Thetownend.com

As suggested in the Fixtures thread...

IPlayer is obviously supposed to read iFollow, oops.

Watching legitimately on iFollow from Timbuktu.

I can’t imagine anyone watching iFollow Illegitimately :D

 :D  :funny:

👍

Signed up for a 16 mile walk so won't be tuning in for this one.

Hope that you do a little walking in preparation!

Good luck with that one !!.

Thanks, I'll probably need it!

Wasn't going, wasn't going, wasn't going... going.

I see their Jamie Jellis had been charged for misconduct for allegedly placing a total of 2,248 bets on matches between 30 April 2019 and 4 July 2023.  That's an average of 2 a day

He's got 2 grand on us spanking them 5-1 with a Tabor hat trick right?

You can still get odds of 15/1 for winning the league and 4/1 for promotion.

Around 2,000 sold with a few hundred up for grabs supposedly, still a week to go as well. Some following that is

Shall I or not? Can’t make me mind up.

I have fear of missing out.

Buy now still for sale online😁

Luckily now we are unable to make it to the family wedding so I will be able to watch the whole game online.

The wife pulled a sicky and I benefit :)

Maybe they will have live footage of the wedding you can watch online ;D

They wont and I wont bother anyway :)

Was there last year and was great atmosphere. Will be even better this time out if there are 2000 plus away fans. Should give the team plenty of encouragement to hit the ground running. Can’t be there this time out, but hopefully is online and can watch it there.

had planned to attend this as for me it's a home game. only to find I'd double booked and got a weekend in Torquay planned

So Sky + it is via my mobile

 :nod:

Nah, I was there with the 3600 others a few years back. Good day out though, beers in Brum then the train to Walsall.

Me and my lad are going, the closest game for us ( just)
say hello if you see us

here we are last time at Walsall

(https://i.ibb.co/rRXSSsh7/IMG-0802.jpg) (https://ibb.co/bMGZZJVW)

Couldn’t resist. Got 2.

Good stuff. 2000 beers are on Audrey.

Haven’t been to Walsall since the 70s. Don’t know why.

Presume it’s bollocks for parking.

It’s on Sky sports plus I believe. I will be there. I went to both the Garner games there - great atmospheres on both occasions.

Just drive into Bescott Crescent, if the car parks are full carry on to the housing areas. Just make sure not residents parking.

Is the train not convenient for you?

Never thought about the train. Any idea of the logistics from Chippenham?

If you are really worried about parking you can park at Morrisons for <£3. Use the justpark app. It's about a 15 minute walk

Thanks, Batch. Train looks pricey.

Morrisons Car Park - Wallows Lane WS2 9BZ if you need the full address

Or park in the station car park opposite if getting there early.

The bar at the ground, which was decent, is no longer open to away fans.

Scraping snow off the top of the motor shouldn't be an issue.
Those that were there for that Boxing Day game will remember.

Oh no, didn't know about the bar. Cheers wobble.

Yeah I guess time getting there is the key to knowing where to park

Just checked and the bar at the ground looks to have shut up shop completely.

Plenty of options in Brum for those able & willing to take liquid refreshment on board.
Downtown Walsall isn't too bad & fare dodging to the Bescot should be ok.

Pretty sure the pub was called The Railway just outside New Street station the one that every one met at for the Garner season

Am I being stupido?

It's only letting me buy 1x Walsall ticket.

Just checked and you’re correct it will only let you buy one ticket in either stand.

sad times because i would like 2

It has to be a computer issue as just checked the Wallsall site and it’s only letting them select one ticket in different stands.

Trocadero on Temple Street just north of New Street  is decent. Went there 3 years ago, then train to Bescot.

That's odd. I bought 2 Wednesday. But I am an st.holder.

I always forget to increase the quantity before choosing. Only mentioning in the unlikely event you have done same

Yeah tried but nothing.

I guess I'll try again tomorrow morning?

I can currently put 2 in the basket for the side stand. I guess as it's gone midnight you won't see this

Has he turned into a pumpkin?

