BAGGIE SHORTS West Bromwich Albion London Supporters Club Issue 7 | Season 2015/16 2015/6 Season Fixtures and Results 10 Aug H Man City 0-3 15 Aug A Watford 0-0 23 Aug H Chelsea 2-3 29 Aug A Stoke City 0-1 Welcome.....to this special edition of Baggies Shorts, cele- 12 Sep H Southampton 0-0 brating (among other things) the 40th anniversa- 19 Sep A Aston Villa 0-1 28 Sep H Everton 2-3 ry of the formation of the West Bromwich Albion 3 Oct A Crystal Palace 2-0 London Supporters Club. In the last edition, we 17 Oct H Sunderland 1-0 heard from Paul Mason about the re-formation 24 Oct A Norwich City 0-1 of the branch in the 1989/90 season, but here 31 Oct H Leicester 2-3 we go back to the very beginning - September 7 Nov A Man Utd 2-0 1976 - with the help of the founding chairman, 21 Nov H Arsenal 2-1 Peter Gregory, and the founding Secretary, Rab 29 Nov A West Ham 1-1 Rogers (taken from the memories he recorded 5 Dec H Tottenham 1-1 for the Club’s 25th anniversary). 13 Dec A Liverpool 2-2 19 Dec H AFC Bournemouth 1-2 26 Dec A Swansea 1-0 On other pages: we take a look at West Ham’s 28 Dec H Newcastle 1-0 immense good fortune in the property stakes; 2 Jan H Stoke City 2-1 we assess the clubs that will replace Newcastle, 13 Jan A Chelsea 2-2 Norwich and Villa in the Premiership next sea- 16 Jan A Southampton 3-0 son; Dave Wiltshire gets the Q&A treatment; and 23 Jan H Aston Villa 0-0 Tony Vass and Paul Monney reflect on a couple 2 Feb H Swansea 1-1 of actual football games. 6 Feb A Newcastle 1-0 13 Feb A Everton 0-1 27 Feb H Crystal Palace 3-2 If you would like to write for, or to, the maga- 1 Mar A Leicester 2-2 zine, please contact one of the editorial team 6 Mar H Man Utd 1-0 (Anoushka Probyn, Toby Grainger, 19 Mar H Norwich City 0-1 Glenn Hess, Adrian Rose). You 2 Apr A Sunderland 0-0 can contact us via Toby: toby. 9 Apr A Man City 2-1 [email protected]. 16 Apr H Watford 0-1 21 Apr A Arsenal 2-0 Don’t forget to renew your mem- 25 Apr A Tottenham 1-1 bership for 2016/17! Membership 30 Apr H West Ham 0-3 2 May A AFC Bournemouth 1-1 forms are available from Tony 15 May H Liverpool 1-1 Vass. MATCH REPORT: WBA 0 - 1 Watford Tony Vass Reports: If I can get to my local station by was hell bent on a victory. But on 7.00am, I expect the Baggies to 26 minutes Watford scored the only make some sort of effort for me goal of the game when Ben Watson when I get to the Hawthorns. Calling (I said we should have signed him) in at the station shop for a paper the easily raced clear of Chester and manager looked curiously at me and McClean to meet a low corner at the asked, “Footie today in London?” near post to flick the ball across goal “No, I replied - West Bromwich!” He and in off the far post. looked at me as if I was totally mad, by the end of the day I began to sus- Few half chances came and went pect he was very probably right. before Watford keeper Gomes upended Berahino in the box on Today was to be another disap- 67 minutes. The want-away striker pointment following on my recently grabbed the ball and looked set to viewed debacles at the Hawthorns level the score-line. But his spot kick versus the Vile, and Norwich City. was poor and easily saved. With This should have been the day when defeat looking likely Sessegnon was Baggies fans the World over would tumbled in the box to give Albion a be celebrating the demise of the last chance to take something from Claret and Blue hordes from Witton, another poor home performance. who have been so smug and dismis- Berahino again failed to convert the sive towards us for a long, long time. spot kick with the Watford keeper Honorary London Baggie, Tom What better then than to secure a making a fine save. home win ourselves and enjoy see- Monastyrki, got in touch from ing the Seals starting their fall into Tony Pulis said after the game, “ Canada telling us, “I was pulling the Championship. Football can be a cruel game and into the parking lot and noticed I’m disappointed for the lads”. How this car. Had to stop and take Fortunately the day is not all about about sparing a thought for this a picture for you. The lady’s the football, and after a fine lunch poor sod who travelled over 400 husband