Stefan Gamble: Walsall will always back the boss
Chief executive Stefan Gamble says Walsall will always support their manager if they want to award longer contracts to young players.
Back in January, the Saddlers paid fees to snap up Dan Scarr from Blues and Cameron Norman form Oxford.
The defenders both moved to the Banks’s Stadium after agreeing two-and-a-half year deals.
Last week, in an exclusive interview with the Express & Star, Gamble said Walsall’s best chance of success in League One was with a long-term plan – similar to the one Dean Smith implemented in his time at the club.
And that is why the club was happy to sign 24-year-old Scarr and 23-year-old Norman on long-term deals.
“There is no specific direction from the board to the manager about what type of player we want them to buy,” Gamble said. “The only requirement is that they are willing to buy into what we are doing as a club.
“It’s down to the individual managers ultimately. But we will always support agreeing a long-term contract with a younger player.
“We have paid money for five players this season which is unprecedented in the 17 years I have been here. Dean Smith’s team took two-to-three years to get to fruition. It wasn’t all plain sailing, but the fans stuck with it. I’d like to think we can do that again with the current manager.”
