Walsall F.C.

Formation and early years (1888–1939)

Walsall were formed as Walsall Town Swifts F.C. in 1888 when Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. amalgamated. Walsall Town had been founded in 1874 as Walsall Football Club and Walsall Swifties in 1875 as Victoria Swifts. Both clubs had played at the Chuckery, since April 1881 when Walsall Swifties had lost their old ground on Follyhouse Lane where they had played during 1877-1881 and the newly formed club remained at the same ground. Walsall Town Swifts' first match was a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa in the Birmingham Charity Cup final on 9 April 1888. A disagreement over the venue of the replay meant Aston Villa were awarded the trophy. Later that year, Walsall Town Swifts played friendly matches against two founder members of the Football League; a strong Burnley side were beaten 1–0 and West Bromwich Albion were held to a 2–2 draw in front of 7,000 spectators at the Chuckery. Walsall's first league campaign in the Midland Association started with a 2–2 draw at home to Bromley on 22 September 1888. They went on to finish in 3rd place in the league. The club were first admitted to the Football League in 1892, as founder members of the new Second Division. They moved to the West Bromwich Road ground in 1893 after complaints from local residents about them playing at the Chuckery. After finishing 14th out of 16 teams in 1894–95 the club failed to be re-elected to the Football League. At the start of the 1895 season the…

League

Third Division / Second Division (level 3) Runners-up: 1960–61, 1998–99 Play-off winners: 1988, 2001 Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4) Champions: 1959–60, 2006–07 Runners-up: 1979–80, 1994–95 Cup

Football League Trophy Runners-up: 2014–15 Third Division North Cup Runners-up: 1934–35 Third Division South Cup Runners-up: 1945–46 Birmingham Senior Cup Winners: 1880–81, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1993–94 Staffordshire Senior Cup Winners: 1881–82, 1884–85, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1967–68 Walsall Senior Cup Winners: 1888–89, 2014–15, 2016–17