As we look forward to tomorrow’s game at Barnsley I want to pick up on something that many of my fellow Baggie fans are mentioning to me (especially Deano), writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
The team are playing some fantastic entertaining football and it is great to see the fans responding.
The home games against Cardiff and Burnley witnessed us having to come from behind to get a result, and what was so pleasing was the reaction of the fans.
The atmosphere being generated at the Hawthorns this season has been electric and I feel the fans need to be congratulated on our collective efforts.
Yes of course it helps when you have a team that you feel can pull it back, even at 3-1 down with 15 minutes left, but the fans support is adding to the players confidence and belief.
Personally I prefer to sit in the Smethwick End, and have always felt it is the most vocal support we have, but in recent weeks all four stands are really getting behind the team and it is fantastic.
A number of the players and Tony Mowbray himself has commented on the performance of the fans recently, and although our gates have been a little disappointing considering our league position and style of football.
I almost feel that if they are not going to add anything to the atmosphere (ie the prawn sandwich brigade) I am happy for them to stay away.
Our away support has been excellent this season as normal, but it has been the change at home which has really been noticeable.
On many occasions last season I felt that the atmosphere was little flat, but that may have been a consequence of the hangover we suffered from relegation.
I just feel that everything is combining together to make this a memorable season, the team is winning playing stylish football, the fans are rallying behind them, and the players are all describing a real feel good factor within the team and club.
You often hear managers talking about the crowd being the twelfth man, and in the past we have been guilty of not producing the same kind of atmosphere you get when visiting other teams stadium that have in attendance a lot less fans.
I am a firm believer in the reaction of the crowd transferring to the players on the pitch, but also vice versa.
I think fans can feel a real affection towards this current squad of players and with no sign of our previous prima donnas the volume of support is growing with every game.
So there you go, it may not mean much to you, but I am hereby applauding you and giving you my thanks.
We now have three league games at home after our trip to Barnsley and a real opportunity to cement our position at the top, and with all of our help we can keep the Hawthorns rocking and the team on top form.
Boing boing.
Albion fans, what do you think? Have you say below
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17 Comments
Jarrod
Morning mate, hope you are in fine fettle. Another fine Blog!
Unfortunately the kind of football we are being served up this season means that we have mainly a subdued atmosphere at Molineux.
Goals and entertainment are in short supply, and the crowd do try to get behind the boys, but when the football isn’t great it can be disheartening.
I can already see next season’s banter on the horizon…. you being a Premiership team playing Liverpool in Dubai and Man Utd on the Moon and laughing at us playing Stockport, at Stockport.
Because Albion are doing so well you also seem to have some good karma going on with the responses to your blog. I just seem to be another vehicle that the unhappy Wanderers can throw a mouldy apple at to ease some of their tension.
Anyway mate, good luck for the rest of the season. And now that Hartson has hung up his spurs, what the hell are your fans going to find to grumble at?
Cheers, Nath.
Will be there at Barnsley to see our first win there for apparantly 61 years, and again on Tuesday to see us beat a team beginning with S and wearing red and white stripes !!!!!!!!!! Best team and best football I have seen for years. Cant help but cheer them on. TM is my hero !!!!!!!
Jarrod.
Up to the usual high standard. Bearing in mind the relative crowd sizes, the last two games has been the best support I can remember and I go back to 1961. I’m only talking home support as the away support has always been fantastic. This brings me to my point. In my teens and twenties, going up with a gang of mates we’d sing all the way through. As you get older some of your mates stop goung, you get split up by the all seater stadium and find yourself sitting in an area where no one else is singing. Being older your to self-conscious to be the only one. Now the whole ground, young and old is rocking it’s great. Let’s support the lads all the way to the greed league and show the prawn sandwich munchers what an atmosphere should be like.
PS. Considering yesterdays soul destroying news, perhaps the next blog should be about The Prem and the new owners killing our beloved game.
Good Blog Jarrod
I don’t know how 1 year can make so much difference…but it has!! The feel good factor buzzing around everybody & everything that is linked with West Bromwich Albion is amazing, the excitement we now feel for every game and as you mentioned the feeling of when we are behind even by 2 goals everyone believes we can still get something out of the game, how many teams can say that?. I agree that the support is a massive plus not so much this season but over the last month or so at home (we all know away support is always fantastic), it begins mainly with the Smethwick, then you see it gradly grow(I watch for clapping hands) around the Halfords (yep they have got batteries this season) East Stand and then onto the Brummie.
We are getting to a point in the season when if we continue in the same vain we are in now the Hawthorns will draw more people in and the atmosphere will be electric.
Well if I and you and HB and Forever and Cyril and Frank and everybody else on here continue singing our songs from which ever part of the ground we are positioned who knows what confidence we can make spill onto the pitch. Keep it up lads!! as many would say “BOING BOING”
Hi Real Bully,
Maybe when selling tickets they could ask whether you would like to sit in Singing or non singing seat??
