Exocets, sheds, Amstrad computers and Boing FC
ALL of this business between Celtic and Albion is, let's be honest, all a little tedious.
It got me thinking to the last (surviving) Albion boss to quit B71 for another club. Ossie Ardiles.
Who could forget?
There was none of the carefully worded blandness from Albion or the cloak-and-dagger stealth tactics of Celtic.
It was open warfare. And it was all marvellously undignified.
Spurs chairman Sir Alan Sugar, back in the days when he was just Alan, made no secret of his desire to bring Ossie to White Hart Lane.
His Albion counterpart was a good old-fashioned Black Country bloke called Trevor Summers.
He wasn't a stockbroker, not in the slightest bit posh by all accounts, but he was very, very robust. If you lived in West Bromwich and needed a shed then he was your man.
And, step aside Apprentice wannabes, he took on Sugar. Head on.
I can only envy my predecessors who were drip-fed quotes by the steaming Summers about 'Exocet' missiles being despatched down the M1 to 'blow up' Amstrad computers.
These days it's the same old problem for Albion but how times were different back then.
What on earth did Sir Alan make of it all?
To hell with class, grace and decorum. Albion v Spurs in 1993 - now that was a proper saga.
*AWAY from the fun and games, our friends at Boing FC have their IFA semi-final this Saturday against Newcastle (at NUFC's training ground)
The Albion fans beat Sheffield United (2-1), Torquay United (2-0) and Millwall 2-1 to reach the last four.
The winners of our semi final meet Preston North End who are current League Champions 09, North West Cup winners 09 & Worldnet 08 winners.
The final will be played at Leeds university (Boddington Halls) on the Friday 24th July, which is also the weekend of Worldnet 09.
Good luck lads.
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Chris Lepkowski - Mail man Chris Lepkowski’s view of what’s going on at West Bromwich Albion FC.
I must admit I'm concerned by the links with McInnes. I know he's got St Johnstone promoted to the SPL, but that doesn't make him ready to not only get Albion (hopefully) promoted but to also manage them in the Premiership just 12 months later. I think it's too soon and in all honesty we (as fans) wouldn't even be backing him had he not done such a fantastic job as captain. Remember the last hero ex-player we brought back as manager - Bryan Robson. No need to elaborate on that!
For me, we need a manager with experience at both our current level and the Prem, so Alan Curbishley or Steve Coppell would be top of my list. Both have taken clubs of Albion's size to the Premiership and kept them there without big spending sugar daddies. Good as Mowbray was (is), even he admitted that his lack of experience of managing in the Prem contributed to us failing to stay up.
We need to think about the bigger picture if we want to compete and stay at the top level and that means sentiment going out of the window and doing what is the best thing for the club.
Young Fergie for me. Sure he lacks top flight experience but i'm sure he could lean on Daddy for a few tips.
Other than Ferguson, Coppel or Mcinnes would be decent appointments though as CP says above, Mcinnes would be a bit of a gamble.