Blimy, this has come right out of the blue! Apologies if that odd and stark introduction throws you off, but it’s been a long time since I posted on here, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you’re a first-time reader on this site. Let’s be honest, there weren’t a great deal of readers in the first place when I did post on here. Delving back into the archives, I haven’t blogged a game since Walsall somehow battled to a surprise victory against Mansfield. Since I was getting busier, I decided to jack in the six months of blogging without much thinking and let the website just fall into the abyss of the internet. I guess it would end up in the extensive category of websites and online games titled “We tried it but it didn’t really work. In fact it was crap.”
But, just as BlogFootball looked to be firmly in the grave, I suddenly decided that it might be a good idea for me to come back and ramble online to some people that I don’t even know in the thought that it might be a somewhat entertaining and enjoyable read. That’s why I started this website and I suppose I should probably continue it. Having said that, it wasn’t exactly a well thought out and planned venture. I decided I’d blog Tuesday night’s trip whilst on a nightmarish journey back along the A38 around midnight on Wednesday.


Yes, it was one of those journeys. I’m sure you’ve experienced it yourself. This is definitely blog-worthy, I thought, amidst an increasing wave of fatigue and discomfort. Another reason for me wanting to ditch this website was because of the fact that I’ve managed to wrangle a sports reporting career out of all this, so I thought best to prioritise that, but when I have a spare moment I may as well do a blog as well.
As you can see above, the Poundland Bescot Stadium was the destination once again and Walsall will more than likely feature in a number of blogs this season if I decide to carry on. Perhaps Harrogate and Port Vale away in a few months time will have a blog. Bit of a trek, but that’s the way football is nowadays. Walsall, who are flying by all accounts this season, were at home to relegation-threatened Carlisle United. Apparently it’s one of their shorter journeys. Still, fair play for the mob that did turn up in the corner and made a fair amount of noise. A long way for a Tuesday night even if it is just a “short” three-hour journey. I shouldn’t be complaining, because the Saddlers have got to make the Tuesday evening slog up to Northumberland in March’s reverse fixture as well, so that will be fun.
Living in Derby nowadays for studies is the normality, but it makes things both easier and harder at the same time. Most of the time, the public transport is readily available and easy to access in Derby, so there isn’t much point in having a car. Plus, when I’m not reporting, it means I can grab some ciders for the day.

With this one though, reporting was the call of duty, so I had to stick to water and Bovril. Still a good choice if you ask me. I decide to get the train to most games when in Derby, particularly if I’m watching Walsall as the station is right outside the ground. Impressive that. Almost like they’ve thought about it. Derby Station has all you need if what you are looking for is overpriced, processed and unhealthy food that you know isn’t good for you in any way, shape or form, yet you still buy it anyway. Normally, it’s either Greggs or Costa that provides the fuel for the onward journey but instead, rather unusually, I had neither and instead I sat doing work on my laptop until I freakishly panicked thinking I’d left it too late to get to the train to New Street on the other side of the station.
Thankfully, I hadn’t. And I was actually able to get a seat! Unusual for East Midlands Railway as they tend to herd us all onto the train if it’s busy and round us up like cattle. Perhaps it was the fact that I stumbled upon the unreserved carriage that meant I was able to find a seat. The signal was typically dreadful so I couldn’t really do much more work, so instead I just ended up overhearing a couple opposite talk about babysitting and watching the world go by. I know, fascinating stuff. What else can you do when you’re on your own? I think some random internet user coined it as “rawdogging” but I’m not comfortable using that term to say what I did last night.
Eventually, I got into New Street Station and expected it to be chaotic. Villa, Blues and Walsall all at home the same night. I know, someone dropped a right clanger organising that. When Bolton and Blues announced their fixture would remain on the Tuesday, I think the collective response was something along the lines of “what a dreadful decision” or maybe something even more colourful than that. With a bit of a wait until the connecting train to Walsall, I took a seat upstairs and I happened to be sitting next to some Bologna fans, who presumably came across Spaghetti Junction with a huge amount of disappointment. I think the same thing happens in the Midlands too. At least I learnt a new Italian word as it sounded to me that when one of their mates called, the Bologna fans’ phone read out “Whatsappo.” It must be a tradition to put a vowel on the end of a word to make it Italian. The same as putting “le” before every word to make it French.
Anyway, I sauntered over to the platform and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was Mumbai with the amount of people there were. At least in Mumbai they put lots of carriages on, but more on that later. It was pretty much shoulder to shoulder on the platform and packed like sardines on the train. I ended up sandwiched in the middle of the carriage between two Villa fans, although that wasn’t a great surprise as that was most of the people on the train. One surprise was when a Jesus Christ lookalike boarded the train, but to be honest I think nowadays if anyone sees someone with straight long hair and a beard, they just get renamed Jesus. A bit like Sam Ryder if he dyed his hair. Ever seen Jesus in the same room as Sam Ryder? I thought not.


All the Villa fans all got off at Witton station (rather than Aston, for some reason - I’m unsure why, I’m presuming Witton is closer. Maybe they should rename to Witton Villa from now on) and then it settled down and I was able to get a seat. Because it was so crowded, I was unable to get many pictures, plus the fact that I didn’t even plan on doing a blog. I did get a quite fascinating picture of the back of some bloke’s head though, purely on the basis that he looked like Boris Johnson. I know, I don’t waste my afternoons. Like I said, what else can you do when you’ve got no signal on your own on a train with Jesus and Boris? Exactly. Unprecedented.

