Brandon Thomas-Asante’s controversial goal and a few excellent Alex Palmer saves earned Albion a point at Leeds on Friday night to move them up into the top half of the table, albeit Saturday’s results mean that they are down to 13th at the time of writing.
Four points from the opening three games represents a “par” score based on the Baggies record in the second tier – only once since the the second tier has been 24 teams have Albion won their first three games, under Ray Harford in 1997. The third game was a 1-0 win over Wolves which lifted the Baggies into second place behind Dave Bassett’s Nottingham Forest who also had a 100% record – Forest would end up champions while Albion finished in a lowly 10th place.
At the other end of the scale, only once has an Albion side lost their first three second tier games in that period. Gary Megson started his first full season in charge with three defeats in 2000, a 4-1 defeat at Barnsley in game three leaving the Baggies bottom of the table. They recovered to claim an unexpected play-off spot and were, of course, promoted the following season.
Looking ahead to next weekend, only once have Albion lost their fourth game of a second tier 46-game season, a 2-1 defeat at Southend United in 1995.
| 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 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22nd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 17th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3rd | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 22nd | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 18th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 8th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3rd | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 1st | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 20th | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 11th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 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) | D | 1-1 | Thomas-Asante |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 10/09/1988 | Shrewsbury Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 02/09/1989 | Sunderland (H) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 15/09/1990 | Bristol City (H) | W | 2-1 | Bannister, Harbey |
| 1993/1994 | 01/09/1993 | Southend United (H) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1994/1995 | 10/09/1994 | Millwall (A) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1995/1996 | 29/08/1995 | Southend United (A) | L | 1-2 | Raven |
| 1996/1997 | 07/09/1996 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 2-0 | Peschisolido, Taylor |
| 1997/1998 | 30/08/1997 | Ipswich Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Sneekes |
| 1998/1999 | 29/08/1998 | Norwich City (H) | W | 2-0 | De Freitas (2) |
| 1999/2000 | 28/08/1999 | Swindon Town (A) | W | 2-1 | Kilbane, Evans |
| 2000/2001 | 28/08/2000 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 2-1 | Van Blerk, Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 27/08/2001 | Gillingham (H) | W | 1-0 | Dichio |
| 2003/2004 | 25/08/2003 | Preston North End (H) | W | 1-0 | Hughes (pen) |
| 2006/2007 | 19/08/2006 | Colchester United (H) | W | 2-1 | Ellington (pen), Wallwork |
| 2007/2008 | 01/09/2007 | Barnsley (H) | W | 2-0 | Teixeira, Beattie |
| 2009/2010 | 22/08/2009 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Mulumbu, Koren |
| 2018/2019 | 18/08/2018 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 7-1 | Phillips (2), Gibbs, Rodriguez (2 pens), Gayle, Robson-Kanu |
| 2019/2020 | 21/08/2019 | Reading (H) | D | 1-1 | Zohore (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 21/08/2021 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | W | 2-1 | Mowatt, Phillips |
| 2022/2023 | 17/08/2022 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2023/2024 | 26/08/2023 | Middlesbrough (H) |
