ALBION or Wolves.

There will be only one winner this Sunday.

It will be masterminded by Baggies fan Kieren Caldwell and assisted by a group of 50-or-so football supporters - from both sides of the A41 divide -and aided by at least six ex-footballers.

You might hear or see it referred to as the March To Molineux.

Kieren and friends will be marching from The Hawthorns to Molineux on the morning of this Sunday's 1.30pm kick-off.

Ceremoniously collecting the matchball from the centre circle, at 8.30am, the walkers will be joined by ex-heroes of both clubs, notably Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson, Mel Eves, Ian Hamilton and Derek Monaghan.

On a serious note, there is good reason for this 10.5-mile trek.

Kieren is raising money for Acorns Children's Hospice.

His daughter Emma was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 13-months old.

The nature of the tumour has necessitated 18 months of chemotherapy and at least five operations.

Emma is now three-years-old and making progress.

Kieren now hopes the occasion of a local derby will bring fans together to help raise funds.

"This is a unique event and for a great cause," said Kieren.

"Acorns provide vital care for kids with life threatening or life limiting illnesses but also offer parents' respite care.

"When something like this hits you, you're running around, trying to do this, that, and rushing all over the place.

"Everything else takes a back seat. But Acorns looked after Emma on an occasional basis to give us some normality in our lives.

"We wanted to put something back and this is a great chance - a big derby game, it's good to do something positive than can unite both sets of fans."

The walkers will also be joined by Ian Marrey, whose son Jude has also received care from Acorns.

So if you do see the fans marching from B71 to WV1 then please give them your backing and support.

And let's hope their limbs aren't aching too much by the time they reach Molineux - not least as they have the matchball...

Anyone wishing to join: walkforacorns@gmail.com

To make a donation: www.justgiving.com/walkforacorns.

For more information on Acorns: http://www.acorns.org.uk/

HAPPY New Year. And so it should be.

For Albion, 2012 could be one of the best 12 months of their modern history.

But, let's face it, this one has not been bad either.

A highest top flight finish for some three decades, the appointment of Roy Hodgson, victories over Wolves and Villa (twice). If it isn't remembered fondly now, then it will one day.

But what next?

This coming year Albion can move onto new levels.

And the first stage of that must begin from Sunday - not the visit of Everton, more the opening of the transfer window.

I, like others, was critical of the club's decision to allow certain fringe players to leave during the summer.

I felt it left Albion vulnerable once injuries kicked in. But the cynics like myself have been proven wrong. So far, at least.

Billy Jones and Gareth McAuley have been inspired finds based on what we've seen - a nod to Dan Ashworth's excellent and diligent scouting network.

Ben Foster and Shane Long have improved the team - Zoltan Gera would have too. Craig Dawson definitely will.

And has anyone seen Owen Hargreaves since he smashed one in against Blues in a Carling Cup game? No loss there.

Recent games have seen the Roy Hodgson stamp. Organisation, shape, defensive drills.

Players may not always be inspired by repetition, re-visiting the same old scene but it's working. Let's face it, there are worse ways to earn your money.

I challenge anyone to pick out a more disciplined performance this season than Albion's against Manchester City. Even Alan Shearer was moved to comment.

And what Hodgson didn't do throughout the year is neglect the materials left by Roberto Di Matteo. He simply took a cloth and a tin of Brasso to certain bits.

Yet 2012 is pivotal for different reasons.

In the coming weeks, Albion can put down a marker for their immediate future.

Football's New Year sales are a notoriously difficult market place. Prices go up, Jim White's make-up starts to run down his face and the chairmen of certain clubs terrified of losing their Charlie Adams tend to drop their phones into their bath before unplugging the fax machines. The word 'understands' becomes a password used in a vain attempt to validate any given gossip from an agent (the old password was 'Willie Mckay', by the way - case sensitive where appropriate)

The Baggies traditionally top up with low-fee signings, free-transfers and loan deals.

Their last signing for cash during a January was Nigel Quashie in 2006 - and don't we remember that fondly? - though they were close with Victor Moses in 2010.

Yet with a little calculated and measured investment, Albion could still recruit wisely. The recent run of good form shouldn't mask the fact that Albion are still a little shy in certain areas.

This period is crucial to all at B71.

Villa's decline over the last two years and Wolves' slow progress presents a wonderful opportunity for Albion to establish themselves as the leading light in the West Midlands.

This, by the way, shouldn't be deemed merely as a cosmetic gesture to wind up your friends down the pub.

