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Sheff Wed (a) - League - 4th May 2003

Reports and reaction from the 2002-03 season as Walsall finished 17th in Division 1
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Sheff Wed (a) - League - 4th May 2003

Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:18 am

By 1933 (81.131.170.159) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 03:48 pm: Edit

Sheffield Weds 2 Walsall 1

Matias scored for us.

Stoke are safe.

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.177) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 04:44 pm: Edit

A bummer of a day all round then !

Listening to Radio WM on Saddlers World, it sounded like we were well in charge of the game, but missed chances again prevented us building on our 1-0 lead, then we conceded an equaliser from dire defending, before going on to throw it all away. Nothing lost really, but for me it's still deeply disappointing that we couldn't keep that unbeaten run going for a sixth game.

It'll be interesting to hear later from those of you who went to Sheffield.

Must address the goal-scoring issue during the close season - but I'm sure CL doesn't need me to tell him that.

As for the awful Brighton/Sjoke disappointment, on the day Reading were pretty poor and more or less gave it to Sjoke with hardly a whimper - which is unbelievable considering Pardew was supposedly going to fire up his team to perform against Sjoke to help-out his close friend Stevie Coppell. Some help that was (NOT) !

By Salop Saddler (213.78.101.209) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 04:53 pm: Edit

Oh hum, crap happens, though the taming of the Shrews almost made up for the Stoke Shity escape. I took great pleasure in standing outside of the Gay Meadow last Thursday night. I sensed the air of gloom hanging over the shabby tip as the drizzle fell. I must say though it's the little ones I feel sorry for, the shot of that youngster in tears being comforted by his mum made me wonder how Salop Jnr would cope if faced by the drop. Let's hope that it's something that he won't have to face for many a year. Well done to CL and the lads for delivering another year of first division football. UP THE SADDLERS!!!!!

By Brad Pedjaski (195.92.168.165) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 06:06 pm: Edit

It was his Dad!!! Great to see Stoke stay up. Charming, gracious and eternally dignified. If we can get another 5k on our gate we too will be a big club.

By Frank Stubbs (195.93.49.12) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 06:12 pm: Edit

Could have won,should have won didnt win!In some ways this sums up our season.......But we are the side that is in the 1st division next season i am sure Wendy would swop 3 points for that.There is no point in analysing players and perforamces,because a few of todays starting eleven will be Saddlers no more in a few days time,positives Emblem, Roper Junior Sammways and oh boy did we miss Martin o Connor when he went off,i think i have just seen Pedros last Walsall goal aswell,
We are a first division side sorry but i never get tired of saying that,we go away we re group,we add a bit more quality,release the last of the dross(no names necessary) and we go forward oh for mid table mediochrity!
As for Wednesday i had not got any thoughts about them,but after the pathetic scene at the turnstile when Jobsworth insisted i pay for my one year old little un,forgot i was a responsibile parent for a minute and gave him a verbal volley in my best Black Country,refused to coughup and Jobsworth relented.........Stay down for a while Wednesday please.

By cat3 (219.76.96.9) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 07:20 pm: Edit

17th spot.. We will do better next season.. enjoy the summer holidays!

By hullsaddler (212.50.175.222) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 08:09 pm: Edit

We were easily the better side but there again we should have been playing against relegated opposition. Thought that we played well at times & should have won.Junior showed why it is important that we make every effort to keep him for next season and there was a lovely build up to Pedro's goal but after that we switched off a bit.Their first goal looked sloppy & before their second (cracking shot) we seemed to be messing about with short corners rather than pushing for a goal.It was fairly obvious that noone seemed too bothered by the result,typified by Jimmy ambling to take goal kick as we went into injury time.Thought that there was a good atmosphere from our fans & driving home it didnt seem like a return from a defeat.
Seems bizarre that a relegated side comes back onto the pitch at the end.Pity about Stoke,there were lots of depressed looking Brighton fans at the services on the way home.
We must be able to go forward from this season with hope for the next.When do the fixtures come out?

