2010–11 Walsall F.C. season

The 2010–11 season was the 123rd season of competitive association football and the 4th consecutive season in League One played by Walsall Football Club, a professional association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands, England. The team reached the second round of the FA Cup, losing to Torquay United. There was a change of manager in January.

Walsall

2010–11 season
Chairman	Jeff Bonser
Manager	Chris Hutchings (until 4 January 2011) Dean Smith (from 21 January 2011)
Stadium	Bescot Stadium
League One	20th
FA Cup	Second round
League Cup	First round
FL Trophy	First round
← 2009–10 2011–12 →

Season summary

Having finished 10th in the previous season,^[1] Walsall started the season poorly, losing six of their first eight league games.^[2]

On 4 January 2011, manager Chris Hutchings was sacked with the club bottom of the league and having recorded just 5 league wins.^[3] On 21 January 2011, Dean Smith was appointed as manager after a successful spell as caretaker manager following the dismissal of Chris Hutchings.^[4][5] The saddlers finished the season in 20th place, 1 point above the relegation zone.

First-team squad

Squad at end of season^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ENG Jonny Brain 2 DF  ENG Darryl Westlake 3 DF  ENG Aaron Lescott 4 DF  ENG Clayton McDonald 5 DF  ENG Olly Lancashire 6 DF  ENG Manny Smith 8 MF  ENG Matt Richards 9 FW  JAM Darren Byfield[a] 10 FW  IRL Jon Macken[b] 11 FW  ENG Alex Nicholls 12 MF  ENG Paul Marshall 14 DF  ENG Richard Taundry 15 FW  ENG Jamie Paterson 16 DF  ENG Alex Hickman

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW  ENG George Bowerman 18 MF  ENG Julian Gray 19 FW  ENG Will Grigg 20 MF  ENG Sean Geddes 21 GK  IRL David Bevan 23 MF  FRA Marco Gbarssin[c] (on loan from Carlisle United) 24 MF  ENG Aaron Forde 26 MF  SCO Marc Laird (on loan from Millwall) 27 MF  ENG Jordan Cook (on loan from Sunderland) 28 DF  CYP Tom Williams[d] 29 GK  ENG Jimmy Walker 30 MF  ARG Emmanuel Ledesma 32 DF  ENG Andy Butler

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 7 FW  NIR Steve Jones (on loan to Motherwell) 22 FW  ENG Reuben Reid (on loan from West Bromwich Albion) 22 MF  ENG Matthew Gill (on loan from Norwich City) 23 DF  NIR Ryan McGivern (on loan from Manchester City) 23 FW  WAL Jason Price (on loan from Carlisle United)

No. Pos. Nation Player 26 MF  ENG David Davis (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) 27 DF  ENG Andrew Davies (on loan from Stoke City) 28 MF  ENG Martin Devaney[e] (on loan from Barnsley) 30 FW  ENG Liam Dickinson (on loan from Barnsley)

Competitions

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
18	Tranmere Rovers	46	15	11	20	53	60	−7	56
19	Notts County	46	14	8	24	46	60	−14	50
20	Walsall	46	12	12	22	56	75	−19	48
21	Dagenham & Redbridge (R)	46	12	11	23	52	70	−18	47	Relegation to Football League Two
22	Bristol Rovers (R)	46	11	12	23	48	82	−34	45

Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2011. Source: BBC
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Results

