Fellows Park, Walsall. You might get a rotten view, and you might get wet even in the stand. Ah, fond memories of Walsall FC of yesteryear and its characterful home, which is now long gone.
Fellows Park, which until the mid-1960s only had three sides, the fourth being occupied by Orgills laundry, was eventually sold off to make way for a Morrisons supermarket.
The final league game played there was against Rotherham, on May 1, 1990, and was a 1-1 draw.
The replacement £3 million Bescot stadium beside the M6 hosted its first league clash against Torquay on August 25, 1990.
There is now a new generation of supporters of The Saddlers who just don’t know what it was like all those years ago. So for those who do, let’s revisit those times and relive some memories, and for those who don’t, prepare to have your eyes opened to a disappeared era.
29. Ploughing up the pitch.
The pitch at Fellows Park is ploughed up in April 1969 at the end of the season. "Ploughing time is here again! The Walsall-Swindon duel has been fought, the crowd have left Fellows Park. But all is not quiet, for under the direction of groundsman Graham Mapp (centre), the pitch is being ploughed up. Mapp is talking to John Pate (left) of the parks department, and Bert Bond, chief groundsman at Villa," said the caption. The game mentioned, no doubt the last of the season, had been a 2-0 home defeat to Swindon Town before Walsall's best league crowd of the season, 10,654. No reason is given for the pitch being ploughed up, so maybe it was something that was done as a matter of course at the end of the season. | Express & Star archive
30. Nothing to see here
The desolate scene in January 1971 at Fellows Park, where Walsall's game against Preston was postponed because the pitch was waterlogged. A few supporters arrived at the ground early, not realising the match had been called off. | Express & Star archive
31. Way in
This will bring back many memories. It is the main entrance to Fellows Park at Wallows Lane. Although this photo is not dated, based on the car it may be around the early 1970s. | Express & Star archive
32. From the air
An aerial view of the now disappeared ground in, we think, March 1975. | Express & Star archive