[wodenson46]

Allardyce and this squad from August and we would be 'big' enough to stay there.

Ifs and buts = pots and pans. We are not there though are we? Although we might get back there, we will not stay there without a complete change of ethos and attitude both within and outside the club.

We were a big club, I know that at one time we were were one of the biggest clubs in this country because I was there -  Was a witness to it. Back in the 50's and 60's we were respected, and even feared. We were forward thinking - innovative, but all that went when the premier league came to town during one of our poorer spells that all clubs go through at one time or other. We missed out on the untold riches luckier clubs with nothing like our history and standing benefitted from.

It really hurts me to say it but we are now comparatively a smaller club than most in the premier league. We simply do not have the finances. Where are we going to get the £300 million or so required to get up and stay there long enough to develop. And at present if we had got it, who would you trust to know how to use it?

We would not get the benefits of a faulty bit of tech to give us the point needed to avoid relegation and so gain from another year of payments. We would be more likely to get sent down by any technology failure. just look at the history of var over the the last year. No we are a small club and bit of a joke at the moment and I stress at the moment . It will, I hope, change for the better sooner rather than later, surely it can change surely it has to change doesn't it?

[SmethDan]

I've read a few threads on Villa forums over the years. Every now and again someone comes out with a comment about Albion supporters being a weird bunch. Threads like this make me realise they've got a point.

When our own supporters don't think there's much point to us being in the top flight, it should come as no surprise to us should others feel there's little point to us being there either. Or even just being.

As coping mechanisms go being happy to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond seems like that of a primary school bully who's secretly scared of getting walloped in the playground at secondary school.

How depressing.

[gazberg]

Albion fans have always been a weird bunch since ive been going up regularly from 1991. I don't understand half of them which is sad to say.

[baggiejohn]

I've read a few threads on Villa forums over the years. Every now and again someone comes out with a comment about Albion supporters being a weird bunch. Threads like this make me realise they've got a point.

When our own supporters don't think there's much point to us being in the top flight, it should come as no surprise to us should others feel there's little point to us being there either. Or even just being.

As coping mechanisms go being happy to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond seems like that of a primary school bully who's secretly scared of getting walloped in the playground at secondary school.

How depressing.

You have an uncanny knack of being profound at exactly the right moment

[Atomic]

I've read a few threads on Villa forums over the years. Every now and again someone comes out with a comment about Albion supporters being a weird bunch. Threads like this make me realise they've got a point.

When our own supporters don't think there's much point to us being in the top flight, it should come as no surprise to us should others feel there's little point to us being there either. Or even just being.

As coping mechanisms go being happy to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond seems like that of a primary school bully who's secretly scared of getting walloped in the playground at secondary school.

How depressing.

Nothing weird about Villa fans though is there?

Cabbage throwing xxxxx.

[SmethDan]

Nothing weird about Villa fans though is there?

Cabbage throwing xxxxx.

Yeah, but you can bet they'd throw the BIGGEST cabbages they could find. Some of our supporters would probably settle for slinging sprouts, the smallest ones they could spare    .

[wodenson46]

Starts with the club then infects the support and is then transmitted to even the fanatics. Need a vaccine. Perhaps an injection of serious investment and a new football savvy board, ownership, scouting team, DoF and Head Coach. Would still be weird, if being weird is not being like vile support, but would also feel a lot less depressed and more optimistic.

[Atomic]

Starts with the club then infects the support and is then transmitted to even the fanatics. Need a vaccine. Perhaps an injection of serious investment and a new football savvy board, ownership, scouting team, DoF and Head Coach. Would still be weird, if being weird is not being like vile support, but would also feel a lot less depressed and more optimistic.

That is very true.

Albion are a big club but have shown no real ambition for thirty years. Its hardly surprising fans give up hope,  there's only so much anyone can take before they give up hope.

I agree with jacko and the like we should be PL force challenging for Europe and all that based on our history and all the rest of it but fans are powerless.