There are huge potential commercial spin-offs from being the region's top-placed club. We live in difficult times. Austerity and gloom continues to choke us all. At a time where Albion are considering the feasibility of stand redevelopment, the potential to bring in more supporters on lower priced tickets is considerable. The areas along the Midland Metro route have seen a rise in Eastern European immigrants - indeed some have already tapped into their new 'local' club judging by some of the barstool language I heard from a group of middle-aged Poles after a recent Baggies match. All were decked out in club merchandise of some sort. It's four more supporters than Albion had before 2004. And there could be more out there, waiting to decide where their allegiance should lie.

But, most importantly of all, and this is what it's really about, that extra little push in January might just be enough to convince Roy Hodgson that Albion is a project worth sticking with - not least as he enters the final few months of his current contract. That would surely be the best outcome for all.

Happy New Year to you all.

The outpouring of raw emotion was understandable.

Five games, three points.

Twitter, hashtag wba, was overcome on Saturday teatime.

The call for 451, 4231, 4411 - call it what you like - has prompted much nodding of the head in agreement.

But let's step back and consider the facts.

Did Albion look better playing the 4231 which served them so well last season? Undoubtedly, yes. Albion's strengths lie in midfield. They perform with a fluid-like cohesion when they play with a No10 sat behind a striker. It suits the defensive midfielders, it helps the wingers. It's a formation made for Graham Dorrans or a Somen Tchoyi to fill that attacking midfield role. (This season, when used, Tchoyi has occupied a territory further up the field).

All of this is true. Or, at least, it would be if we were to play football from a text book. In practice are we being a little too simplistic?

Did Albion really lose four of their first five games because of their formation, shape or system?

- The Manchester United defeat came from the failure to close down Ashley Young. Two unlucky deflections later and Albion have conceded a late own-goal.

- At Chelsea, was it the failure to play a five man midfield when Somen Tchoyi failed to reach, and convert, Shane Long's cross when Albion were 1-0 up? Not really. Nor was the formation to blame for James Morrison and Nicky Shorey allowing Nicolas Anelka to nip past them en route to Chelsea's winning goal.

- Again, versus Stoke, if Ben Foster claims the ball and isn't subjected to a high leg from Shotton, then Albion should pick up a decent point. No formation issues there. Was Ben Foster tested otherwise? Not really.

- Finally, versus Swansea? Would a five man midfield have made a huge amount of difference when the goals came as a result of a reckless challenge, dreadful marking and two players combining to get the better of Jonas Olsson and Nicky Shorey? Maybe a different formation would have changed the landscape of a game - the Baggies were certainly static and lacking sparkle. It was like watching Capello's England lumbering around the field in South Africa last summer. Hindsight will prompt endless discussion and debate, but given that eight/nine outfield Albion players turned out such awful individual performances then you'd have a compelling argument to argue that the system would have been irrelevant, either way.

When the fixtures came out in June, I made a somewhat downbeat prediction that Albion would struggle to gain more than 4-6 points from their first five matches. But for Ben Foster's error against Stoke, they could have four points. To play the two best sides of last season in the opening games, followed by a Stoke side who perennially overachieve against Albion and to conclude that batch of games with away trips to two of the promoted sides (still euphoric from last season) was a tough ask. There were no home bankers, no games against last season's mid-table fodder to ease them into their rhythm. Villa and Wolves - they had a decent set of matches to call upon. Albion, not so. On paper, this was probably Albion's hardest start to any Premier League season.

In any case, the questions over a four man/five midfield will continue, certainly until results improve. Roy Hodgson, who knows his players better than most, has generally preferred playing four men in midfield and two strikers - although he did recently admit that he was aware of Albion's strengths in the middle. Whether he continues with that system remains to be seen. They looked more convincing last season, no arguments there.

In the meantime, while Albion players continue to make fundamental individual errors (as against Man Utd, Chelsea, Stoke, Swansea) and produce flat performances (Norwich and, more so, Swansea), the tinkering of the team's shape will make minimal difference.

One thing is clear, Albion's poor form is down to just more than team shape.

Players, ultimately, decide games.

HE arrived on this very day 10 years ago.

Big Dave.

Like Bomber or Super Bob before him there is a certain exclusivity attached to the name when you're in or around the Hawthorns.

Full names, let alone surnames aren't necessary - you know exactly who I'm on about.

Whether or not he was Gary Megson's best-ever signing for the club is one to discuss over a pint. But surely nobody epitomises that Albion era better than Moore.

