Ten things...
Walsall
1 In early medieval centuries when leather wasn't purely a leisure and pleasure product, they made saddles at Walsall. So why did the club eventually get boots and balls from Anne Summers?
2 The bloke who wrote Three Men in a Boat was born there. His follow up was Eleven Men on a Field but it didn't get published because in the West Midlands, footy and literacy were anathema.
3 Famous Sister Dora was helping sick, lame and lazy there but gave it up to become Walsall Swifts physio in 1877 and help the er, sick...
4 Before 1900 Swifts dropped the bird from their name but wanted it kept on their badge. They lost Football League status afterwards and were given the bird as a result of falling off their perch.
5 One disadvantage of being in the midlands is you ain't either north nor south and for many years they didn't know which regional third division they'd actually be in from year to year.
6 It was therefore no surprise to see Walsall in div4 when leagues were revised. Then they did back-to-back promotions to make up for having psychological, rather than geographical problems.
7 Thatcher couldn't give a fig for football but her greed-inspired asset strippers could and a scheme was launched to merge with Birmingham City. Fans said, not fu...
8 Terry Ramsden was a big-time gambler who went bust but he set up for a move from old to new home at Bescot Stadium in 1990. So perhaps he was remembered as a good Fellows Park punter after all.
9 Walsall had moved to a new address but they remained just an ordinary div2 outfit. Also stuck up that congested M6 with no possible exit or access for miles either.
10 As an another old century ended, Walsall made it into div1. It had only taken 100 years and how long did they stay there?
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