Latest news with #Saddlers
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Walsall midfielder McEntee joins Hearts
Walsall defensive midfielder Oisin McEntee has agreed to join Scottish Premiership side Hearts on a three-year of Ireland under-21 international McEntee, 24, has made 79 appearances for the Saddlers across three seasons since joining from Newcastle United in was part of a Walsall side that led League Two for much of the past season but dropped off in the run-in and ended up losing the play-off final to AFC who played in the Scottish Championship with Morton in 2021-22 during a loan spell from Newcastle, will join the Jam Tarts on a free transfer when his Walsall deal expires this summer."It became clear in our conversations Oisin is hungry, he wants to learn and improve, and be part of what we're trying to do here at Hearts," said boss Derek McInnes."He's played in defence and midfield, so to have options around his positioning is a big plus. Oisin's gained a lot of experience down south and he has knowledge of Scottish football too, which is a bonus." Saddlers release four, in talks with nine McEntee is among a number of out-of-contract players at Walsall, with the club in talks with nine others to extend their stays after the disappointing end to their Saddlers are in discussions with goalkeeper Sam Hornby, defenders Liam Gordon, Harry Williams and Priestley Farquharson, midfielders Ryan Stirk and Ronan Maher and forwards Albert Adomah, Jamille Matt and Douglas have released four players - goalkeeper George Barrett, defender Donervon Daniels, midfielder Jack Earing and striker Danny Johnson - but have exercised options to extend the contracts of defenders Rico Browne and Evan eight first-team regulars - Connor Barrett, Jamie Jellis, Josh Gordon, Charlie Lakin, Brandon Comley, Levi Amantchi, Taylor Allen and David Okagbue - remain under contract at the Bescot Stadium.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Walsall match day volunteer Gary Edwards in VIP Wembley tour
A match day volunteer at Walsall FC's Bescot Stadium was treated to a VIP day out at Wembley for his 80th a visit organised by Walsall FC Foundation, the team's official charity, Gary Edwards was presented with a signed shirt before Friday's semi-final, and then took a behind the scenes tour before Monday's pensioner has run the tuck shop at Bescot as a match day volunteer since the stadium was built in said Walsall's defeat on Monday was "disappointing", but his birthday tour was a "brilliant experience". A Walsall fan since he was a teenager, he told BBC Radio WM that his son was a member of the junior Saddlers team when he was asked to run the tuck shop 35 years ago, and he is still doing top sellers at the moment are Haribo sweets and KitKats, he he toured Wembley with his grandson, he said the highlight was seeing the royal box and the media room, and he went on the pitch."We went round in the media room which was great," he described how he was able to sit behind the press conference desk imagining what it was like to be the England manager, while the man who showed them round sat in the audience."We went up into the royal box," he said, "And we went to where the players have the trophy after, which unfortunately wasn't Walsall." Signed shirt Remembering how he visited the old Wembley stadium 10 times, he said he still recalled paying seven shillings and sixpence for a ticket – which was original Wembley, which opened in 1923, had been famous for its twin was demolished in 2003 to make way for a modern 90,000-capacity venue. Monday's visit was his third trip to the new FC Foundation posted on Facebook: "To celebrate our volunteer Gary's 80th birthday, we presented him with a signed shirt before our play off semi-final on Friday."Thanks to EFL (English Football League) in the Community, we've also gifted him a VIP experience at Wembley Stadium on Monday ahead of the final." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'My child will miss Walsall's big day like I did'
Walsall's appearance in Monday's play-off final has stirred memories for fans of their previous success in dramatic circumstances in a similar 24 years after Darren Byfield scored the extra-time winner against Reading, one supporter said he was too young to appreciate it - and now his own child is of a similar age. "When I was two, my dad went to Cardiff when we won at Cardiff," Conner Fitzpatrick said."So it's all gonna be an experience for me and... my baby will be [16 months] and she'll be watching it at home with the mother. She'll see it and I'll be there and hopefully we go up." It was a similar experience in 2001 when Mr Fitzpatrick's father went to the match, leaving him at home with his mother."I've been waiting a long, long time. I've had years of crying and not going up and that, but I'm here now and I'm proud to be a Saddlers fan," he said. While glory in Wales 24 years ago led to playing in football's second tier, the pain for Walsall supporters since has included relegation three years have more recently been playing down in the fourth division of the English game for six seasons and go into Monday's big match against AFC Wimbledon after blowing a massive 15-point lead ahead of the play-off places in automatic promotion though, another fan, Brandie Wilkes, said she was "so excited" - summing up a rapid change in regrets over losing top-scorer Nathan Lowe, long spells without wins and finishing only fourth in League Two, the focus now is on Monday's other route to promotion - and victories in both semi-final games have created momentum. "I've bought bows [to wear] and everything and I'm 18," Ms Wilkes revealed."I'm just there for the vibes... I feel proud for my area." Of squandering their huge lead, Alan Edwards joked: "We only gave them the 12 points because we're gentlemen [aren't we], give the others a chance?" More than 72,000 watched when Walsall played their only other game at Wembley in 137 years, losing the 2015 EFL Trophy Bill Tennant said of the forthcoming occasion: "I go every week when England play down there, so I'm not excited... I've been more times with England than with Walsall."Veteran Albert Adomah, with a shirt number and age of 37, set up both goals in the semi-final home win and caught the eye on close-up TV replays with his trickery. Mr Tennant said: "We've got all these top players and we've got Adomah on the wing flicking it round everybody. It's sorted. "We get all these [fans of] clubs moaning at us, saying 'you had all these points'. Yeah, we had all them points, but then we lost Lowey." Asked what promotion would mean, Barry Hill felt it would be a "tremendous lift, a lift for the town"."I wasn't confident to even get into the play-off [final]... but suddenly [we've] pulled it together."Dave Slawson said: "On the day I think if we play well, we should do it... Come on the Saddlers." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Immortality' awaits Walsall play-off hero
