[17GD]

21 years ago today was my first Albion game with my dad.

Luton Town at home, 1-1 draw, with Micky Melon scoring Albion's goal. We sat in the Rainbow stand, as it was called, and Albion wore the barcode kit.

One thing that sticks out in my memory is the awful bright orange kit Luton wore that day!

Do you have any vivid memories from your first Albion match?

Was it home or away? What was the score?

It would be interesting to hear some stories.

[smethwickw]

1984 v Norwich at home. 0-0 which was a bit disappointing. I remember Regis hitting the bar with a header. A young Chris Woods in goal for Norwich. He has an absolute stormer.

[WBASPE77]

Wimbledon at home 2001/2002 season. I remember we had most of the ball a lot of chances, they had a man sent off and they won it right at the end.

[kc56wba]

I always thought my first game was in 1966 against Man Utd, lost 4-3 at home and stood in the Woodman corner, but my cousin reminded me that in fact my first game was against DOS Utrecht in the Fairs Cup again in 1966 and we stood in the very old Brummie road.

[j2burnz]

Port vale at home in league cup about 93 ish. I'm sure we had Brett Angel plaing??

It was a diabolical 0-0 but I was mesmerised.

First win came some years later when fresh on the scene Enzo maresca came on and dived to win a last minute penalty in a pulsating match against palace .. 3-2 I think

[Droitwich Baggie]

A night match vs Wolves.
Was with a group of scouts up in the BRE.
Early 60's

[wbasoprano]

Shrewsbury at home 88/89 won 4-0. Stood at the front of the brummie and spent half the game looking back at the crowd, listening to the chanting.

[The Stroller]

Albion v Liverpool, 27 December 1971. Albion won 1-0. It was a big Christmas crowd, and the turnstile doors in the Brummie were closed. In fact, the only turnstiles still open were down at the end of the Halfords Lane stand, into the away end! The game had already started, too. My dad shoved me through the juniors entrance, and then went to the adults turnstile - only to find that it had been shut!!

Dad hammered on the door, but the turnstile operator told him to get lost, so he had to get a copper to tell the operator to open the door and let him in!! Meanwhile, 6 year old me was standing inside the Smethwick, wearing my Albion scarf and hat, surrounded by people with exotic accents!  I got bored of waiting, and like a moth I wondered towards the bright light shining onto the already-started match. I vividly remember seeing Steve Highway and Kevin Keegan standing literally 3 yards away, preparing to take a corner. The colours of the red Liverpool kit, Albion's lovely blue and white shirts and the green pitch looked AMAZING (our TV was black and white, so this was the first match "in colour" that I'd ever seen).

After about 15 minutes my Dad came and found me. There were loads of Scousers there. They were all fine with us. Probably took the mickey out of me in my scarf and hat, but I didn't twig any of it: I was in 7th heaven!

[TheJacko2000]

 November 89 (I think). Definitely a 1-1 draw with Hull City in the Old Division 2, Steve Parkin with our goal. My second game? A 7-0 win over Barnsley with a Donno hat-trick. Hooked.

[Brummie Road]

My first ever Albion match was the home game against Leicester in October 1971.

I can still recall, as a very young lad, being decked out in my Albion scarf and heading up to The Hawthorns, walking up Halfords Lane from my Grandparents house just off Smethwick High Street, having hardly slept the night before with the excitement of it all.

As this was my first match, my Dad treated us to seat tickets in the old Halfords Lane stand, right in the corner of the stand where it joined with the BRE, and although Albion lost 1-0 I wasn’t in the slightest bit bothered about the result and was just happy to be there and have been totally hooked ever since.

One thing I do remember very well during the early to mid 1970’s, before I started going independently with my school mates and other family members, is my Dad, Uncle and Grandad always trying to get me into the stadium without having to pay the full entrance fee, which they considered very expensive (it was probably around 20p) and they were forever offering to buy the turnstile operators “a drink” to get me in at a reduced cost, and while it didn’t work very often, when successful it was a matter of crawling under the turnstiles.

At the time loads of adults bringing kids along seemed to be trying this to save money, and I’ve always said to Albion supporters into their football history, never rely on the accuracy of attendance statistics during that era.

[wbarenno]

Leicester at home 93-94 season. We lost 2-1 with Iwan bloody Roberts scoring the winner!

[kris_boing]

Everton 1-1 FA Cup January 1989.


Remember you couldn't move in the Brummie.  I was rammed up against the left hand side trying to clamber up something to see anything before the half way line.  Remember Colin Zico Anderson scoring a header at that Smethwick End.


Kevin Sheedy scoring a penalty at the Brummie.  Seem to recall it was a big decision and the Brummie went mad.  Cant recall why as I couldn't see what the hell was going on in our half.


I remember how well we played against a really good team back them.  Everton had won the League a couple of years before.  I was hooked from that moment.

[baggieman0]

I'm claiming two first games!

My very first game was against Leicester in November 1980, happily we won this one 3 - 1 if my old memory serves me right the scorers were Bomber, Big Cyrille and I was thinking Bryan Robson, but hadn't he gone north by then? I was taken by my brother and we sat in the Paddock somewhere by the halfway line. being a sensitive seven year old back then the threat of hooligans and violence put me right off! and i only went to one or two more games over the next 10 years or so. But.......

