Souvenir programme to cherish. One of my favourite players to grace the Theatre of Dreams at the Wood, Craig Deakin.

Haughmond, in black and white, make their first appearance here and, like their supporting fans ,are given a warm welcome.

A beautiful, sunny afternoon, a welcome glass of amber nectar or two, a beefburger and chips, and a fine display of positive quality soccer to spectate. Love the Wood.

Early in the game and Haughmond show their talons as they launch a series of attacks on the Walsall Wood goal. Both sides mean business, then.

First goal, in the first half, to Haughmond, who are delighted. The Wood? Not so.

A few moments later, and the Wood come thundering back and score a superb goal, to equalise.

and the delight is shared by a home fan. Game on!

Still the first half, the Wood have conceded a goal, so they turn up the pressure as they strive to score a goal. Excellent soccer

Later in the first half and fans from both sides are caught up in the excitement of the match, and the beefburger vans prepares to feed hungry souls.

a high-energy game, payed to its full by eager and proficient sportsman in the right spirit in front of appreciative fans.

The second half brings refreshed and revitalised players to work hard to gain a valuable victory

an interesting tussle between two players of different stature and pace.

a well-played game of football; enjoyable to watch, too

soccer, played at full speed. Accurate, demanding, satisfying.

Second half and the Wood score another goal. The crowd erupts, of course

One of the Wood’s stars in action.

And another of the many stars of the Wood. Love the Wood!

nearly the end of the match and both teams are still playing hard and well.

The match ends and the Wood have won. This has been hard work for both sides who have produced some captivating moves, shown endeavour, made accurate passing and exhibited commitment.

Images and captions kindly supplied by the young David Evans

Walsall Wood FC continued their steady progress into the new season on Saturday 17th August 2019 with a hard fought win over Shrewsbury’s Haughmond FC at Oak Park – a good match and result welcomed by the faithful, disappointed by their away defeat to the same opponent the previous week.

David Evans was there, and sent the following match report.

He wrote:

Walsall Wood FC 3 v 2 Haughmond FC
Saturday 17th August 2019

Walsall Wood entertained and welcomed Haughmond on their first visit to Oak Park on a glorious sunlit summer’s afternoon.  A bright sky, dappled white clouds, a gentle refreshing breeze and beautiful lush green grass pitch all combined to create a  worthy stage  for the players.

The mouth-watering aroma of burgers and sausages being cooked and  the open door to tempting bar, all needs were being catered for as spectators threaded their way through the turnstile, bright-eyed and in varying degrees of discomfort, entrance tickets,  matchday programmes and teeth firmly clenched.

On the lush, green grass pitch today’s visiting team, who had made their way from Shrewsbury, performed their balletic   warm-up routine with military precision. As the home team performed theirs, the spectacle was strangely fascinating and spectators became increasingly caught up in the thrill of the game that would soon spring in to action on  the shrill blow of a whistle.

The teams played bright, accurate and delightful soccer and it was self-evident that both sides wanted the win, and for different reasons. Would this detract from the quality and sporting nature of today’s match? Not a bit of it. For this, and everything else, the game was a credit to all the players.

The encounter was characterised by accurate passing, well-worked out moves and manoeuvres by both sides, changes of pace, tactics, and the refreshing variety of skills shown today. The minutes fled by for the spectators : always a clear indication that quality and positive soccer is taking place on the pitch.

It was Haughmond who scored the first goal, to the delight of their players and fans. This spurred to the Wood to ratchet up the game a notch or two. This brought both end to end soccer and careful, measured play in equal measure.

The match officials performed their roles in a calm and proficient manner and were allowed to be relatively unobtrusive by the sporting nature of play by  both sides.

The half time break for the players, the cucumber sandwiches, cups of tea and pleasant conversation with their managers brought a different dimension to the second half of the game. A greater sense of urgency, fresh manoeuvres not employed in the first half, some substitutions at strategic moments, and this game sparkled and thrilled right to the moment when the Referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match.

There was no petulance or dissent from any player, and this league match, which ended with a three goals to two win for the home side, was all the better for it.

David Evans

Thanks to David there – For The Good Of The Wood!

Walsall Wood Football Club are a top local side with a big-hearted faithful who know how to have a great time supporting their lads, and welcome all comers to come enjoy great local soccer.

The boys from The Wood have been at the heart of the local community for a century or more, so please do go check out a match or two if you’re curious.