So the waiting is over and at last we have the chance to see Walsall in action this weekend after the summer break as we face Rotherham United in the first of, our pre-season friendly games. Saturday's game is a step into the unknown for our supporters as we head for the Don Valley Stadium is Sheffield which is the current temporary home of The Merry Millers who have had such a testing time in recent seasons.
I always enjoyed visiting Millmoor, their stadium which was home for them for 101 years. It will be strange passing the tall floodlights and heading out to the DVS instead. The South Yorkshire club must return to a stadium in Rotherham within four years to meet Football League stipulations. Three or four sites have been mooted- some fans even harp on about a sentimental return to Millmoor
which presently don't seem viable,
The Don Valley Stadium has a capacity of 25,000-all seated-but fans are only allowed in one main stand which has a capacity of 10,000. Rotherham's largest gate so far however has only been 5,404 v.Wolves in the League Cup early last season. Away fans are housed in a separate block of seating at the end of the main stand and enter via a separate walkway. At the end of the game away fans
are redirected out via another route. As you can imagine the away section view of the playing area is not great-it has a corner angled view.
Walsall have their new signings ready to show former Rotherham player Chris Hutchings what they can do as he starts to plan for the season proper. Mark Hughes, Steve Jones, Josh O'Keefe and Sam Parkin have all breezed into Bescot this summer. Coach Martin O'Connor has said in the local press that Rene Gilmartin has impressed in the pre-season training and it could be that the youngster starts the game with Clayton Ince only just recently returning to the club following his extended summer leave. For all the squad there are two games next week to figure but those who play on Saturday have the first chance to impress.
Tickets for this game are priced at ten pounds and the Walsall Supporters Club are running a coach to this game at just eleven pounds. The indications that I have had from the travel secretary are that he expects the coach to be full. Walsall Football Club have not bothered to run a coach for this fixture. So a new ground and the chance of seeing our heroes in action again after what seems a lifetime.
............Roll on Saturday!