Accrington Web - 2018/19 Prediction League; Game 42 v Walsall FC (home)

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Walsall FC

2018/19 Prediction League; Game 42 v Walsall FC (home)

It’s a little known fact (but none the less interesting for that) that if you start at the Ural Mountains and go west, the highest point between there and America is Barr Beacon, a landmark local to Walsall ...............

The name “Walsall” is believed to have derived from the words “Walh Halh” – which apparently means “valley of the Welsh speakers”; Walsall wasn’t in the Domesday Book (although it should have been, because it’s documented in 1002 under the name of “Walesho”), but a local bigwig called William FitzAnsculf (“Bastard Son of Ansculf”) held a manor there, and it’s had a Tuesday Market since 1220 ............ and it's only just Quarter past One now

Once upon a time Walsall was in Staffordshire, until, in 1974, some Bastard Son of Someone moved Staffordshire, thereby abandoning Walsall (and various other places) to that well known County known as The West Midlands ............... It’s 8 miles NW of Birmingham, 6 miles E of Wolver’ampton (“What yow doing, Owr Ayli?”), and quite near Lichfield (isn’t that nice?) ............. Its inhabitants, at and since the Industrial Revolution, earned their Brass from making saddles, chains and buckles; its current fortunes are best demonstrated by the fact that the same store premises, between 1995 and 2011, were occupied by Woolworths, then TJ Hughes (for 18 months), and then Poundland ...........so not a place on the up, then. Personally I think It All Started to Go Wrong when Woolies went to the wall!

A season of several halves and a few Sticky Bits, the Saddlers have had (thought for the day – see above; why are they The Saddlers? Why not “The Chains”? Or even “The Buckles”? .............. After seven games they were 5th, with 15 points from 7 games (W4 D3); after 19 games (the 19th was a home Desmond against Blunderland, the Walsallians having snatched a draw out of a 2-0 lead!) they were 11th, with 27 points from 19 games (by then we were 10th, one point better off on 28); of the following 22 games they won four (Coventry 2-1, the Gills (over whom the did the double) 3-0 away, Bratfud 3-2 and Fleetwood 2-0), drew 3 (a half Desmond at the Posh, a home Desmond against the Louts, and a goalless Desmond at Burton’s Gents Outfitters FC), and lost fifteen ........ they’re on a run of five defeats in a row, and had a similar run three games before that (which were the Bratfud-Burton-Fleetwood games) .......... five game losing streaks aren’t a good idea at this point of the season, it must be said.

The last of the most recent run of 5 defeats (1-3 at home to Oxford) was The Final Straw in the Haystack Full of Needles to the Walsall Board, who summarily terminated manager Dean Keates (who had spent the 18 months prior to his appointment at Walsall as the Wrexham manager, following the sacking there of Gary Mills) ............ looking round for a suitable replacement for Mr Keates (wasn’t he once a famous Poet?), they jotted down the skill set that they thought they needed; they settled on former club skipper Martin O’Connor, a local lad (born in Walsall) and an ex-midfielder who spent two separate spells of his playing career at the Bescot, appointing him until the end of the season (or, to put it another way, for the next five games) ............. I don’t know whether they’ve realised that the last manager they had there who was a local-born midfielder who played two spells at the Bescot was ......... Dean Keates!

We went down Brummie Way on 29th September and did them 1-0 courtesy of a 7th minute penalty by Billy Whizz (I wish he hadn’t missed the two more recent spot kicks – was it two?) ............ Since then they’ve had an FA Cup run which saw them eliminate Coventry 3-2, and Sunderland (away) 1-0 after a home half-Desmond, before going out in Round Three 5-2 at Bolton (which is nearly as many as Bolton have scored all season in the League – and hands up who doesn’t think that Nat’s Old Boys will be joining us in League One next season, along with The Tractor Boys – Toto, Janoi and Kayden included) .............

The EFL Cup saw them lose to Macclesfield on pens (3-1) after a 3-3 home draw, and the EFLTroffy run came to a sticky end at Shrewsbury in Round Two .................. They’ve signed a few, but it’s not made a happ’orth of difference, sithee; Scottish CB Russell Martin from Norwich; RB Ben Purkiss from Swindon; Belgian MF Omar Mussa from Yellow Red Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen, who play near Antwerp; RB Cameron Norman from Oxford (presumably in case the other RB’s no good?); and CB Dan Scarr from The Brum (be hilarious listening to a Brummie talking to a Belgian!) ....... there were also five LoanSignings – Norwich LW Matt Jarvis, LB Scott Laird from Vegan Greenpeace United, QPR striker Aramide Oteh, RW Corey Blackett-Taylor from Villa, and Jack BastardSonOfMrWater, who re-signed for the rest of the season .............. departures took LW Josh Ginnelly to PNE and Russell Martin (see “signings” above) to MK Dons after three months less a week alongside the M6 (which is broadly where Walsall is; its greatest claim to fame is still the RAC Control Centre!)

The midweek games didn’t sort anything out, except that it took our other game in hand off us for no points return, took Rochdoodles out of the bottom four, cemented Charlton’s position, and left Wycombe on 43 points, which puts them the Closest Team to the Greasy Pole Who Aren’t Actually in the Bottom Four. Yet

Such is the quality of the footie in League One that there are six sides who haven’t won in (at least) their last five games .......... Top of the Arrrrrgggghhh League are Bratfud, Walsall and Wycombe, who have all lost five in a row (0/15); next come the Stanley and Sarfend, who have drawn one and lost four (1/15), and chasing hard on their heels are Brizzle (D3 L2); and if it all comes down to GD or – worse – GF, we’re not in a thrilling place, because Rochdale (-29), Bratfud (-26), Walsall (-23), Wimbledon (-22) and Scunthorpe (-21) are worse than our -19, but it’s four to go down ........... and on GS we’re on 41 – level with Brizzle, and better only than the Wombles (37).......... and the Louts Fans have seen their team score twice as many as we’ve seen (80 plays 41) ............. And it’s Very Worrying

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 13th April (thank goodness it’s not Friday 13th!) And casting around for a Saint to have a Quick Word With, I chanced on St Jude ......... but he’s the Patron Saint of Lost Causes ................ and for the time being at least I think I’ll stick with the Voodoo Gods of Football! And St Coley, of course ........

Good luck to everyone! ............... Keep the Faith! ............. And thanks for playing!

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