1

General Football & Sports / Re: Dingle watch - Anything Wolves

« on: October 29, 2022, 05:46:40 PM »

Diego Costa is sent off for HEADBUTTING Ben Mee in the dying seconds of Wolves' draw with Brentford

Great signing for them 😂

2

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE THREAD

« on: October 29, 2022, 05:30:15 PM »

Some vile fans on my timeline calling for Emery out but can't tell if sarcastic or not because it's the vile.

I thought he wasn’t  taking over until 1st November?

3

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: October 29, 2022, 12:33:19 PM »

KO

Here’s wishing Carlos and the lads the very best of luck

COYB!

4

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: October 29, 2022, 12:08:52 PM »

It would be good to park the negativity and think more positively until at least a ball has been kicked

COYB!!!!

5

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: West Brom seek loan from MSD Holdings

« on: October 29, 2022, 12:03:07 PM »

I read recently that the club is currently valued at between £40-50m . Obviously a loan of £25m would represent at least 50% of the clubs valuation.

For any accountants on the forum is that a sensible and sustainable Loan to Value Ratio?

It is a worrying development, given the past record of how the club has been run, we seem to have gone from a prudent financial management model to what, on the surface, appears to be somewhat reckless.

On the bright side, if the money is invested in assets that appreciate in value i.e. young quality players, one gem might cover the loan amount, glass half full 

6

General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread

« on: October 29, 2022, 10:48:27 AM »

West Ham's English centre-back Craig Dawson, 32, wants to leave in January after losing his place in the starting line-up

7

General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 28, 2022, 09:03:43 PM »

10 months in and he has so far made a disastrous manager appointment (with no process for appointment just he knows best), failed to rectify it before we landed in a relegation scrap, failed to appoint any footballing knowledge execs at the club, shut up the moment it started going pear shaped and made apologies for Lai. Apart from the last point what does he bring to the club?

Trying to be even handed, Gourlay didn’t inherit much in terms of a board or technical department. Maybe he should have made more experienced appointments, but we don’t know what constraints from the owner, in terms of budget to fill these rolls, he is expected to work within.

Any appointments to the board or technical departments come at a cost and with no money to spend on “frees”, players that is, I suspect board and other recruits are consider as none essential or urgent to an owner who knows nothing of running a football club and who is reluctant to invest in the club, because of his previous follies in buying the club in the first instance.

8

General Football & Sports / Re: Callum Robinson

« on: October 28, 2022, 08:51:18 PM »

I can’t help wondering whether Callum would have been an asset and the type of player Carlos’s would have liked in his squad

Too late now

9

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan - New Head Coach

« on: October 28, 2022, 08:17:57 PM »

I haven't heard enough of him but I know what you mean, somebody can speak very good English but when they have a flat accent (like some spaniards) it can be so hard to follow. Shows how important the sing song nature of a reguonal/national accent is to the language itself.

I also think a contributor factor is the way Spanish structure their sentences, which can often lead to difficulty in following them

Most people, who learn a second language, try to translate from their native language into the second language, in this instance from Spanish into English which can result in vagaries. The best linguists, can, automatically think in the second language and are totally fluent.

A simple example would be, in a sentence constructed in English we, normally, would use an adjective (or verb) first to describe the object of the sentence a noun e.g. the “red car”, in Spanish the noun precedes the adjective and becomes the “car red”

Personally, I am able to grasp, without too much difficulty, Carlos’s thread when he speaks.

10

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: David Button

« on: October 28, 2022, 05:21:15 PM »

Albion Analytics Tweeted

“Prior to joining Albion, Button had performed at the rate of an average shot-stopper. 150 goals conceded form 150 xGOT.

Since then his shot-stopping has significantly dropped off - hasn't performed above average since joining Albion.”

He really is a poor keeper based on this analysis

11

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Under 23's / Academy Thread

« on: October 28, 2022, 05:17:12 PM »

Good luck to Mo Faal who has joined @telfordutd on a one-month youth loan. ✍️

All the best, Mo! 👊

12

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: October 28, 2022, 04:59:41 PM »

Action for Albion Statement

Since Monday, when we founded this group, it was with the intention of finding a way of peacefully protesting at the plight of the club we all love. We began with huge traction, and each one of you that joined we thank. It became very clear very quickly that it was impossible to get everyone's voice heard, so we started the committee.

Everyone using their own free time to try to do something for the greater good. We had a 90-minute zoom call, and we were pleased with the progress. We had a name, a vision and the START of a process of action.

Then yesterday happened. Unfortunately, most of the committee members running the socials, took personal abuse. If that continued to that level, it meant we could not carry on!

Look, we knew that the first course of action wouldn't go down well with everyone. But this is the overriding issue. Rome wasn't built in a day. There were many reasons why we decided on smaller action to begin with.

• That it was the Head Coach's first game, it didn't sit right with us to protest then. We're Albion fans first and foremost.

• We need to build up to a march. Not the first course of action. A march of 200 is nowhere near as impactful as 2000. We need to engage the silent minority.

• From the start, in fact the opening message was that this group was to be planned and structured. We believe we started this process. We never stopped listening.

