Cheers. I promise it won't be as long as the Blackpool one!!

A.

Hi Mike; I'm afraid that, because of all the 'faff' involved in moving back to Blackburn from Heywood, I won't be able to do any more Previews in the short-term; but I'd like to have first dibs on the one for the Peterborough United [A] game in April, please.

I'm moving into an Anchor Housing Association property in town and I've heard that one of my neighbours-to-be has forgotten more about computers than I'll ever know. If I've not got him to show me how to post the draft Preview, can I send it to you for you to post on my behalf, please?

Thanks,

Andrew.

9 minutes ago, rickard said:

sedens super culi et lactantem pollice

According to google translate anyways...

 

 

Classy; rickard!😉😅

Just now, JHRover said:

Prediction. We will be much improved in the second half, have loads of possession, a few chances, put a crap Blackpool side under some pressure but fall short and probably concede a third late on but Mowbray will escape the fans wrath because we improved and tried hard.

Sounds a fairly accurate prediction, JHR.

Well; we've definitely got to exercise that 12-month option.

Pity Blackpool are winning the goals game, then.

I don't usually follow this Board 'live'; I usually prefer to watch the highlights on Quest and then read the Board the day after the game. Why, oh why did I change the habits of a lifetime??

The other change is that I've posted as many 👍 in 45 minutes as I usually post on a full match the day after it was played.

I just thank my lucky stars I've been invited out to a meal tonight.

This is a test of the Venky's attitude towards This Once-Great Club Of Ours.

Like his style of football or loathe it, BFS was sacked within 48 hours of a defeat in the Premier League.

Will Venky's have the bottle to tell Mowbray not to pack his suitcase for a trip to India; but sack him and all his cronies, and start the process of replacing him within 48 hours of today's final whistle?

I'd go for Michael Flynn, who resigned from Newport during the week, and give him a season and a half to prove himself.

Just now, booth said:

Lavery off injured, maybe that will balance things up with injuries.

🤞 Just goes to show Mowbray doesn't read our Previews!

If he'd read mine, he'd have seen my B'pool-supporting pal warned us about Lavery.

On behalf of Bazza, myself and doubtless others of our generation, can I add the name of Ron Suart to the catalogue of players in Delap's Derby who've played for both 'Pool and This Great Club Of Ours?

Later generations may remember him for his time as Manager of Chelsea; but a steadily-diminishing number of us will recall him playing for Rovers; maybe not at the end of the 1940s, but in the first half of the 1950s.

I may be able to write verbose Previews; but I'm technologically incompetent which is why @Mike E kindly posted the preview for me.

Are you sure about the re-titling, Herbie6590? I'll be 145 when I write the preview for that game!😉

@Herbie6590

My two pennyworth:

I agree that Southgate should have checked the team before they went out of the dressing room at the start of each half to make sure they weren't wearing a vest with a message underneath the shirt. Arguably, it's the most stupid yellow card to concede.

Also, if I can see that we needed substitutes - and I was shouting, "Get some bloody subs on!" at the TV for the last 15 minutes of the game - why couldn't Southgate? Poland were much the stronger team in that period of the game and a goal from them looked almost inevitable. Which it turned out to be.

I know that last Sunday's game was only the equivalent of a 3rd Round FA Cup-tie between the Premier League Champions and a non-League team, but I thought Bellingham was magnificent in that game. He was one of the subs I'd have introduced to Wednesday's game.

If it had been a League game with a limited number of substitutes to choose from, I'd always have him on the bench, especially when the Referee was, imo, conned into issuing an early yellow card to one of our midfielders.

2 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

My lad has £10 on him to score 20 goals this season, at 1000 to 1.

17 to go.

Apart from the occasional Lucky dip on the National Lottery, I don't gamble; but I reckon that the confidence Brereton Días obviously got from playing for Chile makes that a wager worth considering.🤔

Ta!

On 18/08/2021 at 23:09, Mike E said:

Hi all!

Some time ago, we used to run contributed match previews by you guys, and given the recent upgrade to the mb I feel it's high time we brought them back!

I'll list the fixtures below, I'll add any cup fixtures as they're announced, and just comment below which matches you would like to do! It'll be first come first serve, so get in quick!

Once allocated, you'll see your username placed next to the match, with the match crossed out. If for any reason you can't do one that you've committed to or you've asked for the wrong one, just let me know or comment below.

As matches pass, I'll remove them from the list.

For an example, see my West Brom Match Thread, or the myriad of wonderful and often side-splittingly funny previews in the site archives.

