‘I was of the feeling it was out of control I had the opinion it was out of control’        Bono. 1979 . We’ve all been in situations where control is compromised.. And often you are in the middle of it, realizing what is going on, but immune from activating the change needed.. I was a teacher for 35 years, and still look back to some of my early days and grimace.. You are there, but you are not there.. Looking back, it can be down to bad appointments, lack of planning, or le

For Eric Ramsay, the realization of a possible long term career as a professional footballer would only actually be a pipe dream.. Always the realist, even in his mid teens it seems coaching would be the vocation Ramsey could succeed at, although being a huge proponent of Futsal and a talented midfielder at Welsh National League level. But it was the inner voice. Informing. To truly make a mark at the highest level, Ramsay’s undoubted, natural intellect and tactical acumen w

You are said to born to lead. For some, it’s as natural as breathing. For others, it’s just not in their character, in their DNA. In other words… Do  Not  Appoint So it may well have proven for Ryan Mason, an ambitious appointment by the Bilkul Group, looking to hand their reins, long term, [and the obvious financial jeopardy of 'paying off' that contract, ‘if’, as the Mason scenario proved], with a recruitment failure. And not for the first time. Yesterday’s game against Lei

The centre forward position at the Albion has simply been revered over generations, a line of ascension only the very best of the best can claim to. From WG Richardson to Ronnie Allen, Jeff Astle to Derek Kevan, SuperBob Taylor to Cyrille Regis, swashbuckling strikers have been part of The Baggies DNA. And it’s a role we’ve been waiting to fill with a new hero for years.. Of course, there is no way a modest, softly spoken Norwegian could be anywhere near joining that pantheon

There appeared to be one wheel left on the Mason Wagon and the season was rolling along. 2-0 down at home to Swansea. A generous scoreline for the Baggies, who put the A in the word abject with a first half performance that may hopefully be the nadir of Mason’s stint at The Albion. Cometh the moment, cometh the man, and in any situation there is always a semblance of that key, defining word. Opportunity. That actual word knocked, starting with and possibly will be ultimately

When appointing Ryan Mason, one consideration that seemingly was a given was time. Patience after all, is always seemingly a virtue? Yet...

125 Years. Five generations of the Albion faithful. From flat claps to denim flares, the hopes and dreams of the WBA believers have...

‘I’ve got to work today, boss’ North Greenford United Reserves upcoming fixture away to Uxbridge Reserves, in 2014, left manager Barry...

13 is an impressionable age. Your heroes become more permanent, less fleeting. You develop more depth of reasoning that sometimes adds up...

1 to 1,000. The 137 year Baggies odyssey that started with a 6’ 4’ goalkeeper known affectionately as ‘Long Bob’, Albion’s first ever...

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...?" A new season and a new adventure is about to begin. And for me, a key word must be...

“I stuck my hand up” Life is all about opportunities and few sliding door moments can have more far reaching consequences when during a...

With WBA's spending budget heavily restricted due to the travails and errors of old regimes, the key to this season’s new signings is...

'And all the roads that lead you there were winding” For years you’ve moved, and for the most part, made a solid impression. But never a...

"Nothing’s going to faze me". At every playing level we enter a football match, anticipating a tough encounter, but not an encounter with...

One late winner.. One opportunity to throw the dice and turn a guaranteed single point into a golden three. And we had eighteen...

They say you should never return… Giles. Now add in Mowbray. You can clearly see how the third to the list all transpired? West Brom were...

They say you should never return. Giles. Now add in Mowbray. You can clearly see how the former in the list transpired? West Brom were in...

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going…’ William Ocean 1986. In reality, we’d never really been under too much pressure this...

‘If ever an international break for preparation is required, the March window will be the precursor for the most important five game...