I continued onto the Bescot Stadium station, where I lost sight of Boris. He must’ve rushed off to his latest party. For me though, it was up and over the bridge as usual and trekked through the car park to the media entrance for some reporting. Catching up with some familiar faces is always nice and eventually, once we’d navigated the trouble of figuring out Carlisle’s formation after they made a few changes, we moved out into the stadium.
Walsall: Simkin, Okagbue, Williams, Allen, Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, Lakin, Gordon, Matt (C), Lowe
Subs: Adomah, Comley, Daniels, Earing, Hall, Hornby, Johnson
Carlisle: Lewis, Thomas, Lavelle, Hayden, Mellish, Neal, Guy, Harper, Biggins, Vela, Armstrong
Subs: Barclay, Breeze, Burey, Charters, Dudik, Robson, Sadi
Mat Sadler named an unchanged side that won at Grimsby while Carlisle went for a 3-5-1-1, making a few changes. Not a whiff of a 4-4-2 in sight, it just doesn’t work anymore. I guess the game has evolved since then, but it would just be interesting to see a game now where both sides play a 4-4-2. If you’d suggested to Sean Dyche a few years ago that his games would be played with anything other than a 4-4-2, he would probably give you a look as if you’d trod mud into his new carpet. Woke nonsense, as it’s now known.

Right. After all that rambling (get used to it) I should probably get onto actually talking about the game. It didn’t take long to spring into action as the Saddlers loanee Nathan Lowe picked up the ball in the midfield and took the lead in the second minute as the ball bounced in off the post. In all honesty, Walsall could have had about two or three goals by half time with the way they were going. The Saddlers have had a real focus on bringing in players from non-league, and one of those that has confidently made the step up is Connor Barrett. He’s the league’s joint-leading assister and he nearly had a goal to his name inside ten minutes with a low shot that was saved after a run from the middle of the park.
Nathan Lowe was next to have an effort in the one-way traffic. A long ball forward from Tommy Simkin was controlled well, but he forced a good save out of Harry Lewis in the Carlisle goal as he dived low to his left. Carlisle had the one and only chance of their half just after the half-hour mark as Cameron Harper fired wide from range. The Blues had a huge amount of possession throughout the first half, but the majority of it was in their own half as Walsall played their own game.
The Saddlers went into the break just 1-0 ahead and were unfortunate not to have converted all three of their shots on target, and that was the cue for me to go and get my grub from the wagon (I did grab a picture, obviously). Bovril always goes down well. No, it’s not old-fashioned as some people might think. If you want a Bovril, go for it, it’s like drinking gravy. If that puts you off, or motivates you to get some, well there you go, we now know what type of person you are. A pie went down a treat to soak up the drink and before we knew it we were underway again.


And guess what? Walsall scored early on again. Jamie Jellis this time as he made a run into the box and slotted his effort into the bottom corner before Jamille Matt followed up around seven minutes later, finishing off a rebound from inside the box.
Carlisle tried to get back into the game, but there was no great danger of overturning the scoreline and the third goal looked to kill the game off. They did grab a goal back in the 82nd minute as Jon Mellish scored from a set piece, but it was merely a consolation goal and Walsall sent Carlisle on the jaunt back to Northumberland with just a goal to their name.
And so, another report written, and all media duties dealt with, I dashed for the last train back to Derby and just about got on, nervously anticipating the mad rush when the Villa fans got on from Witton, potentially pissed and delirious that they’ve just won 2-0 and sit top of the Champions League table. A mate of mine, Robbo we’ll call him, was waiting for the train, but it was delayed because some selfish bugger had decided to drive a freight train in front of the passenger train, delaying us for a potentially unknown amount of time and possibly missing the last train back to Derby. We got to Witton eventually and as we met up I was immediately treated to a drunken rant about something to do with police. The delayed train meant there was no waiting around and we went straight down to the platform where there were fans of various different clubs, including Villa, Blues and Walsall and other non-football fans also trying to get the train back.

Clearly, prior to Tuesday, some genius looked at the information of all the local clubs being at home after another few geniuses decided it wouldn’t be moved and then decided it would be a fantastic idea to provide only four carriages for the train. Then, that genius saw nothing wrong with his decision and left every other poor bugger to pick up the pieces and get abuse for doing their job based on things outside of their control. There were people literally hanging off the train and others trying to get on despite there being no room at all. A message to those geniuses. You don’t have local clubs at home on the same night, because this happens. And you don’t just put four carriages on a train arriving at a platform that’s supposed to accommodate that many people. I’m reluctant to say it’s not that hard because it probably is but it just needs a bit of common sense.
Rant over. I don’t like being that serious on here but I don’t think I had much of a choice! Me and Robbo, both heading back to Derby, were trying to figure out what do, exploring various logistical options. Eventually, a bloke working for Network Rail at reception managed to sort out some Free of Charge taxis back to Derby, which I suppose is something. We were sharing the taxi with three randomers, one of which was struggling with their seatbelt whilst pelting up the A38. Not exactly ideal.
Eventually, we got out of the taxi in Derby, and I wondered whether the Carlisle fans had actually got home before me or not, then I headed up into the flat and collapsed into bed.
Moral of the story: Learn to drive.
Tom.
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