West Bromwich Albion

[MrBlack]

Just now, HKP90 said:

While I agree with most of what you say, I would argue about Baggies potential fan base (and I can't believe I'm saying this). 

I'm from the black country, and all my relatives and most of my friends support Albion. My whole family does, really (apart from my Dad, hence I'm a Villan). It's Baggie heartland. It's a much better fit for Yam Yams like me to support Albion, because most from here consider West Brom to be part of the Black Country, unlike Wolverhampton. Most folk I know don't consider Wolverhampton to be part of the black country. 

If Albion can market themselves as 'the team of the black country', they have a population of 1.1M to draw on, which is an excellent potential base. 

Luckily they think small time, and keep looking over their shoulder to the east.  

Fair enough. In that case, I'm not sure why anyone would pick blues over baggies for a takeover. But equally, not sure they are many better options out there looking for a takeover in the top two leagues. 

[HKP90]

3 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

Fair enough. In that case, I'm not sure why anyone would pick blues over baggies for a takeover. But equally, not sure they are many better options out there looking for a takeover in the top two leagues. 

Well there's the smell. Actually, wait that's a bad example.

[The Fun Factory]

Albion have had more years in the top flight, have won more trophies, and in more recent years have averaged better attendances and have a much better stadium than Blues.

 I would make them a bigger club, but smaller than Wolves.

[rjw63]

36 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

 

 I would make them a bigger club, but smaller than Wolves.

[mikeyp102]

1 hour ago, MrBlack said:

They're still a football club that is in the top tiers of English football. In a region of the country where there's only direct fan competition from one other club, in a massive city with a huge population. 

 

That’s not true though, there are 4 big clubs within 15 miles of each other (wolves, wba, blues and of course Villa), then you have a couple of smaller clubs as well in Walsall and cov in a relatively close proximity. The West Midland has always had lots of choice when it comes to football.
 

I think the reason a lot of people are investing in clubs though is that they think streaming live games will really ramp up in the next few years, that’s going to a way to generate a lot of money

[MrBlack]

15 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

That’s not true though, there are 4 big clubs within 15 miles of each other (wolves, wba, blues and of course Villa), then you have a couple of smaller clubs as well in Walsall and cov in a relatively close proximity. The West Midland has always had lots of choice when it comes to football.
 

I think the reason a lot of people are investing in clubs though is that they think streaming live games will really ramp up in the next few years, that’s going to a way to generate a lot of money

I was leaving West Brom and Wolves to their own catchment area, and then referencing the fact that if the owners made blues progress to the top tier they'd have only one direct competition for fans. I stand by that. Very few people from the black country are going to support blues, and similarly very few people from the inner city 1.1m population are going to support baggies/wolves.

There'll be a minority due to family ties in both cases, but your next generation of fans can be won over if they live close to your ground and you're being more successful than the parents team.

As mentioned above anyway, its a moot point as baggies local population catchment is the same as Birmingham. Both around 1m. So the opportunity is similar for both. 

Neither have any major history to relate to, and neither have a squad that has a generational talent in it. So there's not much between them.

You are right though, something is driving the desired investment and expansion of coverage could be it.

[HKP90]

Not knowing much about their respective financial or infrastructure constraints, I would imagine that of the Championship sides, Bristol City and Cardiff would be good candidates for takeovers by ambitious chairmen. Bristol especially, as there aren't many successful west country teams. And there never has been.

I understand that Plymouth for example have a large Cornish fan base, despite being in Devon. They are crying out for some success in that general area. 

I used to work with two Cornishmen (excellent folk btw) and they were all into rugby, partly  because there was no real option when it came to football. There is a potentially huge market for a successful team in the south-west. Couple that with a City of 500,000 people. If it was me, that's where I'd put my money. High risk, but potentially huge return.

[Wainy316]

1 hour ago, MrBlack said:

Very few people from the black country are going to support blues, and similarly very few people from the inner city 1.1m population are going to support baggies/wolves.

Not sure about this one.  I'm from a very big Brummie family and they're about 80% Baggies fans.  

[MrBlack]

2 hours ago, Wainy316 said:

Not sure about this one.  I'm from a very big Brummie family and they're about 80% Baggies fans.  

Out of interest, what's the story behind it? Older generations from the area before? I know a couple of baggies fans, and don't know how they came to be, but they're a significant minority compared with villa and blues.

[Wainy316]

48 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

Out of interest, what's the story behind it? Older generations from the area before? I know a couple of baggies fans, and don't know how they came to be, but they're a significant minority compared with villa and blues.

No, don't think there's any ties to the area, my Dad is one of 9 (7 boys) born and raised in Selly Oak.

My Grandad was SHA (), then my Dad is Wolves, one Villa and then 5 West Brom.  Naturally I have lots of cousins and many of them unlike me followed their old men so I have a very Baggies heavy family.

[MrBlack]

2 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

No, don't think there's any ties to the area, my Dad is one of 9 (7 boys) born and raised in Selly Oak.

My Grandad was SHA (), then my Dad is Wolves, one Villa and then 5 West Brom.  Naturally I have lots of cousins and many of them unlike me followed their old men so I have a very Baggies heavy family.

That's crazy. None of your uncles followed their dad's SHA path. They really are that offensive .

Shout out to the uncle that went completely against the grain and made the right call. 

Must make for some good rivalries depending on which of the other pretenders have been temporarily above us at various stages over the last 15 years.