Walsall legend David Kelly says "immortality" awaits any Saddlers player who can score the goal to get them promoted at Wembley next week. The Saddlers face AFC Wimbledon in the League Two play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday (26 May), bidding to end a six-year absence from the third tier. It is only the third time Walsall have reached a play-off showpiece game - and they won both of the previous two. The Saddlers beat Reading at the Millennium Stadium in 2001 and Bristol City back in 1988, winning promotion to the second tier on both occasions. Kelly, now 59, scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 'third leg' replay win over the Robins 37 years ago, back when the play-off finals were decided over two legs, home and away. That is a day still treasured by players and fans all these years later and Kelly told BBC Radio WM: "It's immortality for whichever player scores that winning goal." David Kelly's My Sporting Memory - Walsall's 1988 play-off final Darren Byfield's 'My Sporting Memory' - Walsall's 2001 Second Division play-off final. While Kelly's Saddlers treble did not come at the national stadium, he did score there for Tranmere Rovers in their EFL Cup final defeat by Leicester City towards the end of his playing career in 2000. Walsall, meanwhile, somewhat staggeringly for a club founded in 1888, have only ever played at Wembley once, losing the 2015 EFL Trophy final 2-0 to Bristol City. So, should any Saddlers player find the net on Monday, they would write their name in Walsall folklore as the club's first ever Wembley goalscorer. "It's a fabulous opportunity," former Republic of Ireland striker Kelly added. "The build-up to a Wembley game is so very, very different. It's nerve-wracking, that's for sure. "It's the home of football. It will be a very, very big crowd. It's something to look forward to and embrace. "You very, very rarely get to play in the best stadium in world football – Wembley is the most iconic stadium out there. It's a big, big privilege to play there." While Kelly retains strong links with the club, another Walsall play-off hero - Darren Byfield, who scored the extra-time winner against Reading in Cardiff 24 years ago - is even closer. Byfield, former husband of pop star Jamelia, is a member of Saddlers boss Mat Sadler's coaching team at Bescot. He's witnessed a rollercoaster season first-hand. Walsall led the league by 12 points in January only to falter and end up in the play-offs after the agony of Bradford snatching the final automatic promotion place on the regular season's final day. But they rebounded strongly to beat in-form Chesterfield 4-1 over two legs in the semi-final. "Both performances, home and away, against Chesterfield, were brilliant - Mat [Sadler] set his team up really, really well," added Kelly. "We would all have taken [at the start of the season] the play-offs. They've done brilliantly to get to the final and we just need that little bit of fortune to get over that fence and into League One."
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Immortality' awaits Walsall play-off hero
Walsall legend David Kelly says "immortality" awaits any Saddlers player who can score the goal to get them promoted at Wembley next Saddlers face AFC Wimbledon in the League Two play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday (26 May), bidding to end a six-year absence from the third is only the third time Walsall have reached a play-off showpiece game - and they won both of the previous Saddlers beat Reading at the Millennium Stadium in 2001 and Bristol City back in 1988, winning promotion to the second tier on both now 59, scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 'third leg' replay win over the Robins 37 years ago, back when the play-off finals were decided over two legs, home and is a day still treasured by players and fans all these years later and Kelly told BBC Radio WM: "It's immortality for whichever player scores that winning goal." While Kelly's Saddlers treble did not come at the national stadium, he did score there for Tranmere Rovers in their EFL Cup final defeat by Leicester City towards the end of his playing career in meanwhile, somewhat staggeringly for a club founded in 1888, have only ever played at Wembley once, losing the 2015 EFL Trophy final 2-0 to Bristol should any Saddlers player find the net on Monday, they would write their name in Walsall folklore as the club's first ever Wembley goalscorer."It's a fabulous opportunity," former Republic of Ireland striker Kelly added."The build-up to a Wembley game is so very, very different. It's nerve-wracking, that's for sure."It's the home of football. It will be a very, very big crowd. It's something to look forward to and embrace."You very, very rarely get to play in the best stadium in world football – Wembley is the most iconic stadium out there. It's a big, big privilege to play there." While Kelly retains strong links with the club, another Walsall play-off hero - Darren Byfield, who scored the extra-time winner against Reading in Cardiff 24 years ago - is even former husband of pop star Jamelia, is a member of Saddlers boss Mat Sadler's coaching team at witnessed a rollercoaster season first-hand. Walsall led the league by 12 points in January only to falter and end up in the play-offs after the agony of Bradford snatching the final automatic promotion place on the regular season's final they rebounded strongly to beat in-form Chesterfield 4-1 over two legs in the semi-final."Both performances, home and away, against Chesterfield, were brilliant - Mat [Sadler] set his team up really, really well," added Kelly."We would all have taken [at the start of the season] the play-offs. They've done brilliantly to get to the final and we just need that little bit of fortune to get over that fence and into League One."
