Jeff Bonser talks on Walsall's trip to Wembley

Bonser told how Tuesday was a 'fantastic moment for the supporters who've backed us through thick and thin, they must be on cloud nine', adding that he was 'very, very proud' to have been part of it.

The trip to 'the home of football throughout the world' will be 'absolutely amazing', he said, adding that he expected more than 20,000 Saddlers fans to make the trip to the capital in support of the team.

After 23 years as chairman of Walsall, Bonser admitted that the prospect of a trip to Wembley had 'still not come home to me yet', but added that the endless congratulatory emails were beginning to make it all sink in.

The success of the Saddlers is just reward for the hard work which has gone into the club, said the chairman.

The team, he said, has been 'run right and kept financially right' for many years, two aspects which he believes do not always get the recognition they deserve.

Although absent from many of the Saddlers' matches, Wembley is one fixture that Bonser will definitely be attending: "I've never been to the new Wembley at all, so it's going to be a great experience for me," he said, adding the team 'will do our best to win it'.

Wembley could also spur the team on to further success in League One, he believes, especially when only a handful of points separate several teams.

Although Bonser could not be drawn on a match prediction he conceeded: "We've got a good record playing against good teams", and the chariman remained hopeful of a successful outcome.