Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Baggies back in the big league
Tuesday 29th April 2008, 7:14AM BST.
West Bromwich Albion fans were today celebrating a return to the Premier League after a night of high drama at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies are boinging their way back up to join England’s footballing elite next season thanks to last night’s 1-1 draw with Southampton.
There were scenes of jubilation as ecstatic supporters poured onto the pitch at the final whistle when the draw effectively sealed Albion’s return to the top flight.
Those scenes were mirrored elsewhere as many fans unable to get a ticket to the match squeezed into pubs to watch the drama unfold on big screens.
After the disappointment of play-off final defeat last season and the bitterness of relegation the previous year, the Albion faithful were determined to enjoy the night as they watched their beloved club clinch a return to the Premier League.
Speaking of his delight after leading his side to a glorious promotion, Albion manager Tony Mowbray said: “I generally don’t show emotion outwardly, but inwardly I enjoy things just as much as anyone else and, vice versa, when we lose football matches I feel it the same as everyone else.
“I’ll enjoy the moment when I get home with my family. I feel a certain warmth about the achievement of getting into the Premier League. “I’ve got lots of chocolate in the fridge in my office and I’ll probably have a cube or two to celebrate.”
It was a rollercoaster night at The Hawthorns as relegation-threatened visitors Southampton stunned the home crowd when they took a lead through Adam Lallana with 77 minutes on the clock.
But super-sub Chris Brunt secured a vital equaliser just six minutes from time to send the fans into raptures. Brunt hailed his equaliser as the most important goal of his career.
“It is absolutely brilliant,” he said “It’s a fantastic achievement for everybody at the club, the manager and the staff.”
Premier League status will bring an estimated £62m into the club and a £20m boost to the borough’s economy, according to financial experts, while community leaders have hailed the side for helping to put the Black Country on the map.
Plans for a huge civic reception and victory parade are already in the pipeline. Sandwell Council leaders have revealed that Albion’s promotion heroes will be joined by marathon men Dave Heeley and Malcolm Carr – who were special guests at last night’s game – in a double celebration of the borough’s sporting achievements.
Thousands of supporters are expected to line the streets as an open top bus tours through Sandwell to the council house in Oldbury, where fans will gather in the town square.
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Well, barring a complete and utter disaster on Sunday you’re back with the big boys. Congratulations.
I did watch most of the game on the telly and I must admit that although you bossed most of the game I thought that you didn’t punch your weight up front like a team that has scored so many this season. That’s one area that will have to be improved I think.
Anyway, less of the bad points – you’ve made it…well done.
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CONGRATULATIONS W B A ~~~~~~~our turn will come one day ???
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Great stuff lads, but Albion always make it difficult for themselves and send the fans through hell!!! Come on now win the Championship….for my brother’s sake as he has had a yankee on Chelsea, Albion, Swansea and MK Dons for all the leagues. COME ON BAGGIES!!!!!
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Well done boys, you have been the class act of this division by a mile, now go on and finish the job, we cant have those teapot-making thugs from up stoke nicking it from you, as i said last night ,we all need to get the west midlands clubs back in the top flight so we can gve those arrogant nobs down london a stuffing!!!! well done again.
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Congratulation Boggies fans. With the standard of football in this league this year we should have both gone up automatically.
In Mowbray you have a young promising manager who at some point will move on to one of the bigger clubs. In Mick we have an has been who sticks to his favourite players regardless of how they play, that my friends has been the difference.
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congratulations to al you albion fans. and thanks for doing us a favour with your draw last night keeping the pressure on blackpool. hopefully see you in the prem next year.
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Well done baggies. Good news for you, is you’ll stay up next year too. Whoever goes up with you from the playoffs will come straight back down, and I can Stoke going down too, but I think you’ll survive and cement your position in the prem.
Might even see Wolves there, but it won’t be for a couple of years ( at least)
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Congratulations Baggies , you’ve been the best footballing side in the division by miles . Now please please stay there until we can join you , and hopefully Stoke , to make the midlands contingent in the premiership a great one once more . Now let’s just hope that we can beat Plymouth on saturday and that other reults give us at least the chance to get there but , if not , we’ll give it a go next season .
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Well done west brom, you deserve to be in the prem next season. As a wolves fan i can only hope we can get to the play off’s so we have a chance of joining you next season.
May i also add, 8 months ago, i pulled my lad (who is only 12 years old) out of the Wolves academy so he can join West Brom. He as come on in leaps and bounds because the training is so much better. So come on Wolves, get your act together and put more effort in training the 8 to 14 year olds instead of just focusing on the 16 – 18 year olds.
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Wow
Thanks to all genuine Wolves fans for the kind comments
Now get in the playoffs and get up with us
We have to have the Black Country derby in the Prem to show the greed league tosspots what football is all about
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Well done the Baggies, wonderful entertaining football, can we have your manager?
