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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit for next season

« on: March 20, 2024, 12:52:47 PM »

A quick google found an article (from June 2023) saying the Bham mail had said the Puma deal had an unknown end date, although we have been with them for around 6 years now so 2 x 3 years could mean it's due to expire - although given some previous comments from people in the know the new kits are usually proposed and signed off way before now - I've got in my head that December was mentioned previously.

Also curious in the article I found was this comment :
"Looking at what other manufacturers have done with striped kits, examples include Macron’s ‘scribble stripes’ at Crystal Palace, and the clean and classic black and white stripes provided for Newcastle by Castore ahead of the new season."

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Random signings of the last 10-15 years

« on: January 18, 2024, 12:13:07 PM »

Thievy Bifouma - scored 36 seconds into his debut and that was about it

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: TV Games

« on: December 18, 2023, 02:23:45 PM »

Albion V Blues in February NOT selected by TV. Hallelujah.

That'll be moved by the police 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Kyle Bartley

« on: August 23, 2023, 01:08:41 PM »

It is classed as a compromise agreement and is commonplace in commerce and industry with senior personnel. An agreed figure is paid as a lump sum, and the employee (player) signs to confirm acceptance. It will be significantly less than he would get if he remained at the club. The net result is a financial saving, but of course, one less player in the squad.

Yep, the idea is he says I can only get £x per week if I go elsewhere but I'm on £y here so we stump up the difference - a bit like a loan deal where we pay a percentage of the wages and the parent club pays some.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Griffiths

« on: August 09, 2023, 11:53:26 AM »

By playing him last night we've cup tied him 
So that'll be used to justify a lower fee no doubt 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: David Button

« on: July 21, 2023, 01:22:20 PM »

Off somewhere you'd think as he's not in the Keeper kit launch pic, although there are 3 tops so you could have had all of them (Palmer, Griffiths & Button) modelling one each

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit for next season

« on: July 10, 2023, 03:52:28 PM »

Sorry, I meant small compared to last season's shirt.

Even trying to save money on the amount of material used in the shirts now 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit for next season

« on: July 03, 2023, 02:13:26 PM »

The more I look at the red/blue one with the way the stripes are shown, I think the pattern could be adopted on the home shirt as well.
So the darker stripes would be the blue and the lighter the white................
and presumably as we have blue away shorts and socks that points to white shorts and socks for the home kit

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit for next season

« on: July 03, 2023, 11:18:18 AM »

I also think the  blue shorts/socks will be interchangeable - as there is blue in the lime one so if there is a issue with any opponents kit distinction they'll go lime shirt blue shorts etc

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mark Miles new CEO

« on: June 08, 2023, 03:43:47 PM »

He does no doubt want rid, but if the other 'owners' in the picture want to see their money he could be stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wants to get rid, but is responsible to them to get as much as possible......

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: February 08, 2023, 12:16:20 PM »

The cynic in me also thinks we've done this with one eye on him being poached and at least we get a decent wedge of compensation

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: The Director of Football debate

« on: October 14, 2022, 12:47:00 PM »

Experience as a DoF isn't always a guarantee you'll do a good job.
Dan Ashworth did an interview with the E&S Baggies podcast earlier in the summer where he says Jeremy Peace offered him the job from the Academy and he didn't really have any experience as a DoF (although he did have experience at Cambridge as head of their Centre of Excellence).

Appreciate the Scharner doesn't really have any football 'admin' job experience of note - but maybe that's how we succeed, by appointing someone with the right drive to want to do well rather than the CV to prove they've done it before?

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA Next Manager/Head Coach Thread

« on: October 13, 2022, 01:17:31 PM »

One of the other things we're not party to is what the 'behind the scenes' view of the club is. Players, managers etc will have a view on the state of our club, which may be based on conversations with people within the club or those that have dealt with us, agents and the like.
And whilst we believe we are an attractive proposition for some managers to better themselves, they may view us as a car crash which could ruin their career.
Certainly from what we know I currently question why anyone would want this job - no money but massive expectation on whoever comes in

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General Football & Sports / Re: Steve Bruce - Manager

« on: October 06, 2022, 10:40:26 AM »

