Lessons to be learned

Walsall Sporting Star columnist Darren Fellows reckons the club could learn a thing or two from the MK Dons.

Sorry, but what it that goalkeeper’s kit all about? A rusty orange top & black shorts? Absolutely unforgivable, no wonder Clayton isn’t playing – he probably refused to set foot out of the changing rooms clad in wolf-esque attire, and who would blame him?

Still the one thing you can concede about our nearest and dearest is they are a real football club with roots set deeply inside the conurbation that they play. They didn’t hijack the league status of another football club, then strangle the life out of it with an 80 mile relocation and there are – simply by the tens of thousands who claim to have gone to Chorley (twice) – generations of families who’ve followed their team for a lifetime.

Our latest visit to the inventively named stadium: MK last weekend reacquainted us with what is the horrible little project that should shame the Football Association, and the sub committee that allowed it until the end of time. Quite how the football family allowed Mr Winkelman and his cohorts to pull off something so wrong is still beyond me but in the spirit of giving credit where it is due it is clear – and unfortunate – that Winkelman is well on the way to making good on many of his claims.

The stadium is superb, and will be fabulous when they eventually get round to finishing it. The playing side is moving forward and more disturbingly there does seem to be an element of rooting going on amongst the Milton Keynes locals. True, their lack of terrace culture and non existent football attending childhoods mean they have absolutely no idea how to support their football team yet but the distinctly large number of dads & lads and families in attendance last weekend suggest that whilst there may still be a way to go in the town of concrete cows, roots are now being firmly set.

Indeed those, including me, who have long hoped that Winkleman’s project will self explode under local apathy look destined to disappointment. Quite how far he and his stakeholders will be able to develop their franchise is still open for discussion however the danger of them drifting into oblivion looks long gone.

Clearly they have had to work hard though. Saturday’s gate of almost 9000 must have include wives, girlfriends and tea ladies but you can’t hide from the fact that a club that is only four years old had thousands more through the turnstiles than we’re likely to see in the return fixture.

What was also noticeable however was as we exited the stadium a number of suited men were distributing glossy flyers advertising this Saturday’s home fixture special deal. Everyone leaving the home sections was handed the information, no-one got away without being informed of their next offer – how often have we ever seen this at Walsall?

Indeed, barring an advertisement here and there and the obligatory web site promotion it would be difficult to find news of our similar offer this weekend. By their actions, the bods working on Winkleman’s project appear driven to increase attendances, again this is something I simply don’t recognise somewhat closer to home.

Clearly there are few clear thinking members of the football family pleased to see Milton Keynes doing well. And but for the grace of god and the magnificently defiant fight produced by the sort of football supporter groups that our club has recent form in marginalising then we, ourselves, would have been in danger of wearing similar shoes. The SWAG led campaigns of the 1980’s fought off similar dangers and ensured our football club remained in the town to which it was born. I

n South West London a football club died at the hands of an ambitious business project, yet that special defiance that is the heartbeat of Saddlers fan culture ensured that still are the only victims so far. Fan power at its active best, indeed fan power that Roy and Jeff would do well to tap into again in search of rebuilding relationships and trust.

Then again, there’s more chance of Rene & Clayton turning out in a Wolfie costume than the club in its current guise opening up debate with fan groups. Say what you like about Winkelman, at least he’s engaging with his customers.

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