The Baggies bus - not in service

I'm sure you've heard it before. What goes Boing Boing, beep beep?

Answer - The Albion open top bus reversing back into the garage.

It was, of course, a rather lame attempt at humour by fans of a certain other club following Albion's Play Off Final defeat last year.

Yet the open top bus remains parked in a garage gathering dust and, probably, with a somewhat flat battery.

Albion's decision to not bother with an open top bus tour has prompted a mixed response.

The Albion players were today given their end-of-season debrief and packed off for their summer holidays. I happened to be down the training ground as the players filed out - I'm told some of the promotion heroes are already at departure lounges as we speak. Others, who are still at home, will be leaving in the next few days.

Some of those players will be seeing families again for the first time in nearly a year.

And we all know that Albion have had two bus tours in recent history - yet gone onto be relegated within one or two seasons. The Baggies are no Stoke City. The top flight will be a serious business for them, not a patronising media-driven 'Premier League adventure' that is already being attached to Stoke's promotion. Tony Mowbray, as proud as he is, is also a reluctant hero.

However, there is another issue - the Championship title. It's the first time Albion have topped any League since 1920. For that alone the fans deserved a chance to see a magnificent piece of silverware - a trophy which conjures up images of Liverpool's dominance of the 1970 and '80s, Arsenal's dramatic late victory at Anfield in 1989, Leeds' title wins under Don Revie and Brian Clough's successes with Derby and Forest.

It's a trophy to admire.

Only 3000 Albion fans made it to Loftus Road to see the trophy presented. The fans who weren't there WANT to see this trophy. Those who were want to see it again. There is a demand for this, but no supply.

An alternative option would have been to display the trophy at The Hawthorns. Or at least it would have been ordinarily - but not at the moment. The Hawthorns is currently a 'hard hat zone' in most areas due to the revamping of the Halfords Lane and other bits of post-season maintenance work.

That's unfortunate.

So Albion fans will need to rely on pictures, memories from Sunday or TV replays.

Mind you, that's assuming that the TV companies get around to acknowledging that the Baggies have also achieved promotion, not just Stoke City.

In the meantime, I'll leave the final word to Albion fan Paul Hayward - who has produced yet another poetic masterpiece.

The Team of 2008

The history books will testify
This season was one of our best,
When all we have to remember this team
Are memories of how we were blessed,
With a manager's vow to entertain,
With players regarded as great,
The scorers of over a hundred goals,
The team of two thousand and eight.

The champions trophy is blue and white
Once again as in 1920,
Though the subsequent years that have passed since then
Have memories of triumphs aplenty,
Remember this team, the success it brought,
The year and even the date,
And know that you witnessed history this year,
The team of two thousand and eight.

Remember the names of Phillips and Miller,
Of Bednar, Koren and Gera,
Of Greening, Brunt and Robinson
When we pass to a future era,
For these are the players who are champions,
Semi finalists to celebrate,
Who played to the tune of Mowbray's song,
The team of two thousand and eight.

And in years to come as a Baggies fan
Remembering moments to treasure,
Of players you saw and goals that were scored
And achievements that gave you pleasure,
You'll remember a team that shines like a beacon
And a team that you always will rate,
The team that triumphed and entertained,
The team of two thousand and eight.

Paul Hayward (2008)