The only reason I was behind keeping SB in the summer was that at least he had a plan regarding getting rid of some of the deadwood - any new manager coming in would have given everyone a clean slate and maybe 'let off' some of the players who they had earmarked as needing to go.
Now of course you can argue that some of the players that have gone should have stayed and vice versa but clearly a complete reset for everyone would have hampered us bringing in some of the players we have such as Swift & Wallace (as I think those are really only players we genuinely wanted)

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General Football & Sports / Re: Ron Gourlay - CEO

« on: October 05, 2022, 11:45:20 AM »

I wonder how much of the current state of the 'football board' and the lack of action to rectify things managerially all come back to one BIG issue - no money.
Can't afford the big salaries that directors would command and can't afford to pay off Bruce and his team so are sleepwalking toward the next break point in his contract

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Mowatt

« on: August 09, 2022, 01:52:56 PM »

Maybe he's seen as back up for Swift?
Injury or suspension to him would lave us scrabbling for some to fill that role - and given Mowatt's previous exploits in goalscoring I could see him as that 'arriving on the edge of the box' player that seems to be part of our makeup now

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New strip

« on: July 26, 2022, 12:33:11 PM »

GK kits released - https://shop.wba.co.uk/replica/goalkeeper/
Wolves Orange  or 'Grape'

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New strip

« on: July 05, 2022, 10:25:30 AM »

To be fair, Stoke are offering theirs without the sponsor. Slightly different though because they're owned by the same people as their sponsor.

Although they are owned/sponsored by a betting company, there aren't too many rules around this at the moment (apart from not being on kids shirts IIRC) this is the likely next big target for legislation to prevent gambling firms sponsoring football clubs shirts. I think they're trying to offer the option to appease the rule makers.
Same happened with alcohol a few years back and in Formula 1 with tobacco sponsors which are both now banned.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New strip

« on: June 22, 2022, 09:20:51 AM »

They usually reveal the away top first - as with the changing colours etc they sell more.
Home is always some form of blue and white so that usually leads to more people  saying it's the same as xyz year top

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Fixtures 2022/23

« on: June 20, 2022, 12:06:54 PM »

I'm sure I read in Brummie Mail that we're likely to be away due to Commonwealth games, anyone know if this is true or just guesswork?

I recall seeing something whereby the police had asked for all the local sides to be drawn away due to conflicts with the Commonwealth Games

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: How many STH are renewing?

« on: May 06, 2022, 01:22:51 PM »

Confused with the cheaper tickets for 20-25 age bracket… have a job but no mortgage or big bills to pay for … £130 saving on an adult price? Seems bizarre

Not really - I'd say our supporter/season ticket holder profile is heavily weighted towards older people - this is obviously something they're trying to address by making it more attractive for families to bring their kids and for younger adults with disposable income to get them into the ground.

And presumably this is just the renewal price at the moment - so this 20-25 age bracket are the more likely to walk away as they're not as 'dyed in the wool' supporters - this is of course a generalisation which is what most of these kind of decisions are based on

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Fanzone is back

« on: May 05, 2022, 01:15:54 PM »

Yes, cost saving was given as the reason.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Steve Bruce - Manager

« on: April 27, 2022, 12:09:32 PM »

Bruce does own property in Birmingham, or at least used to as my mate did some work at a flat he owned but was used by players - think it was when he was at Blues.
Not that he probably uses it himself

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General Football & Sports / Re: Steve Bruce - Manager

« on: April 26, 2022, 04:15:51 PM »

Unless I've missed something (perfectly possible) there hasn't yet been any official announcement that SB is staying on next season. Yet Bruce himself is openly talking about re-shaping the squad, pre season etc so has presumably been given the green flag. Why the official silence though?

One of the several podcasts I listen to mentioned this (apologies can't recall which) but as Bruce was appointed on an 18 month deal him 'staying' isn't actually news as he's contracted for another 12 months. The only announcement that would need to be made is that was he wasn't staying.
I'm sure in one of his interviews he says he spoken to the people above him at the club and they were pressing ahead with plans for next season/pre-season etc

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: This “rebuild”

« on: April 26, 2022, 08:51:40 AM »

I took a video of a wall I painted drying, often watch that during games recently........................