Alan

He's even more of a legend at Walsall, he banged goals in for fun during his time there, also highly regarded at Birmingham city.
I almost forgot about his great record as a forward thinking about how good he was as a manager.

Phil The Cod - Yes Alan Buckley is a legend at Walsall not only for the 205 goals scored for Saddlers but also, just like as in the case of Grimsby Town, the quality of football was superb. In his first season as player - manager at the age of just 29 steered Walsall to promotion from the old 4th Division to the 3rd and still scored 18 goals!  He also became the first manager to lead the club to a semi final of a major competition and in total had 13 years as player and manager. I'm a personal friend of AB and have been for a number of years and he alerted me to the GTFC news article and this excellent board.  He's a proud man and proud of his 45 years in the game and why not!   I do follow the fortunes of Town from afar and hope the club gets back into the FL  as soon as possible. The supporters bar at Bescot was refurbish during the close season and a large picture of the Goal King is on the wall area as you walk in!

It's not going too far to say that to some degree Sir Alan influenced who I am today - as a teenager my first season as a town fan was his first year as manager. My love for football, my love for football played the right way, and my love for Grimsby Town owes so much to him and especially his first 3 years as manager.

So pleased that the new board has done this, just the sort of thing I've come to expect from them.

Quoted from TheBuckleyBabes

Phil The Cod - Yes Alan Buckley is a legend at Walsall not only for the 205 goals scored for Saddlers but also, just like as in the case of Grimsby Town, the quality of football was superb. In his first season as player - manager at the age of just 29 steered Walsall to promotion from the old 4th Division to the 3rd and still scored 18 goals!  He also became the first manager to lead the club to a semi final of a major competition and in total had 13 years as player and manager. I'm a personal friend of AB and have been for a number of years and he alerted me to the GTFC news article and this excellent board.  He's a proud man and proud of his 45 years in the game and why not!   I do follow the fortunes of Town from afar and hope the club gets back into the FL  as soon as possible. The supporters bar at Bescot was refurbish during the close season and a large picture of the Goal King is on the wall area as you walk in!

He used to or still lives near me, haven't seen him around in a long time.
Hope Walsall do well too, whenever I hear the word Walsall, can't help but think of another legend........Noddy holder.and Slade.

Quoted from toontown

It's not going too far to say that to some degree Sir Alan influenced who I am today - as a teenager my first season as a town fan was his first year as manager. My love for football, my love for football played the right way, and my love for Grimsby Town owes so much to him and especially his first 3 years as manager.

So pleased that the new board has done this, just the sort of thing I've come to expect from them.

How does this warrant red crosses, obviously not Grimsby fans, or most likely fentyist physcophants. Some real saddos around.

Quoted from Phil the cod

He used to or still lives near me, haven't seen him around in a long time.
Hope Walsall do well too, whenever I hear the word Walsall, can't help but think of another legend........Noddy holder.and Slade.

Cheers Phil. Noddy Holder born a mile away from where I grew up.  I have met him, at Bescot, a few years ago when he was special guest. A lot smaller than I imagined.  

About 9 years ago AB did a Q and A night at Walsall pub and was on top form didn't duck or dive any questions and was there for maybe 4 hours. There was a small interval and I went up to him and told him I'd done a few on-line articles that featured him and is there any way I could contact him? He told me to write to him c/o GTFC and true to his word, he emailed me back and corresponded with me to and forth.  About 6 months later his book was close to coming out and he and his ghost writer asked if I would help out supplying a few pictures for the book and FB page and if I could plug it a bit at the Walsall end. Of course I was honoured to help my all time hero in any shape or form.  There was meant to be a gala book sign event at Bescot just like you had at BP. Everything was arranged then WFC backed out of the event citing they were worried that they wouldn't sell enough tickets (as if!) Obviously Buck and his team were livid, and rightly so.  The secretary of a supporters group stepped in, got the Saddlers Club to do a book sign before and after a game and all the money was collected on the door by the fans secretary and his partner. So AB had 100% of the book sales and rightly so. WFC for their greed got nowt.

Quoted from Phil the cod

He's even more of a legend at Walsall, he banged goals in for fun during his time there, also highly regarded at Birmingham city.
I almost forgot about his great record as a forward thinking about how good he was as a manager.

I forget how many goals he scored but I had a conversation with him at the Q and A he did at Blundell Park and he said he could remember every one.
One of my first solo away games was Walsall in September 72. Town lost 1-0 and I'm almost certain the Buckley goal machine scored.

Quoted from barralad

I forget how many goals he scored but I had a conversation with him at the Q and A he did at Blundell Park and he said he could remember every one.
One of my first solo away games was Walsall in September 72. Town lost 1-0 and I'm almost certain the Buckley goal machine scored.

AB didn't join Walsall till August 1973. Just checked and it was a chap called John Woodward who got the only goal at FP in September 72.

Buck did score 2 against Grimsby in 73-4 . One in a 2-0 win at FP in 74-5. A penalty at FP in 75-6  Another pen at FP in 76-7 and one at BP in the return game.

He was only booked once in his entire career, and ironically that was at BP but he said he felt justified in retaliating at he was hacked down from behind and stamped on by the offending lad!

Quoted from barralad

I forget how many goals he scored but I had a conversation with him at the Q and A he did at Blundell Park and he said he could remember every one.
One of my first solo away games was Walsall in September 72. Town lost 1-0 and I'm almost certain the Buckley goal machine scored.

I was at that game, I was also there on the 4th October 1975 when we lost 0-2, not a particularly memorable game apart from a 16 year old coming on as a substitute for his Town debut.   

Quoted from TheBuckleyBabes

Cheers Phil. Noddy Holder born a mile away from where I grew up.  I have met him, at Bescot, a few years ago when he was special guest. A lot smaller than I imagined.  

About 9 years ago AB did a Q and A night at Walsall pub and was on top form didn't duck or dive any questions and was there for maybe 4 hours. There was a small interval and I went up to him and told him I'd done a few on-line articles that featured him and is there any way I could contact him? He told me to write to him c/o GTFC and true to his word, he emailed me back and corresponded with me to and forth.  About 6 months later his book was close to coming out and he and his ghost writer asked if I would help out supplying a few pictures for the book and FB page and if I could plug it a bit at the Walsall end. Of course I was honoured to help my all time hero in any shape or form.  There was meant to be a gala book sign event at Bescot just like you had at BP. Everything was arranged then WFC backed out of the event citing they were worried that they wouldn't sell enough tickets (as if!) Obviously Buck and his team were livid, and rightly so.  The secretary of a supporters group stepped in, got the Saddlers Club to do a book sign before and after a game and all the money was collected on the door by the fans secretary and his partner. So AB had 100% of the book sales and rightly so. WFC for their greed got nowt.

Yes, it's a good book, Chris Hargreaves book "where's your caravan" gives an insight into the Buckley man management ethos.
His style reminds me so much of the Brian Clough school of man management, his players would even be at Clough's house doing his gardening jobs for him they thought that much of him..... imagine that now.