2010 Supporter Protests
During April and May 2010, a number of fans began protesting against club owner Jeff Bonser. The protest group, named 'Unity', staged themed peaceful protests during the last four home games of the 2009–10 season aimed at raising awareness of the financial situation Walsall F.C. finds itself in. Themes used included the use of Cyprus flags and the colour yellow. The protests centred around the ownership of the Bescot Stadium site, on which the club pay a yearly rent circa £360,000. The rent is paid to a Self Invested Personal Pension (Source: Yearly accounts), of which one of the trustees is club owner Jeff Bonser, a situation which some fans feel damages the club.
In April 2010 season ticket holders Neil Ravenscroft and Darren Rhodes were given indefinite bans from Bescot Stadium for their involvement, or perceived involvement in the Unity protests. Another fan, Wayne Swift, was also banned for his part in the protest.
At the final game of the 2009–10 season, against MK Dons on 8 May, a large banner which read 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH' was unfurled during the half time interval as an ironic protest against the club's harsh and unfair treatment of protesting fans. The owner of the banner was then forcefully ejected by stewards. The banner was removed by stewards after a few minutes, and the person who unfurled the banner was ejected from the ground and banned. On 19 May 2010, When Saturday Comes, the popular football magazine and website, published an article written by the owner of the 'freedom of speech' banner, explaining the events which surrounded the unfurling of the banner.
Football supporters' websites the Football Supporters' Federation and TwoHundredPercent have heavily criticised the club for their stance on the protests and the treatment of those taking part.
A crowd of 1,793 watched the Saddlers lose 2–1 in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy to Chesterfield on the 31 August 2010, the lowest gate in 20 years at the Bescot Stadium as Walsall fans boycott games in protest to Jeff Bonser.
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