A week before Walsall's first big game in the Second Division they played last season's beaten cup finalists Leicester City in a friendly match at Fellows Park. Despite loosing centre half Albert McPherson with a suspected broken nose after only nine minutes they came back strongly to beat the First Division team 1-0. Tony Richards scored the vital goal after a through ball down the middle from Ken Hodgkisson. Richards cleverly lifting the ball over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Gordon Banks.
One of the highlights was the performance of Maurice Patridge, a free transfer signing from Birmingham City who stepped in following McPherson's injury and gave a great display at left back.
Two other new signings also came on as substitutes in Bill Younger an inside forward from Lincoln and the popular little winger George Meek returning to Walsall for a second spell after last season with today's opponents Leicester.
So an encouraging start for the Saddlers with much greater challenges to come.
SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 1961
LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT FELLOWS PARK Attendance 18,420
WALSALL 4 (Richards 3, 1 pen, Wilson)
SUNDERLAND 3 (Clough, Herd, Hooper pen)
Christie; Palin, Sharples; Hill, McPherson (capt), Dudley;
Askey, Hodgkisson, Wilson, Richards, Taylor;
Wakeham; Nelson, Ashurst; Anderson (capt), Hurley, McNab;
Hooper, Herd, Clough, Fogarty, Overfield:
Referee:- F.V. Stringer, Liverpool
Walsall could not have had a sterner task that that which confronted them on their return to the Second Division after sixty years in the wilderness. Before an expectant, all ticket crowd, Sunderland determined to regain their first division status paraded two forwards, Brian Clough from Middlesborough and George Herd from Clyde, who between them cost more than the entire Walsall side. Other stars included Ireland's Charlie Hurley, rated by many the best centre half in Britain, England B internationals Stan Anderson and Harry Hooper and another Irish international in Ambrose Fogarty.
Walsall won the toss to a great cheer and as always set themselves to defend the laundry end goal. There was almost a shock first minute goal for the home side. Hodgkisson chipped a clever ball over the Sunderland defenders and Richards racing through the middle was just beaten to the ball by goalkeeper Wakeham. Then Sunderland moving at speed, began to show their skill and Christie had to dive full length to save as a low cross from Hooper was deflected by Dudley. Clough was twice pulled up for offside in dangerous looking raids by the visitors and then Taylor blazed yards wide with a first time shot from Wilson's cross.
Then after thirteen minutes came the first sensation of what was to prove a sensational match. Askey was brought down by McNab just inside the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty kick. The crowd roared in anticipation while Sunderland protested vigorously, and then Richards calmly sent the ball out of the goalkeeper's reach into the bottom right hand corner of the net. The crowd went mad and a few minutes later it was nearly a second for Walsall when an inswinging centre from the left by Hodgkisson hit the inside of the far post and rebounded to be scrambled away just before Richards got to it.
After twenty two minutes Sunderland, who always looked dangerous, equalised with a simple goal. Anderson in the centre circle sent a long ball towards goal, Christie ran out to collect, but missed the ball completely and Herd ran to the bye line to square the ball across the vacant goal for Clough to tap it home. This was Clough's 199th league goal in only six seasons and seemed to inspire Sunderland to greater effort.
Herd was proving to be a very elusive player and it really came as no surprise when he popped up to put Sunderland ahead after thirty one minutes. From the third successive corner taken by Hooper on the right, Hurley got his head to the ball, nodded it on to Herd who headed it past Sharples on the line into the corner of the net. Taylor soon had a great chance to equalise but instead of trying one of his usual power drives he tried to lob the ball over the goalkeeper with the result that is landed straight into Wakeham's hands. Then Askey tried a full blooded shot from the edge of the penalty area which Wakeham did well to save.
Three minutes from half time the crowd went wild again when Walsall equalised. Richards sent Taylor away down the left and his low hard cross cannoned off Hurley to Tommy Wilson who cracked it into the net. Just before half time Herd seemed to be limping and went onto the right wing.
Half time 2-2.
Walsall bombarded the Sunderland goal from the restart with cannonball shots from Taylor being saved or blocked by defenders. With the crowd now roaring them on, Walsall looked set to demolish both the Sunderland defence and the laundry wall behind them! However it was Sunderland who scored next after fifty five minutes. Sharples amazingly handled the ball inside the area when no danger threatened and Hooper scored easily from the spot. Walsall seemed downhearted for a while after this, but another cannonball from Taylor which almost knocked Wakeham back into the net was the signal for the start of a grandstand finish.
The Saddlers equalised yet again after sixty five minutes, Wilson turning on a sixpence to leave Hurley stranded. He slipped the ball through for Richards, always in the right place, to run on to and crash the ball home. The excitement was electric now, nothing like it had been seen on the ground since the famous victory over Arsenal in the 1930s. Sunderland were overwhelmed by the sheer force of the crowd and the fight of eleven men playing as never before. In the seventy third minute came the moment of climax when a delightful move ended with Wilson again sending Richards through to beat Wakeham from fifteen yards out to complete his hat trick and set the entire ground aflame with cheer after cheer which continued right to the final whistle, while Wakeham again saved brilliantly from both Hodgkisson and Richards.
4-3 and a famous victory indeed! Sunderland's super stars had been well and truly beaten.
The following Wednesday night Walsall had yet another mountain to climb. They faced Newcastle United, newly relegated from the first division, at St James' Park in front of a 33,000 crowd, despite a woeful goal less draw at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday. After their win over Sunderland the Saddlers were full of confidence and dominated the early play but could not get the goal they needed. Newcastle eventually won the game 1-0 but were full of praise for the visitors' performance.
WEDNESDAY 23RD AUGUST 1961
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2 (Robson, Kevan) EVERTON 0 Attendance 23,000
Wallace; Howe, Williams (S); Robson, Jones, Drury;
Jackson, Burnside, Lovatt, Kevan, Clark;
Dunlop; Parker, Thompson; Gabriel, Labone, Meagan;
Bingham, Collins, Young, Vernon, Fell;
Everton struggled for most of this game following injuries to Bobby Collins and Alex Young which left them both limping on the wings and unable to contribute much to the proceedings. Albion on the other hand were inspired by wing half Bobby Robson, who had certainly brought his shooting boots with him. He managed to play the dangerous Roy Vernon out of the game as well as having eight shots at goal, which was more than the whole Everton team. He put Albion ahead after only eight minutes with a 25 yard effort which swerved and dipped past a bewildered Dunlop.
Albion continued to dominate but could not add to the score, despite all Robson's efforts. Parker, Gabriel and Labone were all outstanding in the Everton defence but their forward line offered little threat. Williams and Howe were similarly dominant at the back for Albion and the game became rather one sided. Half time 1-0.
Albion continued in the ascendancy in the second half and despite another injury to goalkeeper Dunlop this time, he was able to resume and continued to keep the Albion forwards at bay until thirteen minutes before the end when Clive Clark centred from the left wing for the big man Derek Kevan to head home for the clinching goal. Hopefully Albion will have learned a lesson that they need to part with the ball more quickly particularly when faced by such a tough tackling defence that Everton possess.
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