Chesterfield (H) League One 25th Oct, 3.00pm

[Tyldesley_saddler]

Pretty sure Walsall took just under 1000 to Vale on the opening day which is a comparable 50 minute trip so not really sure what the point is here.

If you need me to tell you why the opening day is not comparable with today then I am worried about you.

Tell me; how many would we have taken to Chesterfield? We were chasing the play-offs when we took 500 there - as stated above? How many would Chesterfield have brought if they were chasing the play-offs? Bearing all this in mind they are meant to be a 'lower ranked' team than us!

My last post on this will end it, Walsall last played Chesterfield away in December 2011, that was a relegation battle season so I don't recall any play off chases that year.

Don't go stating facts to Funk SoccerHQ, you now that's not allowed :D

Understood Tyldesley. :D

Chesterfield are one of these clubs that veer from being on the verge of being busted to flushed with cash every 5 minutes. Bournmouth were like that a few years back and Scunny have been the recent examples.

They're going through a better spell at the minute so inevitably will get more fans coming home and away. Would imagine they'll end up in mid table.

Chesterfield are one of the club's I really hate with a passion.
Last time I saw that shower of rubbish was back in the 90s away at Saltergate. What a dive that was !
Chelsea were playing in Newcastle same day and some of their morons got kicked off the train in Chesterfield and decided to come to our game instead.
Let's just say a mate of mine ending up with a dart sticking out his head thanks to them Chelsea scum. Hence why I have a go at our resident plastic Walsall fan, Sheff.

[SWS1]

Aaaah! Relief at last. The win we've probably deserved for the past two weeks or so. It does seem that one man can change the team's fortunes, although that's not a comfortable thought.
The fact is, we've lost against two rubbish teams recently but showed what we can do by getting a creditable draw against the team currently running away with the league and against a decent team this week.
Let's hope a settled team can start reeling in the points - starting next week against a very in-form team.
:D
UTS.

[deldras]

938 Chesterfield!!!!

How many did we take to Crawley 101?

Timely reminder from a club that is considered smaller than Walsall just how pathetic our support is - even when we are doing well it's dire.

……And how many matches have you been to this season?

[BathSaddler]

938 Chesterfield!!!!

How many did we take to Crawley 101?

Timely reminder from a club that is considered smaller than Walsall just how pathetic our support is - even when we are doing well it's dire.

1. Home attendances - Chesterfield average far more than we do currently and in the recent past
2. Chesterfield are not a smaller club than Walsall - historically on a par I'd say
3. Chesterfield do not have a self serving owner who is only interested in himself

[Tyldesley_saddler]

938 Chesterfield!!!!

How many did we take to Crawley 101?

Timely reminder from a club that is considered smaller than Walsall just how pathetic our support is - even when we are doing well it's dire.

……And how many matches have you been to this season?

deldras please don't question funk, it is well known he is the man in know. He has been watching Walsall since mid to late 90s and he has seen it all in that time. Please don't question his opinions or views on anything as it is NOT allowed. Even if you have fact and it is written in black and white and signed off by the Queen you should still not question funk. Hope this help's as we don't want to upset Dean Smith's lovechild. :D

[funk_hits_the_fan]

There are some really soft, sensitive people on this board. I seem to have a reputation for being passionate and not taking any BS. I actually think that is something to be proud of.

Chesterfield & Walsall are similar size clubs I have not said that is not the case anywhere, in fact that is the exact basis of my point!!!!! Their support in terms of quality, numbers and passion has always pi$$ed all over ours in all honesty. Just to be clear what I think. You can take it or leave it. They would have been more deserving of a Championship Club than us

Chesterfield were rooted to the bottom of League One the whole season in 2011 and their home averages still pissed all over ours. Just to be clear. Yes I stand corrected we were fourth from bottom when we played them - so this excuses another terrible turnout for a relegation 6 pointer :?:

How many matches have I been to this season? Plenty! Perfect example of childish point scoring on here. I don't go to games = I know nothing. I go to games sometimes having had about an hours sleep from working on the Friday Night. So what do you have to say to that?

I have tried my best to stop calling people 'idiots' or the like anymore because the focus seems to rest on that compared to the points raised and posters dismiss you as abusive, I much prefer to use intellect now. For some reason this winds people up even more..... :lol:

[Guest]

Nice goal.

http://youtu.be/UstJ2fopJbY

[SaddlerSteve]

There are some really soft, sensitive people on this board. I seem to have a reputation for being passionate and not taking any BS. I actually think that is something to be proud of.