A warrior, a footballing and defensive giant.

On his arrival, Moore could have been excused for bringing along some symbolic scissors to perform the ceremonial unveiling of a team which was to eventually win promotion with such an emphatic finish to the season. Moore's signing meant that Megson's side was no longer 'under construction'.

A Baggies defence has seldom dovetailed as well since.

Moore marshalled a record-breaking defence which was to keep 27 clean sheets and thrust him into the PFA divisional team of the year.

Big Dave - his name taken from character in a Pot Noodle TV commercial at the time - made only 106 appearances for Albion. But it was the charm, grace and dignity he brought, and still brings, which makes him different to other players.

Albion fans will, of course, have their own Moore memory.

It might be the opening goal in the 2-0 promotion-clinching win over Crystal Palace or the manner in which Wolves' Shaun Newton was bounced out of a heated melee by Moore during a Black Country derby in November 2001.

There are others - a 45-yard consolation strike in a defeat at Rotherham, his remarkable restraint when baited by young Evertonian scamp Wayne Rooney (though I suspect he would get his own back in some form or shape), or the very fact that he was the first player to score an Albion winner in the top flight for 16 years.

Mine, personally, comes after he left. Moore showed class and used restraint before and, especially, after the 2007 Championship Play Off Final when, as a Derby player, he applauded Albion fans before the game and refused to indulge in any celebrations after the Rams' victory. While the white shirts around him danced, cheered and joined in festivities, Moore kept his thoughts low-key.

He revealed several months later in a Birmingham Mail interview that he was somewhat anguished by the occasion and had not enjoyed the build-up to that game. He had mixed feelings after the match.

On what should have been a special day for him, he was still thinking of others.

Typical.

Ten years have passed since he pitched up for £750,000 from Portsmouth.

These days, Moore is afforded iconic status by Albion. He's an Albion institution - he even has his own bar at The Hawthorns.

And then there is all of his charity and community work. He's an ambassador, not only for football, but for common decency.

His presence might be gracing Burton Albion these days, but his heart remains very much at another Albion, much closer to home.

You do have to wonder what Roy Hodgson is thinking this morning.

Albion yesterday took a gamble with their immediate future.

Three defenders out - one who can be recalled after 28 days - with no players arriving.

A few years ago Albion gambled too. They lost. Robert Earnshaw missed the team bus to Charlton because he had agreed a move to Norwich just three hours before the January window shut in 2006. Geoff Horsfield was waved off to Sheffield United a few weeks later. The two strikers were not replaced.

Yes, there were other reasons for the club's demise. But, in essence, those departures didn't help. Albion were struggling for goals at the time- it was a weakness.

Which makes it all the more bizarre that the Baggies should skim three members of their defence when the backline deficiencies are an issue.

James Hurst was understandable. He can return after 28 days should Albion want him.
Pablo Ibanez and Marek Cech less so. They're gone for good.

First-teamers, no, but they're able, willing members of a Premier League squad. They know the League. If Jonas Olsson or Nicky Shorey get injured who comes in?

The last time Olsson missed any length of time Albion were relegated. Last season he was within a second opinion away of missing three months of action. Again, his fitness was crucial.

Peter Odemwingie's goals or not - it would have been a close call between survival and relegation. Olsson is key to Albion's progress.
Alongside him Gabriel Tamas wasn't deemed good enough to be picked ahead of Abou Meite at the tail end of last season. Either Hodgson has had a major change of heart about the Romanian's attributes, or his elevation reflects the decline in standard of available players.

Perhaps the context needs twisting around. It's not so much what Albion are losing, but what they haven't gained.

Owen Hargreaves isn't a major problem. He wasn't a priority and Hodgson never gave the impression that he had completely bought into the idea.

It's the defence that remains a problem.

Albion sought two players last night. Nedum Onuoha had long been on the wishlist. The second was Chris Baird who only really came onto the front-line radar late on, when time was against the club.

Neither arrived. Both have been available all summer.

Albion have, in effect, weakened an already weakened area of the squad.

Let's not forget that Albion have kept two clean sheets in 41 League games.

And yet the club decide to decimate the defensive department.

Craig Dawson, Gareth McAuley and Billy Jones might be able competitors. But can Hodgson call on them for a sustained Premier League assault? Are they ready? Maybe. Let's hope so.

Hodgson was diplomatic about not necessarily wanting any more players last week, but his message lacked conviction.

