April 2008 Archives

Around 2,800 Albions fans will be at QPR this Sunday hoping to see the Baggies lift their first title for 88 years.

But what about those stuck back at home?

Sky Sports have already announced their schedule and, understandably, they're going with the Stoke City game against Leicester and Hull's clash at Ipswich Town.

Baggies fan Steve Nash has already championed the idea of beaming the game back to The Hawthorns and the idea certainly gets the Birmingham Mail's full support

We all know there are two big screens at The Hawthorns already.

So go on Albion, how about it?

You can read more about this on:

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2008/04/30/west-bromwich-albion-fans-want-big-screen-treatment-97319-20841848/

So how was it for you?

Tony Mowbray will be planning for the Premier League now and faces some big decisions over his playing squad.

Who to bring in? Who will leave?

One thing's for sure, Mowbray needs backing in the summer transfer window from Jeremy Peace.

The two clubs joining Albion not be as 'equipped' for the Premier League and then there's those who stay up this season.

Mowbray is right to ignore the 'superstars' or the washed up old pros, but equally they do need some experience, not least at the back.

It's clear that Gary Breen (the youngster from Man City, not the old man at Wolves) is on the 'list', as is Paddy McCourt from Ireland. Will Adel Taarabt come back onto the radar? He was certainly asked during the winter about regarding a possible loan deal - at the time Spurs weren't keen, but they'll be bringing in new players themselves. We mustn't forget that the under-used Do-heon Kim and injured Filipe Teixeira have the potential to prosper at top flight level. Will Zoltan Gera stay?

A new goalkeeper? I would say so. Most clubs run with three at top flight level and send one out on loan.

Up front, Albion already have Ishmael Miller and Luke Moore signing up. Kevin Phillips, I suspect, will be sorted out and I'll be even more amazed if Roman Bednar is allowed to slip through Albion's fingers. But then Mowbray may have designs on other potential goal getters.

It's going to be a fun summer.

*ANYONE notice the two linesmen on Monday? Matadar and Bull? Surely someone was having a joke?

And was that the famous Gary Hackett I saw running onto the pitch after the game?

So, Albion fans, it's just over four hours to kick-off, the clock is ticking.

Floodlights glaring, a roaring atmosphere, wall-to-wall noise from four sides of the stadium, the potential for a huge £40million prize jackpot by 9.35pm tonight, the fans of at least seven other clubs keeping an eye on the score for their own personal reasons.

It's what football is all about.

Just four more hours to kill.

Are you nervous yet?

Here's a bit of Sunday morning trivia for you...

As you all know, it's 88 years since Albion last won the Division One League title.

However, a fascinating stat shows just how success-starved Albion have become when it comes to winning the title of ANY League.

Albion, who have spent all but two seasons in the top two divisions, have not won a title of any sort since Fred Morris smashed in 37 goals for the Baggies on their way to championship glory in 1919-20.

Yet if you were to list all the clubs who have won a title since 1920 then Albion would come 88th. Incredibly 87 League clubs have won a title of some sort since then, whether it's MK Dons winning the League Two title or Manchester United claiming their 16th championship.

How do football managers relax?

Argentina's Cesar Luis Menotti smoked his way through their successful 1978 World Cup, as did Johan Cruyff when he was manager of Barcelona.

Others - the late Brian Clough for instance - liked (or in some cases still like) a drink or two.

Jean Tigana used to chew on a toothpick during games and I'm pretty sure John Gregory went through a phase of munching on lollipops during games.

Others bring in the psychologists and turn to sports science.

Some read and watch more football.

And then, as I revealed in the past, there's Tony Mowbray.

Last season he walked into a post-match press conference at Leicester scoffing Cadbury's Snaps like he hadn't eaten before. Something about needing sugar, he said. Yeah right.

The self-confessed chocoholic now tells us that he has a fridge full of half-eaten Easter eggs.

He told us this at today's press conference while he scoffed his way through a chocolate football, with the message 'Good Luck Tony' scrolled across - courtesy of Frank Skinner and Adrian Chiles, who recently sent him a chocolate Size 9 football boot (some people will do anything for free tickets)

It helps Mogga relax before the big weekend.

Makes you wonder how he remains so trim when, in truth, he could easily look more like John Hartson.

He must have a fast metabolism.

And, no, he didn't offer any of us a piece.

Cruel.

No doubt you'll have seen today's story, in another newspaper, which states that Kevin Phillips is off to Wigan Athletic or Derby County because he has rejected Albion's contract offer - even quoting a source close to the player.

