[alex1]

The national media are only interested in 6 or 7 clubs. I get sick to the back teeth about the endless discussions on Liverpool and Arsenal. They are only going to start taking more notice of Albion when they start taking points off one of their favourites, so Chelsea was a good start. They couldn't care less if we beat stoke. Even then, I tuned into listen to Hawksby and Jacobs on Talksport on Monday as Jacobs can't stop babbling about Chelsea even when they're talking about some completly different club. Would you believe it, he wasn't in on Monday!

[KnaveofAlbion]

This months fourfourtwo magazine has a section where each of the 92 league clubs name their best of worst "foreign" player. Each club then had a pic, of either the best or worst player, for example Fulham have Dempsey and next to it is a picture of Clint.

Albions best was voted as Richard Sneekes

the picture was of Jonas Olsson (to make it worse the picture is taken from this season)

[Standaman]

All national coverage is written in terms of the 6 or 7 top clubs. So when Albion beat Chelsea it is written from a "Chelsea lose" perspective and the comment is made in the context of what is currently happening at Chelsea. The bias is based on the perception that their audience is more interested in Chelsea than WBA. Whilst this might be regrettable it probably true , most casual followers of the game are probably more interested in Chelsea than us. Equally if you read the Birmingham Mail it knows its readership so it will write a report that goes along the lines "Baggies beat Chelsea".     

That said there is no excuse for sloppy and inaccurate journalism, but this is too often  the norm. Events that we witnessed on Saturday have only a passing semblance to what was reported in various tabloids. Simple solution don't  buy the useless rags and if you do remember if they can misreport a football match they can be equally inaccurate elsewhere, personally I would check the date at the top of the page and be really sceptical about every other word in most tabloids.

[rubyruby]

All national coverage is written in terms of the 6 or 7 top clubs. So when Albion beat Chelsea it is written from a "Chelsea lose" perspective and the comment is made in the context of what is currently happening at Chelsea. The bias is based on the perception that their audience is more interested in Chelsea than WBA. Whilst this might be regrettable it probably true , most casual followers of the game are probably more interested in Chelsea than us. Equally if you read the Birmingham Mail it knows its readership so it will write a report that goes along the lines "Baggies beat Chelsea".     

That said there is no excuse for sloppy and inaccurate journalism, but this is too often  the norm. Events that we witnessed on Saturday have only a passing semblance to what was reported in various tabloids. Simple solution don't  buy the useless rags and if you do remember if they can misreport a football match they can be equally inaccurate elsewhere, personally I would check the date at the top of the page and be really sceptical about every other word in most tabloids.

Agree totally regarding the red top national press. overall most of it is complete rubbish and a waste of 30p. however when it comes to the BBC and MOTD i personally think it scandalous the bias which they regularly portray to anyone outside the top 6. We all pay our TV licence (or should do) and therefore we should have a right to expect our club to be given a fair representation after all that is supposedly what the Beeb stand for! We all know that not to be the case and that like all broadcasters they are only interested in ratings so scrap the licence and bow to the advertisers! then we can all be happy. 

[Greenock Baggie]

Ask yourself when was the last time MOTD showed a match first that didnt include one of the top 6 as the main match.......................answer...............NEVER.

Even when it comes to the end of the season when 9 times out of ten the champions have already been crowned, a meaningless Man U or Chelsea game goes on first when EVERYONE knows the exciting matches are around the relegation zone which "usually" these days goes down to the wire !

[boinging_along]

Umm.  Wolves v Newcastle was first on a couple of weeks ago I think.

[mulliganstired]

According to the Observer today, Foster made a great save from Gareth McAuley near the end...

[Aixelsyd]

Ask yourself when was the last time MOTD showed a match first that didnt include one of the top 6 as the main match.......................answer...............NEVER.

Umm.  Wolves v Newcastle was first on a couple of weeks ago I think.