Chesterfield & Walsall are similar size clubs I have not said that is not the case anywhere, in fact that is the exact basis of my point!!!!! Their support in terms of quality, numbers and passion has always gypsy's all over ours in all honesty. Just to be clear what I think. You can take it or leave it. They would have been more deserving of a Championship Club than us

Chesterfield were rooted to the bottom of League One the whole season in 2011 and their home averages still gypsy's all over ours. Just to be clear. Yes I stand corrected we were fourth from bottom when we played them - so this excuses another terrible turnout for a relegation 6 pointer :?:

How many matches have I been to this season? Plenty! Perfect example of childish point scoring on here. I don't go to games = I know nothing. I go to games sometimes having had about an hours sleep from working on the Friday Night. So what do you have to say to that?

I have tried my best to stop calling people 'idiots' or the like anymore because the focus seems to rest on that compared to the points raised and posters dismiss you as abusive, I much prefer to use intellect now. For some reason this winds people up even more..... :lol:

You seem to be more obsessed with attendance levels than what happens on the pitch.
Our attendances have been pretty much the same for the last decade.

You're not suggesting that because we have low attendances we should accept being guano are you?

[Leatherman]

The comparison in attendances for both clubs which have achieved similar levels of success over the years is skewed slightly due to Chesterfield's nearest (large) football club being Sheffield at about 15 miles away,and Derby and Forest about 25miles away. Therefore there is less room for traitorous dogs to support other clubs like they do in Walsall (Wolves, West Brom.,Villa all being within a few miles distance).

Good result yesterday Bradshaw took his goal well and Benning was unlucky with what would have been the best solo effort of the season so far had not the keeper stopped it with his legs.

SMITH - IN! :D

[Big Dave wfc]

Wasn't vintage by any means but ill take the points all day, improved when forde came on, wish we would get back to keeping the ball a bit more, we didn't set a great tempo and was slow to react and close down.

The fat number 5 for chesterfield could actually play football and didn't give our midfield chance to settle.

Only one game at home next month with the only home fixture being Peterborough, still going to have to improve drastic for a decent return in points in November.

Didn't think anything of Caine, game passed him by besides link up to the goal, glad mantom is close to being 100%

UTS!

We're deano is concerned, always been a fan, but to persist with bax on the wing when we have a winger on the bench..... Please help yourself here DS and put players in the right position

[PT]

Their support in terms of quality, numbers and passion has always pi$$ed all over ours in all honesty. :

Think this is where you tie yourself up a bit mate. You make a point and then use an incorrect sweeping generalisation like the one above to "prove" it. At the tail end of the Buckley era and during the Coakley years we always took over a thousand there and they struggled to muster a few dozen to ours.

[funk_hits_the_fan]

Before my time but if that is the case, fair enough.

In my experience they have always been a raucous, passionate lot that travel in good numbers no matter how well they are doing. Their home gates are very good also.

I have been drawn into a pathetic argument because people can't accept how poor our support is. This ties in perfectly with their inability to accept Walsall FC for what they are. The argument about location is nonsense when you consider Walsall's population; but lets not even go there. It's all about engagement and identity - very little to do with location or how many big clubs are in the area.

Anyway, much needed win yesterday - on-wards and upwards hopefully.

[SWS1]

Before my time but if that is the case, fair enough.

In my experience they have always been a raucous, passionate lot that travel in good numbers no matter how well they are doing. Their home gates are very good also.

I have been drawn into a pathetic argument because people can't accept how poor our support is. This ties in perfectly with their inability to accept Walsall FC for what they are. The argument about location is nonsense when you consider Walsall's population; but lets not even go there. It's all about engagement and identity - very little to do with location or how many big clubs are in the area.

Anyway, much needed win yesterday - on-wards and upwards hopefully.

