|
|
|
||
|
|
|||
|
Ground Name:
Banks's Stadium
(but still known to many fans as
the Bescot Stadium) |
 |
|
| Contents | |
| What's The Ground
Like? Future Developments Looking Towards The Floors 2 Go Stand (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Where To Drink? The West Bromwich & Homeserve Stands (photo) How To Get There By Car & Where To Park By Train Admission Prices Programme & Fanzine Ground Layout Local Rivals Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2007-2008 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Feedback Return To The Main Menu |
|
| What's The Ground Like? | |
| The Saddlers moved to the Bescot Stadium in 1990 from
Fellows Park. With the opening of the now named
Floors 2 Go Purple Stand in
2003
the Club are finally getting a ground to match their
ambitions. This new stand is for home
fans and is a large two tiered affair that completely dwarfs the rest of the ground.
It is smart looking, with a
glassed area running across its middle,
which houses the concourse. Unusually, it has a
slightly larger upper than lower
tier. This end before it was
re-developed was previously called the Gilbert Alsop (a former Walsall playing great)
Stand, but in a commercial sponsorship deal, has been renamed the
Floors 2 Go
Stand. Similarly the H.L. Fellows Stand has been
renamed the Txt 64446 Health Stand. A sign of the times I guess... The rest of the stadium is totally enclosed with three of the stands being roughly the same height, giving it a 'box-like' feel. These stands are not particularly big, around 15 rows high. The corners are filled, but only for advertising hoardings. Above the Homeserve (William Sharp) stand there is a small electric scoreboard, whilst on one side there is a small television camera gantry precariously perched on the roof. One unusual feature are the strange looking floodlights, which sit on the roofs of the side stands. The main disappointment is the large number of supporting pillars in each of the older stands (the new Floors 2 Go Stand is pillar free). As Walsall unfortunately very rarely fill the stadium, this is not a huge problem. However, for big games this can be very annoying if you are unlucky enough to get seated behind one. There is also a small electric scoreboard on top of the Homeserve (William Sharp) Stand. In a corporate sponsorship deal with Marstons Brewery, the stadium has been renamed the Banks's Stadium. |
|
| Future Developments | |
| The Club have announced that they have been granted planning permission to re-develop the Homeserve (William Sharp) end of the ground. The new stand would look similar to the Floors 2 Go Stand and add 2,300 seats to the stadium, raising the overall capacity to 13,500. It would also mean that up to 4,000 away supporters could be accommodated at that end. The back of the stand will also feature a giant advertising hoarding, clearly visible from the M6. The Club are seeking a suitable sponsor for this proposed development. | |
|
|
|
| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
| Away supporters are housed in the
Homeserve (William Sharp) Stand at
one end of the ground, where
around 2,000 away supporters can be accommodated. There are a few
supporting pillars at the front which could impede your view.
The good news though, is that
even a
small amount of away fans can really make some noise and
make
a good atmosphere. A trip to Walsall can be disappointing in terms of trying to get there
and the stadium itself, but is more than countered by the relaxed atmosphere around the
ground and the friendliness of the Walsall fans themselves.
Neil Harding a
visiting Hull City fan provides his thoughts on the stadium; 'In my
opinion The Bescot has to be one of the poorest grounds in the
country. It has a strange look to it with
three covered stands all the same size, but one
large stand that towers over the rest of the
ground, giving it a somewhat lopsided feel. |
|
| Where To Drink? | |
| The King George V in Wallowes
Lane is okay, but as the nearest pub to the ground it
gets (rather expectantly) rather busy which can make it a bit difficult to
get served quickly. It is about a 15 minute walk away,
opposite the Morrisons Supermarket. If you are walking from the stadium, go
out of the official car parks and down towards McDonalds. Go past McDonalds
on your right and take a left hand turn into Wallowes Lane. At the end of
the lane turn left onto the main road and the pub is just setback on the
left. Away fans though should avoid the Fulbrook pub near to the ground. Gary Cotterill informs me; 'at the stadium there is the Saddlers Club, which normally allows small numbers of away fans in at a cost of £1, but you need to arrive there early'. Please note that alcohol is not served inside the stadium. Inside you will find a range of Shire Foods pies available including the Chicken Balti Pie (£2) on offer (allegedly Walsall were the first Club to stock balti pies). Whilst on the adjoining retail park, that you pass on the way in to the stadium, there is a McDonalds, to keep the kids happy. Neil LeMilliere a visiting Exeter City fan adds; 'couldn't get into the Saddlers Club at 2.10pm. It is then a long way to go to get a drink anywhere else if you don't know where you are going - in fact too far!' |
|
The West Bromwich & Homeserve Stands |
|
|
|
| How To Get There By Car & Where To Park | |
| The ground is right next to the
M6, in fact you can see it from the motorway just north of the RAC Control Centre.