The Albion boss wanted three specific players: Zoltan Gera, Shane Long and Ben Foster. Three ticks.

The Baggies have a midfield of steel, experience, invention and, in some cases, pace.

Their attack has been boosted by Long's arrival.

Ben Foster is a better goalkeeper than Scott Carson. Likewise Marton Fulop.

But the defence...

Dan Ashworth, an excellent member of the recruitment staff, does his best. But he remains an employee who is restricted.

The problem remains at the top. In summer 2005, Jeremy Peace handed just under £12million for Bryan Robson to spend. The players brought in were generally on low wages compared to this current squad. But the money was available. Robson simply invested badly. But the point is that Albion were no poorer financially then than they are now. They've gained prize money, even if they've also accumulated a bigger wage bill along the way.

There is no excuse for Albion to not flex a little to accommodate a player or two. Nobody was expecting them to shell out £22million as the Peter Coates-bankrolled Stoke did yesterday. But a loan player should not be beyond them surely?

This summer they signed one player for money - Long, £4million and counting - with the rest arriving on free transfers or loans. They have recouped in excess of £1.2million (with add-ons) for Ishmael Miller, Scott Carson (circa £2million), call it £1.5million for Marek Cech and Pablo Ibanez collectively (though it might be more). That's Long's transfer fee accounted for.

And then there's Borja Valero - about £4.5million if we're being conservative. And the prize money for finishing 11th in the Premier League. Then there's the cash from Sky and media partners - let's settle on £40million. They have also removed the wages of two international defenders overnight.

Wages need to paid, the stadium has been improved and yes the training ground is getting bigger. All good.

But why the sudden restriction on player recruitment?

Back in May this year, Jeremy Peace talked about the 'financial insanity' of increasing the Hawthorns capacity by building a new stand.

Since making that statement at the end-of-season dinner, Peace has shied from further comment. He hasn't revealed which stand, or when such work would be carried out. We're told it's the Halfords Lane stand. We've requested interviews. He's unwilling to comment. What's the big secret?
Surely there was more 'financially insanity' in filleting out that stand two years ago only for it to be rebuilt again?

Would it be too cynical to suggest that he perhaps was trying to divert from the more immediate needs of improving a Premier League squad?

On the plus side if things go wrong they won't go into financial meltdown.

In football such rightful prudency is regarded as a heroic achievement due to the awful mismanagement of other clubs who have spent beyond their means.

Being careful with money within a business model is no achievement. It should be the bare minimum - it's called good book-keeping.

On the pitch Albion continue to make it hard for themselves, whether it's Megson, Robson, Mowbray, Di Matteo or Hodgson patrolling the touchline.

They are intent on doing it the hard way.

Some of those brought in will boost the first-team. Others remain raw and inexperienced.

There will be little grace. Suspensions, more so injuries, to any defenders will have a significant impact on Albion.

The club's whole model for this season is stacked on a thin, creaking base.

In the meantime, good luck to Roy Hodgson and his players.

They will need it.

1. Good to see Albion fans out in force. Ok, maybe not out in force, but five made the 6.30am from Manchester. More followed from Birmingham, with more to arrive on Thursday. Hearing that one Albion fan was desperately trying to get a flight from his holiday in Spain to Greece in time for today's game. We shall see if he manages it...

2. Many years ago, in a different life perhaps, I drove a van around London while I was a student. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the 40 minute Grand Prix from Athens to Piraeus. Not only is Greek lane discipline the prerogative of the car in front, it often goes against the laws of the white lines. Assuming you get white lines. And, even if you are the lead car, don't assume the motorcyclists will necessarily do mirror-signal-manouevre.

3. That 40 minute journey. It took two-and-a-half-hours. Note to self...bring a satnav next time. Greece are not big on maps. Certainly not accurate ones. More to the point, I was obviously off school the day we were taught the Phoenician alphabet.

4. The journey from Athens to Piraeus took me via the Olympic village of 2004. The XXVIII Olympiad might have only been held seven years ago, but the decay in many of the stadia and Games' amenities was staggering. Rotting stadia, derelict buildings with overgrown flora, boarded up windows and blocked off roads. Let's hope the London games create more of a legacy than Athens. On a brighter note, the imposing Karaiskakis Stadium, home of Olympiacos, was impressive. More about that tonight.

5. I expect a decent side in Greece tomorrow. With Parma looming, it's reasonable to assume that the likes of Odemwingie and Mulumbu might be saved for that venture. But still a strong enough squad for Thursday's game.

