Walsall have been thrown further into crisis with the news Marco Reich and Paul Boertien will leave as part of cost-cutting measures.
Their deals are set to expire at the end of the month and the Express & Star understands they have been told they will not be offered extensions.
Their imminent departures come on the heels of Jimmy Mullen’s sacking as Saddlers boss at the weekend and will increase the tension at the Banks’s Stadium.
Midfielder Reich and defender Boertien were told by footballing consultant Paul Taylor on Friday, before Mullen’s departure, that the club could not afford to offer them new deals.
But the club have taken up an option they had on Chris Palmer’s contract and look set to keep the versatile wide man.
The former Derby pair’s imminent departure leaves Walsall with just 17 senior professionals and six teenagers, meaning they have lost three players since the start of the season without replacing them.
Ishmel Demontagnac was sacked for breaches of club discipline in November and the Saddlers have failed to bring anyone either on loan or permanently, apart from Austrian goalkeeper Albin Kajtezovic.
His deal runs out at the end of the month, and, with the departure of Mullen and finances tight, he could also leave. The club can ill afford to lose players and their exit may spark an exodus.
Anthony Gerrard is still on the transfer list and Clayton Ince is free to talk to other clubs with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.
See Also:
Click here for our Walsall FC index of all the latest Saddlers football news stories
31 Comments
i fear the worst now we will be playing oxford utd soon.we should have kept boertien ince will be gone in the summer we will not find another keeper like him so easy.between walker and ince we have had some shocking keepers.i`ve had a season ticket every year since 1985 i dont know if i`ve got the will anymore.not as long as bonser,paul taylor any whalley are there no matter who is the manager.
Report abuse
The club is now reaping what it sowed !! , for years it treated loyal fans like muck and they are staying away meaning less money for Bonser and the club. non league is a real threat is a few years, bonser out !!
Report abuse
There will be more assets in Woolworths soon! Administrator not that far away?
Report abuse
What a mess!!
Report abuse
So we keep Palmer and release Boertien.
Paul Taylor please get out of our club you parasite.
Report abuse
So all the stuff about Boertiens injury was a big lie. It WAS a contract dispute all along.
Does anyone trust the club any more? They lie and lie and lie.
Report abuse
WELL WE ARE A WELL RUN CLUB!
Report abuse
Lie 1: “We’re going for promotion this season”
Lie 2: “We are a well run club”
Lie 3: “Jimmy Mullen was the best candidate out of 30+ who applied”
Lie 4: “No need to sell”
Lie 5: “Paul Boertien has been injured”
…
Report abuse
Jesus, if I was an unemployed manager I don’t think I’d want to come near this club.
1. A Chairman looking to clear his exit path and cutting costs at every corner
2. A rapidly dwindling fanbase that are hugely at odds with the chairman.
3. A ridiculously tiny squad of 17 players and 6 in-experienced teenagers.
4. The two best playesr (Ince and Gerrard) likely to leave in the summer, if not before.
Why would anyone want this unless they were completely desperate.
Report abuse
Walsall are getting what they deserve. Probably be playing non league football in a couple of years.
Report abuse
We are in the proverbial now. No manager . no squad, no new players, Jeff me old mate you gotta abt 18 days to sort it before we descend towards the conference.Ince, gerrard, must b itching to get out of there. Unbelievable, in 40 years i think this is the most depressed ive felt abt wots goin on.Randy Lerner, have u got any mates, who want to invest a few bob:?
Report abuse
Dont know what is going on with the players but i have heard a couple of whispers today from a friend who works at the ground. He says that Gerrard is holding talks with Peterborough & also Coventry (supprise) are interested. He says he has seen John Ward at the ground but also believes he has seen Sir Ray Graydon too. Will wait and see.
Report abuse
Bonser Out.
Let’s go into administration and start again without him.
Report abuse
Will the last person out of the Banks’s Stadium please turn off the lights (we can’t afford the leccy bill).
Well done Bonser, you have systematically throttled the life out of this club. You must be so proud!