• This is the FIRST of many steps, in a long campaign. It wasn't ever designed to be the only thing we are doing. We were looking to roll out a plan over the coming weeks, bearing in mind there is a four week break coming.

All we have had since is abuse, saying we're this and that, and receiving constant ridicule. At the end of the day, we had given our time up to try to do something, and I'm genuinely sad that people can't see that. We guess it's the way the world is now, and we are sadly known for being an apathetic fanbase. Maybe that's why we get pushed around by owners?

We want to carry on, with everyone accepting we can't and won't all agree. But are we not agreed that we need to do something and currently nothing joined up is going on?

So, an open question, do you want us to carry on and try and build a planned, thought-out strategic campaign, or not?

It really is that simple.

Please let us know your feedback.

Action For Albion

13

General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 28, 2022, 02:34:43 PM »

Is that the original interest agreed up to when he should have paid it back in September 2021? Or additional interest accrued from that date up to 31/12/22?

Since 15 September 2021, the WSL Loan has been accruing additional interest at the rate of 1% over the Bank of England base rate.

14

General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 28, 2022, 11:54:48 AM »

Turned tack a bit in today's Brum Mail article saying that not all responsibility falls on his shoulders and that Lai is also responsible for the mess which is fair.

Gourlay is the main interface between the owner and supporters and, as such, he has to shoulder the burden of criticism, it comes with the territory.

If he is publicly alluding to Lai being party to the failures, which he obviously is, then all is not well with that relationship and Gourlay's days of tenure as CEO may well be numbered

15

General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 28, 2022, 09:41:30 AM »

Or in other words, he has had his dividend early....

Ke (Ken) Xu, Director, has given written assurances to S4A that Mr Lai has stated his intention that the loan will be repaid, at the end of 2022, in full, with interest owed and without a dividend being declared.

I consider that the letter of intent to S4A, regarding the repayment of the loan and interest owed, was made in good faith and I fully expect repayment no later than 31st December 2022

16

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE THREAD

« on: October 27, 2022, 08:40:16 PM »

BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal’s Pablo Mari ‘stabbed and seriously hurt’ in Milan: Player is one of six people wounded by knifeman in supermarket

17

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan - New Head Coach

« on: October 27, 2022, 05:39:04 PM »

Missed it, so thanks for the post Gaz 👍

18

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: October 27, 2022, 05:20:48 PM »

If fans avoid spending money in the ground or club shop, would probably mean staff job losses.

Your observation is valid and would cause a moral dilemma

19

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: October 27, 2022, 04:21:00 PM »

IF THEY TAKE OUR MONEY OUT OF THE CLUB THEN SO DO WE!

• Unsubscribe from ALL marketing emails

• Unfollow ALL WBA social media accounts

• Don't buy anything from the clubshop

• Don't buy food/drinks at the Hawthorns

• Abandon the fanzone

• Avoid spending money in the ground

• Delete WBA app from your phone

• Unfollow YouTube account

• Don't buy from club sponsors

Support the Team Not the Board!

20

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: October 27, 2022, 02:03:48 PM »

Action for Albion

Who are we?
Albion for Action are a fan group that was set up due to grave concerns about how our beloved
football club is being run.
 
What do we want to achieve?
Communication with the fanbase has been virtually non-existent and there are  growing concerns unding any and all activities  associated with the club to prevent our hard earned money from being used for any other purpose
than the progression of WBAFC,  which has been in freefall over the past two years. 

Why are we taking this step?
Whilst we understand fans want to take different action, Action for Albion firmly believe that the
greatest form of action against a business is to prevent them achieving their financial targets. In this
current era, money talks and we will now take action by preventing further money leaving the
pockets of

21

West Bromwich Albion FC / Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: October 27, 2022, 12:24:04 PM »

For anyone that might be interested, a new Twitter Account has been set up called:

"Action For Albion" @actionforalbion

Their objectives are to scrutinise the actions of the absent owners, they have recruited and have support from local Councillors.

A pressure group that can, hopefully, organise various protests (peaceful), raise awareness and hold the ownership to account at some level

22

General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 27, 2022, 11:59:53 AM »

Ron Gourlay: There is still time for a promotion push

Positive, optimistic, realistic?

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2022/10/27/ron-gourlay-there-is-still-time-for-a-promotion-push/

23

General Football & Sports / Re: FORMULA ONE THREAD

« on: October 26, 2022, 08:06:51 PM »

BREAKING: Sauber will compete as the Audi factory team from 2026, using an Audi power unit

#F1 @audisport

24

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE THREAD

« on: October 26, 2022, 06:29:52 PM »

EXCLUSIVE: Premier League TV coverage set to be TRANSFORMED with new real-time data system providing player speed, positioning and shot power... and the tech is coming in THIS season!

Getting more and more techie

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11356577/Premier-League-TV-coverage-set-TRANSFORMED-real-time-data.html

25

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan - New Head Coach

« on: October 26, 2022, 04:28:16 PM »

Confirmation has arrived that Carlos Corberan's Albion unveiling will take place tomorrow evening at 5pm. #wba