Wolves born and bred
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Magic! Absolute magic!
Now let’s finish the season as champions. We truly deserve it.
Come On You Baggies!!! Premier League here we come.
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Well done Baggies, very much deserved, like I said best footballing side to get promoted since Man city under Keegan, now go cement your place in the prem and hopefully one day we can join you. Congratulations ans let hope you seal it with the title! We dont want them clay heads winning it! Well Done to everybody associated with the club!
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When ever I have seen Albion this season, I have admired the free flowing football. Well done. I hope one day to see all four of the west mids clubs in the top flight, as it was when i was a kid. I HAVE A DREAM (martyn Luther King was a Wolves fan !)
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me and walsallterry this is what we sing,we are baggies we are baggies mowbray is our king,,,fantastic celebrations,back with the big boys and bring it on cant wait,,,looking forward to next season already,,,WEVE DONE IT THE MOWBRAY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OH YES,,and to all the people that said you cant do it playing preety football,,HAVE IT.
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yeah well done to the boys and as said before the result will mean that Blackpool wont be able to play out there last game. They need at least a draw to be certain. Come on you Wolves!!
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IM SO HAPPY THIS MORNING I FEEL LIKE SINGING HEY WORCESTER I DAINT REALISE YOU HAD SUCH A NICE VOICE BOING BOING GOING UP THE MOWBURY WAY IN STYLE OF COURSE OH YES
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99.9% of dingles are unhappy today really.. 0.1% being Mark Venus!! Welcome to the big league Mark!!
Boing boing.. Champions Sunday…
C’m join us dings…
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well done baggies all the best hope we can join you very soon
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TM will enjoy a square of chocolate – and you guys say he shows no emotion….
WOW what a feeling…. I still can’t quite believe we have done it – I keep listening to radio reports to make sure we did actually get that point and we are back in the prem.
I was too tense to enjoy the game although i thought we played well, but the relief and celebrations at the end was fantastic.
So proud of the team for the whole season and chuffed for TM & MV for having the bottle to play their way out the league.
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17. Super Stripes. Far from it. I think if you read the posts above most Wolves fans are happy for you and quite envious. So take the plaudits with a little grace please.
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Congrats to the Albion – the best footballing team in the division by miles this season. I echo the sentiments of my fellow Wulfs by wishing you all the best in the Premier League and hoping we can storm the play-offs at the last minute and join you there!!
Anyway, enjoy your promotion, I hope you win the title on Sunday as I would far rather you get it than those thick clayheads!!
WWFC
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Many thanks to all the Wolves fans above for the congrats,lets put it to bed on sunday by beating qpr and winning the league and come on you Wolves get in the playoffs and win it…
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Many thanks to the Wolves contingent,for the praise,now do it and get up yourselves too….
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Well Done to the tescos. They’ve been the only attractive footballing team in the league this season and thoroughly deserve promotion.Well done to some of my fellow wolves fans in being so magnaminious to our local rivals. Hopefully we can join them in the premier league but i won’t be betting my house on it.
It’s only football but i like it.
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Congrats on the promotion.
Hopefully look to play you again in the Prem.
Up the Wolves
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Can’t believe how peace has broken out between the Albion and Wolves. Amazed to see so many gracious and positive comments from our Old Gold neighbours. Thanks and good luck to you too!
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Well done Baggies…
by far the best team in the division this season.
I can’t see us joining you there, but hopefully in a year’s time you’ll have stayed up, we’ll be there, and then the fantastic old rivalries of Wolves, WBA and Villa can start again.
Please, all the usual suspects, keep away with the inane comments. They deserve promotion. We, I have to say, don’t yet….
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great to see so many positive comments from the wolves fans!Well done the baggies. Interesting times ahead!
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FANTASTIC THE LADS !
MAKES ME HOMESICK HERE IN FRANCE.
I WILL ANNOUNCE THE GOOD NEWS IN LE BLANC MESNIL,SANDWELL’S TWIN TOWN, WHEN I GO TO THE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS THERE IN THE TOWN CENTRE THIS AFTERNOON !
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Fantastic to be back in the big time well done Tony and the boys. Also a big well done to the fans who stayed with the team even when we fell behind it was a great atmosphere and we got there in the end. Now lets go to QPR and win the title. Now banter is banter but thanks to our gold and black neighbours for their good wishes and I sincerely hope they get into the play-offs and do the business.
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This peace between Baggies and Wolves is fantastic. I would dearly love the Wolves to somehow beat Stoke in the playoff final. Lot of results would have to transpire but I do not want to see our first of many seasons back in the Premiership sullied by the pug-ugly Potters.
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Congrats!