Yet I witnessed Phillips' reaction down the training ground this morning when he read the story in the tabloid newspaper.

And the immediate reaction was one of surprise, followed by some head-shaking and a denial of all knowledge.

Albion, incidentally, also denied it.

Make of that what you will.

Truth is that Phillips may re-sign for Albion, he may not. But talks are very much on-going and will continue over the coming days and weeks.

Nothing has been decided. Nothing has been rejected or accepted.

So there you have it.

The story is that there is no story.

Every Monday the Birmingham Mail calls in at the Albion training ground for a chat with Tony Mowbray.

This week was no exception.

And, it seems, the pressures of Albion's promotion push, playing six games in 18 days and sleepless nights have got to Mowbray, a father to two young boys.

Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and the Ninky Nonk all got a mention after we'd finished discussing the nitty-gritty of managing a side that's on the verge of promotion.

Not quite Mowbray's list of transfer targets for next season but, as anyone will tell you, the characters from CBeebies' classic In The Night Garden, essential TV viewing in the Mowbray household (or indeed any household where young kids rule the roost).

The good news is that Mowbray's very own Mr Bump - Paul Robinson to you and I - should be fine after taking another blow to his head. Is it me or does Robbo seem to enjoy it?

In any case you get the feeling the Albion boss will be catching up on some sleep this week...

More interesting were Mowbray's thoughts on Do-heon Kim, Michal Danek and Crystal Palace skipper Mark Hudson, all of which you'll be able to read in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail.

And, of course, we already know the permutations about what could happen this weekend.

*No postcard this week. My Norwich observations are still stuck on the A14 behind a Wankel rotary-engined carrot grinder, somewhere near Newmarket.

Normal away-day service will resume at QPR.

**One last thing. A message to TV commentators. Robert Koren is a very simple name to say. There are no hidden accents and no quirks to the pronunciation. It's Ko-ren. Not Core-ren.

All you have to do is ask someone...

Albion players were at the Hawthorns today as part of the club's annual open day for the disabled branch of the official WBA supporters' club.

Tony Mowbray specifically switched training to enable supporters to watch the session from the East Stand's disabled facilities.

On a day Chelsea and Everton have been forced to play a Premier League game on a Thursday - inconveniencing fans from both clubs on a school night - it's reassuring to see that supporters are at least 'kept in the loop' by some clubs, if not by the financial super powers who control the game and have no interest in those who pay good money to watch the games.

None of this, however, explains the bizarre goings-on in Staffordshire.

Louise Griffin, wife of Stoke captain Andy, has taken it upon herself to rally the troops over in the Potteries.

The Stokette said: "We need to install belief in the fans. Right now there is something amazing happening in our city.

"We need to think like winners, get excited and get behind the lads. Think how great this could be for our city.

"We have lost a lot of our industry, the pots and mines and this has changed the city.

"Now we can put Stoke-on-Trent back on the map."

Presumably Tony Pulis was too busy studying the 'Excuse Book' to drum up any inspiration of his own.

And the situation isn't much better in Wolverhampton, where a trainee bus driver has ripped off the top half of his double-decker by driving it under a bridge.

It would be wrong of me to make a gag about open-top buses and Wolverhampton.

So I won't.

A few snapshots from last night.

1. How good was Albion's display? I reckon it was the best performance of the season so far. There has been more incident, more goals but man-for-man it's the most complete team performance I've seen of Mowbray's reign. Wolves didn't play badly, it's just that they couldn't live with their rivals. There wasn't a single below-par display from any Albion player. And nobody got intimidated by the occasion or the pressure.

2. Had to feel for poor Shelton Martis. Albion's greatest-ever Dutch Antilles international was beckoned over by a group of 'corporate guests' (presumably Wolves fans) following his warm down. One of the suited-and-booted brigade produced a camera and asked: "Any chance of a photo, Ishmael...?" Shelton's turn of pace was impressive to say the least.

3. Pubs shut, cafes closed, shops with the shutters down - Wolverhampton city centre was like a scene from a post-Apocalyptic film yesterday tea-time. Please, no jokes about it being business as usual then...

4. Which got me thinking how Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, north London police cope with derby games? Does the whole of Glasgow shut down four times a year when the most political and intense of all derbies comes along. Of course it doesn't. Yesterday's atmosphere and the frenetic pace of the game underlined why local derbies are better played under floodlights, not at midday on a Sunday lunchtime when too many fans are still hungover from Saturday night to care much for singing or chanting.

