They made it a little harder for themselves late on, but the Baggies managed to kick start their campaign with a victory over Swansea City. The last time that Albion started a second tier season with one defeat and one win was in 2007 when they ended up league champions.
Only once have the Baggies won both of their opening games in a 46-game second tier season, back in 1997 when a 2-1 home victory over Tranmere Rovers was followed up by a 3-2 win at Crewe Alexandra under Ray Harford. Albion spent much of the early part of that campaign in the top three and were fourth when Harford quit in early December. Denis Smith took over for the Boxing Day trip to Reading and the Baggies finished the season in 10th spot.
In common with nine of the last ten seasons, Albion play their third game of the campaign away from home. Albion have won four of those nine away games, most recently at Luton Town in 2019 when Grady Diangana proved to be the match winner from the bench on his Baggies debut. The previous season, it was 4-3 at Carrow Road when another loanee, Harvey Barnes, sparkled in a victory at the home of the eventual champions.
| 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 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 17th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 18th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 21st | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 22nd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 18th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 22nd | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 17th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 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) |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 03/09/1988 | Swindon Town (H) | W | 3-1 | Dyson, Goodman, Paskin |
| 1989/1990 | 26/08/1989 | Port Vale (A) | L | 1-2 | Whyte |
| 1990/1991 | 08/09/1990 | Oxford United (A) | W | 3-1 | Bannister, West (2) |
| 1993/1994 | 28/08/1993 | Stoke City (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1994/1995 | 31/08/1994 | Swindon Town (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1995/1996 | 26/08/1995 | Ipswich Town (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1996/1997 | 27/08/1996 | Crystal Palace (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1997/1998 | 24/08/1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 1-0 | Curle (o.g.) |
| 1998/1999 | 22/08/1998 | Port Vale (A) | W | 3-0 | Hughes (3) |
| 1999/2000 | 20/08/1999 | Nottingham Forest (H) | D | 1-1 | Hughes |
| 2000/2001 | 26/08/2000 | Barnsley (A) | L | 1-4 | Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 25/08/2001 | Sheffield Wednesday (A) | D | 1-1 | Dichio |
| 2003/2004 | 23/08/2003 | Watford (A) | W | 1-0 | Hughes |
| 2006/2007 | 12/08/2006 | Southampton (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2007/2008 | 25/08/2007 | Sheffield United (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2009/2010 | 18/08/2009 | Peterborough United (A) | W | 3-2 | Moore (2), Brunt |
| 2018/2019 | 11/08/2018 | Norwich City (A) | W | 4-3 | Rodriguez (2, 1 pen), Barnes, Robson-Kanu |
| 2019/2020 | 17/08/2019 | Luton Town (A) | W | 2-1 | Diangana (2) |
| 2021/2022 | 18/08/2021 | Sheffield United (H) | W | 4-0 | J. Robinson (o.g.), O’Shea, Mowatt, Robinson |
| 2022/2023 | 14/08/2022 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 1-2 | Diangana |
| 2023/2024 | 18/08/2023 | Leeds United (A) |
