Walsall Blog - The Biggest Own Goal?

Walsall blogger Mark Jones weighs up Roy Whalley's statement last week and has a few questions of his own for the chief executive.

Question - what's the biggest own goal you've ever seen whilst supporting the mighty Saddlers?

Charlie Ntamark's beautifully controlled and caressed, two-footed placement against and for West Ham in 1994? Gavin Ward's Hennessey-esque juggling act in the play-off Semi against Clayhead City in 2001?

Or the footballing-karma - as opposed to football in Caldmore - that was Tony 'Legbreaker' Rougier stumbling into Dean Keates's shot in that vital minute at the Millennium Stadium in the final weeks later.

Answer - none of the above. That particular award has to go to Mr K R Whalley for his ignorant and ill-timed Friday dinnertime rant about our and his own team's support.

Just when we needed it least, along comes another sermon from our chief executive. Because, of course, no-one else had realised that crowds were dropping alarmingly, that the atmosphere inside the ground is often dire and that this situation will have a negative effect, not just when the team are playing at home, but on future funding. Thanks for that Mr Whalley.

None of us are possibly smart enough to work out that with the economic downturn, other revenue streams will be down and this will have an impact on the club's finances, are we? Especially with all that rent money to find.

Here was me thinking that what was required was some thinking outside the box, that those responsible for getting people back into the ground would be breaking their necks to find out why fans are so disillusioned.

What positive, innovative and radical, far-reaching ideas could be implemented? What dialogue could be initiated?

Well none actually. Why do any of that when you can just moan at people? I mean that's a tried and tested method isn't it Roy? Proven to work that one, don't you think?

Of course the problem couldn't possibly be the massive letdowns we've had over the years. The murky situation that no-one ever seemed to get to the bottom of two decades ago when we moved from Fellows Park.

The failure to build a team around Martin O'Connor in the mid-1990's. The missed opportunities and bad decision-making that followed Ray Graydon's sacking in 2002. Or the ill thought out, season-ending decision to sell Scott Dann as we pushed for the play-off's 18 months ago, just to mention a few.

Some might say all of this has been a bit of a gamble with the club's future. But no, none of this has had any bearing, it's all the fans fault obviously.

If only supporters had pointed out some of their worries before. If only there had been fanzines, organised campaigns, the odd protest, an independent supporters group, a supporters trust, message boards, investigative journalists, letters in the press, radio phone-ins, supporters liaison committee forums, letters and e-mails to Dan Mole, blogs and balloons.

Who knows what might have happened if only you'd have had someone to listen to or work in partnership with?

Many fans would probably have been surprised to hear the revelation that the club actually has a transfer budget at all, let alone one that might have to be reduced. Did that work the other way round, like when the supporters stuck by the team after relegation to the basement in 2006. Did we spend more then?

The town of Walsall has had a football club since 1875, so maybe all us residents need is something to believe in again. Something other than meaningless platitudes about transforming the club and empty promises about exciting times ahead.

Apparently the chairman will sell the club but there have been 'no offers.' Maybe some people might need to try a bit harder to find a buyer, and that's something that's definitely not up to us.

After 23 long years in the job, you'd think Roy would've realised that insulting people's intelligence time and again gets you absolutely nowhere.

Despite what they've kept telling us about the commercial side of the club for years, it turns out the 'well-run club' did need us all along.