Dean's delight at Saddlers open day

Dean Smith and his Walsall players relished the chance to remind fans football isn't all wags and Baby Bentleys.

The Saddlers staged their annual open day at the Banks's as hundreds of fans relished the chance to watch Smith's men go through their paces in a public training session before the players mixed freely signing autographs and posing for pictures.

"Days like these are really important to us all here," Smith told the fans. "It's especially good to see all the youngsters here because the next generation of fans are what it is all about. This gives them a chance to meet the players and discover they are not untouchable.

"In the Premier League, the gap between real life and the one the footballers enjoy is getting wider all the time. My boys are ordinary lads who just happen to be professional footballers.

"They are grounded and they know just how important it is to meet with the supporters whose backing gives them the chance to enjoy this great profession. They know how lucky they are."

The fans watched the squad which had drawn 3-3 at Rochdale on Saturday go through some 'warm-down' routines before the reserves and youth squads staged a tactical session.

The open day came with the Saddlers fight for survival reaching crunch point as they prepare for Saturday's home game with bottom club Chesterfield before embarking on the all-important Easter programme.

But Smith reckons his men are in good shape adding: "We're a tight-knit group and we have been able to keep the lads together – the training ground is a fun place to be during the week but they know it's a serious business on a Saturday afternoon."