Factfile
Founded: 1888
Stadium: Banks’s Stadium
Capacity: 11,300
Address: Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA
Pitch Size: 110 x 73 yards
Club Nickname: The Saddlers
Year Ground Opened: 1990
Kit Colour - Sky Blue
Greatest Manager - Ray Graydon
Graydon started his playing career at 16 when joining Bristol Rovers and after playing for Aston Villa, Coventry City, Washington Diplomats and Oxford United, Graydon ended his playing career with 414 total appearances and 120 goals.
After retiring, Graydon moved into coaching at Southampton and then becoming assistant to Maurice Evans at Oxford United, helping them win the 1986 League Cup. Graydon moved into the manager role in 1998 when replacing Jan Sorensen at Walsall.
In Graydon’s first season he led the Saddlers in the Football League First Division when finishing runners up to Fulham in the 1998-99 season.
Unable to keep Walsall in the first division Graydon led Walsall again to through the second division in 2000-01 season, this time finishing 4th.
This led Walsall to a play-off final against Reading at the Millennium stadium. The Saddlers would come out 3-2 victors and find themselves straight back in the first division.
Graydon left Walsall after 199 games in charge, winning 79 of the games.
Mascot - Swifty
Walsall’s mascot is a swift bird called Swifty.
The origin of the mascot comes back in the early days of the club, Walsall used to be known as The Swifts, before being changed to The Saddlers after the leather manufacturing industry nearby.
However, the club has always stuck with the swift on the badge and this then led to the club making their club mascot a swift to follow their badge.
Last Six
Won- Walsall 3-2 Coventry
Lost- Walsall 1-2 Port Vale
Draw- Fleetwood 0-0 Walsall
Draw- Walsall 2-2 Sunderland
Lost- Portsmouth 2-0 Walsall
Draw- Walsall 1-1 Sunderland
Head-to-Head
Sky Blues (W): 22
Draw: 25
Walsall (W): 14
Opposition
The Saddlers currently sit 13th in the table, two points behind the Sky Blues, having not won since the FA Cup First Round.
Walsall have had back to back home games against fellow League One side Sunderland in recent weeks, drawing on both occasions.
Dean Keates’ side have fell off from their good start to the season, so will be hoping their performances begin to pick up.
Last Time We Met
The clubs last met just under month ago in the First Round of the FA Cup, where Walsall came out 3-2 winners.
The Sky Blues found themselves 1-0 down after 12 minutes when Andy Cook found the net for the Saddlers and then Josh Ginnelly doubled the lead after 28 minutes.
City quickly responded to going 2-0 down when Jonson Clarke-Harris found the net in the 33rd minute and then Luke Thomas equalised just after half-time.
However, Nicky Devlin would go onto score the fifth and final goal of the fixture in the 77th minute which would hand Walsall the victory and stop Coventry repeating a good run in the FA Cup like the previous year.
Sky Bet Odds
The Sky Blues are slight favourites going into this weekends fixture at 6/4 to take the win, with the Saddlers placed at 13/8.
Bakayoko, Clarke-Harris and Chaplin are placed at favourite for Sky Blues to score first at 11/2. The boost for this weekend is with both teams to score and a Sky Blue victory at 9/2.
You can bet online here.