Unfortunately, this stretch of motorway normally has a large traffic jam on both
Saturday lunchtimes and early weekday evenings, so allow extra time. From M6 South: Leave the M6 at Junction 7 and take the A34 towards Walsall (beware though of speed cameras on this stretch of dual carriageway). At the end of the dual carriageway turn left at the Bell Inn public house into Walstead Road (sign posted Bescot Stadium, Bescot Station Park & Ride). Continue straight on this road for two miles, passing another pub called the Tiger on your left. You will come to Bescot Stadium and entrance to the away end on your right. From The M6 North: Leave the M6 at Junction 9 and take the A461 towards Walsall. Bear right on to the A4148 (Wallowes Lane) and turn right at the second set of traffic lights. You will see the ground on your left. Car Parking: There is a good sized car park located at the ground (cost £3) and behind the away stand, which lends itself to a quick getaway after the match. Bescot Railway Station also offers car parking for £2. Alternatively there is some street parking to be had off Wallowes Lane. Ian Stevens advises, 'avoiding parking on the nearby Morrisons Supermarket car park (built on the site of the old Fellows Park), as unless you can prove that you are shopping there, you run the risk of being wheel clamped'. For a map showing the location of the ground click here (to take you to the Street Map website). To go to a simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you can print out click here. |
|
| By Train | |
| Note that if you go by train, Bescot Stadium has its own station, situated behind the away end only a few minutes walk from the turnstiles. Trains run there on a local line from Birmingham New Street and the journey time is around 20 minutes. There is a regular service on Saturdays along this line and you should not have too many problems getting away after the game. | |
| Admission Prices | |
| Home Fans*: Floors 2 Go Stand (Upper Tier & Lower Centre) - Adults £19, Senior Citizens/Juniors £13 Floors 2 Go Stand (Family Tickets) - 1 Adult + 1 Junior £22, Extra Junior on family ticket £7 Floors 2 Go Stand (Lower Tier Wings) - Adults £15, Concessions £11 Txt 64446 Health (H.L. Fellows) Stand - Adults £19, Concessions £14 West Bromwich Building Society Stand - Adults £19, Senior Citizens £13, Juniors £11 West Bromwich Building Society (Family Tickets) - 1 Adult + 1 Junior £21, Extra Junior on family ticket £7 Away Fans*: |
|
| Programme & Fanzine | |
| Official Programme £2.50. There is
also an
excellent programme shop behind the William Sharp Stand.
Ninety Minutes From Europe (NMFE) Fanzine 50p |
|
|
|
| Local Rivals | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Aston Villa & Shrewsbury Town. | |
| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
| Fixtures 2007-2008 | |
| For the Walsall fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 11,049 v Rotherham United Division One, May 9th 2004 Record Attendance At Fellows Park: 25,453 v Newcastle (Div 2) August 29th, 1961. Average Attendance: 2006-2007: 5,430 (League Two) 2005-2006: 5,392 (League One) 2004-2005: 6,108 (League One) |
|
| Fans Reviews Of Bescot Stadium | |
|
Jonathan Saunders (Yeovil Town) 9/2/08 Mick Hubbard (Doing the 92) 19/11/06 Tim Rigby (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 11/1/03 |
|
| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Walsall page click here. | |
| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me
and I'll
update
the guide. |
|
|
|
|
| Return To The Main Menu |
|