6. Piraeus itself is a beautiful, vibrant coastal area, with several ports - mainly servicing the Greek islands. If you're ever on mainland Greece, it's worth a visit.

7. Don't forget to tune into the live webchat at www.birminghammail.net/live before the game against Olympiacos. And then follow my Twitter feed for in-game updates. (fingers crossed for a wifi/3G connection)

Yia Mas

This social media culture is wonderful.

Twitter, for instance, brings friends closer, it's immediate, settles differences and it throws new people together.

And can be amazingly funny when people start to filter home from nights out.

As far as the transfer circus and the media is concerned, we're not always the easiest of bedfellows.

Take Eiji Kawashima. The Japanese goalkeeper is a friend of mine. Not in reality - but I do follow him on Twitter.

Of course, this isn't the real Lierse goalkeeper, but a Twitter account set-up by someone to parody the real Kawashima, who for weeks has been telling everyone he will be joining Albion.

He was adamant that his signing was imminent.

The Baggies, meanwhile, denied this when first put to them. Then they just laughed. These days it simply irritates them - especially when the real Kawashima issues an ultimatum telling the Baggies to decide whether they want him or not.

Sorry, Eiji, they don't.

Such is the power of social media that a ridiculous story about Peter Odemwingie failing to agree terms with Arsenal - based on two 'friends' of his - was run by a Nigerian website.

Not a usual news source, just one which anyone of any age could set up in their bedroom and portray as a reputable provider of news.

Trouble is that people get sucked in. They see the reports on NewsNow and assume it might, just might, be true.

Such was the power of this report that Albion moved to issue a statement denying it all.

And who can blame them, not least when a UK-based agent is also repeating the false rumour on national radio to millions of listeners. As it happens Albion and Arsenal have had no discussions over Odemwingie, let alone got to a stage where he is quibbling over personal terms.

Arsenal might yet want Odemwingie. But they've done little about it so far.

Mulumbu, subject of a successful £5.5million bid from Fiorentina? No, he isn't. Nor has he been.

That's not to say he won't be one day in the future, but that's guesswork. Which is where a lot of this fuels social media panic, be it on Twitter or on Facebook.

A couple of websites report it in Italy and then it gets picked up and reported as news by the website branch of a national radio station - this much-listened-to radio station employ their own Midlands' reporters, who would have swiftly put their own web colleagues straight had their opinion been sought.

And that is the trouble these days. People are in such a rush to break stories that diligence no longer applies. Nobody bothers checking with clubs to see if a story is true. They might check with an agent to see if it's true - in 11 years of working in football I've come across about a dozen agents I really trust - but even then they might not bother.

Social media has not so much changed the way we work, it's shredded the rule book too.

The growth of Internet and, more so, Twitter and Facebook leads to frenzied excitement and fevered panic.

It's also fueled incorrect assumptions about my own job.

It was brought to my attention that one message-board poster made a reference to myself and another local newspaper being out of loop, implying we were only getting stories from the club. That's completely wide-of-the-mark. Tripe. If only I could get paid for such a relaxed lifestyle.

The official websites of many, if not all, clubs churn out quotes from press conferences and interviews. Not always, but probably 90 per cent of the time, it's the journalists who drive the questions which will appear on your club's official website. Furthermore, if I or any journalist relied on club information as a sole source for our news then we wouldn't last 10 minutes in the job, let alone 10 years or longer. We're simply more exposed now because others are willing to run stories without any checks.

In this climate of frenzied transfer activity - eight days BEFORE the window opens - it's the local media who have to mop up the mess of others, all in the name of providing accurate news. The growth of social media, the expansion of websites who claim to carry the 'latest news' - it's immediate, people demand news.

Let's not forget that newspaper journalists are still working for print publications first and foremost. Some of us will sit on information for the sake of our newspaper deadlines - hoping that the story doesn't break elsewhere.

And to get exclusives on every story would take some doing given the immediacy of news services who can report something (and then forget they ever reported it) - such as the TV station who claimed David Vaughan had already decided to join Albion. I can only presume Vaughan must have posted his reply to Albion via carrier-pigeon as they're still waiting for his decision. Funnily enough, this same TV station have not mentioned Vaughan since. Never wrong for long, eh...

In fact Vaughan wasn't due to deliver his answer until after returning from his holiday. Again, a few phone calls to the right people would have provided this answer.

Boateng, he was never close to joining Albion. Carson, he's still an Albion player.