5. Barnsley v Hull was live on TV. Wolves v Albion wasn't. How wrong could Sky have been? Okay so the first match might have had more goals but I bet their viewing figures would have been greater for what we're told is England's most fierce rivalry.

BATON down the hatches, lock away your daughters, keep your trousers fastened.

The Wolves v Albion clash has been described as the biggest football rivarly.

And rightly so.

The Black Country derby has come out on top in the Football Rivalries Report 2008, published recently by the New Football Pools from information gathered from more than 6,000 members of the Football Fans Census.

Liverpool and Everton may be regarded as one of the biggest but the two sets of fans were sat side by side until recent games. Some even described it, wrongly in my view, as the 'friendly derby'.

Villa and Blues - one has won the European Cup, the other a Sherpa Van Trophy. Hardly an equal match, despite Blues bucking the trend during the Enckelman years.

Norwich and Ipswich hate each other but are 50 miles apart - a journey which takes three days and two nights to complete in a Massey-Ferguson.

Manchester United and City? City have had the upper hand this season but you can't compare the two.

Spurs and Arsenal used to be big but, again, Arsenal have pulled way ahead of their rivals.

The East Midlands offers little, Southampton and Portsmouth has become a mismatch and the two Bristol clubs very rarely meet.

Sheffield's bragging rights may be important in Woodseats but, sorry fellas, the game lacks the intensity to make a mark on a national scale.

Newcastle and Sunderland go close, as does the poisonous Welsh meeting between Swansea and Cardiff. But in both cases one of the two rival clubs has spent long periods in a different division to their nemesis. And how can the Welsh meeting really be taken seriously when the two cities are just as busy squabbling over a game which uses a funny shaped ball.

Millwall and West Ham is more about fighting than football. And, again, when do the two clubs ever meet?

Albion and Wolves has everything. Two clubs who are fairly similar in size, stature, status and historical achievement. They are just 12 miles apart, the fans work together, live in the same streets and maybe even belong to the same family. It's more than just a football match. Equally it's more than just an excuse for a few thugs to beat seven bells out of each other.

It's got a historical significance but maintains a huge presence in today's more diluted climate.

Surely no other derby in England ticks more boxes than tonight's fixture.

And then there's the small issue of a promotion battle.

Anyway, enough of that - here is the full list.

1. West Bromwich Albion & Wolves
2. Ipswich Town & Norwich City
3. Liverpool & Manchester United
4. Portsmouth & Southampton
5. Cardiff City & Swansea City
6. Aston Villa & Birmingham
7. Sheffield United & Sheffield Wednesday
8. Bristol Rovers & Bristol City
9. Newcastle & Sunderland
10. Brighton & Crystal Palace
11. Derby & Nottingham Forest
12. Blackpool & Preston
13. Darlington & Hartlepool
14. Luton & Watford
15. Blackburn & Burnley
16. Port Vale & Stoke
17. Arsenal & Tottenham
18. Grimsby & Scunthorpe
19. Everton & Liverpool
20. Leeds & Man United
21. Chester & Wrexham
22. Chesterfield & Mansfield
23. Northampton & Peterborough
24. Bury & Rochdale
25. Man City & Man United
26. Coventry & Leicester
27. Millwall & West Ham
28. Accrington Stanley & Morecambe
29. Colchester & Southend
30. Macclesfield & Stockport

So, what do you reckon? Agree or not?

Did you know:

1. This will be the first Black Country derby to be played at Molineux on a 'school night' since March 1990.

2. I was a guest on WM's football show tonight, along with radio presenter Mark Regan and Chasetown boss (and Wolves fan) Charlie Blakemore. We all predicted a draw! That fence will need a fresh lick of Creosote.

3. First goal is vital tomorrow. If Wolves get it, Albion will struggle to get back into the game. If Albion get it, then they could win handsomely.

4. Will Kev play? I'm not so sure. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Miller and, maybe even, Moore get a run out against a fairly one-paced, if experienced, Wolves backline.

5. Enjoy the match.

Yeah, right.

Ps. Received an email from an angry Stoke fan claiming I'd called ex-player Eustace a 'hooligan', yet I simply can't find any reference to it anywhere. I won't argue with the sentiment, naturally.

Albion v Watford will be tough. Remain patient. They won't capitulate as easily as they did against Barnsley.

Personally, I'm still shocked at Tony Mowbray's car impressions.

It must be of some comfort to Tony Mowbray that should his managerial career ever falter then at least he'll have his repertoire of Austin Maestro impressions to fall back on.

