February 2008 Archives

Roman Bednar, Albion's club joker is normally found applying Ralgex to the underwear of his team-mates and bringing joy and his own brand of merriment to the training ground. If I ever lose a winning Lotto ticket, I want Roman to be the man to tell me how much I would have won.

But that broad eastern European accent and deep voice worries me there may be something more sinister.

Somewhere, lurking in him, is surely a Bond villain.

I can just see it now. Jon Greening being stretched across the treatment table with a red laser beam edging nearer towards him or Leon Barnett being thrown into a bath of crocodiles. Worse still, Zoltan Gera being forced to watch Stoke City - The Long Ball Years.

You have been warned.

I was wrong about the FA Cup draw. Good.

Welcome to leafy Walsall Wood for the live draw of the FA Cup quarter finals.

And what a weekend it was.

Anyway, we don't do pomp and ceremony - or, for that matter, patronising comments, or pointless interviews with random guests - over here in the West Midlands.

My balls are ready and waiting.

The home teams will be drawn by the wife. And the away teams will be drawn by...well, also by the wife (who's somewhat bemused and possibly irritated by all of this, I must add).

No messing around here. Using the FA's official ball numbers (WBA are no7) this is what happened in our draw (and not a frozen/microwaved ball in sight).

Portsmouth v Cardiff City
Manchester United v Barnsley
Bristol Rovers v Sheffield United/Middlesbrough
Chelsea v ALBION

You have been warned.

1. When Albion reached the 2002 FA Cup quarter-finals they played the 'Astle commentary' (from the '68 Cup Final) before every cup tie along the way - 'Sky Blues - Shooting to win' (Coventry's '87 Cup Final song) didn't have the same effect.

2. What is about Albion and Coventry when it comes to dismissals? Yesterday was the fourth successive fixture where a player has seen red during the game (five sending-offs in four games).

3. Scoring a goal is not all its cracked up to be at Albion. Kevin Phillips often gets subbed during the second half of games, despite sometimes being on two goals. Both Roman Bednar and Zoltan Gera scored with their last touches of the game yesterday.

4. Iain Dowie might be gone but Cov fans still sang his name as Albion rattled in the goals. Mind you, by that point most Coventry supporters were already on their way home.

5. The Ricoh Arena boasts a huge underground casino (with thanks to my Coventry-supporting ex-uni mate for getting me in), with a large bar as the centre-point in the room. Somebody ought to tell them that having three members of staff on a matchday isn't good for business - even if it is the only place to get a drink before the game.

6. Albion might have scored five but surely the hero of the day was exile Luke Steele. Currently on loan at Barnsley, the keeper produced the game of his life. His days at Albion remain numbered - what better way to put yourself in the shop window than a performance like that at Anfield.

7. When is the penny going to drop with the Liverpudlians? It's not your owners who cost you games. Try Senor Benitez. With his rotation system and policy of buying lots of ordinary players over fewer better players, Liverpool were always going to struggle this season.

Anyone who claims the FA Cup has run its course only needed to see the interest at today's press conference down at Albion's training ground.

There are normally four 'written' press and two radio stations present for run-of-the-mill Championship games. Sandwiches go untouched, there's enough soup to go round and the tea and coffee urns normally have dregs left at the bottom.

Not today.

Albion's FA Cup fifth round trip to Coventry brought several TV stations, a host of national newspaper journalists (prompting one to quip - 'at last, I know where the Albion training ground is') and BBC Radio Five Live.

You'll be able to read what Tony Mowbray and Dean Kiely (the allocated player) had to say in Friday's Birmingham Mail and on Birminghammail.net

Michal Danek will have to wait - the fact Kiely was up before the press indicated he was going to play. This was confirmed by Mowbray. Do-Heon Kim was also knocking around. He'll probably play.

Elsewhere, I couldn't help keeping one eye on the situation at Bramall Lane.

Interesting that Kevin Blackwell should be appointed. The ex-Luton and Leeds boss was No2 to Neil Warnock at the time of the 'Battle of Bramall Lane'.

I remember then Albion boss Gary Megson telling me that, a few days later, he was contacted by one member of United's coaching staff, who went onto apologise and say how thoroughly troubled he was by the United team's and Warnock's conduct.

Not longer after Blackwell left.

Go figure.

Do-Heon Kim should finally get the go-ahead to begin his Albion career after completing his loan move from Korea.

So what's he like?

Here's a taster...

One last thing - Sherjill MacDonald? No, I can't believe it either.

Prediction for the day.

Albion to have their toughest Hawthorns' game of the season tonight.

Albion fans, I predict tomorrow will be better.

Tune into Birminghammail.net around midday on Monday or check out the Birmingham Mail.

You won't be sorry...

1. No electricity in the WOODEN main stand. In the press room things aren't much better - no tea, unless we unplug our laptops from charge. Our computers don't charge but we drink our tea. We want a compromise but told the surge in electricity will bring South Yorkshire to a darkened halt.

2. Heaven 17 over the PA before the kick-off. Temptation? I have one to leave Barnsley as soon as possible.

3. Playing see-saw with my laptop on the six-inch wide flip desks. Dean Kiely would be proud of my reaction times. My bosses will be proud they're not paying out for a new HP.

4. I'm supposed to be sat behind somebody called Benny Hill. I keep a look out for Syd James, Leonard Rossiter and Tommy Cooper. Not even a short bald-headed bloke to slap on the head. Certainly no women dressed in underwear. This isn't my day.

5. I look around, listen to the music, notice the lack of electricity, the general demeanour of Barnsley folk.

Fire up the Quattro and get me back into 2008.

Alassane N'Dour's arrival at Walsall got me thinking back to his spell at Albion when he spent most of the season playing for the reserve team.

But it's the memory of his fellow African Sekou Berthe which conjurs up one of the most memorable outbursts I've seen from a manager and his No2.

Big Berthe was called into the Albion side for the game at Gillingham, where the press box was situated just behind the dug-out.

With Albion hanging onto a lead, Berthe took the ball under his control in Albion's penalty area, stepped over it, dropped his shoulder and dribbled his way out.

Gary Megson's face turned purple, expletives followed. Assistant boss Frank Burrows threw his flat cap onto the ground in disgust.

Defenders didn't do that back then.

And poor Big Berthe hardly ever played for the club again...

Popped down to the training ground today to speak to Ishmael Miller and noticed two young autograph hunters waiting by the electric gates in their dad's car.

A dark estate drove up the car park drive and approached the gates, prompting the kids to leap out of the vehicle, ready to pounce, pens at the ready.

Not this time.

The two boys groaned and retreated back to their own car, not recognising the older grey-haired at the wheel of the approaching vehicle.

It was none other than Albion legend Bobby Hope.

Bet their dad was gutted.