Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth has reflected on his time at League Two Walsall, as he prepares to face his old club in the FA Cup first round this Saturday.
The 49-year-old had a brief spell with the Saddlers during the 2002/03 season where he played five times and scored once.
His only goal for the Midlands team came on New Year's Day 2003 when he headed in the equaliser against Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
Currently only Birmingham City (14 games) have waited longer for a league draw than Walsall (11).
— Saddlers Stats (@saddlersstats) November 23, 2019
We haven’t gone so long without a league draw since 2002/03 when an 11 game run ended at Nottm Forest with Gareth Ainsworth netting an equaliser in front of 28,441.@guardian 👇 pic.twitter.com/ocT4zLMGru
He began that season at Wimbledon before joining Walsall for a one-month loan deal , only to return to the original Dons before ending the campaign at Cardiff.
Speaking on his stint at the Bescot Stadium, Ainsworth said: “I had a great time.
“It was in the Championship [Division One] in one of the few times they’ve been there, and I scored a header at Nottingham Forest away which was a nice moment for me.
“It was an equaliser as well and I remember celebrating in front of the Walsall fans and that’s part of my story and journey.
“I nearly signed there but I ended up going to QPR [after joining Cardiff].
“Colin Lee really tried to get me permanently but I think signing for QPR was the right thing for my career as I had some good years there, but I had good memories with Walsall and they are a good club.
Wycombe Vs Walsall
— S.P.R sports stats (Simon) (@Footiespr5687) November 3, 2022
The saddlers have won 2 of their last 6 visits to Wycombe . The chairboys manager Gareth Ainsworth had stint as player for Walsall back in 2002 there are currently 24 places between sides
Prediction = 2-1@wwfcofficial @WFCOfficial #saddlers #Chairboys
“It’s a club that you drive past on the M6 and everyone looks on and asks 'whose ground is that' and the answer is Walsall’s as it’s right next to a motorway.
“They’re a good club.”
The match between both clubs on November 5 will be the first time that they will meet in the FA Cup, and only the second time that they will come head-to-head in cup competition.
The previous meeting was in December 2005 when Wycombe travelled to Walsall in the Football League Trophy.
They lost the match 3-2 with Jorge Leitao scoring a late winner for the hosts.
And with Wycombe having history in the FA Cup after their 2001 run to the semi-finals, the boss believes it’s ‘possible’ for a team outside the Premier League to reach the latter stages of the competition.
Pre-Match Drills: The Walsall Preview!
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) November 3, 2022
Rekindle the magic of the cup with:
- Gareth Ainsworth's Walsall preview
- Jason McCarthy's playlist picks
- 2001 FA Cup hero Keith Ryan
Plus there's pitchside angles from Tuesday's meeting with Port Vale.
Only on WanderersTV.
Notable examples in recent years include Barnsley, West Bromwich Albion, and Cardiff City all reaching the last four of the FA Cup in 2008.
The three clubs were in the Championship, with Cardiff reaching the final.
They would go on to lose to Portsmouth, then of the Premier League, in the showpiece at Wembley Stadium.
He said: “I think it is possible, but I think it’s possible because other teams now seem to change it up a bit for the FA Cup, which is why we get upsets.
“Squads are strong but there is always that dream to go far.
“A championship side getting to the semi-finals or the final would be a massive story.
“League One? We’ll see as you never know and that’s the magic of the cup will never die.”
Wycombe and Walsall have played each other 21 times in all competitions since their first meeting in January 1994.
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