Alan Pardew bans West Brom players from holding a Christmas party

The Baggies have previously been to Dublin, Newcastle and London for their festive frivolities, but there has been no night out this time around.

Instead, they were treated to Christmas turkey in the training ground canteen at Thursday lunch-time with the academy players.

“I said to the players when I arrived I don’t think Christmas parties are appropriate in the position we’re in," said Pardew.

“So the staff haven’t had a party and the players haven’t had a party. But we can still have a Christmas lunch and that’s what we’ve done."

Albion's senior team got into the spirit of things at the training ground, and wore paper hats for their low-key lunch.

The Baggies are currently on a club-record 17-game winless streak in all competitions, and sit second-bottom in the table.

Even though Pardew banned the traditional night out, he says it was important to let the players enjoy themselves a little bit.

“Chef did a great job," he said. "Sometimes when you’re looking for a team to come out of its shell a little bit you can’t have constant pressure.

“You have to understand that players in this day and age are under constant pressure from social media and their families.

“It’s a side of the game that some players have struggled with.

“The mental side of this game has been highlighted this year in a lot of areas with a lot of players having problems and it’s our duty as managers to sometimes relieve that pressure.

“It was a nice little thing that we did. We’re not trying to be flippant, it was just a nice moment for them to come together and have a meal together.”