# 2018–19 Walsall F.C. season

The 2018–19 season was Walsall's 131st season in their existence and their 12th consecutive season in League One. Along with competing in League One, the club participated in the FA Cup, League Cup and EFL Trophy.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.

## Competitions
### Pre-season friendlies

The Saddlers pre-season schedule includes matches against Rushall Olympic, Stoke City, Aston Villa, Ajax and Cheltenham Town.

### League One
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 20 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 42 | 63 | −21 | 50 | |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle (R) | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 56 | 80 | −24 | 50 | Relegation to EFL League Two |
| 22 | Walsall (R) | 46 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 47 | Relegation to EFL League Two |
| 23 | Scunthorpe United (R) | 46 | 12 | 10 | 24 | 53 | 83 | −30 | 46 | Relegation to EFL League Two |
| 24 | Bradford City (R) | 46 | 11 | 8 | 27 | 49 | 77 | −28 | 41 | Relegation to EFL League Two |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 4 May 2019. Source: BBC

#### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A |
| Result | W | D | W | W | W | D | D | L | W | L | D | W | L | L | W | L | L | D | D | L | W | L | D | L | D | L | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | W | D | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | D | L | W | D |
| Position | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 |

#### Matches

On 21 June 2018, the League One fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.

### FA Cup

The first round draw was made live on BBC by Dennis Wise and Dion Dublin on 22 October. The draw for the second round was made live on BBC and BT by Mark Schwarzer and Glenn Murray on 12 November. The third round draw was made live on BBC by Ruud Gullit and Paul Ince from Stamford Bridge on 3 December 2018.

### EFL Cup

On 15 June 2018, the draw for the first round was made in Vietnam. The second round draw was made from the Stadium of Light on 16 August.

### EFL Trophy

On 13 July 2018, the initial group stage draw bar the U21 invited clubs was announced. The draw for the second round was made live on Talksport by Leon Britton and Steve Claridge on 16 November.
| Pos | Lge | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | L2 | Port Vale | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | Round 2 |
| 2 | L1 | Walsall | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | Round 2 |
| 3 | ACA | Middlesbrough U21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | L1 | Burton Albion | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Andy Cook | Tranmere Rovers | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | GK | Chris Dunn | Wrexham | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | LW | Josh Ginnelly | Burnley | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | RM | Zeli Ismail | Bury | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | GK | Joe Slinn | Port Vale | Free transfer |
| 3 August 2018 | CF | Morgan Ferrier | Boreham Wood | Undisclosed |
| 9 August 2018 | CF | Josh Gordon | Leicester City | Undisclosed |
| 9 August 2018 | DM | Isaiah Osbourne | Forest Green Rovers | Free transfer |
| 19 October 2018 | CB | Russell Martin | Norwich City | Free transfer |
| 31 October 2018 | RB | Ben Purkiss | Swindon Town | Free transfer |
| 2 January 2019 | MF | Omar Mussa | Mechelen | Compensation |
| 18 January 2019 | RB | Cameron Norman | Oxford United | Undisclosed |
| 21 January 2019 | CB | Dan Scarr | Birmingham City | Undisclosed |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 July 2018 | DM | Milan Butterfield | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CM | Florent Cuvelier | Morecambe | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CM | Reece Flanagan | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | GK | Mark Gillespie | Motherwell | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Simeon Jackson | St Mirren | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | AM | Erhun Oztumer | Bolton Wanderers | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | LB | Joshveer Shergill | Leeds United | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2018 | LM | Will Shorrock | Free agent | Released |
| 7 August 2018 | CF | Amadou Bakayoko | Coventry City | Undisclosed |
| 15 August 2018 | CF | Joseph Cairns | Gottne | Free transfer |
| 1 January 2019 | LW | Josh Ginnelly | Preston North End | Undisclosed |
| 12 January 2019 | CB | Russell Martin | Milton Keynes Dons | Mutual consent |

### Loans in

| Start date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 3 August 2018 | CB | Jack Fitzwater | West Bromwich Albion | 3 January 2019 |
| 3 August 2018 | RB | Kane Wilson | West Bromwich Albion | 3 January 2019 |
| 31 August 2018 | CB | Connor Johnson | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 31 May 2019 |
| 31 August 2018 | CM | Connor Ronan | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 January 2019 |
| 1 January 2019 | LW | Matt Jarvis | Norwich City | 31 May 2019 |
| 17 January 2019 | LB | Scott Laird | Forest Green Rovers | 31 May 2019 |
| 30 January 2019 | CF | Aramide Oteh | Queens Park Rangers | 31 May 2019 |
| 31 January 2019 | RW | Corey Blackett-Taylor | Aston Villa | 31 May 2019 |
| 31 January 2019 | CB | Jack Fitzwater | West Bromwich Albion | 31 May 2019 |

### Loans out

| Start date | Position | Name | To | End date |
| 1 August 2018 | GK | Joe Slinn | Rushall Olympic | 31 May 2019 |
| 16 August 2018 | FW | Cameron Peters | Bromsgrove Sporting | November 2018 |
| 31 August 2018 | FW | Mitchel Candlin | Blackburn Rovers | 14 January 2019 |
| 31 August 2018 | DF | Dan Vann | Matlock Town | September 2018 |
| 12 September 2018 | MF | Jordan Sangha | Ashton United | January 2019 |
| 15 September 2018 | LB | Callum Cockerill-Mollett | AFC Telford United | October 2019 |
| 29 September 2018 | MF | Tobias Hayles-Docherty | Halesowen Town | 3 November 2018 |
| 2 November 2018 | LB | Callum Cockerill-Mollett | Chasetown | February 2019 |
| 2 November 2018 | DF | Dan Vann | Chasetown | February 2019 |
| 1 January 2019 | FW | Dylan Parker | Rushall Olympic | 13 March 2019 |
| 3 January 2019 | FW | Cameron Peters | Bromsgrove Sporting | 31 May 2019 |
| 28 January 2019 | LW | Kieron Morris | Tranmere Rovers | 31 May 2019 |
| 13 February 2019 | MF | Jordan Sangha | Hednesford Town | 31 May 2019 |
| 15 February 2019 | WG | Tobias Hayles-Docherty | Walsall Wood | 17 April 2019 |
| 14 March 2019 | FW | Dylan Parker | Leamington | 31 May 2019 |