It is on its way, the next installment in the thrilling drama which is West Brom versus Wolves, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
The hairs stand up on the back of my neck just thinking about it, no other game comes close to it for sheer atmosphere.
This is the 155th meeting of the two teams, and the game just gets bigger and bigger, both teams have designs on automatic promotion, and separated by just four points head into the game both on good form.
The previous 154 games have seen Albion win 61; Wolves win 52, and 41 ending in draws, (in all competitions).
With only a third of the season gone, I recently heard a so called pundit say that the result of this match will have only a small bearing on the season as a whole.
Try telling that to any Albion or Wolves fan, yes there is only three points up for grabs, and win, lose, or draw, it will neither make nor break either team’s season.
However, when going into work on Monday morning it will make all the difference to every Baggie and Wanderer.
Last season will live long in the memory for every Albion fan, five meetings, four wins, but the best derby game in my opinion came on 5th September 1993.
The game had everything, goals, bite, dodgy decisions, and an atmosphere that crackled.
Wolves took the lead through a certain Mr Bull, then Paul Raven headed in a Donovan cross at the Smethwick End and the Hawthorns started to rock.
Then came the best goal I have seen in a Black Country derby, the ball was squared 25 yards out to Darren Bradley who hit it with swerve and power into the far top corner.
The look on Bradders face said everything most fans were thinking, (sorry not printable).
Wolves pushed for an equaliser, and were rewarded when Geoff Thomas bundled home.
The game was going end to end in search of a winner, and it duly came when a deep cross found Donovan free in the box, he planted his header in the back of the net and the Hawthorns went bananas.
Many fans actually feared the stands were going to collapse under the boinging, but hey, what a way to go.
A great game, and a great result, oh boy, there go the hairs on the back off my neck again.
Baggies fans what do you think? Have your say below
36 Comments
Jarrod - you got my hairs standing up too reliving that great Derby - I was in the BRE for that game and its was the greatest feeling to be jumping up and down with my bretheren following Donovans goal.
And yes - Bradders goal was something else….
Just a point to the wolfies - I see we are winning the derbies 61 / 52 - so tell me again about living in your shadow….
Sooooo excited about the 25th - I can never enjoy these games until we are 3 up with a minute to go but wouldn’t miss em for the world.
The 61/52 is a stat for us locals to pnder over. It’s the other stats or trophies that make you live in our shadow.
Anyway this is about your memories of derby day! Enjoy while you can
61/53 next Sunday!
2 - unusual combination, bitter AND twisted. Which stats do you refer to - is it your record in the 4th div or the freight rover ?
I for one don’t give a fig about stats - particularly the ones from before i was born… but too many wolves fans try to dismiss last seasons results as meaning nothing because we didn’t go up or win the FA cup.
Lets see if it means nothing if the impossible happens and you beat us on the 25th - I bet you will all be here saying “it means nothing without promotion…”
Derbys are special - we are two teams with not too much to crow about now so these games mean SO much to us - it hurts like hell to lose and (to quote Jackie wilson) its the sweetest feeling to win… and we have all tasted both (unless you are 5 years old).
Another great memory - possibly my most significant was the Jordao goal at the Molly that put us on our way to promotion.
all i remeber is a huge goal mouth scramble and then a leg popping up from the pile to knock it in… uproar !!!
Oh - and Keith Curle scoring that own goal - he became a cult (?) hero at the Albion after that.
HAPPY
tell you what was even better…when he scored that over head kick literally 2 minutes after a horrendous foul on a wolves guy and he should have been sent off!
LOL good form, we will eat and spit out the dingles big timr next sunday, They are just lucky to be where they are 5-0 to us….Boing boing
The thing is, West Brom and Wolves are so similar in stature it is scary. Yes Wolves have won the league twice compared to our once, and we have won the fa cup five time compared to their four. Both grounds hold similar numbers, average gates are very similar each and every season.
Both clubs have the same aspirations, and we are seperated by 6miles.
So it is not that surprising that we have become each others foe.
But i tell you this, i would not want to live in a world without Wolves, because these games are just fantastic, the banter, the gripes,the build up, everything.
Wonder what the odds are on us drawing Wolves again in the FA Cup.
1-Happy
Couldn’t care less if you’d won every game we’ve ever played, as long as we are more successfull.
Bomber,i like you alot and i have the utmost respect for you,but,i must place on record that the wolves are a much bigger club than WBA.If you look at the history between the 2 clubs there is a big difference.3 1st div titles vs 1 for WBA.
2 league cups VS 1 FOR wba.
Pioneers of european football in the 50s.
UEFA cup finalists in 1972.
