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ISSUE 14 WEST BROMWICH ALBION SUPPORTERS CLUB 03. Letter from the Editors Letter Aidan Rose From the View from the Chair 04. Steve Watts Sheffield Match Report editors 06. Paul Probyn

The Albion Pub The Baggies cannot afford to go off the boil 08. Aidan Rose Brexit Dave was Right; we hope Big Dave is the Right Man

Brendan Batson Night After the first league game under ing football. A win at , 11. Glenn Hess in January 2015 Dave said, another at St James’ Park and a home “We’ve got two and a half years of this victory against Spurs just made us Mickey Lewis Night to look forward to”. It turned out to be feel so much better. My favourite mo- 12. Paul Probyn nearly three years until he got the boot ment was looking at the tourist Mancs following his worst win percentage watching their team getting beaten by Harveys - The Cream of the Crop (29.75%) in his so-called managerial a team languishing at the bottom of 14. Paul Probyn career. So, onwards and downwards. the league. Their sense of unmet enti- Pardew managed a win rate of 14.3% tlement was a pleasure to watch. Campbell Orr Book Review which, it has to be said, is magnificent 16. Aidan Rose compared to the 0.0% he achieved So, to this . This is rock and roll when taking care of Reading in March football. We are scoring goals – more Q&A with Alex Horton 1998. Taxigate, the worst season since than anyone else bar Man City and 18. Aidan Rose the years of Saunders and Gould, we good ones to boot. But our defence all know the story. is dodgy – just look at the goals con- contents ceded figures. As -point So, enter stage left Big Dave. A man ed out recently, it is not afforded the that fills a room in every respect. He protection that Mulumbu and Claudio played 104 games for The Albion and gave them for a decade. The bookies GET IN TOUCH! is a club legend. Witness the standing said we were 2-1 favourites to win The ovation he received from all four sides Championship. To meet that expecta- E-mail us at: [email protected] @LondonBaggies of the ground when he was substituted tion, we need to get the defence sorted playing his last game at and hopefully keep a footballer called We always appreciate submissions, for Barnsley. London Baggies remem- Harvey for the rest of the season. @LondonBaggies from match reports and photos to ber Darren coming to London to chat op-eds and think pieces. with us last year. Top man, failure as a If that is the case, Big Dave will take us West Bromwich Albion manager was something we could not up and next season take The Albion The Baggie Shorts Team: Supporters Club London contemplate. back into Europe. Branch Aidan Rose Paul Probyn Glenn Hess Anoushka Probyn W londonbaggies.com Darren put smiles our faces, he had Aidan Rose players looking like they enjoyed play- 03 the end of January, ready for Brendon was his usual en- a final promotion push. gaging self and on behalf of View from the branch I thank him for at- In terms of the London tending and giving us such Branch, we have seen an in- an enjoyable and illuminating creased membership this evening. year and I welcome all our new members. We are now working hard to the Chair get other Albion legends to Membership has increased attend in the new year. from numbering in the 80s a I’d like to start my regular what we might do later in the couple of Please message by wishing my fel- season. years ago “Let’s hope 2019 come along low Baggies a very merry fes- to 130 now to these tive period and a happy new Since I last wrote in our and rising. I brings with it a events if year. award-winning Baggie truly believe you can as Shorts, our football team has that we successful and they real- Let’s hope 2019 brings with it had a little bit of a rollercoast- have further entertaining ly help the a successful and entertaining er ride, hitting a depressing untapped profile of season culminating in promo- run of results before starting support in season” the London tion (and a cup run would be to turn it around over the last London and Baggies. nice but maybe I’m now just half-a-dozen games. the south east so if you meet being a little greedy). potential members at games Big thanks go out to Max Da- As I write we sit in third look- please encourage them to vies, Lana Moseby, Nick Grant The downside to our en- ing up at Leeds and Norwich join us. and Paul Monney for their tertaining football is that it but that means we are placed contributions to the event and seems like we will be “enjoy- nicely for a reasonable set of As part of our continued ef- thanks to George at O’Meara ing” more Monday and Friday forthcoming fixtures (on - pa forts to provide events that for hosting it gratis. night football. per!) over the festive period our members enjoy, we had and into January. a fantastic evening with Bren- Good health and happiness Disappointingly these TV don Batson. to you all! changes meant a rethink on If we get some decent results our (intended) subsidised over the next few weeks I Steve Watts game at Sheffield United - so firmly believe that we can be we are currently reviewing sitting in the top two come

