John Swift’s dubiously awarded penalty confirmed the three points for Albion against the Millers to reinforce the Baggies position in the table. It was Swift’s sixth successful spot kick in an Albion shirt and he is yet to miss one since his move from Reading. The only penalty he has missed in his career was in a Championship match for the Royals in 2017 against former Albion ‘keeper, David Button, when he was playing for Fulham. Luckily for Swift, his teammate, Roy Beerens, stuck away the rebound and then Fulham missed a penalty of their own in the last minute.
Albion now have more points at this stage than Mowbray’s title-winning team of 2008 had, while only Roberto di Matteo’s 2009/10 team had amassed more points at the Hawthorns at this stage (47) than this campaign’s side (46). Last night was Albion’s 20th victory of the campaign and never before in our comparison seasons have the Baggies won twenty games in a campaign and not finished in the top six.
Game 43 has often been important given it is so late in the season, and in 2002 when, having watched Wolves lose 2-0 at home to Manchester City on Easter Monday, Albion went out and beat Coventry City at Highfield Road to move level on points with their Black Country rivals having been eleven points adrift a few short weeks earlier.
Two years later, Albion watched as Sunderland failed to beat Wigan Athletic thereby confirming Gary Megson’s team’s return to the Premier League before their 2-0 victory over Bradford City was confirmed, while in 2010, game 43 was a victory at Doncaster Rovers for Roberto di Matteo’s team that secured promotion with three games to go.
| 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 | 42 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 61 | 40 | 65 | 6th | 12 | 6 | 3 | 40 | 18 | 42 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 63 | 61 | 50 | 15th | 6 | 8 | 7 | 34 | 31 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 48 | 57 | 44 | 22nd | 7 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 38 | 14 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 62 | 45 | 21st | 8 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 27 | 31 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 35 | 14 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 44 | 53 | 53 | 15th | 12 | 2 | 7 | 28 | 23 | 38 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 30 | 15 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 54 | 63 | 54 | 13th | 10 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 27 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 36 | 19 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 64 | 67 | 53 | 15th | 6 | 7 | 8 | 34 | 30 | 25 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 28 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 42 | 49 | 56 | 12th | 9 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 22 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 27 | 23 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 64 | 70 | 54 | 12th | 11 | 3 | 7 | 40 | 31 | 36 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 24 | 39 | 18 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 42 | 8 | 18 | 16 | 38 | 57 | 42 | 21st | 4 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 25 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 32 | 19 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 56 | 47 | 70 | 5th | 13 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 21 | 43 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 56 | 28 | 79 | 3rd | 14 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 10 | 45 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 18 | 34 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 61 | 35 | 83 | 2nd | 13 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 14 | 44 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 21 | 39 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 71 | 51 | 70 | 4th | 13 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 23 | 43 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 82 | 53 | 71 | 2nd | 12 | 7 | 3 | 50 | 26 | 43 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 27 | 28 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 82 | 44 | 83 | 2nd | 15 | 2 | 4 | 45 | 20 | 47 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 37 | 24 | 36 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 81 | 56 | 73 | 4th | 10 | 7 | 4 | 48 | 28 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 28 | 36 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 42 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 73 | 40 | 80 | 1st | 10 | 8 | 3 | 42 | 25 | 38 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 15 | 42 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 47 | 41 | 60 | 11th | 11 | 7 | 3 | 29 | 16 | 40 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 25 | 20 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 54 | 45 | 63 | 6th | 10 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 17 | 37 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 66 | 41 | 72 | 5th | 14 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 16 | 46 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 31 | 25 | 26 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 22/04/1989 | Ipswich Town (A) | L | 1-2 | West |
| 1989/1990 | 14/04/1990 | Brighton & Hove Albion (A) | W | 3-0 | Goodman, Ford, Bannister |
| 1990/1991 | 20/04/1991 | Barnsley (A) | D | 1-1 | Strodder |
| 1993/1994 | 24/04/1994 | Nottingham Forest (A) | L | 1-2 | Taylor |
| 1994/1995 | 15/04/1995 | Southend United (H) | W | 2-0 | Hamilton, Strodder |
| 1995/1996 | 13/04/1996 | Grimsby Town (H) | W | 3-1 | Taylor (2), Sneekes |
| 1996/1997 | 09/04/1997 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 1-0 | Peschisolido |
| 1997/1998 | 11/04/1998 | Stockport County (A) | L | 1-2 | Hughes |
| 1998/1999 | 13/04/1999 | Swindon Town (H) | D | 1-1 | Hughes |
| 1999/2000 | 15/04/2000 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | D | 4-4 | Sheekes (pen), Flynn, Taylor, Oliver |
| 2000/2001 | 14/04/2001 | Burnley (A) | D | 1-1 | Taylor |
| 2001/2002 | 30/03/2002 | Barnsley (H) | W | 3-1 | Jordão, Dichio, Benjamin |
| 2003/2004 | 18/04/2004 | Sunderland (A) | W | 1-0 | Koumas |
| 2006/2007 | 09/04/2007 | Norwich City (A) | W | 2-1 | Sodje, Kamara |
| 2007/2008 | 12/04/2008 | Watford (H) | D | 1-1 | Barnett |
| 2009/2010 | 05/04/2010 | Watford (A) | D | 1-1 | Brunt |
| 2018/2019 | 13/04/2019 | Preston North End (H) | W | 4-1 | Gayle (3), Rodriguez |
| 2019/2020 | 08/07/2020 | Derby County (H) | W | 2-0 | Diangana, O’Shea |
| 2021/2022 | 15/04/2022 | Blackpool (H) | W | 2-1 | Carroll, Grant |
| 2022/2023 | 18/04/2023 | Blackpool (A) | W | 2-0 | Thomas-Asante, Gardner-Hickman |
| 2023/2024 | 10/04/2024 | Rotherham United (H) | W | 2-0 | Thomas-Asante, Swift (pen) |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 29/04/1989 | Crystal Palace (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1989/1990 | 16/04/1990 | Plymouth Argyle (H) | L | 0-3 | |
| 1990/1991 | 23/04/1991 | Watford (A) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1993/1994 | 27/04/1994 | Birmingham City (H) | L | 2-4 | Donovan, Burgess |
| 1994/1995 | 17/04/1995 | Bristol City (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1995/1996 | 20/04/1996 | Norwich City (A) | D | 2-2 | Taylor, Sneekes |
| 1996/1997 | 12/04/1997 | Manchester City (H) | L | 1-3 | Murphy |
| 1997/1998 | 13/04/1998 | Sunderland (H) | D | 3-3 | Hughes (2), Kilbane |
| 1998/1999 | 17/04/1999 | Portsmouth (H) | D | 2-2 | Maresca, Quinn |
| 1999/2000 | 22/04/2000 | Walsall (A) | L | 1-2 | Flynn |
| 2000/2001 | 16/04/2001 | Grimsby Town (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2001/2002 | 01/04/2002 | Coventry City (A) | W | 1-0 | Taylor |
| 2003/2004 | 24/04/2004 | Bradford City (H) | W | 2-0 | Horsfield, Hughes |
| 2006/2007 | 13/04/2007 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2007/2008 | 15/04/2008 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) | W | 1-0 | Gera |
| 2009/2010 | 10/04/2010 | Doncaster Rovers (A) | W | 3-2 | Dorrans, Brunt, Bednár |
| 2018/2019 | 19/04/2019 | Hull City (H) | W | 3-2 | Gibbs, Gayle (2) |
| 2019/2020 | 11/07/2020 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | D | 1-1 | Krovinovic |
| 2021/2022 | 18/04/2022 | Nottingham Forest (A) | L | 0-4 | |
| 2022/2023 | 22/04/2023 | Sunderland (H) | L | 1-2 | Swift (pen) |
| 2023/2024 | 13/04/2024 | Sunderland (H) |
