Die-hard Saddlers fans have come forward to share their memories for a new book being written in their own words.

Supporters have been telling their stories to the authors of the new Walsall Till I Die project.

When completed the publication will feature glossy colour pages and photographs alongside memories. The book is being compiled by Steve Cowan and David Lane who carried out interviews with fans in a bid to capture the essence of what makes them attend matches year after year.

Among the oldest Walsall FC fans is Ernie Foster, aged 86, of Shackleton Road, Little Bloxwich, who was taken to his first matches as a seven-year-old in 1928.

“My earliest recollections start in the 1930s,” he said. “Of course one of the most memorable experiences is of when we beat Arsenal in 1933. Everybody knew about Walsall after that.

“At the time they said Walsall was worth £69, but Arsenal’s players cost thousands even in those days.”

Another lifelong fan, Jack Huskisson, 83, of Palfrey, has a meticulous collection of more than 70 diaries and scrapbooks charting the highs and lows of the team from 1938 until the present.

The D-Day veteran’s handwritten notes tell their own story of wins marked in red ink and losses in black, squads, home, away and postponed matches. “I started the books as a hobby and I’ve just carried on,” he said. “It’s getting harder now because my hands are shaky now and I don’t go to the away games anymore.”

His memories include returning late to barracks after seeing Walsall beat Northampton 8-0, but avoiding punishment as his senior officer had also been a fan.

Walsall Till I Die is being produced in partnership with Walsall Football club, Walsall Supporters’ Trust and the National Literacy Trust. It will be finished by October.