Leigh Pomlett calls for unity at Walsall

Pomlett condemned abuse hurled at Saddlers players and is urging fans to get behind the team to help put to bed a run of six defeats in League Two.

The chairman conceded ‘problematic’ behaviour from supporters will only ease with a u-turn in form and insisted that he will be working with boss Darrell Clarke to rectify results.

“I think it’s been worse than a disappointing month, it’s been a horrible month,” Pomlett said.

“Let me say a couple of things which are really important.

“I absolutely will defend to my dying breath the right of any football fan to have his say, providing it’s done in the right way or spirit.

“I remember in the first fans’ forum I said we needed to stick together through difficult times as well as good ones.

“I was very clear that I didn’t want there to be abuse of anybody anywhere in this football club.”

“I want us to be successful football club and a decent one.

“While I understand the frustrations and, to a point, the anger over the last month, this should not spill over into abuse of anybody including our footballers.

“Let’s not forget some of those are 18, 19 and 20 year olds.”

Pomlett, appointed chairman at the Banks’s Stadium last summer, feels that the club’s board, staff, players and fans must be on the same page.

“It’s critically important to stick together,” he added. “I think the successes of any football club and sporting organisation relies on all different elements working together.

“With us it’s the board, the team and the supporters all pulling together.

“The catalyst will always be winning football matches. I think a lot of the problematic behaviour will go away if we win.

“It’s true in life, it’s how you behave when things aren’t going great as opposed to when they are, which is a true test.

“I will be working with Darrell and his team to give the fans results they should have. We should not be in the lower reaches of this league. Of that I have no doubt in my mind.

“But we need to prove it and when we start to prove it the club will settle down and behaviour will become a lot more friendly than I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks.”

The chairman confirmed he recently stood down from one director role, consisting of 23 subsidiaries, to focus on Walsall.

Pomlett added an FA Cup first round home tie against non-league Darlington on Saturday brings a different ‘relentless pressure’ to Clarke’s Walsall.