DID WALSALL TOWN EVER PLAY RUSHALL ROVERS?
During our three years of research into the Birth Of The Saddlers book, we never came across a time when Walsall Town and Rushall Rovers ever played each other. The reasons for this are still not understood, but when Rovers were formed, it was as a result of a match billed as Walsall v Rushall in 1873 when all the players involved were members of the Walsall Football Club (later known as Walsall Town). Some players formed their own club called Rushall Rovers in 1874 or 1875 and set up base on a field by Rushall parish church off Lichfield Road. When Rovers folded in 1880, some formed a bicycle club instead and the keen footballers joined Walsall Town. Because of this rivalry (and no doubt some other agenda) the two teams never met on the pitch, as neither of them would 'lower' themselves to enter the Walsall Cup and play against working class teams.
However, I was reading the Sheffield Telegraph of 1901 the other day (as you do) and found an article wherein old Walsall player John Adams )who was a referee in 1901) did his reminiscenses of Walsall. He stated that the two teams had a prickly relationship and had never played each other untilone day 'the captain of Bloxwich FC -who was also a Rushall Rovers man- arranged for Bloxwich to play Walsall Town on Good Friday (no year given, but probably 1879) but when Walsall were stood on the pitch for the kick-off, Rushall Rovers trotted out instead ! It had been a well worked rouse. Walsall must have been miffed, as they beat them 5-0. So it did happen then !