For the third season in succession, Albion start the season with a victory. Let’s hope that this season it can lead to a better overall campaign. It is something of a surprise – since the second tier went to 24 teams in 1988, Albion had only won the opening league game of a campaign in that division on three occasions before their current run.
If I’m honest, it is not a game that the Baggies deserved to win. It was display that showed grit and determination but the Canaries dominated the game and, along with Albion’s opener which looked to have come off Heggebø’s arm, Morrison’s team were somewhat fortunate to come away with all three points.
Of course, it was so often the other way around last season, particularly under Mason – Albion dominated games and failed to score, losing to unfortunate late goals. This season, in Jimmy-Jay Morgan, we maybe have a striker that will take chances more reliably.
O’Leary and Phillips stood out at the back but the match proved to be a real test for this new look Baggies team, as we thought it would, and there is plenty for Mozza and his coaching team to work on. It can’t have been easy to lose Alex Mowatt so close to the first game – it can only have hindered the pre-match preparations – but it is encouraging that the group stuck by each other and managed to come away with the points.
| 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 | |
| 1988/1989 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 49 |
| 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 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 75 |
| 2024/2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2nd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9th | 64 |
| 2025/2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 51¹ |
| 2026/2027 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. ¹ 2 points deducted on 24th April 2026. |
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Results
| 1988/1989 | 27/08/1988 | Leicester City (A) | D | 1-1 | Paskin |
| 1989/1990 | 19/08/1989 | Sheffield United (H) | L | 0-3 | |
| 1990/1991 | 25/08/1990 | Portsmouth (A) | D | 1-1 | Ford |
| 1993/1994 | 14/08/1993 | Barnsley (A) | D | 1-1 | Donovan |
| 1994/1995 | 13/08/1994 | Luton Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Taylor |
| 1995/1996 | 12/08/1995 | Charlton Athletic (H) | W | 1-0 | Gilbert |
| 1996/1997 | 17/08/1996 | Barnsley (H) | L | 1-2 | Hunt (pen) |
| 1997/1998 | 09/08/1997 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | W | 2-1 | Kilbane, Hunt |
| 1998/1999 | 08/08/1998 | Barnsley (A) | D | 2-2 | Sneekes, Quinn |
| 1999/2000 | 07/08/1999 | Norwich City (H) | D | 1-1 | Raven |
| 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 |
| 2022/2023 | 30/07/2022 | Middlesbrough (A) | D | 1-1 | Swift |
| 2023/2024 | 05/08/2023 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 1-2 | Phillips |
| 2024/2025 | 10/08/2024 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 3-1 | Maja (3) |
| 2025/2026 | 09/08/2025 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | W | 1-0 | Price |
| 2026/2027 | 15/08/2026 | Norwich City (A) | W | 2-1 | Heggebø, Morgan |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 29/08/1988 | Watford (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1989/1990 | 22/08/1989 | AFC Bournemouth (A) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 01/09/1990 | Ipswich Town (H) | L | 1-2 | Bannister |
| 1993/1994 | 21/08/1993 | Oxford United (H) | W | 3-1 | Hunt, Donovan, O’Regan |
| 1994/1995 | 28/08/1994 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1995/1996 | 20/08/1995 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) | D | 1-1 | Taylor |
| 1996/1997 | 24/08/1996 | Charlton Athletic (A) | D | 1-1 | Taylor |
| 1997/1998 | 16/08/1997 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | W | 3-2 | Hunt (pen), Hughes (2) |
| 1998/1999 | 15/08/1998 | Sheffield United (H) | W | 4-1 | Carbon, Kilbane, Hughes (2) |
| 1999/2000 | 14/08/1999 | Port Vale (A) | W | 2-1 | Hughes, Kilbane |
| 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) | W | 3-2 | Naismith (o.g.), Robinson, Grant |
| 2022/2023 | 08/08/2022 | Watford (H) | D | 1-1 | Grant |
| 2023/2024 | 12/08/2023 | Swansea City (H) | W | 3-2 | Ajayi, Rushworth (o.g.), Swift (pen) |
| 2024/2025 | 17/08/2024 | Leeds United (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2025/2026 | 16/08/2025 | Wrexham (A) | W | 3-2 | Price (2), Wallace |
| 2026/2027 | 23/08/2026 | Burnley (H) |