I then decided that I was missing out on something during Ossie's promotion season, so towards the end of that season I decided to try it again, my second "first" game was a 3-0 against Brighton, if anyone remembers it was Andy Hunt's debut, he was getting dogs abuse from the crowd round me but then he went from zero to hero by scoring a second half hat-trick, I think it may have been in front of the Smethwick, will have to dig the video out to check!

Anyway, since the following season I've had a season ticket, so I've seen from almost rock bottom through to as good as it can get, but I still say Swansea in the play-off was as good a match experience as I'll ever have, I wonder if anyone has that as their first game?

[jsam]

April 1962 against Blackpool - Stanley Matthews and all. I was nine years old and went with my mate from Claypit Lane, Terry Neill.

I too remember the colours and the vivid green grass.

The score? 7-1 to the Baggies, with I think Ronnie Allen scoring four and Derek Kevan netting three - but that could be a young lad romanticising.

I suppose I thought ever game would be like that, and I was hooked.

Shame it never quite turned out way.   

[bournemouth baggie]

1-1 against Palace in March 1972. Ally Brown's debut and he scored our goal. 90p to sit in the Rainbow and 5p for a programme. Can't remember how much a pie was though.

[baggie82]

1992/93 Stoke at home, they beat us 2-1 to overtake us at the top of what is now legue 1. A December night match. In the family stand with my dad. Walked past a bloodied and unconscious stoke fan on the floor (wearing a stoke top) with a police horse watching over! I Taylor scored for us, big crowd as we'll; over 29k

[wardy65]

Leeds at home, on a Wednesday night in 1975, & I think it was September.
I remember we sat near the front of the Halfords Lane stand & they weren't actual seats then they were benches, which seated about 4 people.
I absolutely loved it. As we entered the stadium & I got my first glimpse of that dewy Hawthorns turf, glistening under the huge Baggies floodlights, I was sold ... this is where I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoons!
The Baggies won 3-1 & I think the thing that really struck me other than the above mentioned, beautiful, lush green pitch, was what a head of hair the Leeds midfielder Terry Yorath had, as he warmed up just in front of us, in that all yellow strip of theirs with the blue & white stripes down the edge of their sleeves & shorts.
Such a memorable day, I think I had to have the smile surgically removed from my face!

[Baggie50]

Albion v Liverpool, 27 December 1971. Albion won 1-0. It was a big Christmas crowd, and the turnstile doors in the Brummie were closed. In fact, the only turnstiles still open were down at the end of the Halfords Lane stand, into the away end! The game had already started, too. My dad shoved me through the juniors entrance, and then went to the adults turnstile - only to find that it had been shut!!

Dad hammered on the door, but the turnstile operator told him to get lost, so he had to get a copper to tell the operator to open the door and let him in!! Meanwhile, 6 year old me was standing inside the Smethwick, wearing my Albion scarf and hat, surrounded by people with exotic accents!  I got bored of waiting, and like a moth I wondered towards the bright light shining onto the already-started match. I vividly remember seeing Steve Highway and Kevin Keegan standing literally 3 yards away, preparing to take a corner. The colours of the red Liverpool kit, Albion's lovely blue and white shirts and the green pitch looked AMAZING (our TV was black and white, so this was the first match "in colour" that I'd ever seen).

After about 15 minutes my Dad came and found me. There were loads of Scousers there. They were all fine with us. Probably took the mickey out of me in my scarf and hat, but I didn't twig any of it: I was in 7th heaven!

This was my first game too. Bottom of the table at the time, I think we'd only won one home game all season up to that point. Tony Brown scored after 5 minutes. Did you get to see the goal?

[Gilsey 56]

1964 Stoke at home ,i was in the Smethwick end with my 2 uncle and got in between their legs and crawled through the turnstiles.
We won 1-0 and i was forever a Baggie.

[halifax_baggie]

13th March 1954 FA Cup, round 6 v Spurs. We won 3- 0 over 51,000 spectators there. I don't remember much about the game, but I was lifted over supporters heads to the front so I could see. Both sets of supporters mixed together, no trouble Spurs supporters shaking hands with Baggies supporters after the match and wishing us the best for the next round.

We won the FA cup that year 

[Ska-dForLife-WBA]

The score? 7-1 to the Baggies, with I think Ronnie Allen scoring four and Derek Kevan netting three - but that could be a young lad romanticising.

You're nearly right; Kevan got four, Lovatt, Robson and Howe got one each.  Ronnie Allen had actually been sold to Crystal Palace for four and a half grand the previous May.

[17GD]

Some great stories, thanks for sharing.

Keep them coming.

[tommcneill]

My first game I don't remember vividly as i was 4 years old and it was an FA Cup SF in 82...

Didn't go too much after that that I remember

However I remember going up in the 88-89 season beating Stoke 6-0 and I've remembered everything since.. in the BRE, dead centre and half way up behind one of the barriers was where i liked to be

Walking up from underneath the terracing for the first time and the ground seemed huge to me along with the chanting got me hooked (which once I learnt the words I joined in loud and proud)

Been in love since

[bedfordbaggie]

December 75
Southampton Lost 2-0
Still went back ............
Sit Brummie Road at the back

[Millsey61]

Mine was against Ipswich in 1969, sat in the old halfords lane, a midweek game, I remember getting lifted over the turnstiles to get in. We were 2-0 down at half time, Mick Mills hit a screamer, but came storming back second half with goals from The King (with a diving header) and Bomber to draw 2-2. I joined in with all the chants from the Brummie road much to the amusement of all around me