As League One rivals Southend go into administration, Walsall blogger Mark Jones takes a look at how some of the Saddlers’ other old rivals are bearing up in the current climate.

As the news that League One rivals Southend have become the latest club to have to face up to the prospect of administration, there is likely to be a promped ‘think yourselves lucky’ rant from the boardroom of WS1 sometime soon, so I thought I’d have a quick look at how some of our other old rivals are doing.

Colchester United

Saturday’s defeat at the Community Stadium was watched by a crowd of over 4,000 home fans, or put another way around 1,000 more than we are currently getting. Their new stadium might be in the middle of nowhere but it has somehow won awards and there’s not a stanchion in sight.

On the pitch, manager Aidy Boothroyd’s ‘functional’ style might be predictable but it gets results, as the Essex boys are just a point off the top two. They have also been able to bring in loan players who aren’t just there to cover injuries.

It would appear that they are doing better than us at the moment.

Bristol Rovers

In September 2006 we went to the Memorial Ground in League Two and brushed the Gas aside comfortably with goals from Daniel Fox and Scott Dann. But Rovers did introduce their new signing from Rochdale that day – a certain Rickie Lambert.

Ever since they have been a club that has been steadily improving. Rovers have taken in trips to Cardiff and Wembley, promotion, the FA Cup quarter-final – all with Lambert’s goals playing a major part. Now they look capable of a play-off challenge.

With Lambert, they held out for a decent price from Southampton and made sure they’d strengthened their squad before accepting an offer for their star striker. Clearly owning their own ground has also been beneficial.

It would appear that they are doing better than us at the moment.

Scunthorpe United

I’ve used Scunny as a yardstick before, and they’ve made a half-decent start to their second spell in the Championship. It looks as though the club have learned from the mistakes of their relegation last time round and there’s a determination not to repeat them.

It would appear that they are doing better than us at the moment.

Doncaster Rovers

Renowned for sticking to their principles and playing good football come what may, Donny have been rewarded with a second successive season in the second tier. Their manager Sean O’Driscoll has rightly received the plaudits, but there are parallels with Alan Buckley’s classy Walsall side of the 1980’s, the team which had current Rovers assistant Richard O’Kelly as a key player.

With a chairman who loves his club so has the desire and vision for them to achieve their full potential, Doncaster have come a hell of a long way from playing Conference football at the dilapidated Belle Vue ground to leaving St. James Park and Newcastle aggrieved at not taking three points.

It would certainly appear that they are doing better than us at the moment.

Blackpool

In their third year in the Championship, Blackpool are showing that the smaller clubs are not just there to make up the numbers. Their manager Ian Holloway – linked with the Saddlers’ hotseat before owner Jeff Bonser plumped for Jimmy Mullen – may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but seems to have an eye for a bargain and knows how to get the best out of his squad.

It would appear that they are doing better than us at the moment.

Shrewsbury, Crewe, Lincoln and even Cheltenham

Take out the Leeds match and the fact that a few visiting teams – like Swindon and Exeter – have brought healthy followings to the Banks’s this season, then our average home crowd would be lower than at least nine League Two clubs, including all of the above.

It would appear that, in terms of attracting fans through the gate at least, they are doing better than us at the moment – and that just can’t be right, can it?