Again, it's about sorting out the truth from the non-truths, half-truths or the not-yet-truths.

However, what I can do - as do my Birmingham Mail colleagues - is run stories which I know can be stood up, by several sources. Which is why my colleague Mat was able to run, with some confidence, an exclusive that Alex McLeish was wanted by Villa a full week before it happened. And if that means knocking down a rumour which isn't true, and we know isn't true, then we will do so. Every day if necessary. Sometimes we can slip up. But it won't be through negligence.

Some of us still are in the news business, not in the market for 'Internet hits' or 'website traffic'.

Others can fly the kites and get you excited or panicked about transfers which might or might not happen. More than 60 names have linked with Albion since the end of the last season - I have a list of them. So far two have signed. A few are potential targets.

These websites and social media networks have a place in society. And many fans love the speculation during the lull which is bandied around via various branches. But they can have a negative side too.

In the meantime, I'm off to find out what @general_krulak (he is real isn't he?) has been getting up to over in the not-so-real world.

While Albion fans watch the fun and games unfold over in the second city, they might wish to place the popcorn back on the table and raise a glass.

I would suggest a toast to Dan Ashworth.

Let's go back to about 18 months ago.

Not long after Roberto Di Matteo took over, the club's sporting and technical director spoke to the Albion matchday programme.

His comments were the usual pre-Christmas insight about how Albion would prepare for the 2010 transfer window.

Included in the feature was a reference to Albion's continued search for potential and eventual successors for Di Matteo.

A lot of this was made at the time in certain quarters - not least how Di Matteo would interpret reading about the club looking for his replacement.

Was it expressing a lack of confidence in the regime at the time? Was it undermining RDM and his coaches?

Far from it. It's called preparation. Due diligence. Something other clubs are seemingly lacking.

If any justification is needed then Albion supporters need only look at their squabbling neighbours.

While civil war continues, you wonder how Villa and Blues have managed to get themselves into a pickle.

Villa knew, some two months ago, that Gerard Houllier was unlikely to return - regardless of what they said publicly.

Even in the best case scenario of Houllier being back in office they should have had a contingency plan ready.

And what of Blues? Where do they go for their next manager?

Both clubs lack a crucial element - somebody with footballing know-how within their boardroom.

Ashworth, regardless of whether Roy Hodgson is at Albion for one year or 10 years, will already be searching for the next up-and-coming boss.

So much for technical directors having no place in English football.

Albion fans might have only been one goal away from being the West Midlands' top club, but they are certainly streets ahead in terms of intelligence when it comes to footballing administration.

ON Sunday, at around 6pm, Jeremy Peace was finally vindicated.

Around the time that the now former West Ham boss Avram Grant was getting asked to pop into a room at the DW Stadium for a 'quiet word', Peace was going through the final draft of an address he would be delivering to fans later that night.

His speech was delivered to supporters, sponsors, corporate guests at the club's end-of-season dinner.

Sunday was indeed the first time many had seen Peace for a while.

It would be fair to say that the West Bromwich Albion chairman has become more withdrawn during the last two years or so.

Those of us in the press box at The Hawthorns see him at every home game, as do opposition directors.

Supporters less so.

When Peace made the decision to pack Roberto Di Matteo off for garden leave, questions were asked both within and outside the West Midlands.

Supporters - not all, but many - were confused, surprised, even shocked at the announcement.

The media outside of the Midlands threw their pens into the air. Some of the columnists, a few of whom I'd barely seen in 10 years of covering the club, were frantically typing away in their haste to tell us why it was such a bad decision - in all cases being completely ignorant to increasingly worrying problems behind the scenes.

Where was the logic in sacking the pleasant and charming Di Matteo, they asked.

At West Ham, meanwhile, the board stuck by Grant - despite undermining his position many times.

Albion turned to Roy Hodgson.

A smart move.

Three months on Albion are preparing for the final game of the season knowing a victory could feasibly see them jump up to eighth spot.

West Ham, meanwhile, are re-setting their satnav for Brighton, Doncaster and Southampton.

Peace, probably by his own admission, isn't the most pro-active of chairmen when it comes to supporters or the media.

And getting just a few minutes of his time is becoming increasingly difficult despite the growing appetite for interaction between fans and clubs.

He didn't even attend the unveiling of Hodgson. Nor did he elaborate on why he had sacked Di Matteo, apart from within a carefully worded statement. Luckily for him he had a media network who supported his decision and were sufficiently in the loop to address many of the questions that were being asked of him. With hindsight the change was correct.