04 05 3rd October 2018

IF THIS IS SHEFFIELD Thank heaven we were not play- It was impossible to tell what for- ing a Premiership team or it mation Albion were playing in IT MUST BE WEDNESDAY could have been a lot worse as now, and Wednesday were so the team went in 2-0 down at confused that in the 86th minute Sheffield Wednesday 2 – 2 West Bromwich Albion half-time, to sporadic booing. Pelupessy turned a Brunt cross into his own net under pressure We were not helped by a very from Barnes. The dedication of your Bag- tre to eat before the game was poor referee, turning down gie Shorts editorial team knows a challenge. Fully booked! Here at least one Within two no bounds, as Paul Probyn and cos’ it’s Albion? Sadly, no, the nailed-on pen- “While other Lon- minutes it was Anoushka drove 200 tedious restaurants were full of OAPs on alty appeal, all square, as miles up the M1 on October 3rd theatre trips. disallowing don Baggies choose Barnes raced just to bring you this headline. two goals and their games on the from the half- After eating an excuse for a piz- awarding free way line to the To be fair, Sheffield was on our za we headed to Hillsborough, kicks whenev- basis of the quality 18-yard box, list of potential awaydays any- where we found the Railway Tav- er a Wednes- of the local beers, wrong-foot- way. While other London Bag- ern, highly recommended for vis- day player ed three de- gies choose their games on the iting fans and only five minutes went down. we go to the away fenders, and basis of the quality of the local from the ground. Friendly locals, games that have left the goalie beers, we go to the away games and Farmers Blonde from the lo- As the sec- standing as he that have serious Instagram po- cal Bradfield Brewery, made for ond half wore serious Instagram slotted inside tential. Not the game, maybe, a satisfying prelude to the game. on, Albion potential” the near post. but the host city. showed no The superb man of the match signs of turn- Cue extrav- So the afternoon was spent on performance by Harvey Barnes ing the game around. But with agant celebrations in the away photo shoots around Sheffield’s made it possible to forget just 25 minutes to go, we saw three end, but with seven added min- historic centre, eventually focus- how poor the Albion were. Too substitutes stripped and ready utes a very open game could still ing on the decor of the Botanist many loose passes, always sec- for action. What attacking mas- have gone either way. It may not cocktail bar, relocated lock, stock ond best in 50/50s, a dodgy de- ter-stroke was Big Dave about have had quite the quality of the and barrel from Sheffield’s -bo fence, and the absence of any to unleash? Um..... take off both Spurs-Barcelona game that the tanical gardens. meaningful midfield as Brunt and strikers and Tyrone Mears, and 5 Live pundits were eulogising Livermore struggled to make any bring on Barry, Hoolahan and about as we drove home, but it Finding a table in the city cen- impression. Robson-Kanu. And it worked! had been a lot of fun.

06 07 Memories of The Albion Pub in Goldsmiths Row Aidan Rose talks to Dave Chapman

Dave Chapman and his partner Su ran he was at least as good at accounts

The Albion in Goldsmiths Row from as he was a drummer. He got a job Pub Dave outside the Albion 1998 until 2015. It was the stuff of as a cost accountant. dreams – a pub in the East End filled with Albion memorabilia, live match- The job was to liaise with the EMI es and Good Beer Guide status. But house producers to establish the first we will start with a conversation costs of producing the album and that Aidan Rose had with Dave about submit these to the head of A&R to his time in the music business. make a decision on whether or not to proceed to release. After a few At the age of 17 Dave was working months in a mundane job he was ap- as a welder and with dreams of star- proached by a producer called Nor- dom. He played drums in a band man Smith who asked him to come called the “Which Ones?” in the eve- and listen to some demos for an al- nings. The band wasn’t too bad and bum he was submitting. see Ron White, EMI’s head of A&R, A few weeks later he was summoned built a good reputation locally in east without explanation. again and was asked if he would like London. This was highly unusual, but he to join the A&R department as a La- couldn’t resist. They listened in a He duly attended and was asked what bel Manager. His music career had As a result of this they auditioned for a small studio at EMI’s now demolished he thought he was doing submitting begun. guy called Norman Sheffield who ran Manchester Square headquarters an album with such a ludicrous break- the famous Trident Studios in Soho. in Marylebone and Dave was blown even figure. He explained his enthu- From there he became MD of ABC/ Dave admits that he already knew he away. siasm and Ron said “well you’d better Dunhill based in Los Angeles look- was no Keith Moon and this was con- be right or you’ll be passing my office ing after acts such as The Mamas firmed by Mr Sheffield who officially He tells that “I’d never heard anything on your way out”. and Papas, The James Gang, Joe announced that he was “shit”. like it in my short life”. The figures for Walsh and Steppenwolf, whom he the album were huge for that time The album was Pink Floyd’s “The Pip- later managed. Thence to marketing The following Monday he walked into when the average break-even figure er at the Gates of Dawn”, their only manager of Polydor before going EMI Records reception and asked was 1500 copies. He submitted the album under the leadership of the out on his own in management and for a job (you could do that in those costs and gave a break-even point legendary Syd Barrett. concessions at major outdoor events days) and was asked if he was any of 20,000 copies. A couple of days such as F1, Monsters of Rock, and the good at accounts. Proudly, Dave said passed and he was summoned to Reading Festival. 08 09 We asked Dave about the best visitors to The Albion in Goldsmiths Row