Check out the link below, forward it by about 90 seconds, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Literally.

http://www.goaltube.org/modules.php?name=news&file=article&sid=542&mode=&order=0&thold=0

46 goals in 76 games for Albion.

22 goals in 24 starts this season.

235 goals in 477 career games.

Try as I might I'm struggling to find a reason why Albion have not yet locked Kevin Phillips in a cell and pinned him down to a new contract.

Kev is settled in the Midlands, enjoys it at The Hawthorns and his kids attend local schools.

All he wants is a two year deal. Albion want to give him a one year deal with a 12 month option in the club's favour, provided he plays a certain amount of games.

There lies the sticking point.

Kev will score goals in the top flight. What he lacks in pace and power, he makes up for in reading of the game, intelligence and vast experience. I reckon he'd score a minimum of 10 goals in the Premier League if Albion went up. Kanu, Sheringham, Shearer, Viduka and many others have coped without pace, while getting by with know-how, making the most of their finishing and the ability to create goalscoring opportunities for themselves. Phillips can too.

How much do goalscorers cost at any level? How much will Kev's contract cost over two years if he takes Albion up and keeps them in the Premier League?

Incidentally, although Kev isn't eligible to talk to clubs until the end of May, his representatives will almost certainly be putting the feelers out as we speak. That's how it works.

Albion are wasting time and putting great strain on Phillips at what is a crucial time of the season. He should be enjoying his football, not worrying about his future.

All of which makes you wonder why Jeremy Peace is playing this game?

Over to you now Mr Chairman.

There will be more on this in Thursday's Birmingham Mail.

Some things I learned

1. Bloomfield Road is the most bizarre stadium in the Football League. If Sven Goran Eriksson was describing it, he would probably say: 'Two stands good, two stands not so good'. Two sides of the ground would grace any Championship side. But opposite the main stand is a temporary structure (I bet the Health and Safety officers looked on in horror when Albion fans started 'boinging'), while behind one of the goals was nothing, just a car park, built on rubble. It meant that Mark 'Bamber' Gascoigne, Albion's assistant kit man, was despatched to fetch the balls which had flown over during the pre-match warm-up. And a very good job he did too.

2. Blackpool are one of the most hospitable clubs in the country. The media were welcomed individually by possibly the world's friendliest steward, who greeted each press member with a handshake and, "welcome to Blackpool, I am a war veteran and served in the Falklands. Enjoy your visit and enjoy the game". If that wasn't surreal enough he then went onto claim, without a hint of irony, that the Bloomfield Road surface was "better than Wembley's."

3. The one-time home of Sir Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen and Micky Mellon must by the only stadium where the officials' dressing room is sponsored. Last night's match officials were brought to you by Punch And Truncheon - whatever, or whoever, they are. There's got to be a joke in there somewhere.

4. Albion photographer Laurie Rampling must have thought he was in a parallel universe when he discovered the Baggies had won 3-1. The club's official snapper got hit on the head by a wayward Carl Hoefkens ball as he snapped away when the scores were level after 81 minutes, spending the remainder of the game in a groggy daze. The stadium's first aiders soon brought him around - by threatening to send him to Blackpool hospital. Not ideal for Laurie who lives in deepest Essex. The good news is that no permanent damage was caused. The ball was fine.*

5. A certain commentator got so excited after Albion's third goal that he announced, "I'm having an embolism." Apparently it means 'clot'. Quite.

6. Which fool decided it would be a good idea to shut off two lanes of the southbound M6 for roadworks, near Nantwich, on the night there was a Champions League semi-final involving Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield, Albion played Blackpool and Swansea travelled back from Carlisle?

7. Speaking of motorway madness, Albion's team bus was parked on the hard shoulder after the game. Early rumours suggested it was because of a faulty fan belt. Given that the luxury coach was soon back on the road it makes you wonder who provided the pair of tights needed to fix the problem...

* Only kidding mate. You had us all worried...

Kiely

Miller Phillips

While West Brom still have a game before the trip to Blackpool, they are likely to be welcoming back Sam Sodje, but most will be throwing everything at the cup semi-final, so expect possible twinges and injusries in that starting eleven, so it may not be the same as the one who visit Bloomfield Road.

Now, in truth it's not necessarily the Baggies team I'd select for tomorrow's game at Bloomfield Road, but one picked out as Albion's likely line-up by a Blackpool website earlier today.

