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Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett issues rallying cry for promotion next season

Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett has promotion in his sights next season, despite the financial hardship of the coronavirus.

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In a video update released by the club, shot at the Essington training ground, Pomlett was clear in his message this evening – that the club must target promotion from League Two when the 2020/21 season eventually begins.

"I've said to Darrell and his team, the teams that come out of this the best and manage the crisis the best, will be the ones that really go promotion next year," he said.

"Next year we're probably looking at salary caps and squad size caps so the leagues will be a lot more even than they've been in the past.

"My intention is to get Walsall through this crisis better than anybody else and then give Darrell the opportunity to really have a go next year.

"I do not want to be in League Two at the end of next season, no matter when it starts.

"We've had that conversation this morning in our first face to face in 12 weeks, albeit three metres apart.

"We are very clear, that is what we want to do next year.

"We have a very stable squad don't forget, compared to other clubs, already for next year."

Meanwhile, Pomlett also revealed that a 'project team' is working on plans to make the club 'Covid secure' in time for the return of football.

"It's a very complex situation and it will change when we all come back," he added.

"We have to make everything Covid secure, that includes the stadium, the offices, the training ground and all the training protocols.

"Players can not just come back and train like they have over the last 10, 15 years, they have to come back and strictly observe.

"You'd expect to see markings on the floor, for us to be far more aware of sanitisation around the stadium.

"The restaurant side of the business will have to be Covid secure too so there won't be as many people in the restaurant.

"The bars will have to be Covid secure – so there's a huge amount of work to do.

"We have a project team working on that. We reviewed that this morning and it needs to be signed off so that we are ready for football in this new world."