Off the back of a victory in our first competitive game of the season at Ashton Gate against Championship side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup last Thursday, attentions now turn to the start of the 2026/27 Sky Bet League Two campaign as Lee Grant’s side travel to Kent to take on Gillingham away from home.

Ahead of our trip to Priestfield, we take a closer look at this weekend’s opponents – from their manager, key players to watch out for, players who have featured for both sides and how the sides have fared in previous meetings.

Gillingham:

Founded: 1893
Nickname: The Gills
Manager: Gareth Ainsworth
Last season’s finish: 17th
Stadium: Priestfield Stadium (11,500 capacity)

Gareth Ainsworth’s Gills

Our opening day away trip will be Head Coach Lee Grant’s first league fixture in charge of the Saddlers, though his opposite number in the dugout is a man who has managed over 600 EFL matches by way of Gareth Ainsworth.

*Above photo courtesy of Gillingham FC

The 53-year-old stepped into management after hanging up his boots on an extensive playing career which spanned over 20 years and his current role with Gillingham (alongside his previous role with Shrewsbury Town) have both been in the fourth tier, with his Gills side finishing 17th last term.

Ainsworth is best known for his time with Wycombe Wanderers - managing over 500 games for the Chairboys across 11 seasons, earning them promotion to the Championship for the first time in the club’s history with a 2-1 victory at Wembley against Oxford United in the play-off final in July 2020 before helping them establish themselves as a League One side in the years to come, continuously knocking on the door for a return to the second tier.

After releasing a total of 14 players at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, Gareth Ainsworth has added to his roster with players such as Zane Albarus, Will Goodwin, Kadeem Harris and James Brophy, who helped Cambridge United make an immediate return to Sky Bet League One last season via the automatic promotion spots.

*Above photos courtesy of Gillingham FC

Ones to Watch

Ronan Hale is a player to keep an eye out for within the Gills side, having joined back in the winter window from Ross County in the Scottish Championship.

The 27-year-old Northern Irishman spent 18 months in Scotland, netting 18 goals in 42 games across all competitions whilst the Staggies were in the Premiership. Despite their relegation he remained at the club and netted 12 goals in 25 games up until January this year before making the move to Priestfield for the second half of last season, making 20 appearances and scoring five goals in the process.

Head-to-Head

The Saddlers faced Gillingham as recently as April this year when the two sides met on Good Friday at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium as the 2025/26 Sky Bet League Two campaign approached its conclusion. It was end-to-end affair from a goals perspective as the points were shared on the day in a 2-2 draw – loanees Aaron Loupalo-Bi and Daniel Kanu on the scoresheet for the Saddlers on that particular occasion.

The opening day clash will mark the 5th season in a row where the two sides have faced off in Sky Bet League Two. Of the eight meetings across the past four seasons, five have ended in a draw whilst Walsall have won two - the most recent being a 4-1 victory at WS1 back in October 2023 where a certain Isaac Hutchinson stole the show with a sublime hat-trick.

For the second season in a row, the Saddlers’ first away trip will be to Priestfield and Lee Grant will be hoping he and his side can get off to a winning start to mark the new campaign in style, something which would go a long way to making amends from a narrow 1-0 defeat last time out in Kent.

Played for both

Darren Byfield:

Club legend Byfield, who has most recently been both First Team Coach and Interim Head Coach in recent time at WS1, spent two seasons as a player for Gillingham in-between his two spells as a Walsall striker.

The 49-year-old’s spell in Kent came between 2004 and 2006 and during that time he managed to feature on 71 occasions in all competitions, netting 20 goals and registering 8 assists in the process.

Meanwhile, across two spells in the West Midlands, Byfield scored 31 times for the Saddlers in all competitions whilst also contributing to seven assists in 144 games.

Donervon Daniels:

Former Saddlers captain Donervon Daniels has represented both sides in this fixture, having made three appearances for Gillingham in a short loan spell back in 2013/14.

It was at Walsall however where the Montserrat international made a bigger impression and impact, joining in January 2022 before going on to make 115 appearances across all competitions. He also captained the club from the 2022/23 season onwards, having been at Walsall only six months and conducted himself like the true professional he is, playing his part on and off the pitch and being a really valuable asset and popular figure amongst supporters.

Daniels will be in contention to feature against both sides during the course of the season as he is currently applying his trade in Sky Bet League Two with Oldham Athletic, a club embarking on their second season back in the EFL since their promotion from the National League at the end of the 2024/25 season.

Emmanuel Osadebe:

Having joined Gillingham as an 18-year-old back in 2015, Osadebe spent two years with the Gills and made 52 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder went on to join the Saddlers ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, managed at the time by Darrell Clarke and racked up 91 games for the club before departing in 2022 and joining Bradford City for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old has recently joined National League side Sutton United this summer ahead of the new season and will be looking to play a vital part in their campaign.

Other notable figures who have played for both the Saddlers and Gillingham include Simon Osborn, Conor Wilkinson, Simeon Jackson, Febian Brandy and Franck Moussa.

We look forward to locking horns with the Gills once again this weekend and beginning what promises to be another exciting season in Sky Bet League Two.

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