Walsall

Saturday 1st October 2011 KO 3pm

Ground Name: Bescot Stadium
Capacity: 11,300 (all seated)
Address: Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA
Main Telephone No: 0870-4420442
Ticket Office: 0870-442-0111/0222
Team Nickname: The Saddlers
Year Ground Opened: 1990
Pitch Size: 115 x 72 yards
Home Kit Colours: Red & White
Website: http://www.saddlers.co.uk
Fansite: http://upthesaddlers.com


Latest News


Branch members are booked on the 10.03 out of London Euston arriving at the Bescot 12.08 and returning on the 18.04 getting back into Euston at 20.15. Advance purchase tickets are available online at http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/

Meeting Place


The Saddlers Club, Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA

sam burger
Walsall supporters’ club bar next to the stadium which welcomes away fans provided they pay a small entrance fee (a quid in 2010). The Saddlers Club does a decent range of keg beers, lagers and a few real ales, last year it was Brakspear and Oyster Stout. The food is legendary for its magnitude and value. Pies, pasties, chips, hot dogs and sangers are available and the portions are massive yet the prices very reasonable. Seeing as most London branch members can stick their food away at a similar rate to their beer this doesn’t pose us much of a problem. If your appetite is a bit more on the normal side you might want to share with a mate. Provided your idea of pre match food is hearty stodge then the Saddlers is arguably the best place for scran in League one.

Other Pubs and Food Outlets Worth a Visit


There isn’t a right lot else in the vicinity of the ground though if you’re travelling through Birmingham there are a number of good options.

The Wellington, 37 Bennets Hill, Birmingham, B2 5SN, 0121 200 3115

Located between Snow Hill and New Street Stations the Wellington has 16 Real ales from around the UK available virtually all the time - occasionally they might only have 15! The focus is on local beers and they serve excellent Black Country pork scratchings. If you are hungry the pub is happy to supply plates and cutlery for take away grub. The beer is superbly kept as you might expect and the staff friendly and efficient. CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed.

The Victoria, 48 John Bright Street, Birmingham, B1 1BN, 0121 633 9439

Situated behind New Street Station the Victoria has bags of character and allegedly its own ghost. Of an evening this is a lively place with booming tunes and an assortment of exotic drinks available but during the day it’s a lovely chilled out pub serving excellent ales and decent scran.

The Jekyll and Hyde, 28 Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6BJ, 0121 236 0345

….from cask ales to cocktails. Close to Snow Hill Station, this quirky boozer does exactly what it says on the tin. Food is available and they have a little beer garden/smokers area out the back.

The usual pies and burgers are available inside the ground but once you’ve filled up in the Saddlers Club you won’t bother eating any of it.

How To Get There


By Train


cusclb flag
Bescot has its own train station which is 20 minutes out of Birmingham New Street. From London, Birmingham can be accessed on Virgin from Euston to New Street or Chiltern out of Marylebone to Snow Hill. The Snow Hill route is slower and less convenient but it is generally cheaper and does provide the option of groupsave 4 for 2 tickets. Additionally it offers the chance to pop into the Wellington for a cheeky pint when walking between stations in Brum.

By Car & Where To Park


The Bescot is right next to the M6 so come off at junction 9 and follow signs to the ground. There is an official car park at the ground that costs £3 though you are advised to turn up early to ensure a place. Parking in nearby retail parks is not permitted for those going to the match and you are likely to find a clamp on your vehicle upon return. For more detailed directions to The Bescot please click here.

What’s the Ground Like?


The Bescot was opened by Sir Stanley Mathews in 1990 to replace the old Fellows Park ground about a quarter of a mile away. The ground originally had terracing behind both goals and a capacity of 9,400. This was expanded in the early 2000s following the redevelopment of both ends to create a 10,300 all seated stadium. The ground is fairly well enclosed with advertising hoardings filling in the corners and all four stands close to the pitch. The down side is the large number of supporting pillars obscuring the view in the older stands. Away fans are housed in the William Sharp Stand behind the goal which has space for 2,000 fans. Unless there is a massive away following it’s usually pretty easy to find a seat that isn’t located behind a pillar. There is a scoreboard on top of the William Sharp Stand, though if you’re an away fan you won’t be able to see it. Plans to expand the away end have for the time being, been shelved. In addition to Walsall matches the Bescot has hosted, Villa reserve games, under 21 internationals and in 1991 a gig for local alternative rockers the Wonder Stuff. The Bescot is one of the more friendly grounds in League One and with a decent following we should hopefully be able to make a good bit of noise. However those who like a smoke might want to take some nicotine patches with them. The Stewards operate a zero tolerance policy towards anyone found smoking in the bogs. Unless you only want to watch the first 45 mins don’t nip into the gents for a cig at half time!

Trivia


The advertising board in the car park at the Bescot is the largest illuminated sign adjacent to a motorway in Europe – wow!

When Have We Met Before?


After starting well last year Carlisle went in 1-0 up at half time. Unfortunately a poor 2nd half performance led to a disappointing 2-1 defeat. Our record at Walsall isn’t good with only 4 wins in 26 attempts and a goal average of less than 1 per game. The read a report of our defeat there in 2008 please click here.