By same every year (195.93.49.12) on Sunday, May 04, 2003 - 09:25 pm: Edit

2nd or 3rd Thursday in July

By belgian saddler (213.194.41.34) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 06:38 am: Edit

what are we supposed to do till then?

By cat3 (218.102.21.153) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 10:50 am: Edit

Have drinks Belgian Saddler and think of Walsall as M.U. winning the barclay trophy... With dream, there's hope... Without fear, there's no hope...

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.171) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 11:48 am: Edit

Good question belgian saddler ! I suddenly feel a bit lost.

This was my first season on here, so I really don't know what happens on the board, what we discuss etc. during the close season. There's nothing going on football-wise this summer is there, no Euro Championships, no World Cup, it's going to be a long summer folks !

Presumably we keep our ears to the ground, drop posts on here to keep each other informed about rumours, reports, players going out, players coming in. Is that what usually happens ?

If "same every year" is right it's about ten or eleven weeks until next season's fixtures are announced - and three and a half months until we start all over again. Sounds like a lifetime !

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.171) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 11:54 am: Edit

One thought I had was to take up watching cricket, I'd guess that's what Neil R wil be doing.

But Neil, can you give me some advice on how I can do that without making the close season seem even longer ?

By freda (195.93.49.12) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 12:19 pm: Edit

Hullsaddler.
Can you enlighten me/us none Hillsborough attenders ,on the corner kick that caused so much mirth on WM.

Cheers

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.171) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 01:07 pm: Edit

I heard the Wendy player kicked the corner flag. Must have been funny, Richard Wilford went into hysterics and couldn't carry on with his commentary.

By Paul G (62.30.112.1) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 01:48 pm: Edit

Fun in the sun. Very similar to the Stoke game at the end of RG's first season. No one seemed to care very much but we did look the better team until Owuso replaced Kuqi for Weds. He scored within a minute after we took about a dozen failed attempts to clear the ball from the area. Then he set up a cracking winning goal. They could have had more after that.

Our goal was very well worked. I thought Pedro mishit it at first but it looked a good strike on TV. Emblen looked very solid. Surely he is on his way to join us now. We will miss Samways who never wastes a pass. What was the point of playing an unfit Lawrence for 20 mins?

On the negative side we will probably lose money from this fixture once the club are presented with the bill for the seats which the Walsall Youth sad cases smashed up in the 2nd half. Nice one lads that was hilarious.

By Dave M (195.92.194.11) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 05:28 pm: Edit

The Wendy player did kick the flag when taking a corner second half. Ball just made the edge of the area. Opposite end to the saddlers fans most of who did not realise what happened. The flag was flattened with the player limping badly for a minute or two.

It was the best bit of the match for me, as the players were showboating which cost us the game. Should have won comfortably

By hullsaddler (212.50.180.18) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 05:51 pm: Edit

Freda,did not see corner incident as it was at far end.

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.31.216.32) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 06:46 pm: Edit

Geoff, no worries, mate. With the number of out of contract players, there's going to be so much speculation, you could keep three message boards going!

By Cricketing Saddler (203.97.2.243) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 08:38 pm: Edit

That Ramprakash would be a good signing - useful, although a little elderly now.

By Neil Ravenscroft (213.48.83.93) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 09:59 pm: Edit

I'm hoping number one son manages to hold down one, two or three for Pelsall this year, so keep Ramps out!

By reading_saddler (81.6.225.7) on Monday, May 05, 2003 - 11:05 pm: Edit

Which youths destroyed what of who???

and also just want to add did we really beat reading 2 seasons ago to get into div 1 because they seem to be in the playoffs.

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.166) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 01:01 am: Edit

Yeah, but how they got there God only knows.

