Have hard hat, will watch football

So goodbye summer, hello football season.

Okay, not quite, but you get the drift.

Albion fans won't be seeing much of the Halfords Lane stand due to something or other about a floor company going to the wall.

Not so much the press. While the fans relocate elsewhere my colleagues and I shall be climbing over bits of unfinished building work, crumbling masonary and, given the financial woes of a well-known floor firm, skipping over the holes in the floor. Rumour has it we won't be getting press passes on entry, but hard hats. To be honest it's probably looking quite classy. Time will tell. Frankly, nothing would amaze me.

Which brings me onto transfers, which are often conducted in a parallel universe.

Are Albion close to signing anyone else? Well, let's consider the following.

Abdoulaye Meite has been given the guided tour, chatted about money, jogged around for a bit and had his bits and bobs scanned to make sure that nothing is pointing the wrong way. Will he sign? It's looking good and, I'm told by people close to him, that he favours a move to Albion. But then I heard that about Madjid Bougherra...

Then there's Zheng Zhi. A website was claiming Albion's offer for the Charlton man had been rejected. That's incorrect. Fact is that, as of 8pm tonight, nothing had been rejected or accepted. Talks are continuing. No rush. He's too busy gasping for air in his homeland.

How about Rafik Djebbour? Well that's a possible. This would be a loan deal if - still a big IF - it happens. Maybe a trial first. We shall see. Stoke want him too. But then Stoke want everyone.

And talks to bring James Collins to B71 are also continuing. This one's a bit complicated. For starters Collins is recovering from a major knee injury. And then there's growing issues developing behind the scenes at Upton Park. Alan Curbishley is saying one thing, the owners are saying something else and you get the feeling West Ham isn't the happiest gaff in the East End. Mind you the Hammers have recently brought in centre-halves so don't be surprised to see Albion agree a loan deal there at some stage.

However, since you started reading this blog, something somewhere might have changed. A player may have signed a contract or might have jumped into his car to go elsewhere or even failed a medical. Perhaps all four will sign, perhaps none of them will. There is still some way to go.

Like I say, nothing surprises me these days.

In the meantime I'm off to find some industrial boots ready for tomorrow's visit to the Halfords Lane. That's Halfords Lane Stand, as in, definitely NOT the West Stand.