[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Astle turns Cyril Knowles and John Collins as Albion face Spurs at the Hawthorns; 28th March 1970

It's been nine years since Albion were last relegated from the Premier League, and this spring has brought some uncanny similarities to that of 2009. Just as Mowbray's men only started winning matches when it was really too late to make a difference, so our present run of form is probably just a stay of execution; and now, as then, it all comes down to the penultimate game of the season, at home against one of the league's big guns.

In 2009 it was Liverpool who dispatched us 2-0 to place the inevitable letter R beside our name, but this Saturday we welcome Spurs to the Hawthorns, who'll aim to do the same. It may be that results elsewhere do for us instead, but it would be nice if we could take it into the final day, and failing that, if Saturday sees us down, I only hope we can show Big Dave the appreciation he deserves for his efforts in recent weeks, just as it was shown to Mowbray nine years ago.