Shankly resigned. Bill Shankly retired. Red or Dead is the story of the rise of Liverpool Football Club and Bill Shankly. And the story of the retirement of Bill Shankly. Of one man and his work. And of the man after that work. A man in two halves. Home and away. Red or dead.

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.