Walsall Wood are told to focus on football amid problems away from pitch
Walsall Wood manager Ian Long has urged his side to focus on the football amid the club’s off-pitch problems that have caused a stir, writes Luke Powell.
Wood’s FA Cup extra preliminary round replay with Worcester City was controversially postponed after 50-minutes on Tuesday with the score at 0-0 due to a floodlight issue.
Wood will now travel to Worcester on Tuesday and released a statement admitting they gave fans a ‘less than satisfactory experience’ and that the club has faced issues throughout the summer with ground maintenance including the pitch and electrical systems.
Boss Long hopes these issues won’t be a distraction as they visit Grantham Town in the Northern One Midlands, saying: “There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that is not helping the situation.
“All we can do at the moment is concentrate on getting things right on the pitch.
“We’re not quite right at the moment I feel, but I think we will have a few more bodies in over the next few games that will kick us on, and add us more energy in the certain areas of the pitch that we need.”
One signing Long has high hopes for this season is striker Kaiman Anderson, who joined from Stafford Rangers.
The Wood boss said: “His numbers were good last year at step three so I expect him to hit the 20’s at least, especially with the players we’ve got around him.”
Long wasted no time in building his team after last season ended, and hopes with the quality he’s signed that they can push for the top end of the table.
Asked if that’s what they are aiming for, Long said: “Yes we are, the players that we’ve brought in certainly should be.
“We’ve got a bit of a target on our back because of some of the players that we’ve got to play for us.
“I don’t think they would drop down to play for Walsall Wood if me and my coaching staff weren’t there.
“We’ve promised them good deals and I just hope that the budget is there because there’s a lot of uncertainty at the club at the moment.”
Elsewhere, Lye Town visit AFC Rushden & Diamonds, Darlaston Town travel to Rugby Town and Sporting Khalsa welcome Bedworth United.
Meanwhile, in the Northern One West, Hednesford Town host Vauxhall Motors while Chasetown go to Clitheroe and Stafford Rangers visit Stalybridge Celtic.
