[drewks]

Just an overflow from the other thread; why The Baggies?
What great memories, characters etc can you recall?
Best players, best games? Teams?

For me, Laurie Cunningham and the Valencia game will NEVER be eclipsed!

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Oh, and for sheer exuberance, enthusiasm, and inspirational effect on team mates, I nominate The Bomber and Zoltan Gera!

[derbybaggie]

My dad and mum were both brought up in Aston within a few 100 yards of the Vile but fortunately neither was into football. When they got married they moved to Sutton and the next door neighbours were keen Baggies fans. I was born a few years later indoctrinated into the Albion by next door and been a Baggie ever since. I just about remember the cup win of 68 but really started taking notice about 1970 after World Cup.

Used to have a season ticket and sit in the Rainbow Paddock.

Best match Wembley against Port Vale.

[BaggieSteve]

I'm a Brummie, brought up in Rubery on the south west of the city but my Mom was from Handsworth. We would visit my Grandad on Saturdays and my big brother would take me to the Hawthorns, it was all of a ten minutes walk! My first game was 1962 against Burnley - we lost 1-2 so nothing much has changed.

Lucky enough to see the 60s teams of Derek Kevan, Alec Jackson etc and then Astle, Hope, Bomber, Kaye, Ossie and others. We then had the first of the "wilderness years" periods but then, after the 1976 promotion, we had the great late 70s/early 80s teams which were just wonderful - since then, we've had our moments but, for me, nothing eclipses Regis, Cunningham, Robson, Wile, Robertson, Statham, Johnston and all the others too numerous to mention.

Hard to pick a favourite match - going to Wembley for the play off v Port Vale, as DerbyBaggie said, was brilliant but I'd probably pick a league game: 8-1 v Burnley in 1967 (revenge!!), 4-3 v Tottenham 1968/69, 4-3 v Man Utd 1971 (I think John Wile got the winner) but topping them all was probably 2-1 v Villa in 2011, when Mulumbu got the winner. We'd waited so long and endured so much crap...and we did it with ten men. Magic!!

[Blue Baggie]

Being brought up in the Black Country most family members were dingle fans, I split my allegiance between the Baggies
and Man Ure just to wind them up I think. With WBA & MU both on a par, the baggies probably had the better team in the mid sixties.
Man Utd had the Charlton - Best - Law years to come it was not easy for me to come to terms with as a black country lad
it was only right I get behind the baggies and leave MU.
I strangely made the decision as the baggies went into decline with the King gone and the Brown's in the twilights.
But still many great days followed. My favourite memories were obviously the FAC win and the Giles era.
Favourite game - Regis's goals against MU at Old trafford Dec 78 3-3 at half time brilliant game. A 3 - 5 win at Old trafford is a dream.
Even Astles (the king) few games for England were special - he terrified the opposition, still can see him dominating the defenders.
Now MU are just another team but the Baggies are my number one - I'm passionate about our performances. The coming of the
three degrees was a magical time.
I tend not to care if we lose as long as the guys give 100%.
Being a brummie road STH for many years - I thought the whole stand would collapse when everyone jumped up and down when we scored.
Loved watching Willie Johnstone - it was well known if the opposition full back won the ball off him, he would deck him as soon as he had the chance.
Many of us stopped watching the game and would just watch Wee Wilie at times. Many many great times engrained in the memory banks.
I feel very lucky to have experienced the joy that comes with winning a cup and again that's why I hate us now treating cups as
a distraction to the PL - as people on here will know!
Guess in these times it's all about financial security and will be for the next few years. I think we all know the game has been poisoned with money.
Players like the King and Bomber are not going to pop in your local and have a beer with us again.
Times change, but IMO they are certainly not always for the better.

[silverbaggie]

Born in Moseley and grew up in south Birmingham. Watched the Blues a little as a teenager until a mate at work suggested going to the Hawthornes for an FA Cup 3rd round game against Plymouth (Jan 1960). Was hooked ever since.
Favourite game difficult but a toss up between the 2nd leg League Cup final of 1966 against West Ham which we won 4-1.
or
in the same year and competition-

The 4th round replay against Jimmy Hill's Coventry City 6-1 (Hat trick from the King)

easier to pick:-
least favourite match-
losing 1-5 at home to Notts Forest (1979?) And we scored first!!!