And after yesterday's utterly pathetic attempt by the Royals to play football and/or get a result at the Britannia, for which Mr Coppell should be eternally grateful to Mr Pardew (NOT), I sincerely hope they get absolutely stuffed in the play-offs. And yes, I do mean against the Wolves, I don't care who beats 'em, as long as they make no more progress towards the Premier - they're a disgrace - the words "pay-off" come more to mind than "play-off"! I think Brighton should be given permission to sue !

By Yark Yark. (62.31.204.211) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 08:24 am: Edit

Bloody useless Graydon. Lost 2-1 after being 1-0 up against a terrible side. Bringing on Pedro as a centre forward...what was that all about?

By Yark Yark (62.31.204.211) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 08:26 am: Edit

oh and for the knee jerk literals out there please put in LOL lots of !!!!!!!!!!! and maybe a smiley too

By Stu (212.137.33.208) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 08:35 am: Edit

Geoff, seeing as Brighton couldn't even complete their half of the deal which was to win at Grimsby then its a bit harsh to moan at Reading...

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 01:30 pm: Edit

Geoff- you should take up PLAYING cricket, not watching.
Pelsall CC is the common link on here.

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 01:48 pm: Edit

Very strange that, Tim! Number one son, work permitting, playing for the Sunday 2nds versus Brewood at home (Pelsall) this week. All welcome!

By Dave Roe (217.37.14.234) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 01:53 pm: Edit

Sorry, I can't make it. I've got some paint drying at home that needs watching.

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 02:14 pm: Edit

You'll learn one day, Dave!

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 02:14 pm: Edit

I shall be making my 1st appearance of the new season for Harlesden Wanderers this Sunday, at Widmer End [High Wycombe], weather permitting.

I predict 3 runs, a dropped catch and a splitting of the skin around the thumb!

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 02:17 pm: Edit

Sounds like my last few apperances

By Salop Saddler (213.78.97.196) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 03:13 pm: Edit

Does Gareth Evans still play for Pelsall CC?

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 03:24 pm: Edit

Don't know an Evans, do you mean Gareth Williams?

By Salop Saddler (213.78.161.165) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 04:12 pm: Edit

I remember it was a Welsh surname...I wonder...No I'm fairly cetain it was Evans! We attended Walsall School of Art back in 1975. Gareth had large ears I recall!!!

By Gareth (213.2.51.198) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 04:16 pm: Edit

I heard that, Salop!

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 04:16 pm: Edit

The Williams would be 21 now, so it isn't him!

By Geoff Whiting (80.177.14.124) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 04:44 pm: Edit

Stu, that is so short-sighted if you don't mind me saying. And I've already stated the following on another thread.

If Reading had got even half out of the blocks they'd have beaten Sjoke.

Now imagine the response of the Brighton players and fans at Grimsby on hearing that Sjoke had gone behind. I am absolutely convinced that Brighton would have gone on to take the game to Grimsby and win convincingly.

So IMHO Brighton would have stayed up.

This happened to us on the last day a few years back at Ipswich. Ipswich were all out for auto-promotion, they had to win and Man City lose at (I think) Blackburn. Ipswich piled into us and took a 2 goal lead by half-time. But second-half news came through that Man City were beating Blackburn and Ipswich players and fans went totally flat - they were there for the taking.

To avoid relegation we needed to win the game and Crewe to lose at Barnsley, sending Crewe down instead. But Barnsley rested 4 key players ahead of the play-offs (including Craig Hignett & (I think) Neil Shipperley). Crewe won 2-0 and we went down.

But if Barnsley had done the proper thing by all concerned and played the team that had got them to the play-offs, and had gone ahead against Crewe, there is every chance we'd have picked up our game against a (by then) deflated Ipswich side who were doing no more than going through the motions, and we may well have picked up the win we needed while Crewe would have lost.

Conjecture maybe, but it made me very angry at the time, I felt we were cheated by Barnsley and I still feel the same - what happened at Sjoke and Grimsby last Saturday was very reminiscent of that day a few years ago when we returned to Div 2 after just one season.