Three months on he was stood on the podium at the ICC able to look people in the eye and tell them that his decision had been vindicated.

For once managerial continuity was not the correct decision. And Peace was right, even though the input of Dan Ashworth was crucial to bringing Hodgson to the club in the first place.

It's been an ideal fit so far.

Yet, away from all of this, Albion must not leave behind the qualities and traits which make them such a likeable club.

Sunday's event was successful. But as lavish and slick as the ICC party was, it's with a heavy heart that this Thursday's Supporters Club event will be devoid of any first-team players or management staff.

The usual ex-players will be there, but fans want to give Peter Odemwingie a pat on the back, shake hands with Youssouf Mulumbu and point at Paul Scharner's glasses.

And they don't, shouldn't have to pay £90 for the privilege.

Albion have done so much correctly this season both on and off the pitch.

And Sunday night's event tapped into the feel-good factor around the club and between fans.

But moods can change and, on a night where the club announced plans to expand the Hawthorns, it would have cost nothing to be more accommodating towards the Supporters' Club.

Irrespective of whether the SC are representative of the club's fanbase, until another body puts itself forward to challenge their status, then they should be treated with more respect by the club.

The hand of friendship when things are going well can smooth the pain when times are hard.

Allowing a few players to attend Thursday's event - even for half an hour - would have been a kind and appreciated gesture.

In the meantime, Jeremy Peace must be praised for correctly calling the managerial landscape earlier this season.

While he was addressing the Albion nation on Sunday, West Ham were heading back to London from Wigan asking themselves why they had dithered over Avram Grant earlier in the season.

In that respect, Albion got it spot on.

IT's that time of year when prizes are dished out for the best, the worst and the most ridiculous. Albion have no shortage of candidates following a memorable season which started badly, got better, veered off course, before a change of boss steered it back towards safety.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jonas Olsson and Youssouf Mulumbu are obvious candidates. Albion's record when Olsson is absent is considerably poorer than when he plays, while Mulumbu has scored six goals from a seemingly deep midfield position. And his venom and energy has been immense. But Peter Odemwingie shades it for scoring 15 goals before the game against Everton. And to think he missed several weeks due to injury.

BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON
Everton away was good, Newcastle at home was excellent as was the victory at Birmingham. Yet nothing can deflect from the incredible victory at Arsenal. To go 3-0 up at the Emirates takes some doing. And to think The Baggies still managed to get away with missing a first-half penalty before they opened their account. Three two it finished but the performance made an impression - Arsene Wenger praised Albion during his Christmas address to the fans.

WORST USE OF SMS SERVICING
Albion players had a surprise on February 6 when they switched on their phones to find out Roberto Di Matteo had been seconded to his garden, relieving him of all managerial duties. It wasn't just the players. Media and fans found out in exactly the way. Nothing like embracing new technology to bury bad news. Many a roast dinner was spat out in shock, no doubt. Joking aside, it was a naff way for the club to deliver the news - a complete lack of respect to Di Matteo and his staff, not to mention the players and fans. Text messages are for competitions on radio shows, not for announcing the departure of a manager. A poor, poor show.

WORST EXCUSE BY A COACH
Former No2 Eddie Newton shocked us all when he cited the poor display of Albion players as a reason for NOT making substitutions during the awful Carling Cup quarter-final at Ipswich on December 1. It was this game which started to fuel much of the ill-feeling towards the Di Matteo regime. That and the four-hour journey back to the Midlands through snow and the realisation that a semi-final berth was at stake. Having worked at Wembley when Blues won the trophy, it was clear that this competition is still enjoyed by fans - even if it isn't by football coaches. The very fact that Di Matteo and Newton can dine out on cup final goals made it even more bizarre. That said...

MOST OVER-LOOKED CONTRIBUTION
It would be easy to single out this player or that, but Robbie Di Matteo deserves great credit. Sure, it went wobbly at the end and we all questioned his ability to drag Albion out of adversity - a situation he had yet to face as a manager - but it was under his tenure that Baggies fans were to enjoy some of their best days out in the Premier League. Taking a three goal lead at Arsenal, recording three points for the first-ever time in Merseyside (the last win in Liverpool came in 79, when two points-per-win were still the norm) and the near-miss at Old Trafford. His part in Albion's best-ever Premier League is secure.

