Walsall FC
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| Full name | Walsall Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Saddlers |
| Founded | 1888 (as Walsall Town Swifts) |
| Ground | Bescot Stadium |
| Capacity | 11,300 |
| Chairman | Jeff Bonser |
| Manager | Jon Whitney |
| League | League One |
| 2015–16 | League One, 3rd |
| Website | Club home page |
Walsall Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Walsall, West Midlands, England. The team play in League One, the third tier in the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second Division in 1892, but have spent their entire existence outside English football's top division; their highest league finish was fourteenth in Division Two in 1961–62. Their first match at Wembley Stadium was the 2015 Football League Trophy Final, which they lost to Bristol City.
Walsall moved into their Bescot Stadium in 1990, having previously played at nearby Fellows Park for almost a century. The ground is known as Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes. The team play in a red and white kit and their club crest features a swift. The club's nickname, "The Saddlers", reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture.
Walsall were formed as Walsall Town Swifts in 1888 when Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. amalgamated. Walsall Town had been founded in 1877 and Walsall Swifts in 1879. Both clubs had played at the Chuckery, and the new club remained at the same ground. Walsall Town Swifts' first match was a draw against Aston Villa. Two players from this early era received international caps. In 1882, Alf Jones won the first two of his three caps (against Scotland and Wales) while with Walsall Swifts, and in 1889 Albert Aldridge received the second of his two caps while playing for Walsall Town Swifts. The club were first admitted to the Football League in 1892, as founder members of the new Second Division. They moved to the West Bromwich Road ground in 1893. After finishing 14th out of 16 teams in 1894–95 the club failed to be re-elected to the Football League.
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