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 05:21 pm: Edit

Hmmmm....my memory may be fading Geoff, but I think Charlton also put out half a team at The Baggies, who beat them 1-0 that day. We needed to get a beter result than them to stay up [I think].

By Shifnalsaddler (213.1.45.10) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 06:28 pm: Edit

Geoff, why have a go at Reading?
Maybe Brighton should be furious at a team who went to Stoke and lay down and rolled over back when they actually needed the points.
Back in february it was, now who was that team....?
Or maybe Brighton should accept they didn't do the business over 46 matches, and they deserve to go down, just as we did three years ago. If you go into the last match needing favours from others, you've failed somewhere along the line.

Coppell did a fantastic job, again, but Brighton finished where they deserved, and so did Stoke, and so did Reading. And so did we, and everyone else, over the 46 games.

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.173) on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 - 07:21 pm: Edit

I know Tim, but at least the Baggies had home advantage which also probably counted for a lot on the day.

Yeah I know Shifnal, believe it or not I am bright enough to understand it's 46 games that matter, but this was still the last opportunity to get rid of Sjoke, and Reading made a right balls of it. I'll forgive 'em in time, but not yet !

I'm smarting right now, so much wanted Sjoke's horrid fans to get their just desserts, but it was not to be.

Still, at least Meir Sjoke hasn't put his head above the barricades yet mate!

By Stu (212.137.33.208) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 08:49 am: Edit

Geoff, how an earth can you blame Reading for Brighton failing to win?

Shouldn't the Brighton players have wanted to win for their own pride, for their fans and for their club?

Its the last game of the season, you MUST win to stay up. You should not be relying on another club beating someone to lift you to get a victory... That is the most awful excuse I've ever heard.

Reading have nowt to do with it. If Brighton can't beat Grimsby, that is Brighton's fault. Its nothing to do with Reaing at all. On such an occasion, Brighton shouldn't have needed lifting or a morale boost, they should have been going hells bells and concentrating on their own game. In fact, I'd say that if they knew Reading were winning it could have had an adverse affect as they'd have been under even more pressure to win then.

Maybe its Charlton's fault that Arsenal didn't win the title, as if Charlton had beaten Man Utd it would have given Arsenal a huge boost. Forget the fact that Arsenal failed to beat a team that was in the bottom 6 on their home ground, no blame attributed to Arsenal it is obviously all Charlton's fault... Yes? (Just as Brighton failed to win at a club who had finished bottom when they needed to win to stay up)

By Stu (212.137.33.208) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 08:52 am: Edit

Oh, and that Ipswich game. We didn't even have a bleedin shot that day. Forget the fact that Crewe thumped Barnsley, we failed to have a shot on target (let alone 3 goals) in a game we needed to win to stay up.

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:35 am: Edit

Paul Hall had a shot on target at the end of the 1st half.
But yes, we were rubbish and deservedly went down.

By readingsaddler (81.6.225.7) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 04:27 pm: Edit

err why we hating reading here i mean we beat them in the playoff final and i dont remember seeing them make a fuss out of that (well more than they should of anyway)its kinda worked out for the best for boths sides though. i mean both in div 1 and alan pardew received the extra funding that he wanted. Anyway whats the pre season fixture list i know we have villa at bescot buts thats about as far as my knowledge runs???!!!!

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 05:01 pm: Edit

That's all there is at the moment. No pre season tour, though. All matches will be local.

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.176) on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 09:39 pm: Edit

No fixture list for a few weeks readingsaddler.

Nothing else to do, Sjoke stayed up, which totally pi$$es me off, so I'm having a go at Reading for helping 'em on the last day. Not "we" hating Reading mate, just "me" hating Reading for a short while until I get over it.

I have the right ! It makes me feel a bit better about Sjoke.