I give you respect WBA 5 FA cup wins vs 4 for the wolves.
As for size of gates wolves have always been a bigger pull than WBA.
100 goals in 4 consecutive seasons.
Biggest british transfer fee for andy gray for 1.79m.
1st player to win 100 caps for england(god bless you billy wright)
Div 2 winners 2 times.
Div 3 winners 2 times.
Div 4 winners once(and before any wba fan comes on here and takes the p*ss you go through what we went through under the bhatti regime and see how you come through it)
What i am saying is fair play to wba,the last 5 years you have done much better than the wolves,but you need to realise that when(and it is only when)wolves get out of this horrible league we will go on to be a very BIG club again,especially with the fan base we have and our new owner.MARK MY WORDS WOLVES WILL BE A BIG BIG CLUB AGAIN.
RealistWolves
Haha you might wanna change ur name to BS-Wolves, of course ud be bothered if u never beat us, and as for wolves being successful….virtual reality?
too much playstation for you matey!
2- If we live in your shadow, and we’re smaller and less significant than you, then why are you you even on here? & why is this such a big game for you?
You can manipulate your stats all you like, but we don’t live in your shadow and never will.
What if we talked about number of years in the top flight,
trophies won in different decades,
comparative success in relation to town population or
head-to-head record?
If having a few good seasons in the 50’s makes you a bigger club than us, then it makes Blackburn Rovers a massive club for winning a few cups in the 1880’s
Great blog Bomber.
Wasn’t the 1st goal from a Daryl Burgess cross though? I seem to remember Donovan following in and barging into Paul Blades before celebrating in front of the Wolves fans. That’s Paul Blades, central defensive partner of ONE Mark Venus. Funny how things turn out!!
12 who mentioned living in shadows? I don’t think i did, check out 1, i just agreed with his statement.
Good blog bomber, an interesting read!
I agree with bombers comment about not wanting a world without albion, it is good to have the rivalry aspect, something to look forward to!
10- Steve Foster said
‘As for size of gates wolves have always been a bigger pull than WBA.’
Check your stats Steve…..
Wolves record attendance 61,315
Wolves record league attendance 58,661 (against Albion of all people!!)
Albion record attendance 64,815
Albion record league attendance 60,945
Wolverhampton population 236,600
West Bromwich population 136,940
Number of competitor clubs within 5 miles of ground:
Wolves 0
Albion 3 (a familiar scoreline)
We could always bring up Bury in 1985/86 if you want to bring up attendances………4,017.
If we were insignificant, you wouldn’t be bothered, but the fact you’re here means we mean something to you, so your ‘bigger’ arguments just don’t wash!!
I think the Play Off game at Molineux last year was one of the best derbies i’ve seen - fantastic game. The 3-0 victories were wonderful but hopelessly one sided - as was the return play off match at the Albion. But that first leg - super game.
The 3-2 ‘Bradley screamer, Donovan winner’ match was unforgettable though. Remember the tv footage of Kev goading a Wolves player with the 3-2 scoreline? Wonderful stuff!
And to quote the commentator following Bradley’s rocket: “It’s a bit early for goal of the season but there’s a contender! Pick that one out!”
A very clever man once told me, that football is only one point in time, and it is pointless looking back. What he meant is that here and now is more important to any fan than something that happened last season, last decade, last century, and i think that is the real beauty of football.
You could be stuffed 5-0 by your local rivals, but there is always next week, next season, the next promotion, the next Cup, the next big signing.
I have never been one that gloats too much, because next game or next season the shoe is on the other foot.
Steve Foster, i have obviously touched a raw nerve, and your futile attempt to argue who is the bigger club amused me.
Disraeli once said, “there are lies, damn lies and statistics”.
Personally i think the blog i have written above is rubbish, but i was asked to write about derby day memories.
I prefer to look forward, and look forward i do, to playing the Wolves, hopefully getting promoted, and then enjoying myself in the Prem.
If it does not happen, well there is always next season, (the beauty of football).
All these stats, I feel a headache coming on.
To be honest - who cares about them ? I certainly don’t.
Derby days are special, and very often (just like cup matches) History, stats and current form can count for nothing.
On the face of it, Baggies should have the upper hand based on recent encounters and current form - but in football and in particular local derbies,you never know…….
It is just two matches in the league fixtures, but I genuinly hope that whatever happens, both teams can mount a successful promotion challenge and get to where both teams deserve to be - in the Premier.
WHO CARES!!!!!!!! whether its a local derby or a team from the north v a team from the south!.
All this stuff 9 days 4 hours 15 seconds utter nonsense.
