I don't post very often but felt that i had to on the issue of Racism at Football matches. I've been supporting the Baggies for nearly 50 odd years. I'm Asian brought up in Handsworth. Not once did i encounter racisim at the Shrine. Long may that Continue but what do my fellow baggies think should be done especially after yesterday at Tottenham & the pathetic attempt by the Italian Authorities? Merry Christmas a Prosperous new year to one & all. Looking forward to seeing the team on the 29th Dec & 1st Jan.

THE MATCH

THURSDAY 26TH DECEMBER 3:00PM KICK OFF

v

[b]LAST MATCH



Back top back wins as we edged Bristol 1-0. The first half started quietly but we managed to create several chances through Palmer, Reach and Harris. We kept City pretty quiet although they seemed content to sit back and soak up any pressure. We started the 2nd half better and created a few chances but still couldn't find the breakthrough while Palmer cleared off the line from Hunt. It looked like the game would end in a disappointing draw until Nuhiu went down in the box and the ref pointed to the spot. Bannan stepped up and sent the goalie the wrong way and we saw out the final few minutes.

THE MATCH



Boxing day and the shortish trip to Stoke. Stoke are having a terrible season and are currently 23rd in the table with only Wigan below them on GD. Stoke have some good players and why they are struggling like they are is a surprise to me. Nathan Jones was in charge but was sacked and they are now managed by Michael O'Neill, the former Northern Irish manager. He has manged to muster a few wins but they continue to struggle. I still think they will stay up but it's games like this when Wednesday find a way to make a mess of, but with Monk in charge lets hope for 3 wins in a row.

CURRENT FORM

OWLS               -                          

STOKE              -                          

THE BASTARD IN THE BLACK

JOHN BROOKS
Sam Lewis and Mark Dwyer
Fourth Official : Darren Handley

THE TEAM

Fox could be a doubt, so Palmer might start, which would send Iorfa to RB and Lees & Borner the CBs. Fletcher will hopefully return and be paired with JR.

Dawson
Iorfa Lees Borner Palmer
Reach Luongo Bannan Harris
Fletcher Rhodes

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

1-2 Fletcher

POSSESSION X SHOTS

598

BML STANDINGS

Washington 9
Stateside 7
Pei 7
Wereham 6
Owlkev 5
Imre 5
Southey 5
SCO 4

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Barnsley v WBA
Brentford v Swansea
Hull v Forest
Luton v Fulham
Leeds v Preston

AHHAH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC





One for Washington



The thread awaits the Meggo of Statesides choice.[/b]

If you do your predictions after these specified times, they will not be accepted.

Weekend games 12 pm
Midweek games 7:30 pm

Just a reminder that you can use your on any fixture, but its not compulsory!! Get it right and you will score double points but getting it wrong will result in -2 points, so the reward and risk are there for all!!

Sutton United 1-1 Yeovil Town
AFC Fylde 0-2 Stockport County
Aldershot Town 1-2 Barnet
Boreham Wood 0-0 Eastleigh
Bromley 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Chorley 2-2 Harrogate Town
Ebbsfleet United 1-2 Dover Athletic
FC Halifax Town 2-2 Chesterfield
Hartlepool United 1-3 Barrow
Maidenhead United 2-0 Wrexham
Solihull Moors 1-1 Notts County
Torquay United 0-1 Woking

League Table after Matchday 29
Amelia = 392
Dancing = 370
Lord Snoots = 360
Spireitematt = 316
St Charles = 314
SaltergateBorn = 308
Theo = 236
Devon = 98

If you do your predictions after these specified times, they will not be accepted.

Weekend games 12 pm
Midweek games 7:30 pm

Just a reminder that you can use your on any fixture, but its not compulsory!! Get it right and you will score double points but getting it wrong will result in -2 points, so the reward and risk are there for all!!

Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 Ebbsfleet United
Woking 0-2 Sutton United
Barnet 2-1 Boreham Wood
Barrow 3-2 AFC Fylde
Chesterfield 2-1 Solihull Moors
Dover Athletic 0-1 Bromley
Eastleigh 1-3 Aldershot Town
Harrogate Town 2-2 Hartlepool United
Notts County 1-2 Maidenhead United
Stockport County 2-0 FC Halifax Town
Wrexham 0-1 Chorley
Yeovil Town 3-1 Torquay United

League Table after Matchday 28
Amelia = 378
Dancing = 364
Lord Snoots = 352
SaltergateBorn = 308
Spireitematt = 306
St Charles = 302
Theo = 236
Devon = 98