“Wow. That’s a hard one. When I re- The most important one was un- The London Baggies tired from the music business and doubtedly Richard Thompson, the Su and I opened The Albion in Gold- Albion Chairman. Brendan Batson Night smiths Row we didn’t dream it would become the place that it did, most We had, prior to opening, asked per- by Glenn Hess intelligent people thought we’d lost mission of from the club our minds. to use the Albion crest as the pub sign (something they would not allow What an evening!!!! He told us of his admiration for It grew into something wonderful that in the West Midlands) and he agreed and how hard he we will forever be grateful for and are on a probationary basis provided One of my all time heroes, Bren- works with Brendan on racism in immense- there was no dan turned out to be charming, football and trying to conquer it, ly proud of. “One day I received trouble at the intriguing, and amazingly frank and on players’ rights. There were so pub. to the point of not holding back many great a call from Richard at all. Surprisingly he was not a fan of visitors over One day I re- -----calling him a the years. Ce- {Thompson} who ceived a call Nick Grant bravely took on the twat. lebrity wise from Richard we had Lily asked if he could vis- who asked if mantle of interviewer at short Allen, Katy it us. He came along he could visit notice and was marvellous, ask- As for Big Ron, he expressed Perry, Bob- us. He came ing lots of pertinent questions his huge sadness and surprise by George, and spent half a day along and which were all answered by our when Ron made his ”stupid lazy actor Jack spent half guest. N word” comments about Mar- O’Connell with us chatting” a day with cel Desailly on TV, believing the (manic Rams us chatting He spoke to us about his history microphones were switched off. fan), Alex to Arsenal, covering his Gunners and Cam- He told us that Big Ron had nev- Turner from the Arctic Monkeys and Spurs, West Ham supporters and reg- bridge career where his manag- er apologised to him. Alexa Chung. ular customers about the place and er was Big Ron who made him when he left said he was amazed and During the early days when we start- delighted and gave the go ahead captain before he was lured to Brendan also charmingly re- ed (illegally) to show every Baggies with the club’s blessing. become the third degree by the vealed his beginnings after his game live one of the barmaids came new Albion manager - Big Ron. family came to London from the up and said “There’s two comedians That was the real birth of The Albion He of course shared his fight Caribbean, and his connections off the telly down the bar”, I wan- in Goldsmiths Row and he very defi- against racism, which continues to Grenfell Tower. dered along to find Adrian Chiles nitely became our most important today in his PFA role. He recol- and Frank Skinner - two comedians? visitor, with the exception, of course, lected the Blacks v Whites match A fantastic evening enjoyed by We had Dean Kiely, , of the thousands of Albion fans from and recalled how the Black play- nearly forty London Baggies. and many more come across the globe that we have been ers enjoyed the match and were along plus players and managers privileged enough to meet.” determined to win. from many other clubs. 10 11 The London Baggies Mickey Lewis Night By Paul Probyn