Newcastle are top six

[A5HB]

According to the Observer today, Foster made a great save from Gareth McAuley near the end...

aren't they referring to the cross McAuley deflected into the post which Foster looked to have possibly tipped onto the post?

[VVVAlbion]

According to the Observer today, Foster made a great save from Gareth McAuley near the end...

He did

[63Brummie]

I don't think we will ever be a 'fashionable' club to the media, I'd rather stay that way to be honest rather than having stories about us in the back pages all the time.

I'm glad we're not fashionable; the fact that the Baggies are considered a little weird and quirky suits me fine...
We are unique and will remain thus...
BOING BOING
Albion til I die

[Rich99]

The most honest report I have seen in the media is from AVB himself.

He said we were a better team on the day and gave an honest appraisal of Chelsea's performance.

A comment like that from a manager is hard for the media to ignore. Even if they want to!

To be honest, I think he knew very well he was for the chop the next day.

Had we beaten them, with Chelsea being top of the table, his job secure, I very much doubt he'd have been making the same sort of complimentary comments.

We did very well that day, no doubt, we were the better side that game, but he very clearly purposely overstated our performance.

[Rich99]

I think we got a fair bit of praise under RDM and look at Swansea now, all the plaudits they are getting.  Swansea are often talked about in the media and they are certainly no bigger club than us.

We're never going to get the coverage of the bigger clubs, but right now I just think we don't really stick out.  We're not particularly bad in any departments or excelling elsewhere.  In a way that's a good thing.

[Rich99]

Anyway, is the media geared/bias toward the bigger clubs?  Yes, I'd say quite clearly and no other club more so than Manchester United.

[alex1]

It can also work to Albion's advantage. We're always being underestimated by so-called big clubs, who sometimes go into matches thinking they only need to turn up. Living in the South, nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing the shocked looks from fans of so-called big clubs after Albion have taken points off them.

[the rainbow turn east]

Stan Collymore was bigging us up big time on Talksport the other day so fair play to him.

[wbastrollers]

Stan Collymore was bigging us up big time on Talksport the other day so fair play to him.

Well, thats a first, are you sure

[roach]

I believe it is a good situation that the media dont bother with us, we have some good players which are under the radar and this helps retain our players, an example this season would be Morrison he has been (in my opinion) in wonderful form if say he was playing for a so called top team he would of been under constant transfer speculation.
Yes I agree that it is bl**dy frustrating after watching us play well and win and buying papers searching on internet for comments on our good result/display.
But my gut feeling this only helps us continue to improve and surprise other teams and their fans

[Baggie50]

At the end of last season one of the broadsheets, Times or Telegraph can't remember which, had a centre-spread by Gary Lineker, entitled "Review of the Season". No club outside the top six got a mention at all. Nothing even about the last day relegation battle for example. So its not just us.

Like many of you have said, in a lot of ways I'm happiest when we're being ignored. I also like to check Lawro's predictions, and hope he predicts us to lose. Always feels as if we have more of a chance!

[dont ask me to choose luv]

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!  FIRST on MOTD2 tonight, finally the BBC realising what a big attraction we are 

[mank baggie]

just stop moaning about the the media because without a miracle it ain't going to change, if you want big spreads in the paper about your team, players,etc everyday go support man utd,chelsea or one of the other big teams.

[Hunnington Baggie]

I think I'll moan about what i want, thank you! 

[mank baggie]

I think I'll moan about what i want, thank you! 

probably got nowt better to do

[alex1]

Is it my imagination but when we are in the sole Prem match on MOTD, it is usually bad news for us. Like when we are on Sky we seem to get beaten.  And this evening we had 2 ex-Newcastle players on the panel to provide their unbiased views. 

[Norfolk Baggie]

Coming back to the Times, this morning there was a full double spread noting how awful we were and how Hodgson had blotted his copybook for the England Manager's job.  In truth we were pretty awful, but we certainly get more coverage when we play badly than when we play well...