We step up our pre-season preparations on Saturday as we host League Two side Walsall at The New Lawn.

Rovers have started their Pre-Season in impressive fashion having seen off local side Slimbridge AFC, a behind closed-doors victory against Buxton and remaining unbeaten in Germany including two convincing victories.

Ahead of football returning to The New Lawn this weekend, here is everything you need to know about our opposition.

The Opposition - Walsall

Nickname: ‘The Saddlers’

The Midlands side fell short of promotion to League One in the playoff final despite a sensational first half of the 2024/25 season that saw the Saddlers 12 points clear at the top of the table and 15 points clear of fourth.

However, just three wins in their last 21 games saw them finish in the playoffs having been denied an automatic promotion spot on the last day of the regular season. They would defeat Chesterfield in the Semi Final before suffering a 1-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon at Wembley in the League Two Play Off Final.

Pre-Season Results:

The visitors have had a mixed start to their Pre-Season campaign so far with a victory over Premier League side Aston Villa a real highlight.

Leamington 0-4 Walsall

Hereford 3-0 Walsall

Walsall 1-0 Aston Villa

Walsall 2-3 Derby County

In The Dugout - Mat Sadler

An academy product of Birmingham City, Sadler had a playing career spanning 20 years in which he had two spells with Walsall.

During his second, Sadler was appointed interim manager of Walsall following the departure of Michael Flynn in April 2023. Within a month, the 40-year-old had secured the job on a permanent basis.

Now entering his third full season as boss, Sadler will be hoping to go one step further with his side this year after narrowly missing out on promotion in the 2024/25 season.

Player to Watch: Jamille Matt

A name Rovers fans will be extremely familiar with - striker Jamille Matt is entering his fourth season as Walsall’s number nine.

Matt was at Rovers for three impressive seasons where in 98 games he managed to find the back of the net on 36 occasions. He became Captain in the title-winning 2021/22 season, a campaign in which he was also nominated for League Two Player of the Season.

Rovers should be aware of the threats that Matt possess and know that given an opportunity, the 6ft 1in striker knows how to score goals, especially at The New Lawn! Welcome back, Jamma!