Robinson at right-back, Hoefkens at centre-half alongside Moore (Luke, presumably) and Sodje (on loan at Charlton since August) at left-back.

Captain Jon Greening won't be happy either.

So who's going to tell them?

*ON A different note, a Welsh contact tells me that there were reports of Cardiff fans spitting at the statue of Bobby Moore, before and after, their FA Cup semi-final yesterday.

If true - and I have no reason to doubt my source given that he's from Cardiff himself - then it merely underlines that the Welsh club should not be allowed to enter the Uefa Cup next season if they go onto win the FA Cup.

I've said it before and will say it again, their membership of the English FA needs to be seriously looked at.

Don't be fooled into thinking Albion were defeated by Kanu's goal as a result of Milan Baros' inspirational use of the arm.

Far from it.

Let me explain.

We know the drill - a major game, the final whistle blows, one team celebrates, the other doesn't, they all swap shirts, everyone leaves the pitch...

This wouldn't normally be a problem except that kit manufacturers Canterbury banned Portsmouth players from swapping shirts with Albion players at the end of Saturday's semi-final.

Whether or not this happened I don't know as I was occupied by more pressing matters - perhaps someone can shed more light - although I'm sure I saw at least one Baggies player, Robert Koren, carrying a Pompey shirt.

Canterbury's reasons, released before the semi-final, are precious to say the least.

"It is true the players are not permitted to swap shirts after a game. Canterbury have invested significant amounts of money into the development and manufacturing of the kit, which is worn exclusively by Portsmouth.

"The secret ingredients and chemical process that makes IonX has - as of last year - been patented by Canterbury for 25 years."

So there you have it. Portsmouth's success has nothing to do with an oligarch's millions, a chirpy Cockney's managerial abilities or a collection of decent players.

It's all in the shirts.

So, just as most drivers are scraping the ice from their windscreens while Mondeo drivers make the most of Ford's exclusive rights to heated front windscreens, the rest of the footballing world will have to go on without knowing more about Portsmouth's biggest weapon.

Some thoughts:

1. Wasn't surprised to see so many biased reports towards Harry Redknapp in today's national newspapers from some of the industry's heavy-weights (in more ways than one I should add). Having fought my way past their egos into the press conference room I overheard two of the better known journalists saying: "Thank god the most quote-worthy manager got through."
Funnily enough, I've never seen either of them at an Albion match or press conference before. Perhaps they'd just assumed Mowbray wasn't 'quote-worthy' because he has never managed darling team West Ham? Or maybe it was just a lazy assumption. What do you reckon?

2. Lengthy periods of dominance, a shot hitting the bar before going over and a sloppy goal conceded. The Play Off Final and Saturday's FA Cup semi-final - one of a kind.

3. Albion play in Black And White stripes, according to the matchday programme. What? Even so it was good to see Albion and Portsmouth wearing their home shirts - if only to prevent a repeat of last year's Play Off Final post-match press conference when a bemused Tony Mowbray was asked by one experienced hack, just moments after his side have missed out on promotion and a £40million prize, why his team had been wearing black when there was no obvious clash with Derby.

4. A somewhat drunk and disorderly lone Portsmouth fan marching up and down the aisles of a Birmingham-bound train, goading disappointed Albion fans and generally making a nuisance of himself. Luckily some of the more sensible passengers defused the situation and stopped a couple of angry Baggies fans from lynching him. The half-wit was duly 'escorted' from the train at Beaconsfield (By 'escorted', I mean the train doors opened and he flew onto the platform) and, for all I know, may still be there.

5. A question for John Motson - who is Robert Core-ren?

6. If Albion play for the remainder of the season as they did on Saturday then they will take some stopping. Agree or not?

7. Was alerted to a great tale on Albion messageboard http://fansonline.net/westbromwichalbion/mb/index about Texas-based Albion fan John Hubbard, who was so determined to see Saturday's semi-final that he basically pestered the hell out of a TV network until they gave in. John said: "After much complaining, haggling, presuading and generally being a complete nuisance to anyone related to TimeWarner Cable TV here in Austin, I'm happy to report that the game is now available for purchase in Austin." Priceless

8. From the Wembley Arch and national exposure on Saturday to the shadows of Blackpool Tower and relative obscurity this Tuesday. If a week is a long time in politics then what are 72 hours in football?

So, are you nervous yet? Or just looking forward to the big day?

I interviewed Jeremy Peace yesterday - which you can read exclusively in today's Birmingham Mail - and I asked if there were any superstitions.

He wouldn't say.

