[baggiebof]

There is an article in the Telegraph today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/11/08/modern-heroes-has-done-club-last-20-years/ which lists each clubs hero over the last 20 years. For us, they have listed Kevin Phillips:

"For obvious reasons it can’t be Lee Hughes and the exemplary ‘Super Bob’ Taylor falls just outside this arbitrary time frame so it has to be Kevin Phillips who scored 46 goals over two seasons, firing the Baggies to the play-off final in 2007 and then promotion in 2008.

The monotonous caution and conservatism of the Roy Hodgson and Tony Pulis regimes ignore one crucial thing. Safety and certainty, shunning risk and reward, anaesthetises the soul.

But goals make the people happy and for two years Phillips made the Baggies boing once more"

For me, no way is it Super Kev. I would look at Sir Gary Megson, Jeremy Peace and could maybe agree with a Dan Ashworth, Clem, Brunty or Mozza.

Who do you think has done the most for our club in the last 20 years?

[Jordie1471]

If it has to be a player I would put forward the controversial suggestion of Odemwingie.

After years of yo-yoing, in the first year back in the premiership (2010-2011 season) he came in and scored 15 goals in 32 games.

Without his goals we probably would have gone straight back down again. Instead we stayed up comfortably in 11th and gave ourselves a big financial boost into becoming an established premiership club.

[FallOutBoy]

Gary Megson transformed the club on the pitch, from nearly dropping into league 1 to winning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Roy Hodgson took a side which seemed content to yo-yo, and established it as a mid-table premier league team.

Jeremy Peace changed the face of the club off the pitch, building on the work of Paul Thompson to change the way the club was run.

Dan Ashworth established the scouting and transfer methods which consistently improved the playing side (although with a few duds).

Chris Brunt has nearly done ten years at the club, creating and scoring a number of goals during the time, and even (contentiously) captaining us for several years.

Odemwingie scored the goals that kept us up. Super Bob scored the goals that kept us up, then got us up. As good as Phillips was (and he's one of my Albion heroes), there are more worthy nominations.

[TheBrom]

I'd echo Odemwingie, scored big goals in the big league. possibly Jonas too, was core in both the Championship and premier league and will always be 'hero' of mine for us over the past 20 years.

[Fritzl Palace]

That it an awful article from our perspective. They say 20 years and ignore the fact that super Bob was back with us from 2000-2003. Whoever Rob Bagchi is, he clearly knows nothing about us if he feels Kevin Phillips, who I loved, has done the most for us over the past 20 years.

[Albionic]

Has to be JP

[Nathan]

Paul Thompson for me. Saved the club from potential oblivion and a lovely bloke too.

[Atomic]

Thompson / Megson without question. Without them I dread to think where we'd be now. We were dying.

[leeiswba]

Jeremy Peace and Megson for me

[baggiebof]

That it an awful article from our perspective. They say 20 years and ignore the fact that super Bob was back with us from 2000-2003. Whoever Rob Bagchi is, he clearly knows nothing about us if he feels Kevin Phillips, who I loved, has done the most for us over the past 20 years.

I thought the same, really poor, i'd love to know who else he even considered and how he came to his decision.

[wolverhampton baggie]

JP...player wise Odemwingie..manager TP

[TheJacko2000]

St Peter Odemwingie 👌

[Albionic]

i could make an argument for Sneekes, he finished his first season with ten goals from thirteen games,  almost single handedly saving us from relegation in what was a pivotal season (96-97) and he ws here until 2001 I think so on that basis qualifies for consideration.

and he's a top bloke as well !

[DutchBaggies]

For me, Paul Thompson.   He was the catalyst for anything that occured thereafter. 
He took over when we were losing near 100k a week, and we were heading toward oblivion.  He restructured, sacked Brian Little, brought in Megson, and got us back on an even keel.  He then reorganised ticket prices, especially for kids, and helped put a bit of pride back our club.

[Raymond John]

Paul Thompson for me too.   In addition to the above he had the vision to redevelop the East Stand despite the club's then precarious finances.    He always claimed he had no desire to make a financial killing out of the club being only interested in proving to himself he could run and develop a top level football club.

I often wonder where the club would be and its standing in the football world had he remained chairman.   Unfortunately he was not a politically conscious person.       

