[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

For the benefit of anyone who's spent the last few weeks with their head in a bucket on the outermost moon of Neptune, this Friday night sees the visit, for the first time in nearly three years, of Aston Villa to the Hawthorns. With two points dropped on Monday (while Villa notched up a win on Saturday and enjoyed an extra two days' break), the omens aren't great heading into this, but given that our aquatic friends have a long history of putting in blinding performances against us even when they've been laughably poor for months beforehand, we can perhaps cling to the hope that the form book can go out of the window on this one.

Both sides have proven strong up front and weak at the back this season, and it could well rain goals at both ends. Both managers will know exactly what the derby means, though Dean Smith is still enjoying a bit of a honeymoon period that might come to an ignominious end. For Big Dave... well, his time in the hotseat will be judged by more than one match: however, for most Albion fans this is *the* fixture of 2018, and in the space of ninety minutes, a lot of memories can be made that will stick in the minds of supporters, for better or worse, for a long time to come.


Put Monday night behind us; it's time to get the job done.

[talkSAFT]

Ska'd:  Was that a picture of when we beat them 6-1, or when we only won 3-1?

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Ska'd:  Was that a picture of when we beat them 6-1, or when we only won 3-1?  

A 1-1 draw, I'm sorry to say!

[Beefy 1965]

Nice one saft

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Do feel free, as always, to set about naming the players pictured.

[drewks]

Do feel free, as always, to set about naming the players pictured.

Looking at a small picture on my phone - along with a bad memory and failing eyesight of course - I'd guess at Doug Fraser and Graham Lovett?

Moving on to the game, I'm not one that agrees that these poor footballers must be so tired, playing twice in a week.
They're professional athletes, with the best sports scientists, nutritionists, physios etc. behind them.
IMO it's a mindset. Mollycoddled darlings!
No excuses for me regarding 'they've had more rest than us' or similar. Fekin get on with it!!

Is our owner still here and watching? If so, I fear for BD if we don't perform in this one.
I can see a draw.

[BaggieSteve]

Is it Rick Shepherd in goal?

[talkSAFT]

Sheppard and Lovett definitely, but Fraser looks as if he's got a hangover. The empty Stand and Advert don't look familiar, and I wondered if it was an Away* game (?)

* I'm sure the Seal fans remember the very empty Stands they used to get back in the 60s. There was one Saturday evening Argus photo of the Witton End back in about '67 (admitted it was p*ssing down): you could literally count the individual morons attending on the photo.

[BaggieMan]

If you zoom in on the picture I think you can see blurred figures in the stands. Wasn’t it the time when the east stand was divided into standing at the bottom and seating towards the top?

Also, who is the West Brom player to the right at the bottom of the goalpost in the left back position? Graham Williams?

[Beefy 1965]

Please don't play Gayle out wide
Please don't play Gayle out wide
Please don't play Gayle out wide
.....