MOST INTERACTIVE ALBION PLAYER
Paul Scharner might have divided opinion during his early-season performances but opening up his Facebook page to Albion fans was a cute move on his part. At the time of writing he has around 3700 'friends' on Facebook, has held webchats in his own time and even promised to dye his hair blue and white for the game against Everton. And to top it all he welcomed select media to a hotel back in January for a 'meet and greet' session, where he kept us captivated with a Powerpoint presentation of his best moments as a footballer and fed us Austrian delicacies. Rumkugels might look like Maltesers but they don't taste like it... We're back there this week for an end-of-season debrief. God help us all when he finally discovers Twitter.

BEST COMEBACK TO A MANAGER
Sven-Goran Eriksson had just seen his Leicester side lose 4-1 to Albion, prompting him to tell the media that the Foxes needed to get 'uglier' in their coming games. Despite the result, even the Swede had to smile when a journalist responded with 'you don't normally do ugly, do you Sven...?'

BEST GOAL OF THE SEASON
A few candidates. Somen Tchoyi has left goalkeepers clutching thin air, Paul Scharner finishing off a slick team effort at the Stadium of Light or Simon Cox drilling one past Gomes. Yet Chris Brunt takes the honours for a perfectly-executed free-kick into the top corner of the Everton goal at Goodison Park.

BEST USE OF A LASER PEN
Somen Tchoyi prompted the usually dependable Edwin Van Der Sar to drop a routine Chris Brunt cross onto his feet, before Conrad Logan did exactly the same in the Carling Cup penalty area. It did prompt fascinated journalists to jokingly ask whether the Cameroonian was using a laser pen to distract his opponents. Eddie Newton put it down to 'incantations' ...
Fair enough. Perhaps he was just yelling 'boo' as they went to catch the ball.

BEST PLAYER TO INTERVIEW
Peter Odemwingie is one of the most intelligent and insightful footballers on the patch, but he doesn't do comedy like Paul Scharner. Being asked about Albion's poor defensive record, he responded that 'yes, isn't it brilliant'...before laughing like Dr Evil.He then made a comment about how 'wonderful' it would be to finish bottom of the Premier League. Cue more guffaws. Relax Albion fans...this humour brings the house down in Vienna, but I'm not sure our readers would have appreciated the gag had we printed it in the Birmingham Mail. And then there was the time he put the boot into his team-mates in a bid to get a reaction. It worked - they weren't impressed. Scharner is certainly entertaining, if nothing else. A journalist's dream.

MOST INAPPROPRIATE APPRECIATION OF ART
Step forward Jonas Olsson's elbow. The Baggies defender was unimpressed by Ricardo Fuller's lack of respect towards Albion players following the 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium. The Swedish centre-half reacted by lashing out at what he thought was a poster - unaware that the aerial photo of Stoke's stadium was in fact covered by dull glass. Tony Pulis jumped up and down, Roy Hodgson laughed it off and Olsson ended up docked wages and sending over an IKEA voucher.

WORST COMEBACK OF THE SEASON
The home shirt was clearly a throw-back to a similar top worn during the early 1980s only to be ruined the shocking sponsor's logo. But, worse, still what on earth happened to Baggie Bird? The cuddly throstles were replaced by some hybrid of a slimline chicken or parrot. Strange.

BEST TURN-OUT OF THE YEAR
You might be thinking it involves 11 footballers on a Saturday afternoon, but try Dave Matthews. 50 years as club kit-man was marked with a celebratory meal at the Hawthorns, attended by John Giles, Ron Atkinson, Tony Mowbray, Brian Talbot, Bobby Gould, Colin Addison, Ossie Ardiles, Keith Burkinshaw, Bob Taylor, Gary Robson, Paul Raven, Richard Sneekes, Neil Clement... and Roy Hodgson, Michael Appleton, John Wile, Derek Statham, Ally Robertson, Ian Hamilton, Cyrille Regis, Tony Brown and many more. We started at 7pm. Dave was the last man standing at about 4.30am. That's a night out.

MOST OVERDUE TRIBUTE
Albion fans will be honouring Tony Bomber Brown at Newcastle next week as part of their traditional final away game fancy dress ritual. Most Premier League clubs have statues after greats, yet Albion as a club continue to ignore their record appearance-maker and goalscorer - I refuse to include a 'bar' named after him. Ex-manager John Giles described him as 'Mr West Bromwich Albion', Ron Atkinson said there should be a statue of him erected in the town centre. Come on Albion, take the hint - get on the phone to that sculptor....