Nowadays I just enjoy game for game and want us to win every game. That's as far as it goes really because deep down I know we cant achieve what we have a right to expect to achieve in the current climate.

[tuamigos]

Yeah, but you can bet they'd throw the BIGGEST cabbages they could find. Some of our supporters would probably settle for slinging sprouts, the smallest ones they could spare    .

that's right, but there would be bolts in em

[SmethDan]

that's right, but there would be bolts in em

Luckily enough the smallest of sprouts could only hold the smallest of bolts. How very convenient  .

[gazberg]

Yeah, but you can bet they'd throw the BIGGEST cabbages they could find. Some of our supporters would probably settle for slinging sprouts, the smallest ones they could spare    .

  

They would rather just keep the sprouts in the bag. Just in case of something, anything

[SmethDan]

 

They would rather just keep the sprouts in the bag. Just in case of something, anything

And it wouldn't be for Christmas either, more likely the second coming  .

[wodenson46]

Yeah, but you can bet they'd throw the BIGGEST cabbages they could find. Some of our supporters would probably settle for slinging sprouts, the smallest ones they could spare    .

Ar but what if we ain't got any cabbages! We can only throw what we can find an if sprouts are all we've got then we will just have to throw harder and faster. Or we can drop back a bit and wait until we CAN find some cabbages.

To change or even mix up the metaphors a bit. It's a guerilla war we have to fight, we can't bring them to battle or storm their defences, we do not yet have the resources so it has to be attack, regroup and attack again. the problem is leadership and building up in the regrouping stage, especially if we lose our best attack troops. We need to keep these and supplement them, not exchange them for unknowns, hopefuls and worn out old war-horses.

[wbasoprano]

Yeah, but you can bet they'd throw the BIGGEST cabbages they could find. Some of our supporters would probably settle for slinging sprouts, the smallest ones they could spare    .

Hahaha exactly this

[Maresca Was A Baggie]

The problem is, that it's so far from a level playing field the only reason clubs of our size want to go up is to secure their future for a few years. Norwich spent virtually nothing, we wasted what money we had, but how are teams like us supposed to compete in this twisted league. In the 'Good Old Days' of the 70's there wasn't this huge gap between the top 6 and the remainder of the league. SKY and the Champions League have ruined our game, and made it Elitist. Lets be honest with ourselves, we will only make the numbers up in the Premier League.

[SmethDan]

Hahaha exactly this

Imagine a world where Oliver Twist staggers up to the top table, burps and then declares: 'No more for me kind Sir I'm feeling rather stuffed. Back onto the essence of coal dust goes I for the next year or possibly two. Cheers for offering all the same though'  .

[NJS]

...
One thing that’s annoyed me over the years is the disrespect we show towards domestic cup competitions.

I reckon we might find some of our identity again if we started taking the EFL cup and the FA cup more seriously.

Nice sentiment but whenever we achieve EPL status we are immediately fighting to retain it and this puts cup competitions on a lower priority.

[leeiswba]

Throughout our history we’ve only really had one awful spell which was 86 - 02 now for some reason it’s like our fan base judge us on those years and think that whatever happens we are lucky to be where we are because of those years.

Other clubs have had excellent times in history forest, Leeds, wolves etc all 3 of those have had worse times than those 16 years of ours recently yet you would never know it.

Those 3 clubs are still considered by themselves and others as big clubs due to their successful periods.

For some reason we forget how good our spells were in the 50s, 60s & late 70s and as stated judge ourselves against those 16 years, don’t get it.

We have spent many more years in the top flight than those 3 teams mentioned.

[Albionic]

I find getting slaughtered for being realistic bizarre

If you start from a position of reality you will not be so disappointed when that reality bites or indeed when it gives you a hug which is only transient.

[leeiswba]

I find getting slaughtered for being realistic bizarre

If you start from a position of reality you will not be so disappointed when that reality bites or indeed when it gives you a hug which is only transient.

