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In came former Wolves boss Colin Lee, assisted by ex-Claret Dave Merrington, and although it was only by two points in the end they finished the season in an almost comfortable looking 18th place. It did though take an unbeaten run of five games at the end, including three wins, to see them to safety.
Staying in the same division for two seasons was a habit they were getting out of with two promotions and a relegation in the three previous years but this time they have retained their position at this level for the first time in forty years.
They are even making changes to their 12 year-old Bescot Stadium with a new stand being built at the most spotted stadium in England. There is a steady stream of traffic passes it on the nearby road known as the M6, usually very slowly too with traffic jams common.
Not many clubs in this division have been able to bring in many players to strengthen since the end of last season but Walsall have been somewhat fortunate and Colin Lee has added six new faces to the squad. The first to arrive was Australian striker David Zdrilic from German side Unterhaching and he was followed by Dani Rodrigues (Southampton), Danny Hay (Leeds), Darren Bazeley (Wolves) and two former Clarets Danny Sonner from Birmingham and Stoke goalkeeper Gavin Ward.
The 2002/03 season has brought with it a steady start and they are currently in 16th place with 14 points from their 12 games. This week is the first time this season they have been behind the Clarets but they are now four places behind with two points less.
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Last Saturday in the league they earned themselves a point when all looked lost at Pride Park against Derby. Two Malcolm Christie goals had seen Derby two up after 53 minutes with the Saddlers down and out but Zdrilic pulled one back on 64 minutes.
Derby were the better side and with ten minutes to go Walsall’s Danny Hay was sent off but in the third and last minute of stoppage time Darren Wrack broke through after a missed clearance from Chris Riggott. Derby keeper brought Wrack down and Zigor Aranalde won them a point with the resulting penalty.
The Walsall team was: James Walker, Zigor Aranalde, Danny Hay, Ian Roper, Darren Bazeley, Steve Corica, Fitzroy Simpson, (Tony Barras 81), Martyn O’Connor, Darren Wrack, Jorge Leitao, Junior (Gary Birch 84). Subs not used: Gavin Ward, Roberto Martinez, Pedro Miguel Matias.
With 15 goals they have scored two more than the Clarets in the league and have conceded one more. Three of their players have each scored three of the goals, Corica, Leitao and Zdrilic.
They will arrive at Turf Moor looking for their third away win in the league this season having picked up maximum points at both Brighton and Millwall.
Click HERE for all Walsall’s results this season.
He played for both
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This is somewhat difficult when the opposition is Walsall and in the entire post war era only a handful of players have played for both clubs. Of those only one went on to make ten or more league appearances for the Clarets and that is David Wilson.
He joined the Clarets in September 1969 from Walsall for £12,000 and proved to be Harry Potts’ last signing for the club in his first spell as manager. It was a somewhat surprising and strange signing.
The Wolverhampton born striker had started his career with Nottingham Forest but made just nine appearances before signing for Carlisle in an £8,000 deal. He scored 23 goals there in 55 games and that persuaded Grimsby to part with £10,000 for him. More goals, 22 in 63 games saw him move on to Walsall but after just a year there he was on his way to Turf Moor.
He was with the Clarets for almost two seasons but never established himself in the first team and never scored a goal. In all he made 13 league appearances and another 3 in the FA Cup. It was the first of those FA Cup games that he had his best game for us, a 3-0 win over Wolves on the Turf.
Even in the struggle of the relegation season in 1970/71 he was only used five times and at the end of that season was released by Jimmy Adamson.
From Burnley it was Chesterfield and he made more appearances for them than any other club. He was there for four years and when released at the end of the 1974/75 season he retired from the game at the age of 30.
In total he made 304 league appearances scoring 77 goals.
League results in the last 20 years
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
a | |||||
1983/84 | 3 | h | 0-2 | 3,948 | |
a | 1-1 | 8,131 | Hamilton | ||
1984/85 | 3 | h | 1-2 | 3,350 | Hird |
a | 3-2 | 3,396 | A.Taylor(2) Hird | ||
1990/91 | 4 | h | 2-0 | 7,883 | Eli Grewcock |
a | 0-1 | 5,710 | |||
1991/92 | 4 | h | 2-0 | 7,289 | Davis(pen) Lancashire |
a | 2-2 | 5,287 | Eli Conroy | ||
1995/96 | 2 | h | 1-1 | 8,778 | Joyce |
a | 1-3 | 3,411 | Nogan | ||
1996/97 | 2 | h | 2-1 | 10,322 | Eyres Nogan |
a | 3-1 | 6,306 | Cooke(2) Barnes | ||
1997/98 | 2 | h | 2-1 | 9,293 | Barnes Cooke |
a | 0-0 | 5,212 | |||
1998/99 | 2 | h | 0-0 | 10,892 | |
a | 1-3 | 4,599 | Armstrong | ||
2001/02 | 1 | h | 5-2 | 14,019 | Taylor I Moore Briscoe(2) Cook |
a | 0-1 | 5,611 |
Click HERE for a complete list of the games played between Burnley and Walsall which dates back to a 4-1 win in September 1897.
Last Time in the League
Burnley 5 (Taylor 21 I Moore 45 Briscoe 69,72 Cook 80) Walsall 2 (Wrack 51 Davis og 64) – Nationwide League Division 1, Saturday 15th September 2001
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It was the game that Stan and many others didn’t want to play coming just four days after the atrocities in America and the game was preceded by the most immaculately observed minute’s silence.
The game got off to the sort of start we had hoped for though and one that we had come to expect. Top of the league and going for a sixth win in seven games we were on top from the start. The only surprise was that it took us 21 minutes to take the lead. Mitchell Thomas, playing his first game of the season and supposedly playing in the centre of defence, suddenly got down the right wing and crossed superbly for Gareth Taylor to head home.
By half time, and right on half time it was two with Ian Moore scoring and the points looked in the bag.
That was the first half though and Graydon’s team came out in the second half and took the game to the Clarets. Within six minutes they had pulled one back and were looking the better side.
This is when Stan made his substitution and took off a striker (Ian Moore) and brought on a defender (Lee Briscoe) and saw Walsall promptly equalise through a Steve Davis own goal. There had been boos at the time of the substitution but now we needed goals.
This is where we start to wonder. Is Stan really a genius? Not only did we get back into the game but within eight minutes of the equaliser we found ourselves two in front again. And who scored not one but both of them – Lee Briscoe – and in doing so scored twice in a match for the first time in his career. And so Stan settled down in the dug out smugly in the knowledge that he had got it right again.
A fifth followed and it was a goal worth more than a mention as Paul Cook picked the ball up on the left touchline, looked up and saw keeper Walker off his line and promptly chipped him from some distance. This was without doubt a touch of genius from a quality player.
The win left the Clarets four points clear at the top of the league.
The teams were:
Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Dean West, Steve Davis, Mitchell Thomas, Arthur Gnohere, Glen Little, Kevin Ball, Paul Cook, Alan Moore (John Mullin 85), Ian Moore (Lee Briscoe 59), Gareth Taylor (Tony Ellis 88). Subs not used: Luigi Cennamo, Andy Payton.
Walsall: James Walker, Ian Brightwell, Zigor Aranalde, Ian Roper, Tony Barras, Moreira Erivelto, Matthew Gadsby (Darren Byfield 74), Fitzroy Simpson, Pedro Matias (Carlos Garrocho 45), Darren Wrack, Jorge Leitao (Don Goodman 74). Subs not used: Andy Tillson, Tom Bennett.
Referee: Mr. P. Prosser (Gloucestershire).