I'm not sure I agree with you that location has nothing to do with our attendances. The proximity of Wolves, Villa, West Brom and Blues must have some effect on our attendances. Indeed, I remember school friends who supported West Brom and Villa, even Wolves, in the 1950s and 60s. Funnily enough, it didn't occur to us that there was anything wrong in this - after all, it wasn't as though they were supporting, say, a Manchester team they couldn't go and watch; they did go to matches, initially with their old man or another relative (which is where the inclination to support often arose). I also well remember the time when Walsall attendances were slowly declining and the supporters who did attend were labelled by the Walsall Observer "the faithful 10,000"!! Ten thousand? Well, it wasn't that long after the war, when attendances generally were sky-high but just starting to suffer with increasing affluence, the advent of TV and other pass-times. Thgis was also the time of the Blues and Baggies winning FA Cups and Billy Wright et al putting the fear of God up most first division teams and, a bit later, a few foreigners. Villa didn't do too bad, either. You can't tell me that Walsall wouldn't have got three or even four times the attendances if they had been the only, or the major team around - much like Swansea is, locally, with only one near rival, over 40 miles away. Oh, and, of course, we should add that Walsall have always been eartha, one way or another: if that hadn't been the case, we could easily be in the current position of, say, West Brom, but that is like saying Walsall would be bigger than Birmingham if the railway junction had been to Walsall first, rather than Brum. In that case, Walsall would be "Birmingham"! I'd be happy if just a few thousand more of the denizens of our great Metropolitan Borough would support the "home" team, instead of boogering off to plastic places like Moulinex and Villa Valhalla!
UTS!
Great win on Saturday.
(Every Walsall win is a great win). :D

[funk_hits_the_fan]

SWS1 as usual; pure insight and education. Although I don't agree entirely I can see where your coming from and also understand how things could have been so different. As PT so often says, it's all about momentum and Walsall never seem to get any for one reason and another.

There are posters on here who I could read the posts of all day long without becoming bored. Just a shame they are outnumbered significantly.

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

He has been watching Walsall since mid to late 90s and he has seen it all in that time :D

Didn't appreciate I was trying to have a constructive debate with such a whippersnapper of a Walsall fan. A lot now makes sense :wink:

[Big Dave wfc]

Before my time but if that is the case, fair enough.

In my experience they have always been a raucous, passionate lot that travel in good numbers no matter how well they are doing. Their home gates are very good also.

I have been drawn into a pathetic argument because people can't accept how poor our support is. This ties in perfectly with their inability to accept Walsall FC for what they are. The argument about location is nonsense when you consider Walsall's population; but lets not even go there. It's all about engagement and identity - very little to do with location or how many big clubs are in the area.

Anyway, much needed win yesterday - on-wards and upwards hopefully.

I'm not sure I agree with you that location has nothing to do with our attendances. The proximity of Wolves, Villa, West Brom and Blues must have some effect on our attendances. Indeed, I remember school friends who supported West Brom and Villa, even Wolves, in the 1950s and 60s. Funnily enough, it didn't occur to us that there was anything wrong in this - after all, it wasn't as though they were supporting, say, a Manchester team they couldn't go and watch; they did go to matches, initially with their old man or another relative (which is where the inclination to support often arose). I also well remember the time when Walsall attendances were slowly declining and the supporters who did attend were labelled by the Walsall Observer "the faithful 10,000"!! Ten thousand? Well, it wasn't that long after the war, when attendances generally were sky-high but just starting to suffer with increasing affluence, the advent of TV and other pass-times. Thgis was also the time of the Blues and Baggies winning FA Cups and Billy Wright et al putting the fear of God up most first division teams and, a bit later, a few foreigners. Villa didn't do too bad, either. You can't tell me that Walsall wouldn't have got three or even four times the attendances if they had been the only, or the major team around - much like Swansea is, locally, with only one near rival, over 40 miles away. Oh, and, of course, we should add that Walsall have always been eartha, one way or another: if that hadn't been the case, we could easily be in the current position of, say, West Brom, but that is like saying Walsall would be bigger than Birmingham if the railway junction had been to Walsall first, rather than Brum. In that case, Walsall would be "Birmingham"! I'd be happy if just a few thousand more of the denizens of our great Metropolitan Borough would support the "home" team, instead of boogering off to plastic places like Moulinex and Villa Valhalla!
UTS!
Great win on Saturday.
(Every Walsall win is a great win). :D

To be fair I think you hit the nail on the head with the engagement, my sister who is also a season ticket holder along with myself for many a year now, she works at the special needs school mary Elliot, they receive tickets for the children off wolves, west brom and occasionally Birmingham, couldn't give you a number of tickets but they are all free of charge including a carer or parent, Walsall send tickets with a price attached.

now half the stadium is empty why not let them in free and take advantage of sales in food and programmes?
club could be doing a lot more on this front to me and who knows a bigger crowd with a better atmosphere might get a few youngsters hooked just like it did me when my dad was taking me down.

[IHTC.]

Before my time but if that is the case, fair enough.

In my experience they have always been a raucous, passionate lot that travel in good numbers no matter how well they are doing. Their home gates are very good also.