Then with a mini stage in the ticket office you could get up and sing, we could then grade everyone and assemble the whole crowd like a choir.
Thanks for the idea on next weeks blog, i notice the Wolves blogger (Nathan) is getting berated most weeks for his blogs, and like i have posted on their page i find it amazing. We do it because we love our respective clubs, and although it is unpaid, i love doing it. As for material for the blog all ideas are greatly appreciated, along with a few beers before games it has become part of our pre-match ritual!!!
Jarrod, good blog..I myself am 54yrs old and sit in the Halfords close to the Smethwick with my 2 kids and brother,we sing our hearts out and that starts the people around us off as well. I must say the majority of fans in our area are quite mature but hey we give it a go.I hope the concentration levels of the team stay focused as this is the only way to proceed..BOING BOING
We’d all like to write our own reviews.
Hi Jarrod,
I think we should be known as the 13th man….
12th man is definately Tony Mowbray ! Rarely does a manager have such an impact at a football club.
Although he is happy to sit on the sidelines and doesn’t feel the need to be shouting and bawling at the players, his impact is there for all to see in every game.
7 realist - you CAN write your own reviews pal - its called blogging, and there is one on your pages too - although the content is somewhat different to ours.
Do wolves get to choose their seats from booing and non booing ??
8.
Hahaha.
In all seriousness, from what i’ve heard off mates who’re Albion fans, they reckon the atmosphere has been good and like to let me know, particularly as they’ve had lots of stick over the years about the atmosphere.
So fair plays to you and it no doubt is a better atmosphere than down at our place at the moment.
I rate Jarrod as a blogger, I do think today’s is a bit boring, as it’s a good point but how you drag patting yourself on the back for a whole blog is a little strange. However on a quiet week I do understand the difficulty in coming up with stuff to write and it’s not that easy.
when TM arrived i somehow sensed the difference between him and the last few managers . the man is a genius. JP— offer him the earth to keep him or else one of the big boys will be sniffing around at the end of the season.
great at the moment but what if we dont get promotion this year,we are west brom after all! the players and mangaers may go to pastures new(hope not) but the fans will still be there,all footie clubs have loyal fans,personaly i cant afford to go to the moon to watch us play,but at least we know there will be no atmosphere there!!! hahah
No 11.”i cant afford to go to the moon to watch us play,but at least we know there will be no atmosphere there!!! hahah” That med me loff! Nothing’s guaranteed in football, no point going otherwise, but we all want the gaffer to stay regardless of what happens this season. Promotion is a bonus, but the football QUALITY is what keeps me happy. I’ve seen the best and the worst since 1944 and this man is up there with the best there is anywhere! It takes enormous courage to play open, attacking football in what was a kick-and-rush League, but we’ll be more prepared than most if we make it. My wish is that opposition fans take note and DEMAND that their managers do likewise. Then the England team will benefit too. The Messiah has arrived, where are the disciples?
Mark 11 - thats always the problem isn’t it - we can’t hope to attract / retain the best people if we don’t progress. TM will want to ply his trade in the Prem - as will the best players.
If we fail to make it then we can’t expect to keep hold of everyone - but because we HAVE got these people now, i fully expect us to get there this year.
Your point about us being “Albion afer all” made me shudder - but then i remembered we are NEW Albion - the bad old days are behind us now. We still make things difficult - but we now have real winners at the club.
LOVIN IT !
As a blogger, on the whole,Jarrod does a damn fine job.
However, he has more than one worthy substitute if he fails to deliver the goods.
The knowledge of two in particular, Cyril Randle & Happy_baggie, far outweighs that of a majority of the knuckledraggingbackstabbingbellyachingwhineingwhiningwolvesfans!
I would also like to offer my apologies to anyone I offended yesterday when suggesting West Brom should supply coaches for Home games.
Wolves should’ve & could’ve done the same for the fans wishing to go to the Cardiff FA Cup game!
Kent - Many thanks - but I don’t think the E&S would want me as an official blogger.
For one thing i think I have upset too many wolves fans to ever get a sensible debate going - only a few people are able to see past all the hatered to enjoy the banter.
Also, like Jarrod, I would have to reveal my true identity - a definate no-no given my relationship with some of your breatheren.
I am quite happy to offer my tuppence worth to Jarrod’s bloggs (which I always enjoy) and to the other stories that appear on here.(although a “happy hour” blogg would be a good title)
But thanks for the mention - i feel quite overcome…
15 Happy_baggie:-
“I would have to reveal my true identity…..”
ME, I ain’t bovvered.
1st name Dave 2nd Webb
cagga1 at hotmail dot com
Kent - but you ain’t got LCW and sandwell massive looking for ya - plus you live in Kent !!
Only joking - but i still don’t feel inclined to “reveal all”…