I’m not having a pop and slaughtering you mate but unfortunately that attitude is a bit of the problem.

Teams who are considered big again like Wolves & Leeds etc come up and think about ‘how they are back’ and let’s aim to get back ‘where we belong’

We go up and think ‘let’s just try and enjoy it, don’t matter how we get on really at least when we go down we can win a few games in the championship’ etc.

[NJS]

If you're not striving to attain some goal then you find yourselves going backwards.  West Bromwich is a smallish town but The Albion covers more than the boundary of Sandwell. 
The first match my father took me to was vs Notts Forest, the manager Vic Buckingham(?).  We won 3-2.  The chap next to us had come up from Hereford to support us - some journey pre-M5.  In radar terms, if we lobe out to the west and the south west there's s potentially a big catchment there.

The EPL years have been characterised by employment opportunities and thus population shift to the South-East.  Maybe the government's levelling up agenda will bring industry and money back to the West Midlands.

Whatever, we need to reset our business model to an affordable one where we thoroughly exploit our academy, purchase promising talent and play football that attracts both spectators and players.

The throstle will sing again!

[Atomic]

If you're not striving to attain some goal then you find yourselves going backwards. 

That's nothing to do with fans though. We can wish all we like but we are powerless.

[seteefeet]

Throughout our history we’ve only really had one awful spell which was 86 - 02 now for some reason it’s like our fan base judge us on those years and think that whatever happens we are lucky to be where we are because of those years.

Other clubs have had excellent times in history forest, Leeds, wolves etc all 3 of those have had worse times than those 16 years of ours recently yet you would never know it.

Those 3 clubs are still considered by themselves and others as big clubs due to their successful periods.

For some reason we forget how good our spells were in the 50s, 60s & late 70s and as stated judge ourselves against those 16 years, don’t get it.

We have spent many more years in the top flight than those 3 teams mentioned.

Ok so let's turn this on it's head as, it seems, a lot of fans, myself included, are being called things like "smalltime", "shameful", "disrespectful of our history" for simply suggesting that we can enjoy life further down the leagues.

Well here's my story:

1st game 1978 and still the greatest team I have seen in our colours

1st European game 1978/79 Home only unfortunately, I was only a kid

1987 1st Season ticket and freedom to go home and away without dad. So those wilderness years were some of my most memorable, exciting wonderous times as a human being, let alone an Albion fan. It didn't matter that we were rubbish most of the time, or what league we were in, I went week in, week out, all over this wonderful country with some of the greatest, weirdest, funniest blokes I have ever met. Did I ever consider giving up or, god forbid, jumping ship? Not on your life.

The best home game I have ever attended also happened within those years against Swansea (no, not Liverpool or Man Utd.), just little old Swansea in the Play off semi of 1993.

My first trip to Wembley, yes you've guessed it Port Vale 1993. Best Baggies day ever.

I was on the pitch in 2002
and again for the Great Escape.

No-one can question my loyalty, commitment or respect for this fabulous club. In fact I would say it's the opposite, I think accepting whatever level we play at is more respectful than constantly criticising the club for not being where we "should be"

Throughout all of those years, the one thing I always had was hope. The Premier League has now managed to remove that. Regardless of our history or prestige, we simply cannot compete, for 1 reason and 1 reason only, and that is money. It doesn't matter where we think we should be, we are, at any point in time, exactly where we are and I think it far more disrespectful to slag of my club for something that is pretty much out of their control.

So for that reason, yes, I am happy to go down and play in a league were anyone really can beat anyone, where referees are not corrupt, where VAR cannot intervene, to placate the money men, and yes, where we win more games!
Ask my missus, daughter, the dog or the cat, I am happy when the Baggies win, so yes, I may be fickle but....

Roll on August

[leeiswba]

Ok so let's turn this on it's head as, it seems, a lot of fans, myself included, are being called things like "smalltime", "shameful", "disrespectful of our history" for simply suggesting that we can enjoy life further down the leagues.

