Victory over Norwich City kept Albion’s play-off hopes alive but Saturday’s results mean that their final opponents, Swansea City, can no longer make the top six. Defeat for Blackburn Rovers against Luton Town on Monday would make the Baggies’ task a little easier but they would still be relying on a victory at the Swansea.com Stadium and both Millwall and Sunderland not winning on the final day.
Back in 1989, Albion ended up with 72 points, three more than they can possibly get in their current campaign, and finished down in ninth place, a demonstration of how unusually low the points total could be to make the top six this season.
Albion have not won on the final day of a campaign away from home since 2008 when a 2-0 win at Loftus Road confirmed the Championship title for Tony Mowbray’s team.
This season’s home record for the Baggies of 40 points is in line their average of 39.9 from all their second tier seasons since Division Two became 24 clubs in 1988, but well below the average of 45.3 points achieved in 21st century second tier campaigns.
Their total of 31 goals from their 19 home games is the fourth lowest in the period – Albion have only scored fewer in a home second tier campaign in the 1990/91 season when they were relegated (21 goals), the 1997/98 season which started under Ray Harford and ended in 10th place under Denis Smith (26 goals) and the 1999/2000 campaign when they survived on the final day (25 goals). The highest is 53 goals during the 2018/19 campaign when Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle were scoring for fun.
| 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 | 45 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 64 | 41 | 69 | 9th | 13 | 7 | 3 | 43 | 18 | 46 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 45 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 66 | 68 | 51 | 19th | 6 | 8 | 8 | 34 | 34 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 32 | 34 | 25 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 45 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 51 | 60 | 47 | 22nd | 7 | 11 | 5 | 26 | 21 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 25 | 39 | 15 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 45 | 12 | 12 | 21 | 59 | 69 | 48 | 21st | 9 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 31 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 38 | 14 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 45 | 16 | 9 | 20 | 49 | 55 | 57 | 19th | 13 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 24 | 42 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 31 | 15 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 45 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 57 | 66 | 57 | 14th | 10 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 27 | 35 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 26 | 39 | 22 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 45 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 67 | 70 | 57 | 16th | 7 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 33 | 28 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 29 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 45 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 49 | 55 | 60 | 10th | 9 | 7 | 6 | 26 | 25 | 34 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 30 | 26 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 45 | 16 | 11 | 18 | 68 | 73 | 59 | 12th | 12 | 4 | 7 | 43 | 33 | 40 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 25 | 40 | 19 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 45 | 9 | 19 | 17 | 41 | 60 | 46 | 21st | 5 | 11 | 6 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 34 | 20 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 45 | 21 | 11 | 13 | 59 | 50 | 74 | 6th | 13 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 23 | 44 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 27 | 30 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 45 | 26 | 8 | 11 | 59 | 29 | 86 | 2nd | 14 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 11 | 46 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 25 | 18 | 40 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 45 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 64 | 40 | 86 | 2nd | 14 | 5 | 3 | 34 | 14 | 47 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 26 | 39 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 45 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 74 | 