Tuesday was a very busy day at work, a bit stressful but I had football on the evening to look forward to, to help get me through the day. Walsall v Morecambe wasn’t likely to be a classic but an evening with lots of friends is always good.

The plan was to head into Pleck after work, grab food then meet Asps at the LMRCA Club on Wednesbury Road. Don’t ask what LMRCA stands for. I don’t know. If I ever own the place I’d change it to MCMLXXIV Club to signify the year I was born. Then again I can’t really try to make everything all about me, and we’d probably need planning permission for the sign to fit all that lot on.

I’d been a bit organised on Monday evening and done research on Google maps street view, trying to deduce if Prince Street off Pleck Road was a straight one and would bring me right out in Pleck. It wasn’t, I decided it wasn’t much of a short cut and opted to stick to the main road route and head past the former Brown Lion.

It was raining at half 4, so I sat in the foyer using the wi-fi to catch up on social media, hoping the rain would ease off. I was in no great hurry, Asps wasn;t due until 6ish. At 5 I headed out. Still raining but I had to press on. I turned right out of the hospital which makes a change. I do like to take different routes on my walks. It keeps stalkers, my enemies and government spies on their toes.

I got to the corner of Rollingmill Street and thought ‘ooooh, I could go down here, shortcut behind the petrol station, out onto Wednesbury Road. All down hill. This is the best idea ever.’ Ladies and gentlemen, I am the man who has made a million bad decisions in life. I was soon to find out that this was number 1,000,001.

First error. I was in a world of my own and looking down as per normal and didn’t realise until I was right upon it, that the one pavement on Corporation Street West is fenced off. I couldn’t be arsed to cross the road like a normal person would have, preferring instead to edge along the very thin bit of pavement not behind the fence while passing cars gave me good splashings.

The short cut? Well it’s not well maintained. Our roads aren’t so I guess a little used walkway isn’t going to be. It was unlit and I got a 1/4 of the way along and just about saw the massive puddle taking up the whole path. Nice quick u turn and back onto the pavement.

Finally onto Wednesbury Road. Or Wednesbury River as I think it was identifying as. Seriously the pavements were flowing with water. My favourite REM song is Find The River. Michael Stipe if you are reading, you could have found one here and mot had to leave your car to admire it.

It was like I was taking part in the triple jumpo as I ventured along trying to avoid puddles but it was hopeless. I was soaked. What’s the song us Saddlers used to sing? Oh yes, “going down the Wednesbury Road, to see the Walsall aces.” I started singing “going down the Wednesbury Road, to get soaking trainers and laces.”

My mind wandered off to The Crystal Maze and when contestants entered the maze through the Aztec Zone and had to get there via rowing boats, and I was just thinking how that set up would be useful now. When I reached the car park at the end of the road, Michael Stipe if you’re still reading, never mind finding a river. I had now found a bloody lake. I’d have needed wellies up to my arse before even thinking about negotiating it. This time I did cross the road.

I made it to Pleck and straight into Yum. I visited this place just after it opened in 2021 after being lured in by a leaflet through my door. It was so new they were doing a photo shoot with burgers as I arrived on that occasion. I’d enjoyed that visit and left with a cheerful “see you again soon.”It’s only taken nearly 3 years to go back. Quite quick by my standards.

I didn’t care about food anymore. I wanted a mug of tea, a towel dry footwear and maybe a hug. No hot drinks were on the menu and I didn’t ask about the other items. I went for the Mother Clucker chicken burger, hold the lettuce.

The food arrived quickly. They weren’t shy with the sauces. 6 sachets (ketchup beating mayo 4-2) and four other pots too. The chicken burger was ace. but I think another another 2 portions of fries were needed to see off all of those sauces. It was £6.50 for the food, he had offered me a meal deal but I didn’t want a cold drink so it may have been better value had I gone for that.

Back out into the elements and the short walk around the corner to the club. Absolute Radio decided at this juncture to play some AC/DC which really lifted my mood and I was soon up the bar in the club. I did take a picture of the club outside but it didn’t come out very well and for once I didn’t hang around to check.

When The Saddlers Club at Bescot Stadium closed down, The Independent Saddlers Supporters Association (ISSA) set up this club as an alternative venue for Walsall fans to drink on match days, which was well received as drinking options by the ground were already limited and we’ve since lost The Fullbrook and The George. From here ISSA have launched many projects for the benefit of the local community, the most notable was subsidising a hot food van to provide the staff of the Manor Hospital free food during the pandemic. Before my time there though or it might have needed a bit more subsidising.

I joined Asps at his table, and it was ace to see him having not done so since we went to see Belinda Carlisle in Birmingham last February. He informed me that the match was subject to a pitch inspection and before I’d had my second sip of beer it was called off. Oh well.

We had a good catch up and a laugh. Asps then gave me a lift home which was very much appreciated. Part of the route including gong through Walsall’s red light district, which in it’s heyday brought almost as many visitors to the town as the famous Illuminations. There were no prostitutes about this time though. They must have got a bit wet and gone home.

I was home just as the match would have kicked off so time for a jokey Facebook status update saying that I hadn’t expected a big crowd at the game but I’d just arrived at the ground and it was deserted.

I soon had dry feet, a big mug of tea and music on. I’ve recently rediscovered the amazing REM song Strange Currencies, which is one of my faves but not heard in years so I gave that a blasting and reflected that the evening had been alright in the end.