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What a fantastic night and made even better by reading so many positive comments from the wolves fans. I think that most albion fans will be hoping that you can get into the prem alongside us, via the play-offs. Let’s get as many proper teams with passionate supporters back at the top level once more.
So thanks again lads and good luck to you on Sunday, once you’re in there you’ve got as good a chance as anybody.
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all west midland football fans should now be hoping the wolves make the play offs, I would love to see them come up with us.
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17. This is no day to be bitter to our closest rivals mate…..this is a day to celebrate and take the plaudits from all corners…wherever and whoever they come from. Last night was the culmination of a season of excellent football played how the game should be played….and the best part is that this proves it can be played with such attacking fluency and get you promoted.So from me , many thanks to the true footballing fans from the Wolves on recognising this and for your kind and (surprisingly ..lol..) very supportive comments for next season.Cant wait…Bring it on !!!!!
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Well done TM & MV for sticking to their principals despite all the doubters, moaners and groaners. Well done to the squad for digging in and showing grit and determination in the final third of the season. Well done to the fans for sticking with the team.
But the season is’nt over yet. Lets go and beat QPR and take the title. It would be a travesty of justice if StokeHoofers won it at the death.
Wolves fans – glad to see you can recognise class. Hope you have a good end to the season.
Black Country Forever.
WBA No. 1.
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Blimey,thanks wolves fans, really hope the results go your way on sunday.
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They don’t make it easy for us, do they?
Well done my beauties.
Thanks for the praise you Dingles, it must
hurt, let’s hope the pain eases when you join
us through the playoffs, GOOD LUCK,
Boing Boing!
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even though im a manu fan well done baggies u deserve it after your great season
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Fantastic night, now for the title. Well done wolves fans for all the praise. Now get behind your team for one final push, we need Mids teams in greed league means one less london team, and local derbies are fantastic.
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I would like to thank all the wovles fan on hear and in my work place for all the messages of praise for our team. I really think that if you Mick can get you into the top six you will make it to Wembley cause the others are all starting to misfire. Hope we can beat QPR now the pressure is off. Good Luck Wolves
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your up the mowbray way,we’re going nowhere the dopey long face mick way,welldone boggies a bit nervy when southhampton scored but you kept ya nerve and got the prem goal enjoy playing CHELSEA while we play SWANSEA,ANOTHER DEAD DUCK SEASON FOR US.
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Very nervy last night, thought we’d blown it when they took the lead. I think we’ll go on and win the last match and go up as Champions.
Thanks to all the Wolves fans for your great e-mails, and good luck on Sunday, love to see you go up with us via the play-offs
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Blinking ech! I’ve had to get me hanky out to dry the tears after reading all these nice comments from Wolves fans.
All the best to you, hope you can get in the play-offs and win em
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34 MOSSA, I AINT, BOING BOING
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Congrats to all genuine baggies fans, Terry your a t–t
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Bottom line, and im not bragging when I say this, that wolves fans know good football when they see it.
I think it would be more difficult if we were both playing average football but we had somehow got results and gone up whereas the wolves would be just below the playoffs.I have to pinch myself that we are playing the football that we are AND that we have got promoted doing it! It is refreshing for ALL fans to watch free flowing football and im sure that we will be alot of the neutrals favourite team next year.
Good luck wolves, you have been very gracious in congratulating us.Lets hope you make it up.
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What is happening ! no moronic rants from rival football fans? I feel it is my duty to say West Brom is rubhish team..wolveys is best.You only won league Cus you Is gay etc…..
Well done West brom. good luck next year and take it easy on us when you see us at work..lol
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BOING BOING!
not the best performance last night but who cares? were up unless a miracle happens for hull!
best team in the divison and hopefully we can stop up and stay up for years to follow.
mowbray has already got his name in our book of complete legends, class manager.
wolves fans actually can give compliments, thats a first. good luck to yaz. carn’t beleive im saying that but yeah.
premiership football once again. boing boing!
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Congrats to all baggies fans from Bulgaria….
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Congrats to all baggies fans from Bulgaria…..
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great too see all the nice comments from the wolves fans,hope you make it to the play off`s on sunday my mate here in spain`s a massive blackpool fan and know`s the`ll give watford a game.BLACK COUNTRY DERBY IN THE PREM OH YES!!!!!
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Well done Albion for footballing your way up. I think we can stay there. As for the Wolves fans – THANK YOU. The Black Country derby in the greed league…. bring it on! Hope you get there (next season probably?)
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before i was an albion fan i was a midlander,i want to see us all up there..go for it you wolves!!!
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Recovering from a major illness,this has made me feel great again. Remember a team in 1967 beating the Albion to win the League cup final how sad I was that day. But I hope Albion go and beat QPR on Sunday, the icing on the cake for me.
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