And Stu and Tim, you still don't get it about the Ipswich game do you - I watched it, and I know on the day we deserved to lose. But can you not recall that Ipswich went as flat as a f@rt, the team, the fans, the whole place, it was like a graveyard once news from elsewhere made it obvious they were not going to get automatic promotion. For most of the second half they did nothing more than go through the motions. If you didn't see that you must have been at a different game to me.

With that in mind, if we had heard news that Crewe or Albion were losing we would have been lifted and I've no doubt we could have gone on to overcome a disinterested Ipswich side in the second half.

Same thing last weekend with Sjoke-Reading and Grimsby-Brighton - Brighton were ahead but visibly lost heart when the news went around that Sjoke had gone in front. It's obvious that's the effect it would have on them - the situation was out of their hands to start with unless Reading performed and won, and it had slipped even further away from them with that Sjoke goal. Reading offered no resistance, which surprised and disappointed me greatly, especially considering the friendship between Coppell and Pardew.

I don't understand how anyone can fail to see the difference it might have made to Brighton if things had gone differently at Sjoke !

By Ian Gittins (81.132.46.87) on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 12:31 am: Edit

The problem with that Ipswich-Walsall game was that they were a far better team than us and we could hardly get the ball, let alone have a shot at goal. Whatever Lee's failings may be, it's very rare we have a game like that now.

By SheffieldSaddler (217.33.133.2) on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 08:02 am: Edit

Surely Brighton should have made sure they won, thats the bottom line. Even if they heard that Sjoke were leading against Reading, the game should not have gone flat or anything.
It only takes seconds to score a goal, Reading could have scored 2 in the last few minutes, how would Brighton have felt then!

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 12:24 pm: Edit

Geoff....I was at Hadrians wall a few weeks back and, depsite the corrosive effects of the weather etc, none of the Forts could be described as flat.

By Stu (195.147.91.226) on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 08:16 pm: Edit

Geoff, yes, it did go flat. But if you think we'd have had 3 shots and 5 successive passess against them, your living in dream land... They outplayed us from 1st to 92nd minute, we were made to look like the 2nd division side we were.

Regardless of how they were, it doesn't matter. As has been said, we couldn't even get the ball let alone score 3 goals when 2 nil down, that would have been the case even if everyone else was losing.

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.175) on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 09:53 pm: Edit

We agree to differ then Stu. The way I saw it was Ipswich, a team suddenly down, disappointed and totally dis-interested, against Walsall, a side that could suddenly have seen some hope of survival against opposition that didn't want to play, the game would not have carried on in the same vein.

But we shall never know.

By JPD (203.18.34.5) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 03:40 am: Edit

Sheffaldo - if it only takes a second to score a goal and there were 2 minutes left we could have romped home with 120 of the b*ggers!

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.176) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 10:00 am: Edit

Tim, just read back up the thread and understood what your 'Hadrians Wall' post was about.

I think you'll find I said flat as a f@rt, where '@' = 'a', NOT 'o' - as if you didn't know !

By Ian Gittins (213.165.1.130) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 12:28 pm: Edit

Geoff, have you ever seen Good Morning Vietnam, where the army sergeant says "I understand humour" and dissects jokes in painstaking detail?

Just wondered, is all.

By Tim Wilkes (213.2.51.198) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 12:40 pm: Edit

Geoff- have you ever owned an allotment?

By Chris Owen (217.205.220.2) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 12:59 pm: Edit

He has a green shed and grows turnips.

Fensaddler

By A Gardening Publisher (213.165.1.130) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 01:02 pm: Edit

That's a turnip for the books!

By Lieutenant Steve (195.137.44.98) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 01:26 pm: Edit

Oh, I see.

You've used the word "turnip" in place of the words "turn up", and then gone on to refer to "turnip" and "books" in your username.

Very good.

By Mr C (194.70.199.62) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 02:11 pm: Edit

E's are good

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.166) on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 03:35 pm: Edit

Ian, don't ask stupid questions, of course I did, where do you think I learned to dissect Tim's "joke ?? like that

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