By Alan Stokes
December 21 2003

Having established ourselves as a first division side and having assembled the highest quality of playing staff ever seen at Walsall, why are there pockets of discontent on the terraces? Well, Christmas is upon us and Walsall are mid table in the first division. In fact, they are comfortably placed half way up the first division. In all honesty, this is the top flight as far as Walsall are concerned and anyone that harbours ambitions of escaping to the Premier League needs to seek an immediate mental health check. Therefore, everything in the garden should be rosy as we are happily placed in the top flight of the football league. However, this is not the case.

You will read regularly on message boards and in newspaper columns that Colin Lee has assembled the finest squad of players ever to represent the Saddlers. Indeed, who could ever have imagined during the dismal Barnwell years that Paul Merson and Vinnie Samways would in future years be turning out in Walsall colours? Anyone foolish enough to utter such things at that time would have been carted away.

So, given that we are more than likely to see out another term in the upper reaches of the football league, given that we have arguably the most successful managers in recent years and given that we have the highest quality of playing staff ever assembled at Walsall why are there large pockets of discontent on the terraces?

I openly admit that I am not a Colin Lee fan. I do not like the way his team plays football. I am not saying that I wish him to go as it is doubtful that anyone else could have attracted the players that he has done to the club with minimal amounts of cash. What I seriously miss is a team that plays with true wingers (you remember, they are the ones that hug the touchline, receive the ball, run at the defenders and supply telling crosses). I can spend hours re-watching all the goals of our promotion campaign when Brissett and Wracky ran defenders ragged and supplied the ammo for Rambo to net again. I long for another Jeff Peron to scamper down the left flank. I even dream (though not in a sexual sense) of Hodge and Houghton.

Whilst I am of course delighted to see Walsall fully established as a first division outfit I can honestly say that I haven’t really enjoyed it. Strange but true. There is a lack of excitement and maybe this is what is causing so much unrest on the Walsall terraces. Let me explain.

For years, following Walsall home and away was a bit of a “culty” (yes culty) thing to do. Under the Barnwell and Hibbitt years there was no hope, no ambition just the freakish feeling of excitement you got when you turned up at Spotland or Sincil Bank. Chris Nicholl then came along and changed everything. He turned up at Bescot, grabbed the players by the short and curlies and dragged them to promotion. Since that glorious day at Gigg Lane subsequent years under Nicholl, Fat Jan and Sir Ray have been somewhat exciting with each season culminating in a promotion, a relegation or a dog fight against relegation. Each season was unpredictable. There was always the pre season optimism of promotion which was either gained or thrown away.

Nowadays, having now established ourselves in the top flight of the Nationwide there are no realistic hopes to cling to in terms of a promotion season - only the thought of another relegation. This year though it looks like mid table obscurity will be achieved. Unfortunately, this means there is no excitement comparable with previous years and maybe this goes someway to explaining the feelings of discontent currently heard on the terraces.
We have been spoiled in the excitement stakes over the last 10 years

Get a couple of wingers in Col and cheers us all up.

Merry Christmas to one and all.