 

August

28/08/21 Middlesbrough (Away)

 

September

11/09/21 Luton Town (Home)

14/09/21 Hull City (Home)

18/09/21 Barnsley (Away)

25/09/21 Cardiff City (Home) Proudtobeblue&white

28/09/21 Huddersfield Town (Away)

 

October

02/10/21 Blackpool (Away)

16/10/21 Coventry City (Home)

1̶9̶/1̶0̶/2̶1̶ Q̶u̶e̶e̶n̶s̶ P̶a̶r̶k̶ R̶a̶n̶g̶e̶r̶s̶ (̶A̶w̶a̶y̶)̶ - ben_the_beast

23/10/21 Reading (Home)

30/10/21 Derby County (Away)

 

November

03/11/21 Fulham (Home)

06/11/21 Sheffield United (Home)

20/11/21 Bristol City (Away)

24/11/21 Peterborough United (Home)

27/11/21 Stoke City (Away)

 

December

04/12/21 Preston North End (Home)

11/12/21 Bournemouth (Away)

18/12/21 Birmingham City (Home)

26/12/21 Hull City (Away)

29/12/21 Barnsley (Home)

 

January

01/01/22 Huddersfield Town (Home)

15/01/22 Cardiff City (Away)

22/01/22 Middlesbrough (Home)

29/01/22 Luton Town (Away)

 

February

05/02/22 Swansea City (Away)

09/02/22 Nottingham Forest (Home)

12/02/22 West Bromwich Albion (Away)

19/02/22 Millwall (Home)

23/02/22 Sheffield United (Away)

26/02/22 Queens Park Rangers (Home)

 

March

05/03/22 Fulham (Away)

12/03/22 Bristol City (Home)

15/03/22 Derby County (Home)

19/03/22 Reading (Away)

 

April

02/04/22 Coventry City (Away)

09/04/22 Blackpool (Home)

15/04/22 Peterborough United (Away)

18/04/22 Stoke City (Home)

23/04/22 Preston North End (Away)

30/04/22 Bournemouth (Home)

 

May

07/05/22 Birmingham City (Away)

Please put my name against the Blackpool [A] game on 2/10/21, Mike.

On 19/08/2021 at 14:29, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Did it earn us a point?

I saw what you did there, @Wing Wizard Windy Miller

Very clever! 😂

On 18/08/2021 at 23:04, Mike E said:

Club history

The West Bromwich Football Club as we know it today, played its first match against Hudsons FC on 23 November 1878. Borrowing a ball from another local club they drew 0-0 in front of a handful of enthralled spectators, beginning a tradition of dull as f*** football that continues to this day.

Ten months later, on 20 September 1879, West Bromwich Strollers were formed as an official club by a group of workers from the George Salter Spring Works, many of whom participated in the initial Hudsons match. These men from Salters, still without a ball between them (heehee) went to the nearest shop that sold footballs, in Wednesbury, where there were already the three flourishing clubs; The Old Athletic, another Strollers by coincidence and Elwells.

 

Cooper’s Hill, a roughly triangular shaped piece of wasteland inspiring Tony Mowbray's modern 'tactics', and Dartmouth Park were alternately used. The players would carry a pair of portable goalposts with them because they were never quite sure where they would kick off. Hence the name Strollers. The first formally recorded match, as Strollers, was played on 13th December 1879 against Black Lake Victoria at Dartmouth Park and was won 1-0.

Soon the name Strollers was thought to sound too casual so they changed it to West Bromwich Albion in 1880. The suffix was derived from an old foundry district in West Bromwich of the same name, where several of the members lived. The support for the Albion was such that paying spectators demanded to be entertained, for which purpose an enclosed ground was required. This was found on Bunn’s Field, also known as 'The Birches', located off Wallsall Street. With the still growing support Albion were in need of yet another venue. Four Acres became their new home in 1882.

 

Despite a staggering 16,393 crowd in 1885 for the visit of our beloved Blackburn Rovers, West Bromwich Albion had eventually outgrown Four Acres and 'Strolled on' again, this time to Stoney Lane, only a short walk from the club’s previous grounds. By 1900 Stoney Lane had degenerated to such an extent that it had become one of the worst in the First Division, attendances had slumped to around 6,000, and the club faced a financial crisis. Another move was thought best for the revival of the club’ s fortunes.

