Every flipping time it's you

"Every flipping time it's you...every flipping time it's you."

Only, without wishing to mis-quote Steve Bruce, the word wasn't 'flipping', although it did start with an F.

Those were the words of the then Blues manager about a certain reporter, who covers the Daily Mirror in the Midlands, after the tabloid writer had upset him, yet again.

It seems this particular journalist has got the bit between his teeth about Albion's decision to welcome Roman Bednar back into the club following his three month ban.

He is so upset by Bednar's return that he compared his plight to that of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi. Call me a bit picky but I don't recall Bednar being found guilty for the death of 270 people.

His latest rant has a dig at the 'local press' - I'm assuming he means me - for apparently not giving Bednar a hard time, this being his second rant in under a week against the Czech international striker.

Personally, I didn't give Bednar a hard time because I felt he'd been stupid - but had served his ban so, by my reckoning, was free to resume his career. And when we did get round to interviewing Bednar, myself and two colleagues did ask awkward questions of him. Bednar answered them. My job is to inform our readers of Albion news - rather than stitch footballers up and spin their words into dramatic headlines.

This tabloid reporter wouldn't know any of this as he wasn't wasn't there when we conducted the interview.

But we shouldn't be too surprised. This is the same journalist who has fallen out with, or upset, Martin O'Neill, Milan Mandaric, Karren Brady, Tony Mowbray, Billy Davies, Alex McLeish among others. His is an impressive roll-call. He was once told by Mick McCarthy: 'you know what..you just write what you want to write...you normally do' when he had tried, and failed, to put words into the mouth of the Wolves boss.

One high-profile ex-Albion player, now playing elsewhere in the region, warned his team-mates to beware of anything they said to this journalist having himself previously been stung by a story. I recall that particular story being lifted from the pages of the Birmingham Mail and spun into something more sinister - Tony Mowbray had claimed that the summer was a difficult time for players and managers because agents were often 'hawking their players around clubs trying to get the best deals'. Two days later that story, lifted by this particular reporter, appeared in his newspaper as 'Mowbray blasts XXXX (player's name) for hawking himself around other clubs'. Which he hadn't done.

It seems James Nursey, the reporter in question, has now built up quite a 'cult following' among Albion fans following his boorish rants against Bednar, a player who, to his credit, has shown remorse and apologised for his foolish actions.

You won't be surprised to know that Nursey didn't show up at The Hawthorns for Saturday's game against Plymouth. That's a shame because quite a few supporters had congregated around the media entrance to speak to him about his comments.

Still, fear not, I hear he'll be there for tomorrow's game versus Doncaster Rovers...