Albion will face Spanish top-flight side Real Mallorca in their final friendly before returning to the Premier League.
The Baggies have announced plans for a prestige friendly against the La Liga side at The Hawthorns, a week before they kick off their Premier League season at Arsenal.
Tony Mowbray’s side will take on Mallorca on August 9 at 3pm – the same time that the Football League season kicks off around the country.
The match will round off Mowbray’s side’s preparations for the new season and give Baggies fans in the newly redeveloped West Stand a first taste of the new facilities.
The game threatens to provide goals with Mowbray’s side, who hit 109 goals in all competitions last season, taking on the team who topped the La Liga scoring charts.
Mallorca also boast Spain’s top-scorer from last season in their ranks.
Spanish international Daniel Guiza hit 27 league goals in 37 appearances last season, to claim a place in his country’s Euro 2008 squad.
Greece’s Euro 2008 captain, Angelos Basinas, and Cameroon’s Pierre Webo are also among the stars for Mallorca, who finished seventh in the league last season and missed out on a UEFA Cup spot by one point.
Gregorio Manzano’s side also beat Barcelona 3-2 at the Nou Camp in the final month of the season.
Albion will kick off their pre-season schedule in Germany with matches against Borussia Monchengladbach on July 16 and Cologne on July 19.
They then return to England for fixtures against Shrewsbury, Cheltenham, Ipswich, Northampton, Hereford, Walsall and finally Mallorca.
16 Comments
Can anyone help? In the 1960s we had a young lad with ginger hair who came up through the ranks and played a few games for the first team. Then disappeared. I think it was because of psycholgical problems??
The name Howshall or something like that springs to mind.
Anyone any clues as to his name and what happened to him? - to settle an arguement.
An attractive pre season game for us against a decent side.
I am a bit concerned about this link with Ameobi. Useless does not do him justice. Hopefully it is just paper talk but in my opinion he is a league 2 player who has been very lucky. Baros is another worry, nice hair shame about the football ability (and the salary). Hopefully things will start to happen soon.
Reply to Yorkshire Baggie - G T Howshall (born Stoke 1944), came to WBA from Plymouth Argyle in 1960 and stayed until 1967 when he was transferred to Norwich City!
Bet Majorca can’t wait to see the picturesque Sandwell and Smetwick.
I agree with post 2. Both proven premiership players but proven rubbish in the premiership. I trust tony mowbrays judgement in players etc, so bring on the start of the season!
Agree with the Amoeba (sic!) comments, but Baros would be onle hell of a signing IMO.
A bit of Premier League nous when (and where) we’d need it most.
I still reckon Henchoz could do a job for us too - the Anthony Gardner links are not filling me with confidence at the back.
1 It was Gerry Howshall and he left Albion to play for Norwich
How can you dismiss Gardener and then say we should sign Henchoz who is about 10 years older, incidentally i think they re both not good enough.
Be nice if the Majorca players could have a visit to the PUBLIC. Will make them realise how crap our town is.
2. I can assure you that Ameobi and Baros are NOT targets. Never have been and probably never will be.
If you look it’s all 3 promoted clubs being linked Gardner and Ameobi…simply paper talk that happens every season with regards to fringe players in estbalished premiership clubs. The Baros thing worries me though, he’s the most overrated forward I’ve ever seen. Jesus, I’d rather have Keogh!!!
1 Yorkshire Baggie.
His name was Gerry Howshall we sold him to Norwich City for £25,000 and after many injuries he left them on a free transfer. He now works as the head greenkeeper at Thornbury Golf Centre in South Gloucs.
I’m not sure baros is a genuine target - but if KP left you can sort of see why we may be interested…. he has similar experience and plays a similar game…. but i don’t think its genuine.
The fixture against mallorca should be good - a good game before the season kicks off.
Gutted, ill be flying back from my hols on August ninth, after living in Mallorca for a few years would of loved to see this match, a good way to get warmed up for the season ahead.
Oh well not long till the start of the season now boys!!
I can`t wait for this game with MILLER,KOREN,
ALBRECHSTEN e.t.c. pitting their wits against the
likes of BASINAS,WEBO,GUIZA e.t.c.,and with our
first 11 looking so strong then it should be a
goal fest.
Michael Danek/Carl Hoefkens/Martin Albrechsten/
Neil Clement/Paul Robinson/Do-heon Kim/
James Morrison/Jonathan Greening/Robert Koren/
Kevin Phillips/Ishmael Miller.
Dean Kiely/Leon Barnett/Pedro Pele/Chris Brunt/
Felipe Teixeira/Graham Dorrans/Patrick McCourt/
Luke Moore/Roman Bednar
MY ALBION TEAM FOR THAT MATCH!
And if Tony Mowbray needs to sign anyone else,
then I`d go for MATT DERBYSHIRE& STEPHEN REID.
I`d just like to comment on our national side
ENGLAND!
football fans and many journalists seem to think
that the ENGLISH game is in tatters,and that we
will never beable to compete cause we cant pass
the ball.
I remember when OZ came into the ALBION and he
turned average players into very good players,
by playing the passing game.
If the ENGLISH fans are wondering what to do
next then I have the answer.
GET TONY MOWBRAY IN WHO PLAYS THE PASSING GAME.
AND WHO CAN ALSO SPEAK ENGLISH.
THEN DROP BECKHAM WHO IS JUST A TATTO QUEEN.