A solitary point against Sheffield Wednesday makes the start to this season the second worst in the second tier this century, with only the eleven points earned by Steve Bruce’s team from the first thirteen games in 2022 a lower tally than that achieved by Ryan Mason’s team so far.
The goals tally of twelve is the lowest achieved by an Albion side in the first thirteen games of a second tier season since 1999, with the only lower tally in our comparison seasons being the ten scored in 1994, a poor start that had already seen Keith Burkinshaw sacked.
If you want some positive vibes, exactly fifty years ago, on 1st November 1975, Albion drew their 13th game of the season, 0-0 at home to Notts County, and sat in 15th place, with only nine goals scored and 13 points (the equivalent of 16 points using 3 for a win). They went on to win promotion that season under a first time manager, Johnny Giles.
While I maintain the belief, for the time being, that he deserves more time, his team needs to show some signs of progress in the front third with the Preston game standing alone in the last month as a game where Albion offered anything like a sustained threat.
| 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 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 6th | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 13th | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 14th | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 17th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 23rd | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 24 | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14th | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 24 | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 23 | 20 | 9th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 14th | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 12 | 22 | 5th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 28 | 2nd | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 11 | 25 | 3rd | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 15 | 23 | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 13 | 24 | 1st | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 31 | 18 | 24 | 3rd | 5 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 15 | 26 | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 11 | 25 | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 22nd | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 14 | 20 | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5th | 75 |
| 2024/2025 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 21 | 5th | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 9th | 64 |
| 2025/2026 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 12th | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 9 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 26/10/1988 | Manchester City (H) | W | 1-0 | Durnin |
| 1989/1990 | 21/10/1989 | Hull City (H) | D | 1-1 | Parkin |
| 1990/1991 | 03/11/1990 | Bristol Rovers (H) | W | 3-1 | West (2), Anderson |
| 1993/1994 | 30/10/1993 | Watford (H) | W | 4-1 | Hunt (2), Hamilton, Taylor |
| 1994/1995 | 22/10/1994 | Barnsley (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1995/1996 | 21/10/1995 | Portsmouth (H) | W | 2-1 | Ashcroft, Hunt |
| 1996/1997 | 26/10/1996 | Bradford City (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1997/1998 | 25/10/1997 | Sheffield United (H) | W | 2-0 | Hunt, Hughes |
| 1998/1999 | 21/10/1998 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 2-0 | Evans, Murphy |
| 1999/2000 | 26/10/1999 | Crystal Palace (A) | W | 2-0 | Flynn, Maresca |
| 2000/2001 | 17/10/2000 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 1-0 | Hughes (pen) |
| 2001/2002 | 19/10/2001 | Norwich City (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2003/2004 | 18/10/2003 | Norwich City (H) | W | 1-0 | Koumas |
| 2006/2007 | 22/10/2006 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 3-0 | Greening, Kamara, Hartson (pen) |
| 2007/2008 | 27/10/2007 | Norwich City (H) | W | 2-0 | Miller, Phillips |
| 2009/2010 | 20/10/2009 | Swansea City (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2018/2019 | 20/10/2018 | Wigan Athletic (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2019/2020 | 22/10/2019 | Barnsley (H) | D | 2-2 | Diaby (o.g.), Pereira |
| 2021/2022 | 20/10/2021 | Swansea City (A) | L | 1-2 | Grant |
| 2022/2023 | 08/10/2022 | Luton Town (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2023/2024 | 24/10/2023 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 2-0 | Thomas-Asante (pen), Diangana |
| 2024/2025 | 02/11/2024 | Luton Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Maja |
| 2025/2026 | 01/11/2025 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | D | 0-0 |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 29/10/1988 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | W | 2-1 | Whyte, Anderson |
| 1989/1990 | 28/10/1989 | Middlesbrough (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1990/1991 | 06/11/1990 | Middlesbrough (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1993/1994 | 02/11/1993 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 1994/1995 | 29/10/1994 | Reading (H) | W | 2-0 | Hunt, Ashcroft |
| 1995/1996 | 28/10/1995 | Millwall (A) | L | 1-2 | Hunt |
| 1996/1997 | 30/10/1996 | Swindon Town (A) | W | 3-2 | Holmes, Peschisolido, Sneekes |
| 1997/1998 | 01/11/1997 | Bradford City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1998/1999 | 24/10/1998 | Swindon Town (A) | D | 2-2 | Hughes, Flynn |
| 1999/2000 | 31/10/1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | McDermott |
| 2000/2001 | 21/10/2000 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | D | 2-2 | Hughes, Roberts |
| 2001/2002 | 25/10/2001 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | Clement |
| 2003/2004 | 21/10/2003 | Wimbledon (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2006/2007 | 28/10/2006 | Birmingham City (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2007/2008 | 03/11/2007 | Watford (A) | W | 3-0 | Miller, Phillips, Albrechtsen |
| 2009/2010 | 24/10/2009 | Coventry City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2018/2019 | 24/10/2018 | Derby County (H) | L | 1-4 | Rodriguez |
| 2019/2020 | 26/10/2019 | Charlton Athletic (H) | D | 2-2 | Phillips, Robson-Kanu |
| 2021/2022 | 23/10/2021 | Bristol City (H) | W | 3-0 | Hugill, Bartley, Grant |
| 2022/2023 | 15/10/2022 | Reading (A) | W | 2-0 | Phillips, Gardner-Hickman |
| 2023/2024 | 30/10/2023 | Coventry City (A) | W | 2-0 | Diangana, Thomas-Asante |
| 2024/2025 | 07/11/2024 | Burnley (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2025/2026 | 04/11/2025 | Charlton Athletic (A) |
