Story of Walsall's greatest ever cup run to be told in new book
The season started with Walsall being approached by British Airways' advertising people, asking them to feature beneath the banner 'they're only 90 minutes away from a place in Europe'.
It was the airline's way of getting across how quickly continental cities could be reached from regional airports.
And as it would turn out, the Third Division Saddlers ended up getting closer to an adventure across the continent than anyone could have imagined.
Having looked set for relegation, Walsall would embark on a historic League Cup run in the 1983/84 season that saw them defeat Arsenal and give Liverpool a massive run for their money in the semi-finals.
A catchy tag line almost came to fruition and is the focus of a new book, '90 Minutes from Europe, Walsall's Greatest Cup Run', written by Saddlers season ticket holder Simon Turner.
"I was a kid at the time, so I remember it well," said Turner.
"But doing all the research for it, there was a lot of stuff I didn't previously know, and stuff I'd forgotten as well.
"At the time, obviously the advert came out in the summer. I remember seeing it and it all being a bit of fun.
"Nobody expected Walsall to get anywhere close to Europe so for them to go and do what they did, it was an incredible time."
Walsall's run in the Milk Cup, as it was then known, saw them beat Arsenal 2-1 at Highbury in the fourth round.
Another win over Rotherham would follow before the two-legged semi-final against Liverpool.
The Saddlers remarkably drew 2-2 at Anfield prior to losing 2-0 back at Fellows Park.
The new book goes behind the scenes of the club's greatest ever cup run and tells a variety of quirky tales.
One, for example, covers how Walsall played a practice match on a car park in preparation for Liverpool.
"There's quite a number of tales in the book that highlight how different football was then to how it is now," said Turner.
"It's interesting to reflect and in the book, there are a number of cases where things were so much different.
"It was a different world back then in many ways – and it's the best cup run the club has ever had."
The new book is Turner's third and second on Walsall after also writing 'Walsall Match of My Life', in which Saddlers legends tell the stories behind their most memorable games for the club.
For more information on '90 Minutes from Europe' and if you want to purchase, visit pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/90-minutes-europe
