If you have a sport mentality, an interest in football and happen to be born in a provincial town, the local football team is a centre piece to your life. You know about the local football club long before you visit the stadium, stories are told of great players, heroes, great victories and sad losses. My Grandfather was a season ticket holder of Walsall Football Club; he sat in the same seats in the stand at Fellows Park for donkey’s years. Harry Jenkins took his son, Alan, my father, at a young age to see the ‘Saddlers’, he too became a life long fan. It was my Grandfather who first took me to Fellows Park at the age of eight; my Father then took me on occasions through the next two seasons. At the age of ten I was devoted, and have remained that way throughout my life.
In the years when my career was at it’s height in terms of hit records and travel, I have arranged to fly into the UK solely with the purpose of driving the 120 miles to Walsall from London to watch the boys play. I’ve flown from Los Angeles and made the game with little sleep, rushed to JFK airport from meetings, to fly from New York to Heathrow and travel north. Left conferences in Japan and Berlin and scheduled my arrival in the UK to coincide with the two hour drive to the stadium.
I believe I owe a great, thank you, to the club, throughout my life, the team has kept my feet on the ground, the pain of defeat and the sweet smell of victory, has at times kept me sane, when all around me, was pop music madness. Many of the players over the years have become true friends.
Yes, I’m devoted to Walsall Football Club, wherever I travel, wherever I am, I know their next fixture and am aware of when my next visit to the stadium will be, and I will always be a ‘Saddler’.
For more Walsall FC information, visit the the club’s official website: www.saddlers.co.uk