Albion’s seventh win in eight games lifted them to ninth place in the Championship table and to within a point of the play-off places. Other than after the opening game of the season, it is the Baggies’ highest league position since February.
Despite the recovery in form in recent weeks, it remains Albion’s worst start to a second tier season since 1999/2000, five points behind the next worst in 2006/2007.
The match against Preston was the 64th senior competitive match that the Baggies have played on a Thursday and the second this season having also beaten Sheffield Unitied on a Thursday night in the EFL Cup in August. Of the 53 league games that Albion have played on a Thursday, 28 have been on either Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day – of the non-festive league fixtures, the previous victory on a Thursday was back in 1972 when Don Howe’s team beat Chelsea 4-0 on 27th April.
Furthermore, last night saw the Baggies win their final match of a calendar year for the first time since Hal Robson-Kanu’s screamer secured a 2-1 win at Southampton on New Year’s Eve 2016. The Baggies also beat Newcastle United 1-0 in their final game of 2015 but the previous occasion they ended a year with a win was in 2009 when they beat Scunthorpe United 3-1.
Okay’s two goals against Preston was only the second brace scored by a Baggie this season, the other being Jed Wallace’s double in the 2-2 draw at Huddersfield Town in August.
| 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 | 25 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 43 | 23 | 44 | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 9 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 41 | 42 | 29 | 16th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 13 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 34 | 27 | 18th | 4 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 9 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 42 | 25 | 20th | 5 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 5 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 32 | 30 | 17th | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 41 | 25 | 21st | 5 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 25 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 42 | 40 | 33 | 11th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 24 | 41 | 6th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 46 | 42 | 37 | 10th | 8 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 20 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 30 | 27 | 18th | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 29 | 44 | 5th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 14 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 21 | 43 | 5th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 22 | 46 | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 45 | 28 | 40 | 6th | 9 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 56 | 29 | 47 | 1st | 9 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 11 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 51 | 27 | 46 | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 13 | 23 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 53 | 32 | 46 | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 47 | 27 | 51 | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 18 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 28 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 31 | 19 | 42 | 4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 26 | 35 | 9th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 16 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 14/01/1989 | Watford (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1989/1990 | 01/01/1990 | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | W | 3-0 | Robson, Bartlett, West |
| 1990/1991 | 12/01/1991 | Ipswich Town (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1993/1994 | 12/01/1994 | Leicester City (A) | L | 2-4 | Strodder, Mellon |
| 1994/1995 | 31/12/1994 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | W | 1-0 | Hunt |
| 1995/1996 | 13/01/1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1996/1997 | 28/12/1996 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 4-1 | Sneekes, Smith, Hunt, Peschisolido |
| 1997/1998 | 28/12/1997 | Stoke City (H) | D | 1-1 | Hunt |
| 1998/1999 | 26/12/1998 | Port Vale (H) | W | 3-2 | Murphy, Bortolazzi, Hughes (pen) |
| 1999/2000 | 28/12/1999 | Bolton Wanderers (A) | D | 1-1 | Burgess |
| 2000/2001 | 26/12/2000 | Sheffield United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2001/2002 | 22/12/2001 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | D | 1-1 | Fox |
| 2003/2004 | 26/12/2003 | Derby County (H) | D | 1-1 | Gaardsøe |
| 2006/2007 | 26/12/2006 | Preston North End (H) | W | 4-2 | Koumas, Kamara, Ellington (2) |
| 2007/2008 | 29/12/2007 | Scunthorpe United (H) | W | 5-0 | Phillips (2), Koren, Gera, Beattie |
| 2009/2010 | 18/01/2010 | Newcastle United (A) | D | 2-2 | Olsson, Bednár |
| 2018/2019 | 29/12/2018 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | D | 1-1 | Jones (o.g.) |
| 2019/2020 | 29/12/2019 | Middlesbrough (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2021/2022 | 02/01/2022 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 1-1 | Robinson |
| 2022/2023 | 29/12/2022 | Preston North End (H) | W | 2-0 | Yokuşlu (2) |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 21/01/1989 | Leicester City (H) | D | 1-1 | Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 13/01/1990 | Port Vale (H) | L | 2-3 | Goodman, Ford |
| 1990/1991 | 19/01/1991 | Oxford United (H) | W | 2-0 | Bannister, Shakespeare |
| 1993/1994 | 15/01/1994 | Peterborough United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1994/1995 | 02/01/1995 | Derby County (A) | D | 1-1 | Hamilton |
| 1995/1996 | 20/01/1996 | Charlton Athletic (A) | L | 1-4 | Hunt (pen) |
| 1996/1997 | 01/01/1997 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | L | 1-2 | Burgess |
| 1997/1998 | 09/01/1998 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1998/1999 | 28/12/1998 | Crystal Palace (A) | D | 1-1 | Hughes |
| 1999/2000 | 03/01/2000 | Barnsley (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2000/2001 | 30/12/2000 | Bolton Wanderers (A) | W | 1-0 | Roberts |
| 2001/2002 | 26/12/2001 | Manchester City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2003/2004 | 30/12/2003 | Wimbledon (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2006/2007 | 30/12/2006 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Kamara, Koumas |
| 2007/2008 | 01/01/2008 | Ipswich Town (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2009/2010 | 26/01/2010 | Ipswich Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Brunt |
| 2018/2019 | 01/01/2019 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 1-2 | Rodriguez (pen) |
| 2019/2020 | 01/01/2020 | Leeds United (H) | D | 1-1 | Ajayi |
| 2021/2022 | 15/01/2022 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2022/2023 | 02/01/2023 | Reading (H) |
If you cannot see the tables, click here.