Conference football awaits Walsall FC ….. if not worse
Report abuse
Bring on the Blue Square!
Get him out and start again!
Report abuse
No surprise really. Strange how you couldn’t open the E&S a couple of months ago without seeing a Bonsor Exclusive and now he is nowhere to be seen. Still, maybe it will open certain Sports Editor’s eyes to what JB is really all about…
Report abuse
Christ this is depressing.
How can the club be doing this?
Roll on Saturday when we can get back to footy
Is this the best we can do?
Somebody must care about the club?
Perhaps we should all club together
And buy the club off bonser?
Level with us jeff, how much do you want?
Many of us want to see the club succeed
Everyone loves Walsall, we a good club
Raving on about Bonser doesn’t help
I think we should support the lads
So that the club can progress
So what Boertien
Has gone, he’s not good and
It’s only a matter of
Time before we replace him
Report abuse
Hey all Walsall fans it’s about time you started to boycott with your feet. You will never evr get a decent manager/team until you get rid of this chairman. I’m a WWFC fan and feel so sorry for you. You will always get managers who are on the way down, no good , out of work or just need a job. Any up and coming manager will not come to WFC. I wouldn’t leave my job for that job.
Report abuse
Also can someone tell Bonser I will buy the club from him . I have funds . Let him know
Report abuse
I know of 3 people including myself who will not be renewing their season tickets next season. Between us we have clocked up over 50 years of attending the Saddlers week in week out. None of us were ‘glory hunters’ who jumped on the Play Off Final bandwagon, just fans who loved going to see Walsall. Sad thing is I find it hard to care anymore as the club is just a complete joke these days. No communication, no ambition, no direction and worst of all no hope.
Report abuse
One big mess i feel a relegation battle beckons
Report abuse
It bugs me to say this, but weaverwolf has got apoint. Jon Ward seems to have turned us down , so that says a lot.Maybe its time 4 the supporters to try and force Bonser’s hand, I honestly dont know how,and to be honest like alot of supporters Bonser et al, have all but destroyed any hope we have for our club. And before anyone stars banging on abt unrealistic goals, is it too much for us to have a transparent board with just a modicum of ambition
Report abuse
With the home crowds being so low, because some people believe that if they stay at home al will become good. I would just like to thank all the stayaways for not giving the club enough finances to pay what I beleive to be 2 of Walsalls’ better players wages. If they were on longer contracts they would be playing. Bonser, in this time of economical difficulties can only use what money comes through the gates. We are a well run, selling club and will never be any different. Support your local team by going to the match and not by sitting at home or spending more money in the pub, moaning. A forever saddler
Report abuse
elliesdada , whilst i appreciate sum of your comments, think they are also a little, naieve. Constantly goin to bescot in this state of malaise will only reinforce Bonsers actions.
Report abuse
What a mess, from down in sunny conrnwall it looks a complete shambles…oooh sorry we are talking about walsall fc…!!!!
Report abuse
ellies dad. are you a member of the bonser family because surely no-onne else could be so naive as to believe what you typed!
Report abuse
The stayaways are part of the solution.
Bonser is not part of the solution, he is therefore part of the problem.
Report abuse
Never mind, we’ve got a state of the art training ground. Oh wait - that’s leased too?
Do something Bonser - sack Taylor, get a marketing manager and reitre Whalley asap..
Report abuse
I honestly hope for administration if it means Bonser finally leaving the club. Lets start again under a new regime. I honestly believe that the fans would return in their droves, and people would enjoy going again like we used to do!
Report abuse
Ellies Dad naive ? - The only reason why we cannot afford better players, a better manager - yes and even to possibly attract investment into the club is that we have always had poor gates and now fans are staying away causing a crisis. Those who stay away because they choose not to watch this level of football are entitled to their choice - those who profess to be fans but who stay away for the “principle” of hoping to achieve something for the club are the naive ones
Report abuse
Frank, you are the naive one. Its about time fans started standing up to the lies and bad man management from Mr Bonser.He has been found out big time at last, and now hopefully, it will all come back to haunt him. BONSER OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report abuse