When the board took out an option on a 10 acre site, West Bromwich Albion found their permanent home at the now familiar The Hawthorns. So-called because the club’s secretary, Frank Heaven, had discovered that hawthorn bushes had flourished in the surrounding area at one time. To this day, the Hawthorns remains the highest football ground in England above sea level! It was also, incidentally, the first ground to successfully implement electronic turnstiles.

 

The new ground brought with it the team nickname The Throstles, the Black Country word for Thrush, commonly seen in the hawthorn bushes from which the ‘ground’ took its name. My dad reckons, after chatting to Eric Morecambe in the 70s, that this nickname was the inspiration for one of his longest running gags. For example:

'Have you got the Throstles?'

'No, I always walk like this!'

The joke was the oft repeated with potentially funny sounding words greeted by the same punchline; 'Have you got the sprockets/scrolls or other word topical to one of Ernie Wise's 'Plays what I wrote'.

For many years a thrush ‘lived’ at the ground in a wooden cage which was hung above the player’s tunnel. Later the club had a replica of a large thrush perched on top of the half-time scoreboard at the uncovered Woodman Paddock. It also inspired the design of the official club badge, with a throstle, perched on a branch, depicted on a background of the blue and white club colours.

 

West Bromwich Albion have alternatiely used the throstle and the town’s first coat of arms as their insignia. The arms were granted in 1882 and except the millrinds, which represent the iron and brass foundries, the items are all derived from the arms, crest and supporters of the Earls of Dartmouth, who were formerly seated at Sandwell Hall. The ostrich feathers in the crest, nowadays associated with the Heir Apparent, were introduced into English royal heraldry by Edward III, who probably derived it from his wife, Philippa of Hainault. They represent willing obedience and derenity. The shield with the stag’s head is charged with blue stars and fleurs-de-lys alluding to the sparkling water of Sandwell Spa.

 

Less readily explained than the crest is the nickname 'The Baggies'. It is a mystery defying a solution; we do not know what to believe but you will enjoy whatever version. In its early days The Hawthorns had only two entrances, one behind each goal. On match days the gatekeepers would gather up the takings at each end and be escorted by policemen along the sides of the pitch to the centre line where there was a small office under the stand. The gate money, mostly in pennies, amounted to a considerable sum and was carried in large cloth bags. It wasn’t long before some wag in the crowd started shouting “here come the bag men!” at their appearance in front of the main stand, and this developed into a chant of “here come the Baggies!”, giving the team its unnofficial nickname.

Another version claims that in early days of the club’s history, many of the supporters worked in the local ironworks and because of the intense heat, tended to wear very loose, baggy clothing. Since most of them would go straight to the match after work, it resulted in a very oddly attired bunch standing on the terraces at the Hawthorns, and led to the nickname of ‘Baggies’.

A more surprising idea? The name Baggies was given to Albion’s ironworker fans by Villa supporters. They used to put on their moleskin trousers on Saturday afternoons, with belts worn instead of braces, and periodically they would give a sailor’s hitch to their unmentionables when they began to sag over their boots. When Albion and Villa clashed at the old Perry Bar Ground large numbers of Albion fans walked to the game. The ironworkers kept together in groups, many of them with their trousers at three quarters mast, and when near the ground, they were greeted with cries of `Here come the Baggies of Bromwich'”

Finally, all labourers in the Black Country wore trousers from a thick material called `duck’. When new, it was snow white, but with frequent washing went a dark hue. When repairs were necessary, at knees and back, the dark trousers were repaired with snowy white `duck’. This gave a bulky appearance to the patch, so labourers with these patches were generally called Baggies, as they looked like flour bags, and hence the taunt from Villa supporters back in the old days...

 

Random fact: West Brom full back George Shaw was the last player born in the 19th century to earn an England cap.

 

Celebrity fans:

Eric Clapton, Frank Skinner, Adrian Chiles, Lenny Henry, Joe Lycett, Liam Payne. Probably others?

Previous Meetings:

I honestly can't remember very many. I vaguely recall Keith Andrews scoring a fantastic volley against them once?

Shared players:

Mowbray (ugh), Reid, and I'm sure a great many others.

Current form:

7pts from 9, rather like us! They've just swept promotion favourites Sheffield United aside 4-0, so not expecting an easy game!

Standout players:

You'll have to forgive my ignorance.

Prediction:

Dunno. Loss?

 

What an absolutely superb opening post, @Mike E; thanks for it.

The Millwall [A] game that I remember best was in, I think, the 76/77 season.

I'd gone down to London with a fellow season ticket-holder; a mutual colleague of Leonard Venkhater's and mine.