I have been drawn into a pathetic argument because people can't accept how poor our support is. This ties in perfectly with their inability to accept Walsall FC for what they are. The argument about location is nonsense when you consider Walsall's population; but lets not even go there. It's all about engagement and identity - very little to do with location or how many big clubs are in the area.

Anyway, much needed win yesterday - on-wards and upwards hopefully.

I'm not sure I agree with you that location has nothing to do with our attendances. The proximity of Wolves, Villa, West Brom and Blues must have some effect on our attendances. Indeed, I remember school friends who supported West Brom and Villa, even Wolves, in the 1950s and 60s. Funnily enough, it didn't occur to us that there was anything wrong in this - after all, it wasn't as though they were supporting, say, a Manchester team they couldn't go and watch; they did go to matches, initially with their old man or another relative (which is where the inclination to support often arose). I also well remember the time when Walsall attendances were slowly declining and the supporters who did attend were labelled by the Walsall Observer "the faithful 10,000"!! Ten thousand? Well, it wasn't that long after the war, when attendances generally were sky-high but just starting to suffer with increasing affluence, the advent of TV and other pass-times. Thgis was also the time of the Blues and Baggies winning FA Cups and Billy Wright et al putting the fear of God up most first division teams and, a bit later, a few foreigners. Villa didn't do too bad, either. You can't tell me that Walsall wouldn't have got three or even four times the attendances if they had been the only, or the major team around - much like Swansea is, locally, with only one near rival, over 40 miles away. Oh, and, of course, we should add that Walsall have always been eartha, one way or another: if that hadn't been the case, we could easily be in the current position of, say, West Brom, but that is like saying Walsall would be bigger than Birmingham if the railway junction had been to Walsall first, rather than Brum. In that case, Walsall would be "Birmingham"! I'd be happy if just a few thousand more of the denizens of our great Metropolitan Borough would support the "home" team, instead of boogering off to plastic places like Moulinex and Villa Valhalla!
UTS!
Great win on Saturday.
(Every Walsall win is a great win). :D

To be fair I think you hit the nail on the head with the engagement, my sister who is also a season ticket holder along with myself for many a year now, she works at the special needs school mary Elliot, they receive tickets for the children off wolves, west brom and occasionally Birmingham, couldn't give you a number of tickets but they are all free of charge including a carer or parent, Walsall send tickets with a price attached.

now half the stadium is empty why not let them in free and take advantage of sales in food and programmes?
club could be doing a lot more on this front to me and who knows a bigger crowd with a better atmosphere might get a few youngsters hooked just like it did me when my dad was taking me down.

If they did do the free ticket thing (which I agree too) regardless that they are going to children and maybe children with disabilities etc would the police then get involved and demand more policing due to the higher attendances? Would that be a price we simply could not afford and perhaps afew etc hotdogs would not cover the bill?

[WFC_Rob]

The club have tried doing freebies or offers in tickets before but a minority of season ticket holders moaned about it. Daft, but there you go.

[ChopperWFC]

I'm still in talks with the club and I promise they are putting the wheels in motion. This is a new aspect that I'm happy to approach Stefan with. If you can send me anymore details it can only help . Thanks

[IHTC.]

I'm still in talks with the club and I promise they are putting the wheels in motion. This is a new aspect that I'm happy to approach Stefan with. If you can send me anymore details it can only help . Thanks

Good work :D

[SWS1]

I'm still in talks with the club and I promise they are putting the wheels in motion. This is a new aspect that I'm happy to approach Stefan with. If you can send me anymore details it can only help . Thanks

This is good news. Getting the kids in as early as possible and by any means possible is a "must-have", especially if our "rivals" are doing it. I can't see why an extra few hundred (or, wildly optimistically, thousand) kids would necessitate extra policing (unless the police have a rigid "numbers" policy).

[Tyldesley_saddler]

I'm still in talks with the club and I promise they are putting the wheels in motion. This is a new aspect that I'm happy to approach Stefan with. If you can send me anymore details it can only help . Thanks

This is good news. Getting the kids in as early as possible and by any means possible is a "must-have", especially if our "rivals" are doing it. I can't see why an extra few hundred (or, wildly optimistically, thousand) kids would necessitate extra policing (unless the police have a rigid "numbers" policy).

Have you seen the kids round Bloxwich and Blakenall and Leamore for that matter ? Double the coppers if them lot go 8)

[IHTC.]

I'm still in talks with the club and I promise they are putting the wheels in motion. This is a new aspect that I'm happy to approach Stefan with. If you can send me anymore details it can only help . Thanks

This is good news. Getting the kids in as early as possible and by any means possible is a "must-have", especially if our "rivals" are doing it. I can't see why an extra few hundred (or, wildly optimistically, thousand) kids would necessitate extra policing (unless the police have a rigid "numbers" policy).

