30-12-2014, 00:38
(This post was last modified: 30-12-2014, 01:40 by Stathemwasthebestever.)
Newbie here
Lurked on and off here for a few months. Massive thanks to Ska'd, Beefy and Josh et al for the info, humour and insight.
Bona fides 1st........life long Baggie. Currently 47 pushing 48 in a week. 1st West Brom memory is sitting next to my father (life long season ticket holder) sometime in the early 70s when we were beating Ipswich and in the latter minutes JO was meandering around his box with the ball following a back pass when the very, very large bloke behind us stood up and shouted 'kick it to f****g Smethwick'. It is a good memory as my childhood was later subject to bad experiences between West Brom and Ipswich (I cried on the tube after the semi-final at Highbury). Was on my father's shoulders when in the spring of 76 Paddy Mulligan punted the ball into the box from the right, someone nodded it down (who was that - Jo Mayo?), and Tony flicked it up with his right and volleyed it in with his left. Had the very good fortune to be behind the posts when Jonny Wilkinson did a similar thing in 2003. I was much drunker then but it was a similar moment of import from my perspective (though most of the UK probably prefers the latter event).
But is was idyllic...I grew up with the hard possession football of the Giles sides that morphed into the free flowing entertainment of the Atkinson side. Those sides had a purpose; to win, yes, but to win in a certain way. My West Brom dream side will always be populated by a combination of Osbourne, Godden, Mulligan, Batson, Stathem, Wile, Robertson, Brown (times 2), Cantello, Robson, Johnson, Cunningham, Trewick, Regis with some Moses and Bob Taylor thrown in.
To the present day. I've had the fortune to travel and work all round the world. By training, I'm a medical doctor but in 2004 I gave that up and started my own company. I did that because I had a good idea for a product and made hay for a while. But having been successful I made the mistake of concentrating on protecting that instead of moving upwards. Within a couple of years we were eaten alive by the competition because we were not being aggressive, we were not innovating.
West Brom need to set some proper goals. Premiership survival is not a goal because it is non-aspirational (we're there). The goals should be to finish top 14 with a cup run playing attractive football as our heritage demands (or some other combination). If you do not set the goals appropriately, nothing else will happen. People run to the lowest common denominator; if that's survival you'll end breathing sporadically or not at all.
Instead, every time anyone who is employed by the club (including people who've been sacked by the club) is interviewed they drone on about 'survival'. Survival is not a goal (it is a given) and the Championship and leagues below are littered with Premier League 'survivors'.
Teams, companies, individuals need a purpose and I believe its time JP gave his people one above merely existing. Were this radical plan of giving a well run football club (I believe that) a real purpose I am not convinced Irvine is the man for the job. He reminds me of myself a few years ago.
Lurked on and off here for a few months. Massive thanks to Ska'd, Beefy and Josh et al for the info, humour and insight.
Bona fides 1st........life long Baggie. Currently 47 pushing 48 in a week. 1st West Brom memory is sitting next to my father (life long season ticket holder) sometime in the early 70s when we were beating Ipswich and in the latter minutes JO was meandering around his box with the ball following a back pass when the very, very large bloke behind us stood up and shouted 'kick it to f****g Smethwick'. It is a good memory as my childhood was later subject to bad experiences between West Brom and Ipswich (I cried on the tube after the semi-final at Highbury). Was on my father's shoulders when in the spring of 76 Paddy Mulligan punted the ball into the box from the right, someone nodded it down (who was that - Jo Mayo?), and Tony flicked it up with his right and volleyed it in with his left. Had the very good fortune to be behind the posts when Jonny Wilkinson did a similar thing in 2003. I was much drunker then but it was a similar moment of import from my perspective (though most of the UK probably prefers the latter event).
But is was idyllic...I grew up with the hard possession football of the Giles sides that morphed into the free flowing entertainment of the Atkinson side. Those sides had a purpose; to win, yes, but to win in a certain way. My West Brom dream side will always be populated by a combination of Osbourne, Godden, Mulligan, Batson, Stathem, Wile, Robertson, Brown (times 2), Cantello, Robson, Johnson, Cunningham, Trewick, Regis with some Moses and Bob Taylor thrown in.
To the present day. I've had the fortune to travel and work all round the world. By training, I'm a medical doctor but in 2004 I gave that up and started my own company. I did that because I had a good idea for a product and made hay for a while. But having been successful I made the mistake of concentrating on protecting that instead of moving upwards. Within a couple of years we were eaten alive by the competition because we were not being aggressive, we were not innovating.
West Brom need to set some proper goals. Premiership survival is not a goal because it is non-aspirational (we're there). The goals should be to finish top 14 with a cup run playing attractive football as our heritage demands (or some other combination). If you do not set the goals appropriately, nothing else will happen. People run to the lowest common denominator; if that's survival you'll end breathing sporadically or not at all.
Instead, every time anyone who is employed by the club (including people who've been sacked by the club) is interviewed they drone on about 'survival'. Survival is not a goal (it is a given) and the Championship and leagues below are littered with Premier League 'survivors'.
Teams, companies, individuals need a purpose and I believe its time JP gave his people one above merely existing. Were this radical plan of giving a well run football club (I believe that) a real purpose I am not convinced Irvine is the man for the job. He reminds me of myself a few years ago.