We were spending the weekend with my mate's eldest brother who lived south east of Millwall, and was as passionate about Rovers as we were - his office wall was festooned with press cuttings, team photographs, etc.

Anyway, we drove as near to the ground as possible; parked up and remained as schtum as possible; it was well before EastEnders, so we couldn't 'do the accent' very well.

Until we got back into the elder brother's VW after the game, locked the doors and set off back home with a 0-1 win in our pockets and then cheered!

We were on an un-segregated terrace - they were, in those days - and none of the home fans could tell from our behaviour or, from our blue and white scarves, either before we scored - just after half an hour, from memory - or for the remainder of the game, which team we followed.

The following Monday, BBC1's Panorama did a feature on 'Football Hooliganism', majoring on the match we'd been at. Mainly because of Millwall's fans' reputations.

After that trip down memory lane, I'm hoping for a similar result tomorrow with our 'back five' holding out for a similar result with 45 years ago. 🤞🤞🤞

20 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Losing at home with pretty much your first 11 (Ayala will never be fit anyway) to a team that were in league two last season should be a wake up call to everyone. Even to Venkys perhaps? Nah, thought not.

Before I appreciated properly how poor Mowbray is as a manager, I used to cut him some slack by saying that we were in more or less the same League position in Division 2 as we were when I first remember following Rovers in 1953.

Before posting this, I looked where Morecambe were that same year; they were in the now-defunct Lancashire Combination; probably, if I'm being generous to them, of the equivalent of the National League [North].

Is there anyone who can get into Balaji's thick skull that, if he can sack a manager like BFS, whose USP - until last season, anyway - was that he could guarantee keeping a team in the Premier League, then he can certainly sack a manager who can't manage or motivate his team to beat a team who have never played at a higher level than they are doing this season?

Please? Anyone?

11 hours ago, Darrenbot said:

Its a ploy to get you all to move to another stand so they can close the Riverside,save them money having to open it up for every game.

I saw the first game I can remember my Dad taking me to [2-2 draw v. Fulham; November 1953] on the Riverside; I look forward to seeing my last - not just yet, though! - game there, too.

Which leads me onto another matter I thought would have been mentioned on here; did the attendance look to those of you who were there like the - just - five-figure that it's being reported to have been?

42 minutes ago, WacoRover said:

Gateshead cancelled.

I was hoping for something to happen with the club this weekend…maybe an incoming transfer? 

Yeah; apparently due to various "operational and internal problems, Rovers are unable to fulfil this fixture."

What IS going on at this once-Great Club Of Ours? "Do they not want any support?", asks the man who was going to the Geordie Shore to tick another ground where I've seen a Rovers team play. Yes, I know; sad, isn't it?

Just as well as it was part of a 'Friends and football' weekend in the North East. At least I've still got me mates to see on the Sunday and Monday.

On 18/05/2021 at 14:03, gumboots said:

Unfortunately Mowbrays successor looks like being Mowbray so nothing to discuss

Sadly, that's probably true, gumboots; but hoping that there's a drop of common sense in Venky Towers, and that someone there reads those of us who actually care about This Great Club of Ours, can I put forward - again? I think I suggested him when his team won the Scottish League Cup earlier this season - the name of Callum Davidson?

Listening to his St. Johnstone team beating Hibernian in Scottish Cup as I type this, he's coming across as a really savvy, younger - early 40s - manager.

21 minutes ago, LDRover said:

There are those, that after 10 shitty years, are still willing to give the owners the benefit of the doubt.

Surely, a failure to remove the Coventrio after this clusterfuck of a season would remove that?

Reading the reports in today's sports pages about the Cup Final, my main thought has been, "Please can we find a benevolent Thai billionaire to offer Venky's an irresistible sum for us and then run this once-great club of ours like Leicester's owners run them?"

It's not too greedy of me, is it?

On 05/05/2021 at 16:08, bluebruce said:

When was the last time a season finale garnered less enthusiasm?

Oh wait, the last two seasons.

The only thing to be excited about for this finale is that finally this steaming dog shit of a season will be over.

Yet I have a feeling that this time next year we will long for these 'glory days' back.

I saw what you did in that first paragraph, @bluebruce!

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the football universe, the Government's talking about having a review of how football is organised in this country.

One idea they're said to be looking into is a similar system to the one that applies in Germany - and probably one reason why there were no German teams in the prototype E.S.L. - namely a significant amount of fans' representation on the Boards of football clubs.

Let's hope that review does its job quickly and our owners are brought to realise that they can't just sit in Pune, apparently not giving a toss about This Great Club Of Ours.