Albion’s Promotion Challenge Season Comparison – 1 game

Only twice have the Baggies opened a 21st century second tier campaign with a victory and Friday evening’s game at Bournemouth is only the second time they have opened with a draw. Robbie di Matteo’s promotion season started with a 1-1 draw with eventual champions, Newcastle United, at the Hawthorns when Shelton Martis’s first half opener was equalised by Damien Duff after the break.

It was Albion’s first Friday fixture since the defeat at Huddersfield Town in July 2020 that looked to have done serious damage to their promotion hopes. That game also saw Dara O’Shea’s previous goal for Albion until he scored the first equaliser at the Vitality Stadium.

The last time that the Baggies drew their opening fixture of a season was in 2014 when Alan Irvine’s first match at the Hawthorns Helm ended all square. The result was also 2-2 when Sunderland were the visitors to the Hawthorns – Saido Berahino grabbed a brace, including one from from the spot, between goals from Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson for the Black Cats.

    Home Away Season End
  Pld W D L F A Pts Posn* W D L F A Pts W D L F A Pts Posn Pts
2000/2001 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 20th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 6th 74
2001/2002 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 17th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 2nd 89
2003/2004 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 23rd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 2nd 86
2006/2007 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 3rd 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 76
2007/2008 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 18th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 1st 81
2009/2010 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 15th 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 91
2018/2019 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 22nd 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 80
2019/2020 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 6th 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 3 2nd 83
2021/2022 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 6th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 1    
* Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed.

Results

2000/2001 12/08/2000 Nottingham Forest (A) L 0-1  
2001/2002 11/08/2001 Walsall (A) L 1-2 Clement
2003/2004 09/08/2003 Walsall (A) L 1-4 Koumas
2006/2007 05/08/2006 Hull City (H) W 2-0 Hartson (2)
2007/2008 11/08/2007 Burnley (A) L 1-2 Phillips
2009/2010 08/08/2009 Newcastle United (H) D 1-1 Martis
2018/2019 04/08/2018 Bolton Wanderers (H) L 1-2 Barnes
2019/2020 03/08/2019 Nottingham Forest (A) W 2-1 Edwards, Phillips
2021/2022 06/08/2021 AFC Bournemouth (A) D 2-2 O’Shea, Robinson

Next Matches

2000/2001 19/08/2000 Bolton Wanderers (H) L 0-2  
2001/2002 18/08/2001 Grimsby Town (H) L 0-1  
2003/2004 16/08/2003 Burnley (H) W 4-1 Šakiri, Hulse, Hughes (2)
2006/2007 08/08/2006 Cardiff City (A) D 1-1 Gera
2007/2008 18/08/2007 Preston North End (H) W 2-0 Phillips, Miller
2009/2010 15/08/2009 Nottingham Forest (A) W 1-0 Cohen (o.g.)
2018/2019 07/08/2018 Nottingham Forest (A) D 1-1 Phillips
2019/2020 10/08/2019 Millwall (H) D 1-1 Bartley
2021/2022 14/08/2021 Luton Town (H)      

If you cannot see the tables, click here.

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