Profiling those Saddlers that came and went in the blink of an eye...
AS WE embark upon a year of celebration to mark Walsall FC’s 125th Anniversary, a lot will, quite rightly, be said about the most popular players or those who have made the most appearances for the club over the years.But what about those players that came and went in the blink of an eye? They may have only appeared on a handful of occasions, but nevertheless, have made a contribution to the history of this great club of ours.
We will be highlighting some of the forgotten Saddlers from the Bescot Years, continuing with a globe-trotting journeyman who played his part in our against-the-odds promotion in 1998/99...
Having played for 14 different teams in no fewer than 11 different countries, it is fair to say that Argentine striker, Walter Otta led a nomadic existence during his playing days.
The honest and hard-working front-man had already played in his homeland and Chile before arriving at Bescot Stadium from Deportivo Temuco in November 1998.
He made his Saddlers’ debut as a substitute in a 3-0 home victory over Millwall and went on to appear a total of 11 times for the club during which time he scored four goals, including the winner in a stormy affair against Lincoln City and an impressive effort in a 1-1 draw at Macclesfield Town later that month.
Having Christmas Lunch with manager, Ray Graydon and his family, it wasn’t long before he was on the move as he headed to Spain with Xerez at the turn of 1999.
Since then his footballing journey has taken him to Honduras, Bolivia, Portugal, Peru, Ecuador, Canada and Germany before he wound his playing career down back in Argentina, finally hanging up his boots with Fenix in 2009.