Mickey Lewis may not be the best following February in a 2-1 victory known player from the Albion’s over the, then, mighty Nottingham downing shots of whisky shortly be- could have used him) but he had no great days of the late 70s and ear- Forest. fore kick-off, or Gary Owen pinning regrets about his time at Derby. ly 80s, but he is certainly one of the him against a wall after a particular- most engaging. Mickey was popular in an Albion ly strong challenge on the training From there he moved on to Oxford, dressing room where his aggres- ground. as Manor Ground favourite Trevor Throughout another successful Lon- sive style went down well with the Hebberd moved in the opposite don Baggies evening at Flat Iron likes of Ally Robertson and Martyn When returned to direction, but quickly established Square, Mickey had his audience Bennett. But it wasn’t all a stroll in the Hawthorns for his second stint himself and was voted fans’ player hanging on every word, as he re- the park - one of Mickey’s jobs as a as manager in 1984, Mickey’s ca- of the season in his first two years galed us with tales from his life in young professional was to clean the reer stalled. He didn’t get much of there. the professional game. first team players’ bath after train- a look-in under the new manag- ing. er, and recounted the bizarre tale After 20 years at Oxford and spells Mickey came up through the youth of Giles “lending” him to Irish side in the USA with Des Moines Men- ranks when giants like Wile, Robson, Mickey inherited Bomber Brown’s Finn Harps for a pre-season friend- ace, and on the staff at Doncaster, Robertson and the Three Degrees number four shirt, and as a cen- ly against Celtic, a match that Harps Mickey is now semi-retired but is were fixtures at the Hawthorns. tral he found himself lost 3-0. still heavily involved in the game he pitched against some of the giants loves - his biggest current role be- At the time, with squads much of the time - people like Graeme The club owner asked Mickey to ing coach to the Oxford University smaller than they are now, young Souness, , stay on for the next pre-season men’s team. He says they always un- reserves could go straight into the - but Mickey was never overawed game, against Southampton, on derstand what he asks them to do first team if a player was injured. So and gave as good as he got. He felt the understanding that he would - even if they lack the skill to do it. Mickey Lewis was given his debut the best player he ever faced was square it with Johnny Giles. by Ronnie Allen in December 1981 Bryan The evening ended with Ian Tinsley at the age of 16, in a League Cup Unfortunately the owner forgot to having the honour of presenting tie against Crystal Palace, when Ally Robson, by this time at Manchester speak to Giles, who was understand- Mickey with his Albion , cele- Robertson went off injured - and United. ably unhappy with Mickey when he brating his status as the 541st player got booked within ten minutes! finally returned to the Hawthorns. to play for the club in the League. Quite an achievement in the days Mickey shared some of those anec- Before long he was on his way to when “robust” tackling was part dotes you wouldn’t believe if you Derby, still aged only 19. He thinks Thanks to Max Davies for his ex- and parcel of the game. He is still didn’t hear them from someone West Brom should have kept him cellent work in arranging anoth- Albion’s youngest ever League who was there at the time - like (and, let’s face it, the way the club er hugely enjoyable evening for Cup player. His first start came the and nosedived in the following years it branch members.

12 13 Harveys the cream of the crop By Paul Probyn

Harvey Barnes has burst onto the Youth is clearly something that Albion scene to devastating effect the Harvey clan have on their this season. His fearless play, run- side. Harvey St Clair joined Chel- ning at defenders and shooting sea at the age of 8, but left them at every opportunity, have made last summer, aged 18, to join the him a firm favourite with fans. growing number of frustrated young English prospects plying Becoming an ever-present in the their trade abroad - in his case team, before the end of Novem- with Venezia in Serie B. ber he had scored seven goals Photo by Laurie Rampling and provided three assists. His But being named Harvey does Even younger is Harvey Sayer last season on an undistinguished total of 40 shots was bettered by not guarantee a contract with a at Colchester. At 15 he is still an loan at Hungerford Town, and only two players in the whole of Premiership club like Leicester, academy player, but he has al- Bognor Regis FC’s Harvey White, the Championship. Fulham or Chelsea. ready been called up to the En- grandfather of our team at 27 gland under-15 squad so we whose “great ball control and a Barnes is the first-ever Harvey to 19-year-old forward Harvey Brad- could be hearing more of him in a blistering pace makes him very wear the famous blue and white bury made his professional debut few years time as England’s youth popular with the Rocks faithful.” stripes. But is he the only Harvey for Oxford United this November. teams continue to sweep all be- He even has a column in the local plying his trade as a professional Meanwhile, Bristol City’s 20-year- fore them. paper. footballer? We had to find out. old Harvey Smith is on loan at Hereford, where he has played Harvey United FC obviously That leaves us one short - so we’ll Not quite. Even as the Baggie just once in the Conference North needs a goalkeeper, so who bet- give a debut to 16-year-old Har- Shorts editorial team were pon- this season. ter than Harvey Randle, recently vey Neville. He recently signed his dering this important question, signed by Derby County and, in first contract for a fading Premier- Harvey Elliott made his first team Harvey Rodgers is currently try- keeping with the cult of youth, ship team based at Old Trafford debut for Fulham as a 15 year old ing to make a name for himself at only 13. and has yet to make his senior in the EFL Cup on 25 September Accrington Stanley. Last season debut, but if he has the genes of against Millwall, becoming the he made an impact at Fleetwood, Looking for a full 11, we had to Dad Phil and Uncle Gary, he must club’s youngest ever first-team but of the wrong kind, being sent call on Harvey Read, a 20-year-old have some potential. Go Harvey! player and the youngest to ever off on his debut. defender at Eastleigh who spent feature in the League Cup.