I ordered 2 tickets yesterday - both unassigned seating.

Click the total at the top and it will give you the option of the side stand only. It looks like the stand behind the goal is sold out.

It was open last season to away fans as was the outdoor fanzone.

Makes sense.

Away ground guide site speaks with forked tongue.

In the Garner season the hotel pub was packed with town. Is that no longer an option?

I’m presuming when seats are allocated if you’ve bought 2 they’ll be together

To be fair it's very rare that you have to sit in allocated seats at an away game

I figured it out. I selected one behind the goal, let it go into my basket, then just refreshed, went back and put another one in my basket severalty.

There was a £3 per head admission for away fans last season.

That makes even more sense from a home club point of view.

If only we had plans for a functioning fan zone where all fans were able to mingle before the game.

I'm bored. So it's prediction time for the opening day starting 11.

GK: Ripley - Nothing needs to be said.

RCB: Clarke - Has to play. Club captain and much needed leadership. Don't see much of a future for him here in a midfield 2, so it's going to have to be at centre back.

CB: Wright - Given the license to spray the ball around as the middle centre back.

LCB: Wilson-Brown - Will get the nod over Delaney. Will add much needed recovery pace to this defence.

RWB: Snowdon - This will come too early for McGregor. No other realistic options here.

LWB: Munroe - I am JUST giving him the nod over Kirkman. It's harsh - I'm not fussed either way who he goes with, but I imagine we'll be under pressure from Villa to play this kid.

CM: Kilkenny - Has to play for me. Oldaker will feel hard done by, but he will get plenty of opportunities as the season progresses.

CM: Nichols - Holloway will play him. His work rate, his pressing, his intelligence to take up clever positions. I was particularly impressed with how well these 2 played together away at Grimsby. I think he'll go for tried and tested.

RW: Drinan - No brainer. Is he more talented than Bodin or Glatzel? absolutely not, but we are a better side with him in it. Another who will press all day and bring the best out of others. Can be sacrificed in the second half for more flair.

ST: Smith - Obviously.

LW: Ameen - This kids time to shine. He will almost certainly start.

Bench: Ward, Kirkman, Ball, Oldaker, Glatzel, Tabor, Bodin

Left out of squad: Minturn, Delaney, McGregor (fitness), Mabete, Mitchell, Butterworth.

Moonraker heavily hinted Mabete was seen as first choice LCB, however I can’t see how he starts after Eastleigh. Gave away a penalty and got sent off. From what I saw on Saturday he’s still got some development needed, imagine Wilson-Brown starts at Walsall instead now.

That would be a surprise to me, considering all sources I'm looking at indicate he's right footed. Competent on his left perhaps but still a big ask.

Pretty sure hes predominantly right footed so hes likely to be RCB alongside Wright in the middle and the new lad LCB, Fil can also sit in front of the back 3/4 in a tough tackling DMC role if needed.

I think he was probably trying too hard to impress on Saturday so needs to reel it in with the going into tackles so hard.

He will learn, hes young and raw. Not sure he will start on Saturday though I think he needs to be blooded off the bench in a true league level 1st team environment first.

CB is still an area of concern for me. I think we'll just have to continue to outscore teams, because I don't look at our back 5 and think *solid* and I don't think the midfield offers huge protection either.

I think thats what Ollie suggest in a few of his previous post match interviews....he seems to be suggesting we just need to score 1 more goal than the opposition score, hence his overloading of attackers.

It worked for Keegan to a certain extent several years back with Newcastle.

I am sure it will make games at least pretty exciting to watch this season.

Pretty much how I see it although Ball to start as part of a back 3, with Clarke moving in to midfield and either Nichols or more likely Ameen on the bench. Increased height may well be a factor in the selection as IIRC Walsall are a fairly direct and physical team. Tabor, Bodin, Ameen, Glatzel and Oldaker as subs offer us plenty of options later on if the cavalry are required.

Sounds concerning doesn't it. Obviously comes from a higher club but getting sent off in a friendly is drastic.