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Name - Freddy Biancalani
Position - Left Back, Left Midfield, Central Midfield
Appearances - 20
Goals - 2
Period - August 2000 - March 2001

Freddy Biancalani was a one club man before joining the Saddlers in August 2001.

In 1993 Freddy signed for French Second Division Club Nancy as a 19 year old. He went on to become a first team regular and Club Captain.

He ended his 7 year stay with Nancy in the summer of 2000 and decided to try and find a British club.

After an impressive outing for Huddersfield in a pre-season friendly he attracted the interest of  other clubs. Hibs, Preston, Huddersfield and the Saddlers were all vying for his signing, but he chose to join the Saddlers.

His first game came as a sub against Exeter in the league club. He had been brought in for his versatility and the fact he would help provide some competition for Zigor Aranalde at left back.

He never really managed to establish himself as a regular first team player. He got injured in a training ground accident shortly after joining, then got sent off against Preston for stamping on an opponent, which put him in Ray Graydon's bad books. Which is not a good place to be.

He scored goals against Grimsby and Crewe and impressed the fans with some good touches and intelligent play. He used the ball well and was best deployed as a central midfielder. He was neither a holding or attacking midfielder and was extremely versatile.

Considering we fought hard to secure his services we didn't use him as much as most of us had expected. When Lee replaced Graydon it signaled the end for Freddy. Lee signed extra midfielders like O'Connor and Corica, and Freddy played his last game for the club against Gillingham in March.

Freddy returned to France and resigned for Nancy, where he is still playing at this moment in time (early 2004)

Freddy was only 27 when he joined us and had a lot to offer the team. Why he wasn't used more often bemuses many fans. Most people recognised he was a good footballer who with time could have become a key member of our team.

Photograph (c) asnl.net

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Name - Roger Boli
Position - Striker
Appearances - 57
Goals - 24
Period - July 1997 - July 1998

Roger Boli began his career with Auxerre in 1984. His four year stay with them saw him keep Eric Cantona out of the first team and win a number of U21 caps.

He signed for Lille in 1988, where stayed for 12 months before signing for RC Lens. Roger went on to become a popular figure at Lens, thanks mainly to his lively performances and passion for the game.

The highlight of his 6 year stay in northern France came in the 93/94 season when he finished the season on 20 goals as the Divisions top scorer.

After nearly 200 appearances for Lens he moved to Le Harve where he spent one season before joining Walsall.

Boli made an immediate impact by finding the net 6 times in his first 6 games, including a stunning hat trick against Southend United, which included one of the finest goals ever scored by a Walsall player. Boli sent a 20 yard bicycle kick in to the top right hand corner of the goal, from a cross that looked to be going nowhere.

He finished the season on 24 goals, but 17 of them came before the new year when he was on top form. He only managed another 7 goals after Christmas as the form of both Boli, and the team dwindled. He did manage to score our only goal in a 5-1 defeat against Man United at Old Trafford, but that was as good as it got. Why his form dipped is hard to figure out. Did the opposition figure him out? Did he become a marked man? Did he lose interest? Was he unsettled? Or did the fact he played nearly 60 games simply take its toll on him, because the typical French season consists of no more than 45 games in all competitions.

It was a strange season for the Saddlers. They did well in the League and the FA Cup. Reached the area final of the LDV Vans Trophy but only finished 4 points above the relegation zone.

Boli had proved himself to be an exiting talent with a tremendous amount of ability on the ball. Despite being 32 years old he had lots of pace and brought the element of the unexpected to the side.

Many fans hoped there wouldn't be to much interest in a 32 year old foreigner with erratic form, but they were wrong, Dundee United signed him for £150,000 in the summer of 1998.

Roger spent 3 months with Dundee United where injuries limited him to just 5 appearances and one goal. A Recent poll asking fans who their clubs worst ever signing was led to Dundee fans choosing Roger Boli. Boli was sold to Bournemouth for £150,000 in October 1998.

Roger continued to struggle with injuries throughout 98/99, only managing 9 appearances (without a goal) before retiring in the summer.

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Name - Jean Jacques Eydelie
Position - Central Midfield
Appearances - 12
Goals - 0
Period - March 1998 - May 1998

JJ Eydelie was part of the successful Marseille side of the early 1990s, but he also played a big part in what went wrong with that talented team. When the match fixing allegations came to light it became apparent that Eydelie was playing a key role. Eydelie was one of the Marseille players who approached opposing teams, asking them to throw games.

While at Marseille he won the European Cup playing alongside Barthez, Desailly, Deschamps, Boksik and Voller. He left the club under a cloud after the match fixing allegations and signed for Bastia before moving to the Swiss Club, Sion a few years later.  

Eydelie joined the Saddlers on loan from Sion in March 1998 and slotted in straight in to the midfield. It was a time for cool experienced heads and Eydelie seemed to fit the bill.

He made his debut against Watford and played another 12 games before the end of season, missing a few more through injury.

After leaving Walsall Eydelie he had a further spell with Sion, before moving on to FC Zurich and Beauvais. Eydelie retired in the summer of 2003.

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Name - Regis Garrault
Position - Winger
Appearances - 2
Goals - 0
Period - December 1998

Garrault played all of his football in France prior to joining the Saddlers. His clubs had included Laval, Le Mans and Châteauroux. His first club in England was Nottingham Forest who decided not to offer him a deal after a short trial spell.

He joined the Saddlers in December 1998. His two game stay included a sub appearance in a 2-0 defeat to Preston, and a start in the LDV Vans tie against Bristol Rovers which we won on penalties.

Regis never did enough to impress and went off to play in China. He is now retired and works as a Rep for the French version of the PFA.