14 15 Book Review. Campbell Orr: Pioneer of , Football’s Forgotten Founder by Douglas Gorman and Martin Shirley (2017) ISBN 978-1-5272-0472-0

John Campbell Orr (1850-1921) Gorman and Shirley document was a Scotsman from Fife. Edu- his contribution to the devel- cated at St Andrews University, opment of the game in the late his original sport was rugby. 19th century.

He brought Association Foot- Amongst his many achieve- ball to , playing ments was to formalise the rules Source; “The Hawthorns Golden Jubilee – the story of West Bromwich Albion foot- ball ground 1900-1950” by W. Ellery Jephcott 1950 football, refereeing (or umpir- of the game for the Birmingham ing as it was then known), as FA which had 1,200 affiliated bowler-hatted man on the left. ting in the front row with the ball well as being a journalist and clubs and organising for gate Note that there are eleven play- in front of him. In many team serving as secretary of the Bir- receipts of matches played ers in blue and white stripes, no photographs from that time the mingham County Football As- during the war to be given to Ideal Boiler sponsorship and no goalkeeper would be wearing sociation. charity. identifiable goalkeeper. his cap. However, as this pho- tograph was a formal one he As the book records, in an Of particular interest to Albi- I asked the authors about this. may have decided to remove it, obituary the much-lamented on fans is a photograph in the They told me “The reason why taking his cue from the director Birmingham Sports Argus de- book which the authors have the goalkeeper is not easily sitting to his right. Joe Reader scribed him as “the greatest of kindly given us permission to identifiable is that until after was a one-club man who made all football pioneers”. reproduce. It was taken at the the First World War in England 315 league appearances and first game at The Hawthorns (slightly earlier in Scotland) the played in 39 FA Cup ties for the Campbell Orr played centre on Monday 3 September 1900 goalkeeper wore the same shirt Baggies”. forward for Birmingham Clerks when The Albion drew with Der- as his team mates and his only Football Club before becoming by County through an equal- distinguishable feature was that Aidan Rose (proud great grand- what was then known as an um- iser by Chippy Simmons (att. he wore a cap. The goalkeeper son of Campbell Orr) pire. 20,104). Campbell Orr is the is Josiah “Joe” Reader who is sit-

16 17 proud owner of Scharner’s match day t-shirt he wore underneath How will you celebrate promo- the kit with the Albion badge on tion this season? Aidan Rose – you know the one! With a nice pint of real ale and a interviews Best ever Albion chant? smile on my face! To the tune of The Entertainer: Alex Horton “We’ve got the best Midfield in the World. Brunt and Teixiera, Zoltan Gera, Robert Koren and Welcome to our new London Baggie who tells us how, Jonno” I remember whistling this Qdespite being Bristol born and Manchester educated, he a lot at school! was forced into the fold. Best visitors to The Hawthorns? Why The Baggies? the cup; great place, friendly fans and a stadium with a lot of charac- I’m always very impressed with One of my earliest items of clothes ter. However, my favourite ground the numbers Newcastle bring was a babygro stating ‘I support is still Old Trafford. Despite being down and their fans are always the Albion because my Daddy a modern stadium, it has kept quite loud despite many on and & said so’! That’s pretty much the its character (unlike some of the off the field problems. reason that I follow the Albion. soulless new ones) and in recent Cheers Dad! years (and times gone by) it has All-time Albion low? been a happy hunting ground! First ever game? Losing at home to Crewe Alexan- Favourite away trip? dra 5-1 on Easter Monday, Bristol City 1-3 Albion, 13 Sep- 1999; still being very young I tember 1998. scored I always love a trip up north; par- went back to my grandparents two and James Quinn got the oth- ticularly to either of the Manches- and cried for most of the er. Shortly after, I was treated to ter clubs; great city and great evening! an Albion shirt with ‘Hughes’ on people (you can tell I went to uni- the back; somewhat unfortunate- versity up there!) Rondón, Gale or Burke? ly in hindsight. Best ever game away game? Currently, Gayle. I am very Best away ground? impressed with how he has Our 2011-12 win at - our fitted into the team. I would I always love visiting new grounds first since 1979 with Paul Scharner like to see a lot more of Burke and particularly enjoyed Exeter in scoring the winner. I’m still the as he deserves the chance to prove himself. 18 A 19 WWW: londonbaggies.com

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