There was an image taken of the Banks’s Stadium by a drone in October and I have to admit it’s a stunning photo of our home.
Don’t know whose done this but this is brilliant. pic.twitter.com/qiYyyzMZj7
— Vital Walsall (@VitalWalsall) December 27, 2018
However if you look a little closer its safe to say that the stadium and it’s fixtures are on the decline and have been for some time…
We once had a stadium which had a colourful exterior with red and white paint covering the exterior walls, we also had flags flying with pride above the stadium – sadly the paint has faded away to leave dull metal sheets and the empty flag poles are just pointless fixtures on the stadium roof.
If you walk into the corporate side of the football club, you will be greeted by early entry, carpet, lighting, heating and a fully functioning bar however if you are a paying fan in the lower tier you will be greeted by facilities which are far worse than non-league standards.
Us as fans have been treated with contempt for a long time however our game against Bristol Rovers on Boxing Day seemed to be the final straw with some.
With ten minutes to go until kick off only a couple of turnstiles were open in the main stand. Apparently there was a security alert but in true Walsall fashion this information hadn’t been passed to the fans – they were just expecting fans to work out for themselves what was happening.
Once fans finally got into the stadium they were greeted with endless queues and leaks – the leaky defence is enough for most lately!
For months the club have been constantly reminded that the toilets are not fit for purpose. It’s taken them two seasons to install hot water in the lower tier loos! – the fans in the main stand aren’t cared for or seen important enough for the hierarchy of the club and it stinks as much as their pee ridden toilets!
Fans are asked each season to part with over two hundred and fifty pounds of their hard earned money and what for?
Our landlord (cough) who is paid a tasty amount of £440,000 a year (by the club to use his land) has said on numerous occasions it’s up to the football club to pay for the improvements and upkeep of the facilities yet there is no obvious sign that money is being used to maintain them.
Step inside the main stand into the Bescot Bar and you are greeted by a room with leaks, no carpet, no heating and a bar which is the size of downstairs toilet (it has the aroma of a toilet) oh and did I mention leaks?
With their hard earned cash fans expect a decent matchday experience however the facilities are a disgrace and the football hasn’t been great recently. It’s no surprise that we recorded our lowest Boxing Day attendence in the past twenty years.
If the club want to entice new fans to the club or in fact try to keep as many of their dwindling fan base then they need to start improving the facilities just as much as the footballing side of the club. You may argue we don’t invest in that side of the club neither….
Here is just a small sample of tweets from our fans following the Boxing Day debacle….
15 mins before kick off and 3 turnstiles open. Sort it out @WFCOfficial @VitalWalsall @Walsall_STFC pic.twitter.com/suCJmeoaf0
— Nick Pritchard (@singingshiver) December 26, 2018
Some of the tweets about @WFCOfficial lately 🤦🏻♂️ the playing side of the club is in a bad, bad way, including matchday experience. I can’t see the club tempting new fans in any way. I predict a vote with the feet is only just around the corner, don’t think I’ll bother Saturday!
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithhh) December 27, 2018
Nothing will change until we are rid of the owner and his team. The football side of the business will continue to paper over the cracks, enjoy the odd success & placate discontent cheaply but the decline will continue until the day they’re all gone. As a business it’s fine btw.
— Darren Fellows (@dazfellows) December 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/dang_wfc/status/1077979124151537669?s=21
Its nice that the club host monthly meetings with the DSA and the Walsall Supporters Trust – but let’s be honest the minutes from these meetings just end up being minutes and very rarely acted upon. The DSA and the Trust do fantastic work for the fans of this club, it’s just a shame that the club don’t.