[Guest av1]

8 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

No, don't think there's any ties to the area, my Dad is one of 9 (7 boys) born and raised in Selly Oak.

My Grandad was SHA (), then my Dad is Wolves, one Villa and then 5 West Brom.  Naturally I have lots of cousins and many of them unlike me followed their old men so I have a very Baggies heavy family.

Similar story to mine, all my dads side of the family (big family with 11 siblings) were baggies fans, I think they grew up in ladywood. I’m the only Villa fan in the family. 
 

Wasn’t the 60’s/70’s the Baggies most successful period? Maybe down to a bit of glory hunting (I realise how glory hunting and Baggies in the same sentence seems daft ) 

[Wainy316]

36 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

That's crazy. None of your uncles followed their dad's SHA path. They really are that offensive .

Shout out to the uncle that went completely against the grain and made the right call. 

Must make for some good rivalries depending on which of the other pretenders have been temporarily above us at various stages over the last 15 years.

Oh yeah, family gatherings are always fun.  As Brummie based Baggies I can confirm they hate Villa more than anyone else too. 
Growing up in the 90s I never even realised, they were all very quiet back then.

[OutByEaster?]

5 hours ago, MrBlack said:

I was leaving West Brom and Wolves to their own catchment area, and then referencing the fact that if the owners made blues progress to the top tier they'd have only one direct competition for fans. 

I can't see how you can have Wolves and Albion in the same catchment area and not include Villa in it - the Hawthorns is 3.4 miles from the bottom of the ramp, Villa Park 2.5 miles. 

Molineux is 8.9 miles from the Hawthorns, it's a long way from Villa, Albion or small heath - Walsall are nearer to small heath than Albion are to Wolves (in so many ways).

West Bromwich Albion is in Birmingham - it's just the vagaries of council areas that give it the illusion of independence - even then, the distance from the border to Birmingham from the front door of the East Stand is 63 feet. 

small heath, West Brom and Villa are Birmingham clubs, Wolves is practically a different region.

 

[Guest av1]

4 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I can't see how you can have Wolves and Albion in the same catchment area and not include Villa in it - the Hawthorns is 3.4 miles from the bottom of the ramp, Villa Park 2.5 miles. 

Molineux is 8.9 miles from the Hawthorns, it's a long way from Villa, Albion or small heath - Walsall are nearer to small heath than Albion are to Wolves (in so many ways).

West Bromwich Albion is in Birmingham - it's just the vagaries of council areas that give it the illusion of independence - even then, the distance from the border to Birmingham from the front door of the East Stand is 63 feet. 

small heath, West Brom and Villa are Birmingham clubs, Wolves is practically a different region.

 

I get that, but I think I agree with MrBlack on this mate.  It’s not so much distance, rather than area. Baggies class themselves as the Black Country and generally dislike Brummies, the fact it’s relatively close to VP is irrelevant is not really the point. 

[MrBlack]

Guess it's all kind of moot anyway. There's only one real club here

[OutByEaster?]

8 minutes ago, av1 said:

I get that, but I think I agree with MrBlack on this mate.  It’s not so much distance, rather than area. Baggies class themselves as the Black Country and generally dislike Brummies, the fact it’s relatively close to VP is irrelevant is not really the point. 

I know, they're a funny bunch, the sooner they accept the inevitability of the Black Country as part of Greater Birmingham, the better.

I mean, the Hawthorns has a "B" postcode for McGraths sake!

 

 

[Xela]

1 hour ago, Wainy316 said:

No, don't think there's any ties to the area, my Dad is one of 9 (7 boys) born and raised in Selly Oak.

My Grandad was SHA (), then my Dad is Wolves, one Villa and then 5 West Brom.  Naturally I have lots of cousins and many of them unlike me followed their old men so I have a very Baggies heavy family.

I find it fascinating that people in the same direct family can support different teams. I support Villa because my Dad does. His Dad did and so on. I don't think there was any choice really!  

My Dad's side of the family do originate from North Brum, around Aston/Newtown originally, and then Kingstanding and Erdington as time went on, so it was the obvious (and only) choice! 

[Guest av1]

5 minutes ago, Xela said:

I find it fascinating that people in the same direct family can support different teams. I support Villa because my Dad does. His Dad did and so on. I don't think there was any choice really!  

My Dad's side of the family do originate from North Brum, around Aston/Newtown originally, and then Kingstanding and Erdington as time went on, so it was the obvious (and only) choice! 

Sometimes it’s just circumstance I guess. I grew up in Kingstanding so predominantly Villa. And although my family where Baggies fans my parents were pretty poor so I’d never been to a game. 
 

Boxing Day 1989 the next door neighbour came round and they had a spare ticket to Villa v UTD as one of their kids was unwell. As a 10yr seeing VP for the first time, standing on the Holte watching us beat UTD, that was that. 
 

As an aside, I missed the “you’ll never win anything with kids” game, so this season was only the second time I’ve seen us beat UTD at VP. As a 10yr old kid at my first game I’m not sure I’d have believed anyone that told me I’d have to wait 33yrs to see it again 
 

 

[mjmooney]

I've mentioned before that two of my closest and oldest friends support the Baggies. I've never really thought to ask them why, but I will. One grew up in Nechells (his brother is a nose), the other in Bourneville (his brother is Villa). So perhaps sibling rivalry.