55 | 73 | 4th | 13 | 4 | 5 | 44 | 24 | 43 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 86 | 55 | 78 | 1st | 12 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 27 | 44 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 28 | 34 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 45 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 88 | 47 | 90 | 2nd | 16 | 2 | 4 | 47 | 20 | 50 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 41 | 27 | 40 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 45 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 86 | 59 | 80 | 4th | 12 | 7 | 4 | 53 | 31 | 43 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 33 | 28 | 37 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 45 | 22 | 16 | 7 | 75 | 43 | 82 | 2nd | 10 | 9 | 3 | 42 | 25 | 39 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 18 | 43 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 45 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 48 | 45 | 64 | 10th | 11 | 8 | 3 | 29 | 16 | 41 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 45 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 57 | 50 | 66 | 8th | 11 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 20 | 40 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 26 | 30 | 26 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 06/05/1989 | Sunderland (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1989/1990 | 28/04/1990 | Barnsley (A) | D | 2-2 | Tiler (o.g.), Bradley |
| 1990/1991 | 04/05/1991 | Newcastle United (H) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1993/1994 | 03/05/1994 | Luton Town (A) | L | 2-3 | Taylor, Ashcroft |
| 1994/1995 | 30/04/1995 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | W | 5-1 | Donovan, Ashcroft (3, 1 pen), Taylor |
| 1995/1996 | 30/04/1996 | Barnsley (A) | D | 1-1 | Gilbert |
| 1996/1997 | 26/04/1997 | Grimsby Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Hunt, Coldicott |
| 1997/1998 | 25/04/1998 | Sheffield United (A) | W | 4-2 | Hunt, Hughes (2), Kilbane |
| 1998/1999 | 01/05/1999 | Bury (H) | W | 1-0 | De Freitas |
| 1999/2000 | 29/04/2000 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2000/2001 | 28/04/2001 | Huddersfield Town (H) | D | 1-1 | Roberts |
| 2001/2002 | 13/04/2002 | Bradford City (A) | W | 1-0 | Bališ (pen) |
| 2003/2004 | 04/05/2004 | Stoke City (A) | L | 1-4 | Dobie |
| 2006/2007 | 28/04/2007 | Coventry City (A) | W | 1-0 | Robinson |
| 2007/2008 | 28/04/2008 | Southampton (H) | D | 1-1 | Brunt |
| 2009/2010 | 26/04/2010 | Crystal Palace (A) | D | 1-1 | Tamas |
| 2018/2019 | 27/04/2019 | Rotherham United (H) | W | 2-1 | Rodriguez (pen), Harper |
| 2019/2020 | 17/07/2020 | Huddersfield Town (A) | L | 1-2 | O’Shea |
| 2021/2022 | 30/04/2022 | Reading (A) | W | 1-0 | Grant |
| 2022/2023 | 29/04/2023 | Norwich City (H) | W | 2-1 | Townsend, Wallace |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 13/05/1989 | Hull City (A) | W | 1-0 | Bartlett |
| 1989/1990 | 05/05/1990 | Ipswich Town (H) | L | 1-3 | Bannister |
| 1990/1991 | 11/05/1991 | Bristol Rovers (A) | D | 1-1 | Ampadu |
| 1993/1994 | 08/05/1994 | Portsmouth (A) | W | 1-0 | Ashcroft |
| 1994/1995 | 07/05/1995 | Sunderland (A) | D | 2-2 | Hunt, Agnew |
| 1995/1996 | 05/05/1996 | Derby County (H) | W | 3-2 | Hunt, Sneekes, Taylor |
| 1996/1997 | 04/05/1997 | Stoke City (A) | L | 1-2 | Hunt (pen) |
| 1997/1998 | 03/05/1998 | Nottingham Forest (H) | D | 1-1 | Hughes (pen) |
| 1998/1999 | 09/05/1999 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | L | 1-3 | De Freitas |
| 1999/2000 | 07/05/2000 | Charlton Athletic (H) | W | 2-0 | Sneekes, Taylor |
| 2000/2001 | 06/05/2001 | Preston North End (A) | L | 1-2 | Clement |
| 2001/2002 | 21/04/2002 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 2-0 | Moore, Taylor |
| 2003/2004 | 09/05/2004 | Nottingham Forest (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2006/2007 | 06/05/2007 | Barnsley (H) | W | 7-0 | Phillips (3), Ellington (2, 1 pen), Koren, Gera |
| 2007/2008 | 04/05/2008 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 2-0 | Kim, Brunt |
| 2009/2010 | 02/05/2010 | Barnsley (H) | D | 1-1 | Dorrans |
| 2018/2019 | 05/05/2019 | Derby County (A) | L | 1-3 | Johansen |
| 2019/2020 | 22/07/2020 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | D | 2-2 | Diangana, Robinson |
| 2021/2022 | 07/05/2022 | Barnsley (H) | W | 4-0 | Grant (2, 1 pen), Reach, Clarke |
| 2022/2023 | 08/05/2023 | Swansea City (A) |