Well this is another occasion when Hibs arrive at the Pink Bus Shelter to possibly inflict another damaging blow to Hertz aspirations of avoiding relegation. However, I can recall only too well how past Hibs teams have "f###### up" and lost to Hertz in similar circumstances!! In one case, Hibs fans slated many Hibs players after the final whistle because they "choked" on the fixture - no contrition allowed!! Our player personnel has changed and we are playing an exceptionally poor Hertz team but our manager, Jack Ross, must choose a durable and balanced Hibs side to start the game and apply a controlled performance. Focus on both their flanks and particularly their LB, Hickey, who is not that good and whose positional sense and confidence is "shot to pieces". Should we even start Kamberi in this game because I thought he was "shiter than shite" v Rangers and I don't wanna waste any position!? I also think all Hibs players "must be told" in no uncertain terms what is expected of them and we want 3 pts to proceed into the top half of the Scot Premiership again and stop embarrassing the club with some really fragile performances!! Remember that we are not the Embro footie club that is entrenched at the bottom of the league for good reason!! They are shit and it looks like the "rot" has set in! PLAY AND "SHOW UP" PLEASE AND NO MALLAN-ALLAN MIDFIELD COMBINATION EITHER - IT DISNAE WORK!!!

GGTTH

I watched the latest of many De Gea gaffes down the years and this one v Watford this afternoon really "takes the biscuit" as theeee worst and many fans like myself would be saying they would've easily saved this fairly tame effort on De Gea's goal but not in the case of this Spanish goalie who clearly "opened the door" to a team that is rightly in the basement of the Premiership - he did it again!! Never liked this goalie and still wish United had tried to sign Schmeichel from Leicester City when they had the chance!! Why is this guy so randomly "accident prone"???? Is it his temperament? Fragile as glass???

Christmas is the time for miracles and so for the fourth time the miracle that is Graham Westley has returned to Broadhall Way Stevenage to work his interesting theories on how to play football.
Having had the experience of Medals working at Deepdale it really isn't hard to find sympathy for those poor sods who ply their trade next to the A1 in Bedfordshire. By the end of his time at Deepdale the pitch had been turned into an allottment we could have grown anything on it, the football was dire and calls to Samaritans had gone through the roof. On the day of his sacking one player tweeted tomorrow we get to use something we have not used in training all season, the ball.
No doubt the Stevenage players will get use to their new 12 hour training days doing press ups in the dark at 5 pm.
Although he was not in charge yesterday it was probably a sign of his influence that they crashed at home 1-5 to Crewe, Boxing Day at home to Forest Green, destiny await Medals is back his team are bottom of the league what coud possibly go wrong.

Everything

So Celtic register a notable win v the Dons which gives them another 3 pts on the board and a psychological "breathing space" before Rangers finally visit Celtic Park. Good timing!

   

First and foremost, lets hope that we are pissing on the right one and not barking up the wrong one come full time tomorrow.

Its that time of year again, the one I enjoy the most, its the time when football comes thick and fast, with a game seemingly happening every other day and the transfer window just around the corner. Its a reason to be cheerful and something to look forward to.

Its also something else at this time of year, something that makes me feel more like this



What does everyone else think of this time of year? what is everyone doing for it? are you all ready? what are you hoping for?

Anyway, now that the festivities are over, lets move onto the main event

Saturday sees town play host to play off chasing Nottingham Forest, the Garibaldi started the season well but have fallen away recently having only picked up 2 points from their previous 4 games, however, they do seem to play better away from home than they do at home, with players that seem to like playing on the break rather than being in control of the game. Their recent bad run of form has seen them draw at home to relegation threatened Middlesbrough and be victims of a perfect hattrick from former town striker Jordan Rhodes in a 4-0 defeat at the City Ground. The last time Forest fans saw their team win was back in november where 3 goals in the last 10 minutes saw them leave QPR's Loftus Road with a 4-0 victory.

Has anything changed since we saw them last? Well yes, quite a bit actually. They've had a few a change in ownership, with Fawaz al-hasawi selling up to Greek shipping magnate  Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Greek club Olympiakos, which has seen a few transfers and loan deals between the two clubs, as tends to happen nowadays. They have also seen a number of managers come and leave again, including Aitor karanka and Martin O'neil, but have plumped for former Inter Milan and Monaco midfielder, Sabri Lamouchi. The Frenchman took over at Trent side club almost instantaneously after O'neil had cleared his desk, but began the season well, winning the manager of the month award for September, in fact, come the international break after the round of games on the 5th of October, Forest sat as joint leaders, having only lost one game, that being on the opening weekend at home to West Brom. Since that international break the club have a fairly even record, having won 4, lost 4 and drawn 3, so a draw on Saturday would appease those who suffer with OCD.



On the transfer front there was no fewer than 12 first players arriving at the Nigel Doughty academy, whilst 17 first teamers sought pastures new, either permanently or on loan.

Tiago Silva, Yuri Ribeiro and Alfa Semedo joined the club to add to the Portuguese contingent, whilst former England and Finland defender Carl Jenkinson joined from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.

Also joining the club was Albert Adomah from recently promoted Aston Villa and Sammy Ameobi from recently relegated Bolton Wanderers to add a bit of support in the wide areas to former town player Joe Lolley. John Bostock made a temporary return to English football, joining on loan for the season from Toulouse and Forest were entrusted by Man City with young goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who has since lost his place in the side after a few errors to fellow summer signing Brice Samba.