I'll add another category:-
Match I wished I had seen:- 5-5 against Man Ure (Fergies retirement present from us)

[talkSAFT]

1st game was Leicester 6-2 in '58 (I think it was 1/6d for kids, and we walked the 1/2 mile or so from Handsworth). We trailed Dingles for the Title, but ended up 4th.  I was too young (8) to appreciate that Team, but we had Howe, Barlow, Kevan, Robson, and everyone's favourite Ronnie Allen, as England Internationals.
We moved to Solihull soon after, but got 2 buses to watch most Home games. Most memorable was Spurs Boxing Day '63. Spurs were THE team at the time (Greaves, Blanchflower, Mackay, etc), and we came back from 2-4 to draw 4-4.
I was a Brummie Roader on the 1st day in '64, singing songs about Astle, Hope, Kaye, Clark, and Bomber. Then, when I started Work I followed them Away as well on the Throstle Club Coach, hardly missing a game in '68.
And the Cup Final - if not the best - was certainly the most memorable, especially as we took over the West End that night. A good 50 Albion coaches left Hyde Park Corner at Midnight and the singing and dancing up Oxford Street was a lifetime highlight!
The League Cup Final 2nd Leg 2 years earlier wasn't bad either!! 1-2 down from 1st Leg we smashed West Ham 4-1 in the Home Leg and you could probably have heard the singing back in Handsworth. The football played in that era was just awesome - I think Pulis would have struggled to remould that Team to his own style.

I started playing Saturdays (as well as Sundays) in the mid-70s after losing faith under Don Howe's management, but I'd go to the evening games. Valencia (as Drewks mentioned) was a favourite, when the best Brummie Road song got sung:

We queued for best part of an hour because of a Ground Admission problem at the Brummie Road (whether or not a carful of Ticket Staff had got held up in the traffic, I don't know. But the BRE had just 1 Entrance Gate working, and the crowd were swaying all over the Road, kept in check by 4 Police Horses). Just as we were getting really restless and agitated, someone started this song going:-

"One Turnstile Open,
There's Only One Turnstile Open".....

even the coppers pissed themselves

Best match since then for atmosphere and jubilation, I thought, was beating Palace to get Promotion in 2002.

I don't get to many games now (avge 4 per season since I gave up my East Stand S/T 9 years ago to move to Cornwall) but I love every minute of the Games I get to.

Favourite all-time players:  General, Bomber, Mulumbu, Zolly

[drewks]

talkSAFT, that's a wonderful post - probably my favourite ever!
Stairs, can you put a 'love' button on here?

[BaggieSteve]

Being brought up in the Black Country most family members were dingle fans, I split my allegiance between the Baggies
and Man Ure just to wind them up I think. With WBA & MU both on a par, the baggies probably had the better team in the mid sixties.
Man Utd had the Charlton - Best - Law years to come it was not easy for me to come to terms with as a black country lad
it was only right I get behind the baggies and leave MU.
I strangely made the decision as the baggies went into decline with the King gone and the Brown's in the twilights.
But still many great days followed. My favourite memories were obviously the FAC win and the Giles era.
Favourite game - Regis's goals against MU at Old trafford Dec 78 3-3 at half time brilliant game. A 3 - 5 win at Old trafford is a dream.
Even Astles (the king) few games for England were special - he terrified the opposition, still can see him dominating the defenders.
Now MU are just another team but the Baggies are my number one - I'm passionate about our performances. The coming of the
three degrees was a magical time.
I tend not to care if we lose as long as the guys give 100%.
Being a brummie road STH for many years - I thought the whole stand would collapse when everyone jumped up and down when we scored.
Loved watching Willie Johnstone - it was well known if the opposition full back won the ball off him, he would deck him as soon as he had the chance.
Many of us stopped watching the game and would just watch Wee Wilie at times. Many many great times engrained in the memory banks.
I feel very lucky to have experienced the joy that comes with winning a cup and again that's why I hate us now treating cups as
a distraction to the PL - as people on here will know!
Guess in these times it's all about financial security and will be for the next few years. I think we all know the game has been poisoned with money.
Players like the King and Bomber are not going to pop in your local and have a beer with us again.
Times change, but IMO they are certainly not always for the better.

Wee Willie, just magic. To this day, still the only player to purchase a greenhouse during a match

[talkSAFT]

talkSAFT, that's a wonderful post - probably my favourite ever!
Stairs, can you put a 'love' button on here?

That's nice, Drewksy. Thank you.
I told my missus back in the 90s, when WBA were desperate for money, that if she bought a Lottery Tkt (when they 1st came out), and we won, I'd give 1/2 the winnings to the Club and get more pleasure than any new bleeding house or car, etc. I wouldn't now, mind, 'cos £5m would go straight into rich men's pockets. Albion will always be my greatest pleasure whatever, same as most on here. It's the fans I love.

[Blue Baggie]

Memories

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