Albion defender Carl Hoefkens insists he was misquoted by a news agency that claimed he described West Bromwich as poverty-stricken.
Hoefkens says quotes he gave to the Belgian media were “messed up” when they were translated for use in an English tabloid.
The English paper claimed Hoefkens had described West Bromwich as “a grey, industrial city with a lot of poverty” and Albion as an “outcasts’ club”.
But in his Albion internet blog Hoefkens said: “I have to say my new ambition after football is to become a translator after some things I said in the Belgian press got messed up when they were printed over here.”
The Belgian international is set to return to action today when the Baggies take on Charlton at The Valley.
He has missed the last three matches with a hamstring injury.
He said: “I came through training okay and I’m fit and available for selection against Charlton.
“The gaffer didn’t want to risk me against Leicester on Saturday. My hamstring wasn’t quite 100 per cent right,but now I’ve had a week of training, I’m ready to go.
“It was frustrating having to sit and watch the Leicester game.
“We looked good in the first half hour but a game can turn really quickly.
“Leicester gave it everything they had because they are in a relegation fight.
“It is going to be a massive game for us because Charlton are struggling and we haven’t done so well over the last couple of games.
“It’s a big game for both sides because the teams behind us are creeping up.
“But the two at the top can’t seem to run away, either. It’s just about us now and if we win every game we will be top of the league.
“It’s going to be very hard but that has to be our goal.
“Hopefully, we can make a good start and keep the Addicks fans quiet to give us a platform to win the game.
“We still believe in each other and what we’re doing.”
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20 Comments
There is another platform for Wolves fans to take a pop….were waiting
he wasn’t telling the truth.it’s much worse than that.outcasts?well there a club nobody cares about,i suppose.
1. What like you lot would if one of our players had said this?
I’m not gonna bother mate, you’ll only get Saddo terry responding with some stupid sentence.
what do you expect no difference if the boot was on the other foot any way its only lowly sandwell town WOLVES FOREVER
It always makes me laugh when you lot have the audacity to call Wolves fans ‘Dingles’! You lot are dingles personified just like your back peddling players seem to think!!!
have you walked through wset bromwich lately? everything he has said is true?
even your players think your an outcast of a club, boing boing splat splat!!
Hello, west brom is bad - but have you walked through wolverhampton - I dare you in the day time let alone night time. Pikey - dingles
really sad times when your own players slate the area and the club
A grey, industrial city with a lot of poverty.
A fair assumption….years ago.
Though seeing how Tipton has changed in the 7 years I’ve been down here, even I can see that Sandwell as a borough is in the middle of Urban regeneration beyond belief.
Gone are Tipton Gasworks (and the Little Burton Estate), The Bean,FH Lloyds & the Brymill to name a few,to be replaced with nice new houses.
I’ve driven through the suburbs of Brugges, Ostend & Brussels & they are not perfect.
So for Mr Hoefkens to criticise West Brom is well out of order!
It’s no worse than his home country.
kent wolf,i bet the people who lost there jobs in those factorys & are now unemployed,love people like you.
rowley,wolves:
What odds you offering?
I was made redundant from the Brymill in 1980 & managed to find alternative employment.
Life goes on, just like it did when the Patent Shaft, London Works Steel & the Round Oak closed.
Their are more people working on the old Round Oak site now then there ever was.
Locals know it as the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
In that respect, you would quite easily lose your bet!
What odds you offering?
10. Rowley
Happen to think that they feel much the same as those that worked at Good Year and British Steel.
Kent Wolf: you are dead right. Give me West Brom over Brussels any day.
He is spot on West Brom is a right dump, the only good thing is the baggies. Can anyone honestly call West Brom anything other than grey and depressing? Besides have you seen his mrs???
I’d love to hear what he had to say about stoke!! Mind i cant be alone in thinking that he owes us a performance, i havent seen him have a good game for us yet! Where’s this solid, quick full back that loves to get forward? Did we sign the right player? Weak in the air, too easy to get past and forget attacking!
What’s the fuss. Areas of West Brom are like this, as are lots of areas of the West Midlands including Birmingham and Wolverhampton. We’ve been badly hit by unemployment and a Home Counties based Government that doesn’t care. This is nothing to be ashamed of, angry yes ashamed no. This isn’t a party political, whichever party you vote for the Government always gets in. Let’s get behind having all our teams in the Prem. At least it’s a start
A Lancashire newspaper had the audacity to call our accent ‘Ridiculous’ just after we played Blackpool. This from an area that produced George Formby, Frank Randle, Gracie Fields, all famous for a daft accent and acting daft. Now you lot are even quarrelling about whether West Brom is a bigger dump than Wolverhampton! We ALL have accents, just listen to Neville Chamberlain’s speech after his return from Munich. Every vowel he uses is distorted, just like we do here and all over the English-speaking world. But he was POSH, so that’s all right then. The Black Country helped to put the ‘GREAT into Britain once, our heritage came from smoke, dirt, bloody hard graft and slums. WE can insult each other, but just let anybody else try it! WE are family, (except on the football field so watch out you Wulfies).
Cyril.
You’re wonderful. You make me feel like a young beatnik. Cool daddio.
Cyril Randle:
As per usual, a class posting from a class bloke!
We can hate each other through & through,but if the cockerknees, scousers, Mancs,Geordies or anyone else for that matter extract the proverbial, we unite as one & fight back to back.
I’m proud of my Black Country heritage & even more proud of the Staffordshire Regiment!
Don’t you just hate it when ignoramous’s call you a Brummie?
Sure about that muppet Hoefkens making pathetic comments like saying Sandwell is the dross.
Let’s just hope the young Hodgkiss keeps him away from the first team for the rest of the season.
Go back to your homeland ya muppet,bet ya’ll find a few poverty-stricken areas in Belgium mate.
We don’t need ya in the Black Country!!!!!