Walsall are back in action on Saturday afternoon as they look to open the new campaign with a win over opponents Swindon Town.MATCH INFORMATION
Walsall welcome Swindon Town to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium for their opening game of the 2025/26 Sky Bet League Two campaign.
The match is scheduled to kick-off at 3.00pm, and will see around 2,000 Swindon supporters make their way up from Wiltshire.
NEWS & VIEWS
Following a busy summer in WS1 that saw Head Coach Mat Sadler largely reshape his squad, the Saddlers return to action on Saturday afternoon as they take on Swindon Town in front of the Sky Sports+ cameras.
Looking to rebound from last season's disappointing fall from grace - the team letting slip a commanding twelve point lead to ultimately end up on the losing side in the Play-Off Final - the gaffer has his work cut out if he is to go one better in 2025/26.
Losing the likes of Player of the Season Taylor Allen, club captain Donervon Daniels, Liam Gordon, Ryan Stirk, Oisin McEntee, and Jack Earing, Sadler has set about a squad rebuild, bringing in players from a variety of clubs at a variety of levels as the mode of helping prospects to grow before hopefully cashing in, continues.
Snapping up Stevenage striker Aaron Pressley and AFC Bournemouth prospect Jonny Stuttle, the team looks to have plenty of goals in it, although we hope we can avoid a repeat of the issues that were caused by last season's loss of top-scorer Nathan Lowe midway through the campaign.
In defence, Harrison Burke, CJ Clarke, Aden Flint, Vincent Harper, Mason Hancock, and Dan Cox have been added, with pre-season giving us nothing but positive vibes as they all looked to have settled into their roles well.
The only real issue remaining in terms of squad strength is in midfield as Jake Hollman and Lewis Warrington are the only recognised new arrivals in the centre of the pitch, with Charlie Lakin, Brandon Comley, Dylan Thomas, and Jamie Jellis the only other competition in the centre of the pitch.
Hopefully, the gaffer will continue to add to the squad ahead of the deadline in early September as the team has the makings of a competitive one but is missing a few ingredients needed to compete in the fourth tier.
Looking at Saturday’s game, and it'll be far too early to gauge anything in terms of season trajectory, but we'd all welcome an opening day win!
WALSALL TEAM NEWS
Summer signing Harrison Burke is a doubt for this weekend's season opener after he rolled his ankle during the recent pre-season victory over Forest Green Rovers.
Fellow defender Priestley Farquharson is still seeking fitness after missing the majority of last season through injury, so could feature on the bench.
THE OPPOSITION
Swindon Town have also undergone plenty of change over the summer, with several incomings and outgoings, chief amongst those making their way to the County Ground, in our opinion, is the prolific non-league striker Jake Tabor.
Penning his first professional contract, Tabor, who had been linked with a host of clubs over the summer, scored a remarkable 127 goals in 91 appearances over the past two seasons for Combined Counties League Premier Division North side Amersham Town.
The Robins have enjoyed a largely successful pre-season campaign; winning four of their five public outings, they'll reach Saturday's game in buoyant mood.
FACTFILE: SWINDON TOWN
Nickname: The Robins
Founded: 1879
Ground: The County Ground
Manager: Ian Holloway
HEAD-TO-HEAD
There have been a total of 109 competitive meetings between Walsall and Swindon Town. And it's the Robins who hold a small overall lead, having won 41 times compared to the Saddlers' 38.
There have also been thirty draws over the history of the fixture, a history which began at the County Ground on Saturday, 15th October 1927 as the two sides met in a Division Three (South) clash which the Robins won by five-goals-to-nil.
The Saddlers would also go on to lose the next two meetings, conceding another seven goals in the process, as their opponents enjoyed a strong start to the rivalry.
In fact, Walsall wouldn't secure their first victory over Swindon until their fifth meeting, which took place at Fellows Park on Monday, 23rd September 1929, and saw the Saddlers triumph four-nil.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
The most recent competitive meeting took place at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday, 1st March 2025, and saw the Robins win by one-goal-to-nil.
Walsall created the lion share of the opportunities during the opening hour of the contest, but it was the visitors who would take the lead when Joel Cotterill put the ball beyond Tommy Simkin and into the back of the net.
MATCH OFFICIALS
The EFL has confirmed that Oliver Mackey will take charge of the match with Thomas Cooke and Danny Jarvis being named as assistant referees, whilst Anthony Moore has been selected as Fourth Official.
CATCH THE MATCH
If you're unable to make it to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium this weekend, the match is also being broadcast on Sky Sports+.