League One

Game	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance
1	7 August	Milton Keynes Dons	H	L	1–2	Smith 48'	4,034
2	14 August	Brentford	A	W	2–1	Nicholls 12', Gray 54'	4,544
3	21 August	Plymouth Argyle	H	W	2–1	Marshall 53', Reid 69'	3,966
4	28 August	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	L	1–2	Macken 90'	8,737
5	4 September	Colchester United	H	L	0–1	–	3,416
6	11 September	Rochdale	A	L	2–3	Macken 4', Byfield 45'	3,174
7	18 September	Swindon Town	H	L	1–2	Reid 70'	4,580
8	25 September	Hartlepool United	A	L	1–2	Gray 9'	2,552
9	28 September	Leyton Orient	A	D	0–0	–	2,963
10	2 October	Yeovil Town	H	L	0–1	–	3,172
11	9 October	Exeter City	H	W	2–1	Reid 32', Richards 43'	3,776
12	16 October	Dagenham & Redbridge	A	D	1–1	Devaney 50'	2,666
13	23 October	Tranmere Rovers	H	L	1–4	Macken 65'	3,362
14	30 October	Huddersfield Town	A	L	0–1	–	13,062
15	2 November	Peterborough United	H	L	1–3	Gray 53'	3,294
16	13 November	Bournemouth	A	L	0–3	–	5,601
17	20 November	Carlisle United	H	W	2–1	Richards 37', 53'	4,256
18	23 November	Sheffield Wednesday	A	L	0–3	–	15,228
19	12 December	Charlton Athletic	A	W	1–0	Richards 69'	14,938
20	1 January	Notts County	H	L	0–3	–	4,131
21	3 January	Peterborough United	A	L	1–4	Nicholls 10'	5,517
22	8 January	Tranmere Rovers	A	D	3–3	Richards 32', Macken 85', Butler 90'	4,602
23	11 January	Bristol Rovers	A	D	2–2	Grigg 5', Lescott 83'	5,369
24	15 January	Huddersfield Town	H	L	2–4	Nicholls 14', Richards 47'	3,827
25	22 January	Exeter City	A	L	1–2	Gray 85'	4,853
26	25 January	Oldham Athletic	H	D	1–1	Westlake 61'	3,247
27	29 January	Bristol Rovers	H	W	6–1	Butler 17', 73', Gill 34', Gray 45', Richards 50', Nicholls 69'	4,023
28	2 February	Notts County	A	D	1–1	Nicholls 88'
29	5 February	Carlisle United	A	W	3–1	Gill 37', Gray 59', 73'	4,332
30	12 February	Bournemouth	H	L	0–1	–	4,103
31	15 February	Dagenham and Redbridge	H	W	1–0	Grigg 81'	3,174
32	19 February	Colchester United	A	L	0–2	–	3,439
33	26 February	Rochdale	H	D	0–0	–	3,830
34	1 March	Southampton	H	W	1–0	Macken 69'	4,684
35	5 March	Swindon	A	D	0–0	–	10,489
36	8 March	Leyton Orient	H	L	0–2	–	3,019
37	12 March	Yeovil	A	D	1–1	Macken 18'	3,737
38	19 March	Hartlepool	H	W	5–2	Grigg 59', Byfield 64', Gray 77', Smith 83', Ledesma 90'	4,234
39	25 March	MK Dons	A	D	1–1	Richards 29'	8,923
40	9 April	Plymouth Argyle	A	L	0–2	–	7,995
41	12 April	Brentford	H	W	3–2	Macken 40', 64', Cook 57'	3,154
42	16 April	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	L	1–3	Butler 11'	6,015
43	23 April	Sheffield Wednesday	H	D	1–1	Macken 10'	2,072
44	25 April	Oldham Athletic	A	D	1–1	Lowe 88'	3,463
45	30 April	Charlton Athletic	H	W	2–0	Grigg 34', Gray 78'	5,088
46	7 May	Southampton	A	L	1–3	Gray 45'	31,653

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance
First	6 Nov	Fleetwood Town	A	D	1–1	Richards 4'	2,319
First Replay	16 Nov	Fleetwood Town	H	W	2–0	Reid 58', 90'	2,056
Second	27 Nov	Torquay United	A	L	0–1	–	2,334

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance
First	10 Aug	Tranmere Rovers	H	L	0–1	–	2,253

Football League Trophy

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance
First	31 Aug	Chesterfield	H	L	1–2	Reid 19'	1,793

Notes

1. Byfield was born in Sutton Coldfield, England.
2. Macken was born in Manchester, England.
3. Gbarssin was born in Bordeaux, France, but also qualifies to represent the Central African Republic internationally.
4. Williams was born in Sutton, England.
5. Devaney was born in Cheltenham, England.