February 2008 Archives

Ever wondered why Tony Mowbray is so calm during matches?

Well wonder no more.

You've seen it before. The players are out on the pitch, the coaching staff have emerged out of the tunnel, the mascots have had their picture taken with the captains, the referee has tossed the coin, the teams swap ends...but still no Mowbray.

Just as the game is about to kick-off, out comes the Baggies boss.

There's no ranting and raving at his players - just the occasional comment to a fourth official.

It seems the Baggies boss listens to a spot of Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin before games, just to help him unwind.

Mind you there's none of that for the players, as Mowbray explains.

"I sit and listen to Frank, a bit of Dean...it's soothing music really.

"The players don't hear it and it's not the serene mood I want them in. But it helps relax my mind."

With Uriah Rennie set to take charge this Saturday, Mowbray may need to listen to Sinatra's entire back catalogue.

*We all know that Stuart Pearce likes to listen to the Stranglers and that Martin O'Neill is partial to a bit of Jethro Tull.

Can anyone think of any appropriate songs for other managers?

SEVEN points separate Stoke from fourth-placed Albion in the Championship, with 12 points between the leaders and ninth-placed Burnley.

But Tony Mowbray and co may be thankful, or maybe not, that the race for the Premier League is more open than the somewhat memorably-titled Romanian Divizia C, Seria a VIII-a from 1983-4.

Muresul Deva won the League and promotion to Romania's second tier with 38 points (2 points for a win) but behind was a photo-finish to the bitter end.

After 30 games just THREE points separated second-placed UMT Timisoara (31 points) from Minerul Aninoasa, who finished last in 16th spot.

Between them were NINE teams equal on points - those who finished between seventh and 15th.

The full League table - with details of a closely fought Moroccan League from 1966 - is on http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/even.html

And you thought the Championship was competitive...

Richard Chaplow (Preston North End): 2
Stoke City: 0

Perhaps Chappy's best-ever Albion contribution?

Paul Robinson and Ishmael Miller popped down to St Michael's School in Rowley Regis today as part of Albion's hugely successful community scheme.

While some of the girls made a fuss over Miller's scarf (it looked expensive, in fairness to him), Robbo had a quiet word with one of the boys as he made his way from the classroom.

Turns out the lad was completely star-struck by the Albion No3, who happens to be his hero. His reward? He'll get it on Saturday, in the shape of Robbo's boots.

Robbo may be an unwelcome prospect for the Championship's right-wingers, but he's a bit of a soft touch when it comes to the people who really matter - the fans.

Good on ya Paul.

1. Roman Bednar wasn't taken off for the good of his health...actually he was. Speaking to Roman after the game, he claimed he was still feeling groggy following a recent bug

2. Albion were wearing white socks at home, losing cheap goals and failing at the other end. All we needed was Diomansy Kamara to come on and get himself sent off. Yesterday had the feel of last year. Is can't surely have been the same club which beat Coventry 5-0 last week.

3. Korean media Kyang Hyang and Seoul Sports must have been fed up. Perhaps Do-heon Kim will play next week.

4. Stoke, Bristol City and Watford are all due to play each other. It's not the end of the world (just yet), despite what many may have been saying on phone-ins after the game.

Let's clear up some confusion.

The Championship Play Off final is currently pencilled in for Saturday, May 24.

We're told it's because the Football League wanted to give England international players an extra two days in preparation for the European Championships (No, I can't think of many, if any, England players down in the Championship either).

But the League are now expected to switch the Championship decider back to the traditional Bank Holiday Monday slot. This should be confirmed late next week.

If so, you do the maths regarding Luke Moore's 93-day loan deal...

Well rest assured, although Moore's deal effectively ends before the Monday date, the League will extend any loans which fall just short as a result of the Championship decider being put back two days.

Let's hope Albion don't need them anyway.

It's not often you see hardened, experienced footballers turned into gibbering star-struck wrecks but I've seen one man manage it during my seven years covering Albion.

When the Baggies went to Villamoura for their pre-season tour of Portugal in 2005, they were visited by Paul Gascoigne, who was then managing Algarve United and had popped by to see his former England team-mate Bryan Robson.

Several Albion first-teamers - some household names among them - turned into starry-eyed kids as they watched the iconic ex-footballer stroll past them in the grounds of their hotel.