[ronnie_allen]

Probably go for Megson; with honourable mentions for Thompson and Peace.
Phillips; wouldn't have much a bad word said against him (unlike the above trio) but seemed a strange choice. Lukaku may have been just as valid a choice for his one season bringing us to eighth.

On rest of list; some strange selections; especially Neil Warnock (old Colin) being selected as Cardiff's hero. Think he was only entry twice on list but could understand his Sheffield United entry; which half of his entry seeming to be about the Battle of the Bramall Lane. Nice to see Sean Gregan get a mention for Preston North End

[Atomic]

Paul Thompson for me too.   In addition to the above he had the vision to redevelop the East Stand despite the club's then precarious finances.    He always claimed he had no desire to make a financial killing out of the club being only interested in proving to himself he could run and develop a top level football club.

I often wonder where the club would be and its standing in the football world had he remained chairman.   Unfortunately he was not a politically conscious person.     

Top post.

Thompson was the one person with any ambition. Had he remained chairman for a decent period of time I'm sure the Halfords Lane stand would've been redeveloped, we would've had a capacity of more than 30,000, more bums on seats, more interest, more merchandise sales and a lot less of the "Little old Albion" attitude that we ourselves have created and everyone else in the country has now bought into.

Thompson redeveloped the East Stand despite the club having very little money AND he achieved relative success on the field.

Despite what a number of people say it doesn't have to be one or the other. His attitude is what we are crying out for at the Albion.

[caravanc58]

Paul Thompson did a fantastic job in the short time he was chairman but we shot ourselves in the foot or rather Megson rocked the boat at a time the club was stable and full of confidence, pity Thompson didn't stay longer but the article below explains why this couldn't happen.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-special-feature-why-did-paul-183880

[VANDERLEI]

Odemwingie for me. I'd also have to give a shout out to Yacob as for me, he has been consistently our best player season after season since we signed him.

[kc56wba]

In the short time he was here Paul Thompson did a lot. But JP put the club in a strong financial position so he gets my vote.

[Albionic]

In the short time he was here Paul Thompson did a lot. But JP put the club in a strong financial position so he gets my vote.

JP steered us through some very turbulent times and we didn't sink like so many of our peers. 

[divinewind]

Richard Sneekes and then Gary Megson, both helped keep us up after arriving. Unfortunately Sneekes was gone soon after Gary arrived.

[chipperclark]

Paul Thompson for me. Saved the club from potential oblivion and a lovely bloke too.

Paul Thompson was a gentleman. It was about 15 years ago he came out to Australia. The ozzbaggies were having a get together in Sydney over a meal and a few bevvies. Paul came along and spoke to all of us and had a laugh,beers and reminiscing...he came across as a real genuine bloke.
At the time our left midfield was a bit "weak" and I asked Paul if we could get Ryan Giggs...he laughed out loud and said he would love to have him in the team but we didn't have the funds to get that calibre of player and would have to find a "gem,"shortly after, we signed a bloke called Gera.....say no more

[WorcsWBA]

Some people are bitter and twisted about how he left the club and can't see beyond that, but Tony Mowbray achieved 2 Wembley appearances and our first championship title since 1920, all this being with what was a pretty poor squad overall.

People regularly criticise Mowbray's relegation season, seemingly forgetting that Megson took us down in 2002-03 with 6 points fewer - we were 18 points from safety that season. Although we came straight back up again, Megson's record at the time he was sacked in October 2004 was W1 D5 L4 and we'd also been knocked out of the League Cup over 2 legs by Colchester.

[Dexy]

Some people are bitter and twisted about how he left the club and can't see beyond that, but Tony Mowbray achieved 2 Wembley appearances and our first championship title since 1920, all this being with what was a pretty poor squad overall.

People regularly criticise Mowbray's relegation season, seemingly forgetting that Megson took us down in 2002-03 with 6 points fewer - we were 18 points from safety that season. Although we came straight back up again, Megson's record at the time he was sacked in October 2004 was W1 D5 L4 and we'd also been knocked out of the League Cup over 2 legs by Colchester.

Any squad at that level with Greening , Phillips , Gera and even Robbo should be half decent  in all honesty.
It was a brief but good time but overall in his time with us and later on at Celtic his sides couldn't stop conceding really poor goals. I felt he got found out at the top level , refusing to address the soft midfield was infuriating really.