Baggies' meeting will stay in London

West Brom fans were today left disappointed after chairman Jeremy Peace insisted the Baggies' AGM will remain in London.

Shareholders 4 Albion, which represents small shareholders, wanted the meeting moved back to The Hawthorns after it was held in the capital for the first time this morning.

Chairman Peace believes there are good lines of communication for shareholders other than the AGM and insisted the venue, the offices of Memery Crystal, WBA Group's lawyers, near Chancery Lane, will not change.

Fans faced a 6am start to make the meeting – at the cost of up to £50 – and S4A chairman Neil Reynolds felt the club were creating unnecessary suspicion, despite positive accounts.

He said: "There are some shareholders who think it has been done deliberately to make it inaccessible. Therefore they view it with suspicion when there is no reason to because it's a good set of accounts. It causes unnecessary friction."

But Reynolds did thank Peace, who owns 60 per cent of Albion shares, for discussing the issue with the 12 shareholders who attended.

David Billings, member of S4A, added: "I think it is wrong because it's an opportunity for smaller shareholders to attend the club's meeting, ask questions and feel part of it."