The Birmingham Mail photographer was swiftly beckoned over and, one by one, they lined up just to have their picture taken with Gazza, despite their very own manager being a former England captain.

He had that aura about him.

Let's hope he sorts himself out.

"We haven't had a hurricane for 23 years," said a local.

"You'll be fine in Aruba, it's the rest of Caribbean you have to watch," said the travel agent some 10 months earlier as my bride-in-waiting and I booked our honeymoon.

September 2, 2007. I'm watching Villa beat Chelsea 2-0 on Fox Sports in front of what looks like a full Villa Park. Worse still, not only am I sharing my honeymoon with O'Neill and co but the sun's out in Birmingham.

We're in Aruba. My new, beautiful wife is getting our little girl dressed. We're hoping we'll be able to leave the hotel at some point tonight. Just to survey the damage, if nothing else.

Someone called Hurricane Felix has been lashing our five-star complex, shaking us, blowing us and threatening to soak our room. Villa win 2-0. Knight and Agbonlahor.

The winds die down, the sun comes out. On with the honeymoon. Thankfully no damage. Apart from the Villa win.

Yet, it remains the strangest place I've watched a football match of any sort.

Albion match? A bizarre venue, next to the coast in Denmark when Albion entertained FC Midtjylland in what was effectively an international friendly fixture, played out on a pitch which would have made Dartmouth Park proud. The press box was inside an area cordoned off by a piece of rope. The directors' box was even worse. Jeremy Peace didn't seem to mind though. He was probably too busy wondering why Jason Roberts was being played as a right-sided midfielder.

Not my inspiration, I admit. I've just logged onto WBAFansonline, where fans have been busy telling their stories.

I take off my hat to the fan who mentioned Bloxwich. Try Walsall Wood my friend...dear oh dear.

For the other 'strange venues', check out the thread about strangest places you've followed Albion games from on

http://fansonline.net/westbromwichalbion/mb/index.php

Cardiff City couldn't accomodate Albion this week for a Championship fixture due to their involvement in the Welsh Cup.

The initial game was, of course, called off as both clubs were involved in Saturday's FA Cup fifth round.

But it got me thinking - the FA Cup, the Welsh Cup? How many cups in different countries are Cardiff allowed to enter?

While we're at it, should they be allowed to enter the Premier League if they win promotion?

Their supporters continually mock supporters of English clubs. So let's test their patriotism - if Cardiff win promotion then send them into the League of Wales, rather than the English Premier League.

Then we'll soon see how anti-English they really are...

Draconian? Perhaps, but I reckon they won't wish to miss out on all those several million Bank of England notes circulating in the Premier League.

I was sat in the foyer of Albion's training ground when I started to get a little bit paranoid.

Giggles from two rather senior members of Albion's backroom staff.

Perhaps I'd walked under a seagull. Were my flies undone? No.

Did I have odd shoes on. No. But we're getting closer.

And then I saw it.

A bright pink blazer jacket, khaki trousers, bright green shoes, a Paisley patterned cardigan and Harry Potter style glasses. Sobering it wasn't.

Welcome to the unveiling of Albion's latest signing. Also present was his interpreter, who had clearly woken up to find a power cut and picked up what he could from the back of the wardrobe.

Do-heon Kim - the correct and only way to write his name - was presented before a handful of English press and several more TV crews from Korea.

It was surrealism at its best.

Our colourfully-dressed friend had been drafted in as Kim's ears and mouth, although there was no need for him to apologise for his short-lived knowledge of English - we were hardly likely to heckle back in Korean.

Questions were asked, answers were translated and we found out a little more about the Baggies' newest player, his ambitions, his views of England and how Albion will be perceived in downtown Seoul.

Mind you not all went swimmingly. One of Kim's answers, from a question asked by me as it happens, drew guffaws from the Korean press.

Naturally I joined in - laughing out loud and nudging my colleague just to show I was in on the gag as if I'd suddenly developed a grasp of colloquial Korean. Again, I checked my shoes, just to be sure.

And then a female journalist asked a question about Kim's wife - the interpreter mistakenly thinking she was asking whether Kim was single or not...

Let's not even go there.

It was that kind of press conference.

Kim, welcome to England.