We are all hoping we can get some good fortune, with injuries piling up, fixtures piling up, and the small matter of our biggest cup game for years, many fans are reaching for their lucky pants, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
The world of football is surrounded by individual superstitions. Players, managers, and fans all have their own rituals or articles of clothing which they deem to be lucky.
For years I had some lucky green football socks, which mysteriously went missing after a charity clothing collection, but the wife swears she did not put them in.
My dad has his lucky pants, it was a bit disturbing when he sat through the Bristol Rovers game with them on his head, but when we won I was happy for him to continue.
I remember the first season we went up under Megson, my mate swore his shirt was lucky and refused to wash it, with every game it got grubbier and by the end of the season it stunk like a brewery, but with each win we all agreed it would be foolish to risk washing it.
My uncle John has a very bizarre superstition, if he sees a nun on the way to a game, we lose, and that is just plain weird.
This is what supporting your team does to people; it turns normal people into irrational superstitious crack in the pavement hopping fools.
We do it because of some inane fear that we may do something to harm our team’s chances of winning, it’s mad; we all know it’s mad, but so many of us do it.
It sounds strange but I view it with affection, in some neurotic way it displays how much we care about our team and I just love hearing about people’s pre-match rituals, or ways in which they ascertain whether we will win or lose.
Please feel free to let me know yours below.
Onto today’s game, we have had some good results in recent times down at Charlton and if we can get three points it really would make this GOOD Friday.
Injuries are hitting us hard and with Barnett out Mowbray needs to decide who partners Albrechsten in the centre of defence and who plays on the left hand side of midfield.
I have heard many ideas for covering the absence of Brunt, Morrison and Tex, a popular one is the idea of Miller playing there as he has previous experience of this position with Manchester City.
I agree that it would offer us another option going forward but would his work rate be good enough in a defensive capacity?
It is a problem Mowbray needs to solve, until we see the return of Brunt we are losing a very strong part of our game, and in my opinion a key reason to our recent slump in form.
It is pointless to state what a huge game this is as all of our remaining fixtures are huge games, so with my uncle blindfolded, my dad’s unusual headwear, everything crossed, and all magpies shot, we can say we have done all that we can, now its over to you baggie boys.
Albion fans have your say below
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15 Comments
You always think some think is lucky when you win but this time you will need a miracle to go along with it.You have always struggled against premier class opposition thats why you are called the yoyo,s.
Hi Bomber - a nice blogg mate, this is what football is all about - passion and superstitions.
Judging by our season so far, your dad must have been wearing pants on his head since August last year !!
I don’t have any rituals - but have you read Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch ?? There is an excellent example of this when they throw sugar mice into the road… maybe he explains it better than I.
I think we have enough options in midfield without needing to pull Miller back… my formation would be Gera Jonno Koren Kim. We also have Pele if we need to protect the defence more.
I think I would play Pele behind the defence and maybe go one up front today - with a view to changing it if neccessary.
charlton 2-boggies 0.
Yippeeeeee - our lucky mascot is back - we are gonna win now big IQ has given us the benefit of his prediction….
I’m guessing you have never won the pools - I’m right aint I.
Is everyone else suprised that he’s predicted a baggies loss ??? Who’d have thought it - not that your predictable or anything…
…and of course 2 should read “play Pele behind the midfield” - behind the defence sounds like the wolves formation at the Hawthorns earlier this year….
Hi Jarrod
I am an analytical person, so i find the whole
superstitious thing, bizarre in the extreme.
And the fact that we never lose, if i wear odd socks, my shirt inside out, and park in the same spot at Sandwell Park golf club……err.
Just thought…..your uncle John……bloody good job he doesn`t support Roma or Lazio int it.
If i can backtrack a little,
i read your blog on Tuesday but didn`t have time to post due to w**k.
I noticed you are suffering the same bout of pessimism….40 odd years a Baggie has taken it`s toll.
Jarrod, sorry mate,
that of course should have read,
the same bout of pessimism as myself.
Happy baggie you say what you like about the game at the hawthorns and we were the ebtter side that day had the better chances and should of won, you had a penalty which never of should been given and still missed it!
LUCKY PANTS.. to a baggie fan, doesn’t that mean a clean pair!!.
only joking jarrod, hope you’ve got a red and white scarf ready to cheer the boys on today. just think, when we beat qpr tomorrow we’ll only be 2 points behind you!!
makin’ the play offs the mcarthy way..in style of course..oh! yes.
THE SOUTHBANK.. BARMY ARMY!!!
SUPER MICK MCARTHY.
Laughingwolf
My version of events is slightly different to yours.
I thought Albion bossed the first half,
and the roles were reversed in the second.
Wolves had a lot of possession in that period,
but our goalkeeper was mainly employed collecting through ball that consistently missed their target.
And in all honesty, i have yet to speak to a Wolves fan who questioned the validity of the penalty.
Regards.
8 laughingwolf. Another example of poor education quote ‘and should of won’. Why do so many write down what they think they hear ? (Should have, abbreviated to should’ve, but written down as should of) this really annoys me. Then to make things worse, quote ‘never of should been given’ HELP
Get an eduction. Learn to write and speak English properly before you publish crap in a public domain. It’s embarrassing !
11.French Baggie
Why do people persist on coming on here to discuss syntax and abbreviation?
It’s a football discussion. If someone makes a couple of spelling mistakes, then so what? As long as their point is put across then does it really matter what their level of eloquence is?
Great blog by the way Jarrod, very passionate!
I’ve posted my biggest ever blog today but I think the combination of the length of it and the fact its Good Friday, has meant that interest will probably be quite low.
Looking forward to seeing you soon for the Black Country Derby Debate!
I don’t have any quirky superstitions, I think! But it’s like when teams have their ‘bogey team’. It get’s me so annoyed; it’s almost as if they are not expected to win….are we a bogey team to anyone else? Hmmmm if so, I hope it’s Charlton
Yeah I know but it’s different if it’s that way round.
Last comment. We are e a bogey team to teams that wear sky blue. Man city and coventry. I myself dont have a specific superstition, just loads of things cross my mind before a big game. And match facts and history make me think a lot about the game.
danobaggs…Thanks for that. I have a friend of a friend who designs football gear. I will have to tell him to suggest sky blue for all the Premiership teams we are to face next season