IT’S been a tale of hope to despair and back again.
In 1990, a West Midlands club, that once played host to Liverpool great Alan Hansen, left their stadium after 94 years following back-to-back relegations down the footie pyramid.
But anyone visiting the spot where it once stood these days will be greeted by a much-different sight – a Morrisons supermarket.
Relocation plans were put in place after a perimeter wall collapsed during a League Cup semi-final clash against Liverpool in 1984.
In fact, Liverpool captain Graeme Souness joined in the rescue by memorably carrying an injured child to safety before the Reds won 2-0.
In truth, by 1989 Fellows Park had seen better days before it was demolished in 1991.
Even by that decade’s standards, the toilets were the stuff of legend.
The Hillary Street roof flapped in high winds and showered fans with rusty water during matches on wet days.
The ground was home to Walsall – who currently sit top of League Two and are odds on to go up.
But in 1990, Walsall had dropped from the second to the fourth tier, in fact finishing bottom of the table each time.
The Saddlers are one of only seven clubs to have suffered relegation in both of their final two seasons before moving home.
By the time the last game at Fellows Park came around it was certain that Walsall would start life at Bescot in Division Four.
In their final campaign at Fellows Park they sacked John Barnwell as manager in March and brought former Aston Villa striker Gary Shaw for the last three months, but it was too late to save them.
Despite its shortcomings, however, for Walsall’s 6,000 or so regular fans Fellows Park was home.
Walsall’s record home attendance was when 25,453 fans flocked in to watch them play Newcastle in the Second Division on 29 August 1961.
And the new ground at the Bescot Stadium was anything but a high-end product in 1989.
In fact, owner Terry Ramsden was effectively shifting them to a brownfield site underneath the M6.
Walsall’s current digs were built in 1989–90 by GMI Construction, with a reported build cost of £4.5m.
It was opened on 18 August 1990, by Sir Stanley Matthews, prior to a friendly against rivals Aston Villa in front of 9,551 spectators.
Matthews was the inaugural winner, and first English player, to win the Ballon d’Or in 1956.
But the arrival at the Bescot Stadium saw some stability brought back to the club as it was taken over by Jeff Bonser in 1991.
Kenny Hibbitt managed the Saddlers for four years, setting the groundwork for a golden era that would follow soon after his dismissal in September 1994.
New manager Chris Nicholl led the club to promotion back to the third tier in his first season.
And Bonser only left Walsall in 2019, as current owner Leigh Pomlett acquired his 76 per cent majority stake.
Ironically, in 2024, the ground was renamed the ‘Poundland Bescot Stadium’ for sponsorship reasons.
A reminder of Fellows Park remains in the Bescot ground, in the name of the H.L. Fellows Stand.
Harry Leslie Fellows was a club director during the 1930s.
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