Exiting the City Ground was former fans favorite Adeline Guedioura, who left to join Al-gharafa in Qatar, he was joined in Qatar by striker Karim Ansarifard, whilst highly rated English players Ben Osborn and Arvin Appaiah left for Sheffield United and Almeria respectively.

Also leaving the club was Jack Hunts nightmare, Daryl Murphy, who joined Bolton on a free transfer along with scottish midfielder Liam Bridcutt, whilst Jorge Grant and Tyler Walker made the switch to then Cowley managed Lincoln City.



Now onto everyones favorite. The played for both quiz.

1. Viewed by many a town fan as a rolls royce of a defender, that was proved as being false upon the arrival of one Mr Schindler

2. He came to town riding a giraffe and wearing nothing but a bath robe and a pair of sunglasses.

3. He came to town on a university bus and stayed for multiple seasons, but never quite got the run of games he needed here before moving down to Nottingham.

4. A footballer turned wrestler, enjoyed a short loan spell here

5. A footballer turned Houdini, enjoyed a not so fruitful loan spell here, where for most of it he was nowhere to be seen. Enjoyed playing against us more than playing for us

6. A striker if one could call him that. Joined forest from Man City, joined us from Blackpool. Currently plying his at Tranmare rovers

7. A former goalkeeper and coach here, is making his return to Huddersfield tomorrow as a coach in the current forest set up

8. An injury prone defender that came to town on loan from QPR, joined forest on a free transfer in 2018 and will probably line up against us tomorrow.

9. A striker that once was expected to go on to bigger and better things. Joined us on loan from Forest under Lee Clark, has since  made a fist of his career in Lancashire and has returned there after spells north of the border and down south.

10. Had two spells here, one in which he was captain and another in which he was a much better player. Had a brief loan spell at forest ahead of his second spell at town

11. helmet. made his break through here but left for what he thought was bigger and better things played on loan at forest before moving to one of the massive teams in english football. Now plays for an odious individual who is probably liked less than his father.

12. striker who enjoyed spells in south africa and north america before settling in the midlands with Birmingham before one Brian Clough came calling. Forest fans saw the best of him as we had him at the back end of his career.

13. winger who had a loan spell here from Middlesbrough, before leaving them to join forest. Currently plays in Turkey. His middle name means upcoming rather than later.

14. attacking midfielder who joined us on loan from forest and looked like he was going to sign for us, but for a moving of the goal posts on the transfer deal. he moved on to bristol city and is currently on loan at a fellow championship side where he has hardly featured. some town fans would probably take him back on the right deal

15. centre half who enjoyed 2 loan spells at forest and has since had a short loan spell at town and played for the likes of Bournemouth, Notts County and mk dons.

16. Winger who had a loan spell at Forest and spent one season at Town, wasnt the worst but wasnt the best either. people dont like his dad




Team news.

Huddersfield Town boss Danny Cowley hopes to have several players back after injury, with Lewis O'Brien, Jaden Brown, Alex Pritchard and Fraizer Campbell all close to being fit again.

Benin striker Steve Mounie is pushing for a return to the starting line-up.

Although judging by todays EDT line up, I would suggest that there may only be Lewis O'Brien returning for tomorrows game. The other three will probably reappear over the next few games

Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi has also had numerous injury worries in recent weeks, but Yuri Ribeiro could feature.

Samba Sow, Carl Jenkinson, Yohan Benalouane, Tendayi Darikwa and Michael Hefele are also not far off returning.

However, it seems as though Darikwa and Hef will not be anywhere near the squad, maybe the closest Hef will get is doing the half time draw tomorrow.

Players to look out for.

Lewis Grabban- top scorer for the reds this term, seems like the only striker they have that scores goals, so will have to be watched keenly by Schindler and Stankovic, not as quick as he used to be, but makes the sneaky runs off the shoulder of the last man.

Matty Cash- Versatile product of their academy. Can play anywhere down the right and will most likely start tomorrow at right back, with the aim of joining the attacks on the break

Joe Lolley- Left footed winger who likes to play on the left, has somewhat come of age since he left town to join forest, with last season being his break out year. Has found the going tougher this season, mainly due to sides doubling up on him and preventing him having a clear route on goal. bound to score tomorrow. Will or would he celebrate?



And finally

With the transfer window just around the corner, which 5 players (realistic) would you like to sign if you were Danny?

Following Hertz recent AGM and Anne Budge's embarrassing revelation re the Levein saga, it leads me to ask, "What happened to Hibs AGM this year"????? Did I miss it? I don't think I missed it but it has been "quiet" for quite a while re this event. I'm sure there will be some kinda arrangement and explanation and, as a Hibs shareholder, I await the formal announcement with great interest and will also find out how much Hibs team manager appointments/dismissals have actually cost the club.