Walsall boosted by return to their Essington training base
Walsall have returned to their training ground for the first time in almost four months – in what head coach Brian Dutton has dubbed a ‘massive boost’ for the first team.
The Saddlers have been forced to train on the artificial turf next to the Banks’s Stadium since December due to waterlogged pitches at their Essington base.
This comes after the same issue forced the team away from the training ground for much of last season, in what former manager Darrell Clarke described as a ‘disaster’.
Planned renovation work was delayed in the summer due to the pandemic but now the staff and players have returned this week ahead of today’s clash with Harrogate Town and Dutton has welcomed it as an uplift for the squad.
“It’s a massive boost, absolutely huge,” Dutton said.
“We’ve been stuck on the astroturf at the stadium for what seems an eternity – since around December or maybe earlier. It does take it’s toll.
“This is our home and where the lads feel most comfortable and like professional footballers.
“It’s a fantastic boost for everybody connected with the first team to be back here and getting to work.
“It’s a wonderful facility.
“We have two or three lovely pitches to do the work that we need to do. Full-size pitches rather than the tighter pitch on the astro turf.”
Some of Walsall’s injury issues this season have been a direct result of returning to the astro turf after games on grass.
Although poor weather may force them away from Essington again in the near future, Dutton is pleased to have greater ‘consistency’ in surfaces.
“The big issues with injuries is not so much being on the astro turf, it’s changing from astro turf to grass and back to astro turf again,” he added.
“That’s what the medical department flag up, the change of surface. Now we have consistency. Although looking at the weather we have snow next week it seems, so fingers crossed we’re not back on the astro turf in a week’s time.
“But it’s a massive positive to be back here.”
Several older players have endured small knocks due to training on the astro turf, including 33-year-old midfielder Stuart Sinclair.
He said: “It’s been tough.
“We’ve been training on astro most of the year and that’s taken a bit of a toll on my body.
“Like I’ve always said I’ll do everything for the club and do as much as I can when the gaffer needs me.”