is from Birmingham. amid good company in the “Black miles to witness yet another clue- She said someone like me stops Eagle” I was feeling a little optimistic. less, classless, half-hearted home BAGGIES ABROAD her at least once a week to take Watford fans on the train bemoaned performance from the Baggies? I a picture.” the fact that they couldn’t score shall be very glad when this awful, goals and couldn’t see anything wretched season is over! (Yes, I went better than a draw for them. A few to Watford, Palace and Southampton tentative efforts form both sides away too!) gave no indication that either team “I’m Dreaming Dreams, I’m Scheming Schemes” (The opening two lines of the first verse, as opposed to the chorus, of Bubbles) Wet Sham Climb The Property Ladder By Toby Grainger West Ham are moving up in the and that through their generosity world and will pay £2.5m a year in and civic-mindedness they have rent for their new home at Taxpayers’ saved it for everyone’s enjoyment. Central (a.k.a. the Olympic Stadium). But, as The Guardian observed, “The To put it in proportion, that’s a good agreement outlines the extent to deal less than we have paid over the which West Ham take primacy during last year (in salaries) for the (largely the football season, underlining the bench-sitting) services of the famous need for it to retain the “look and “Ricky ‘n’ Vic” strike duo. But Mssrs feel” of its home ground.” So, it will that one through and have included Gold and Sullivan, along with Lady still belong to us, but, as it will be incentives for us to love them. The Original build: £429m (sic(k)!) Brady (all lately of Planet Por- permanently dressed up in West better West Ham do, the more they Additional conversion costs (i.e. no, via Smallheath) argue that we’ve Ham’s livery, it won’t feel as though have to pay (ranging from an extra downsizing to 60,000 capacity to ac- got the jammy end. it belongs to anybody who doesn’t £100k for a top half finish, up to £1m commodate West Ham): £272m (of routinely break off from munching a in the (ahem) unlikely event that they which the Club will pick up £15m) That’s because, they’re only rent- tub of jellied eels, before reminding win the Champions League). Or, to ing it for 25 match days (they have you that the ‘Ammers won the World put it another way, the more games To continue: “Fortune’s always to pay an extra £100,000 for any Cup and lamenting the death of the West Ham win, the less the public hiding, I’ve looked everywhere.” additional games) and the rest of old East End. are required to subsidise them. Actually, that’s not quite true, but the the time it belongs to us, the people complicated financial arrangements who paid for it (Londoner’s are still That might make you feel resent- So, come on: “I’m forever blowing (often involving off-shore accounts) paying an Olympic-costs precept ful of the Irons, but the geniuses bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air…” habitually favoured by businessmen on our Council Tax bills). West Ham (including the late and unlamented Oh, hang on let’s just remind our- of such outstanding calibre as Gold argue that, without their tenancy, the Boris of this parish) who “ham- selves of those costs again. and Sullivan are famously opaque. stadium wouldn’t have been viable mered” out this deal have thought MATCH REPORT AFC Bournemouth 1 - 1 WBA Paul Monney Reports: The final away day of the season was a ground-tick for many of the So to the game which for the most London Baggies as we visited the part felt more positive than it really Premiership newbies, Bournemouth, was due to a 16th minute Rondon who like us had already met their goal lifting spirits and Bournemouth target of survival. What could be bet- not looking like they would or could ter than a visit to the seaside in May score. It didn’t seem that long ago to watch two teams go head to head that some fans were singing ‘If Ron- with no pressure and (surely) a will to don scores, we’re on the pitch’ due entertain? It would be an entertain- to the unlikelihood of it happening ing afternoon - thanks to the compa- but he’d found a purple patch and ny (if not necessarily the game).