Well here's my story:

1st game 1978 and still the greatest team I have seen in our colours

1st European game 1978/79 Home only unfortunately, I was only a kid

1987 1st Season ticket and freedom to go home and away without dad. So those wilderness years were some of my most memorable, exciting wonderous times as a human being, let alone an Albion fan. It didn't matter that we were rubbish most of the time, or what league we were in, I went week in, week out, all over this wonderful country with some of the greatest, weirdest, funniest blokes I have ever met. Did I ever consider giving up or, god forbid, jumping ship? Not on your life.

The best home game I have ever attended also happened within those years against Swansea (no, not Liverpool or Man Utd.), just little old Swansea in the Play off semi of 1993.

My first trip to Wembley, yes you've guessed it Port Vale 1993. Best Baggies day ever.

I was on the pitch in 2002
and again for the Great Escape.

No-one can question my loyalty, commitment or respect for this fabulous club. In fact I would say it's the opposite, I think accepting whatever level we play at is more respectful than constantly criticising the club for not being where we "should be"

Throughout all of those years, the one thing I always had was hope. The Premier League has now managed to remove that. Regardless of our history or prestige, we simply cannot compete, for 1 reason and 1 reason only, and that is money. It doesn't matter where we think we should be, we are, at any point in time, exactly where we are and I think it far more disrespectful to slag of my club for something that is pretty much out of their control.

So for that reason, yes, I am happy to go down and play in a league were anyone really can beat anyone, where referees are not corrupt, where VAR cannot intervene, to placate the money men, and yes, where we win more games!
Ask my missus, daughter, the dog or the cat, I am happy when the Baggies win, so yes, I may be fickle but....

Roll on August

I’d never question anyone’s loyalty or anything like that or state that people are disrespecting the club.

I mean to be honest it’s easy for me to say as my first season ticket was in 2000 when I was 8 so really a lot of people may say I have only seen decent times and didn’t have to suffer the 16 years I was referring to.

I’ve been guilty of it myself it was more really just saying how we give ourselves a bit of disservice considering we have only had really ever had 16 awful years in 140+ years.

It was more me wondering why we see ourselves as a small club when our history suggests otherwise yet other people see teams like the three I mentioned as being bigger when they have had great spells at times but overall are no where near us in terms of years spent in the top division

[seteefeet]

I’d never question anyone’s loyalty or anything like that or state that people are disrespecting the club.

I mean to be honest it’s easy for me to say as my first season ticket was in 2000 when I was 8 so really a lot of people may say I have only seen decent times and didn’t have to suffer the 16 years I was referring to.

I’ve been guilty of it myself it was more really just saying how we give ourselves a bit of disservice considering we have only had really ever had 16 awful years in 140+ years.

It was more me wondering why we see ourselves as a small club when our history suggests otherwise yet other people see teams like the three I mentioned as being bigger when they have had great spells at times but overall are no where near us in terms of years spent in the top division

Wasn't having a pop at you mate just used your post as it quoted that specific time period.

My point is that the club is the only constant for me and, as long as it exists and has an opponent each week, then I'll be ok.

I get the history and am incredibly proud of it, but the truth is, the Premier League has overwritten that, They rarely mention any achievements gained before 93. They've destroyed the FA Cup and have, and continue to, take away the competitive element of the league itself, certainly for the likes of us anyway. That's not me being small time, it infuriates me to the point of hating the greed league and everything it stands for. I therefore don't think it's doing my club a disservice to say I'm not fussed about being out of it.
We can blame Lai, Dowling, Ken, Bilic, Allardyce or Murray the groundman's cat but they simply can't spend money they don't have and, even if they did, ffp would find a way of preventing it, in order to maintain it's brand leaders.

I'm proud of the club for what it has achieved, despite the corruption, bias and unfairness, that it faces, and will go down with my head held high and flashing a defiant V sign.