Its just another game the winner gets 3 points the loser 0 points and 1 a piece if they draw.
Birchland Wolf - never thought I’d say this about a Wolves fan, but you speak complete sense. This derby belongs in the Prem, and who knows, just maybe next season…..
Apologies for the endless stats, I was just trying to defend my club in a hopelessly one-eyed and irrational manner that I couldn’t possibly incorporate into regular daily life (another beautiful part of the game).
I agree with you Bomber in that the present is always more significant than the past, but like you say, we’re both huge clubs with a wonderful past, and I don’t think we should dismiss that.
More worryingly, what does the future hold?! I can’t see either of us adding to that list of trophies anytime in the next 50 years!!
it amazes me to this day the amount of wolves fans that say “i dont care, as long as we go up and they stay down ill be happy”.
this is utter rubbish in my opinion. i sincerely hope that we’re having these derbies in the premiership asap - they are wonderfuly gut wrenching games to be at.
19 - Woodycorner
Thanks, we are two clubs with the same ambitions and two sets of great fans.
I agree with Bombers sentiments, but Warren, you are a football fan, you have to dream of something better than nothing for 50 years! - its what keeps us all going.
22- Birchland,
I hope so, but only Everton (1995 FA Cup) and Blackburn (Premiership) outside the top 4 have won either of the main competitions in the last 15 years!! (Sorry, more stats, should concentrate on getting a girlfriend)
We’ve both had that Premiership ‘dream’ in recent years, what can we realistically hope to achieve?
I hope I’m wrong.
At least (in the owrds of Kenny Rogers), we’ll always have each other!!
Warren, see where you are coming from, but there is hope.
Until recently, we were talking of a top two ( Arsenal and Man U), now its a top four and in four years time , who knows, a top eight with Wolves and Baggies included?
Yep, I am an optomist, but I look at clubs like Portsmouth to see what could be possible and ignore clubs like Leeds - I think that both our clubs are being run correctly at the moment.
Mate wolves record attendance is 68,000 against liverpool
Ouchhh love it x
UP THE WOLVES
last seasons matches against the dingles yeeeeeea
25- Dingle Shandee
We’re both big clubs, it’s a facile debate admittedly……..
BUT
check your own website mate!!
Birchland, I admire your optimism, and hope that you’re right.
The only worry is that even with a top 8 spot, you’re looking at UEFA Cup football in mostly half-empty stadia. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Albion in Prague, Munich or Rome!!!
I think the only real hope is that the financial bubble well and truly bursts and we all get back to a more-level playing field!!
I say that for both Albion and Wolves, it would be nice to see us both in the top flight again!!
I was thinking about the Albion in the bath last night… yes I’m that sad, and was musing over what sort of team is most likely to beat us.
Earlier this season we were fearful of the more physical teams - the type to kick you off the park. We feared that our flair players and some of our foreign imports would not stand up to this type of game.
But then we played Stoke - and whilst we only got a draw, we saw a new steel to the team - lead by Texeira - which stunned many fans.
Since then we have played and beat Scunny away & brought in Cesar at the back to tighten things up and then played Watford away - and our result there further proved our new fighting spirit.
We have also played more footballing teams like Ipswich and whilst the scoreline flattered us - 4-0 is 4-0….
So, (and I’ve nearly finished), what sort of team is likely to beat us these days - and is there one in this division ?
I know we will still lose games cos there will always be a luck factor - but who can stop us getting promoted now ?
I’d rather Wolves & Albion were in the Prem instead of Blues & Villa.
Simon
Happy Boggie your in a world of your own……dream on looser
My dads bigger than yours….
….since when has how many fans you got had anything to do with success (wigan currently enjoying 3rd consecutive prem season..etc..leeds & forest in REAL 3rd div..and not that long ago man city & sheff wed also..)
Someone mentioned Blackburn winning the prem a few years back… now theres a club who would love to have the level of support wba & wolves enjoy! - but what would we give to see either a wolves or albion captain lifting the prem trophy!
Lets face it both clubs are simular size, have fantastic history & traditions, a great rivalry and both founding football league members, but equally have fans with high expectations who can (yes, admit it!) make it difficult for either team to play at home when going through a poor season. We might not like each other - but were remarkedly alike no matter how much we deny it!
The fact is that being a football fan makes all of us deranged! I once heard a Spurs fan say this “If Spurs were playing Arsenal every minute of every day and for every minute of every day Arsenal were beating Spurs,Spurs are still better than Arsenal! This is how we all think and no amount of winding up,spitting blood,etc will change it.
Happy - bet the water was cold after all that !
Birchland - I was abit wrinkly… (sorry, too much info…)