This season, I’ve chosen to compare the current season to Albion’s campaigns in the second tier over the past 19 years, since Gary Megson led the Baggies into the Division One play-offs for the first time.
Including that season, Albion have had six promotion challenges, four of which were successful. If you are looking for a positive omen from the disappointing result against Bolton, only once in that time have Albion won their opening game in the second tier, and they failed to achieve promotion that season.
While it’s not the start Darren Moore was looking for, there should be no over reaction. It is just one game, the squad is still to settle down as new players get to know one another and, with loan players, the club still have another few weeks to bring in some new faces. Furthermore, Albion had 72% possession and played some really nice football at times – yes, they were lacking in both boxes and the goals, in particular, were very disappointing, but there were positives to hold on to.
As we know, there is not time to rest in Championship and the team have the opportunity to make amends quickly with the trip to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening.
| 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 | ||
| * 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 |
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) |
