Andrew Stephen’s Hot Off The Habbin programme article from the CUFC v Walsall match programee of 1st January 2026
“Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
J.J.Marine
In terms of challenge, this looks to be a pretty demanding one. Walsall are top of the league again, as they were last season and, with the Saddlers being managed by a Sadler, you’d have to say the portents look pretty good. That said, at one point last season Walsall led the table by twelve points. The second half of their season saw a spectacular collapse in form and no doubt they will be determined to learn from that very painful experience. We’ve tended to avoid each other over the years by being in different leagues but out of eight games between us, we’ve won six . If we are serious about promotion we must fear no one and expect to win. I remember Ron Atkinson saying that teams at home have a duty to attack. The other team, whoever they are, should do all the worrying. Generally that approach worked for him pretty well. Their home form is excellent but ours is pretty good too and it looks like we are getting better and better as we start to believe in ourselves.
Several players have appeared for both teams. The ones I remember most fondly are goalscorers Bobby Shinton and Martin Butler. Shinton came here from Walsall in 1974 and did his best to boost a struggling side. He scored 25 goals for us, despite playing in a team which didn’t score many. He went on to Manchester City and Newcastle but he made his name and gained self-belief here. Similarly, Walsall sold us Martin Butler pretty cheaply and he promptly scored 41 goals in 104 appearances. His rich vein of form in another fairly undistinguished United team meant that, when we sold him to Reading, he cost them £750,000. Some clubs just seem to suit some players. A friend of mine, who is a passionate Tranmere Rovers fan, told me that Paul Mullin didn’t score very often and that he would do no good for us. I think that was another good piece of business. I note that he can’t get into the Wigan team at the moment. Just saying. Walsall have a number of well known players in their squad, including Kemar Roofe, Jamille Matt and Aden Flint. They’ve done well at a higher level but they will need to be at their best today.
As I write, we are eighth in the table and looking a good bet for promotion, particularly if we reinforce in January. Not for the first time I noticed, in the match against Gillingham, the difference a big, strong number nine can make. I don’t like the way teams like Gillingham play but they make it hard for their opponents, particularly if Referees are not strong enough to discourage the black arts. We should be very heartened by the way we stood up to some fairly primitive tactics and very nearly kept another clean sheet. I suspect that Bennett, Mayor, Brophy and Kai Kai will be even more effective against Walsall who keep the ball on the deck and rely on skill rather than force to win matches. We play better against good sides. I look forward to another top performance from George Hoddle, who always seems to be in the right place and has a wonderful range of passing skills. It’s good too to see competition for places now that a number of our injured players are available for selection. I am sure that we will give a good account of ourselves and with some smart work at the January Sales, this, I think, is going to be a season to remember.
Come on you U’s! And Happy New Year!
Andrew