But one director wasn't shy in explaining his.

The Albion Board member, and his car load, feast on Cadbury's Creme Eggs as they journey to away grounds. Sounds like an excuse to eat lots of chocolate if you ask me.

Speaking of such triviality it would be remiss of me not to remind you of the following sequence:

1931: Win,

1935: Lose,

1954: Win,

1967: Lose,

1968: Win,

1970: Lose,

1993: Win,

2007: Lose,

2008: ?

While I'm at it, don't forget to buy your souvenir copy of Saturday's Birmingham Mail - just look out for our sellers at The Hawthorns' East Stand car park, Moor Street or Snow Hill stations.

Something I noticed when looking back on Albion's record in FA Cup semi-finals:

1982: vs QPR. Albion were favourites. Second Division side QPR win

1978: vs Ipswich. Albion favourites, but only just. Ipswich win

1969: vs Leicester. Albion overwhelming favourites. Leicester win

1968: vs Birmingham City. Albion favourites. Albion win

1957: vs Villa. Albion slight favourites. Villa win

1954: vs Port Vale. Albion favourites. Albion win

1935: vs Bolton. Albion favourites. Albion win

1931: vs Everton. Everton favourites. Albion win.

So that's seven semi-finals Albion have been expected to win. There is no pressure on Albion this Saturday - just as there wasn't when they played runaway second division leaders Everton, inspired by Dixie Dean, in 1931.

And we all know what Albion went onto achieve in 1931 don't we...?

Some thoughts:

1. Had to smile when I heard about a media colleague who left Birmingham at 5pm for last night's game at Cardiff and checked in with the radio commentator, with whom he was working alongside, to inform him that he would be arriving at 6.40pm, according to the time displayed on his satnav. No problem there then.
But then came another call.
It seems our friend had forgotten to change his clock following last Sunday's switch to BST and was in fact due to arrive at Ninian Park at 7.40pm - five minutes before the kick-off. Cue a rather flustered radio summariser racing through the crowds to reach his seat just as the teams were coming out.

2. Albion were somewhat surprised to learn that the London hotel they intended to use ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final had already been booked up by another football club. Not only that, but this particular club had even gone to the trouble of also booking the same hotel for the FA Cup Final, which they were supremely confident of being involved in.

In seems Manchester United's loss will be Albion's gain when the Baggies make the most of the cancellation this Friday.

3. As a journalist I'm strongly against those who give my industry a bad name by deliberately manipulating or, in this case, changing quotes for their own means. Tony Mowbray revealed that the first FA Cup Final he remembered was from 1969 (when Manchester City played Leicester City), adding that the first he actually recalled watching was the following year's epic between Leeds and Chelsea. The reporter from this particular national newspaper, who attended the press conference, claimed Mowbray had stated 1968 as his earliest FA Cup memory. He hadn't and, what's more, Mowbray repeated several times that it was 1969. It may be a small detail but it goes against the grain of what the press should be about. And, more to the point, it's plain rubbish.

Besides, Tony Mowbray was four-years-old in 1968 - do any of you honestly remember what you were doing when you were that age?

4. Was there any need for the Highways Agency to divert drivers off the northbound M50 by sending them about 10 miles SOUTH? Furthermore, is there any need for an entire motorway to be closed off when they know thousands of football fans are due to travel on that particular route? It's about time these people wore traffic cones - with a big 'D' - on their head.

5. "Well done lads...I hope you can go all the way. All the best." - Jason Koumas wishes his former club well in the FA Cup. By former club I mean Cardiff. But, Jason, what about the club who saved your career by welcoming you back from your self-imposed strike and then granted you the move you so desperately wanted to the Premier League? Tact, like tackling, never was Koumas' strongest point.

6. "Welcome to Cardiff, capital of Wales," was the greeting broadcast over the tannoy to Albion fans yesterday. Which is a bit like saying, "Welcome to Bilston, capital of Wolverhampton."

Wembley Stadium has opened its doors ahead of this weekend's FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth.

Albion legend Bob Taylor will be exclusively joining the Birmingham Mail under football's most famous arch to give his thoughts ahead of Saturday's Wembley fixture.

To hear Super Bob's views and for your very own tour around Wembley - including a sneak preview around the dressing room areas, the tunnel and the Royal Box - click onto the video link at www.birminghammail.net this Thursday.

*Incidentally, Graham Williams, the last man to lift the FA Cup for Albion, will be celebrating his 70th birthday tomorrow.

An omen, perhaps?