Why does it have to be a few hundred? We have 7,000 empty seats on a matchday.

[SheffieldSaddler]

Chesterfield are one of the club's I really hate with a passion.
Last time I saw that shower of rubbish was back in the 90s away at Saltergate. What a dive that was !
Chelsea were playing in Newcastle same day and some of their morons got kicked off the train in Chesterfield and decided to come to our game instead.
Let's just say a mate of mine ending up with a dart sticking out his head thanks to them Chelsea scum. Hence why I have a go at our resident plastic Walsall fan, Sheff.

When the saying "give them a brain and they would be dangerous" was invented.
This was surely a shot at people like you.
:roll:

[kshammer]

Basically this season has come down to me now checking the lineup and seeing whether Bradshaw is playing to see if we have a chance of winning.

[pumajaguar]

Good to get back to winning ways. It's looking like we've become something of a one man team.

Regarding attendances, I'm all in favour of the club doing more to engage people and get them through the door. However, to claim the proximity of three larger clubs has no impact is just plain daft.

People read too much in the population of the borough too. Willenhall for example is in Walsall, but it's just as close to Wolverhampton so no wonder many people there are Dingle fans.

These clubs have history on their side, they have been relatively successful and well supported for more than 100 years, we never have. Something like that doesn't change easily.

[saddlerJP]

Win's a win, but

played no better or worse then the majorty of the last 30 odd games of our terrible run. We just took pretty much our only good chance and they missed their chances. Luckily Bradshaw only needs one chance to score at the moment

papers over the cracks for me, we're organised and hard to beat but lack something going forward, that didn't change on saturday

O'Donnell made a couple of good saves and liked the directness of Forde when he came on he seemed really fired up

[derbysaddler]

Most welcome result, especially against those who celebrate a wonky spire.

How vital is Bradshaw becoming? finger crossed he stays fit for the run of games we have coming up.

In all honesty, if we have seen no improvement from Grim's and tugboat Manset by January, we should just bite the bullet, pay up their contracts and get rid. Then give the custard bowl a ring and see if we can get McAlinden on loan for the rest of the season if he's back from Fleetwood. I know its a financial hit but if Bonser is sticking by Smith then he can prove this by making these changes.

[Sadders]

Win's a win, but

played no better or worse then the majorty of the last 30 odd games of our terrible run. We just took pretty much our only good chance and they missed their chances. Luckily Bradshaw only needs one chance to score at the moment

papers over the cracks for me, we're organised and hard to beat but lack something going forward, that didn't change on saturday

O'Donnell made a couple of good saves and liked the directness of Forde when he came on he seemed really fired up

Other than the sitter of a header Bradshaw should have buried in the first half? Sawyers curler than missed the bar by about an inch? Cook's blocked shot, that was basically in - all during the first half. How about Benning's run and shot clear on goal 8 yards out in stoppage time? Chesterfield did have a few chances, but only 1 real chance near the end and a couple of flash shots/headers. We had the better chances.


Anyway, Smith has deserved criticism recently but you can't argue with him Saturday.

1) They played 4-5-1 and in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, there midfield 3 swamped our 2. Lots of managers would have matched them 4-5-1 but Smith brought an attacking player in Forde on.

2) Smith only made one mistake of leaving Forde out of his XI on Saturday for Baxendale (who apparently deserved to keep his place after a lively performance at Crawley - no issue with that). He rectified it in the 60th minute and we then went on to win the game and looked far better going forward.


Can't argue with any of that.

[saddlerJP]

Other than the sitter of a header Bradshaw should have buried in the first half? Sawyers curler than missed the bar by about an inch? Cook's blocked shot, that was basically in - all during the first half. How about Benning's run and shot clear on goal 8 yards out in stoppage time? Chesterfield did have a few chances, but only 1 real chance near the end and a couple of flash shots/headers. We had the better chances.

Bradshaw's header was no where near a sitter, the cross had no power on it, for Bradshaw to generate the power to even test the keeper would of been a fantastic effort

Sawyers shot was never going in

Cook's effort I forgot about well worked move, good defending by Chesterfield

Benning did very well and made the keeper make his only real save of the game

Not a Smith out man at all, I'm well and truly on the fence, wrong to suggest though that we deserved the win. We have lost games where we have created more recently. Goals win games, we scored it. I'll take it