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Name - Jean-Francois Peron
Position - Winger
Appearances - 52
Goals - 1
Period - July 1997 - July 1998

Jean-Francois Peron began his career with Strasbourg in the late 1980s. He moved to Lens in 1992 where he enjoyed a four year stay playing alongside another former Walsall favourite, Roger Boli.

Like Boli, Peron was a seasoned First Division player, but dropped in to the Second Division to play for Caen in 96/97. He was released by Caen in 1997 and headed to Britain.

He joined Ayr United on trial, and they realised they had a real talent on their hands. They were unable to put together a suitable financial package and Peron headed south to join the Saddlers on trial.

Jan Sorenson had promised the fans attractive attacking football, and Peron was earmarked to play a big role in it. Peron went on to start every single game he could in 97/98 (Missing the odd game through injury, but never being dropped or used as a sub).

To name a memorable game or moment is impossible. He rarely had a bad game, and took opposition full backs apart on a regular basis. He was the most consistent member of the team and won the player of the season award that year.

He never looked out place when we played the likes of Forest, Sheffield United and Man United in the Cup Competitions , which is a testament to his ability.

Peron's ability to weave and jink his way around full backs made him a fans favourite. He was an honest professional, a grafter.

Although the team struggled that season, Peron blossomed. There was no way we were going to be able to keep him hold of him.

It looked as though he might have been staying at one stage. He was in the team photo for 98/99 , but didn't see eye to eye with Graydon and left the club for Pompey in September. We managed to get £150,000 for a 32 year old player who had only had one good season in the second division. A good bit of business by the Saddlers who went on to achieve promotion that year.

The thought of Peron teaming up with Wrack and supplying crosses for Andy Rammell would have been a mouth watering prospect, but he soon got to grips with first division football and became a permanent fixture in the Pompey team for the rest of the season. He started of 99/00 as a first team player but soon lost his place and signed for Wigan on a free Transfer in November.

Peron was in and out of the Wigan team all season, his final game in English Football came in the Play-Off final where he played the last 20 minutes of a 3-2 defeat to Gillingham.

When the James Walker testimonial game was held in the Summer of 2003, Peron was the only former foreigner who made the journey back to Bescot. When he was introduced to the crowd along with a host of other Saddlers he received the biggest cheer of all, prompting the whole of the Bescot to rise to their feet and sing "There's only one Peron".

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Name - Ludovic Pollet
Position - Central Defender
Appearances - 5
Goals - 0
Period - November 2002 - January 2003

Ludo Pollet began his career with Cannes in 1991. He spent four years with them before he moved  to Le Harve where he spent another four seasons, one of which saw him play alongside another former Saddler - Roger Boli.

He was signed by Lens in time for the 99/00 season, but he never quite settled and after a successful loan spell with Wolves he completed a permanent move in September 1999.

He started his four year stay in England at 29 years of age, and with well over 300 games in the French leagues under his belt.

Ludo went on to make a big impression at Molinuex winning the player of the season award and becoming a fans favourite.

02/03 saw his run in the Molinuex first team come to an end as he fell out of favour with boss Dave Jones.

Colin Lee pulled off what was an impressive loan signing when he got Pollet to come to Bescot. His record while at the club read won 2, lost 2 and drew 1. Pollet joined at a time when we were struggling for numbers at the back, and when Colin Lee was keen on playing 3-5-2.

He returned to Wolves where he made another 3 appearances before being released in the Summer. Pollet returned to France where he opened a Clothes shop with his Wife in Northern Paris.

He has since done some Coaching work with French  Division club USL Dunkirk. 

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Name - Didier Tholot
Position - Striker
Appearances - 16
Goals - 5
Period - March 1998 - May 1998

A young Didier Tholot began his career with Toulon in 1984. He spent 11 years outside the French First Division with Toulon, Niort, Reims, St Etienne and Martigues before earning a big move to Bordeaux in 1995.

Didier was a regular goal scorer with all of his former clubs and got to spend two years at the top with Bordeaux.

While with Bordeaux he reached the 95/96 UEFA Cup Final, where he played in both legs against Bayern Munich. Although Bordeaux eventually lost to Munich they took some big scalps on the way to the final, including AC Milan, who Tholot scored against in the earlier rounds.

Tholot kept some impressive company at the time, playing alongside the likes of Lizarazu, Duggary and Zidane.

His stay with Bordeaux came to an end in 1997 when he signed for Swiss club FC Sion. Midway through his stay with Sion he was loaned out to the Saddlers after failing to break in to their first team.

He joined the Saddlers at a time when Roger Boli was struggling for goals, and the team were sinking down the table fast.

He made a good impression on his debut, scoring in a 3-1 win over Watford. His three month stay resulted in 16 appearances and 5 goals. His performances were not outstanding, but he did the job and took a bit of pressure off Roger Boli.

He was a good reader of the game and held the ball up well. He wasn't great in the air, or blessed with a lot of pace, but he had a presence about him in the 18 yard box, and if had joined the Saddlers at the start of the season he would have settled in a lot quicker and weighed in with his fair share of goals.

We never tried to sign him permanently and he returned to Sion where he stayed for another season  before moving to another Swiss Club - FC Basle. He had a productive two years with Basle then went on to sign for Young Boys where he wasn't too successful. After 12 months with Young Boys he dropped in to the Swiss second division to play for Vevey. He recaptured his goal scoring form and enjoyed 2 good seasons with the club.

Tholot's former club FC Sion have recently been relegated for financial irregularities. In the Summer of 2003 the 40 year old Tholot became a free agent and was resigned by his former club. He now combines playing with a coaching role at the club.

Photograph (c) fcb.ch and MartensBaselPage

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