Bristol City v West Bromwich Albion
The Robins Matchday Programme: Bristol City v West Bromwich Albion. Goalkeeper Max O'Leary looks back at his City debut against the Baggies six years ago, plus a look back at a memorable win against West Brom in 2019. Manager Nigel Pearson shares his thoughts ahead of the game, plus there's a detailed look at the opposition and more from our guest history writers.
The Robins Matchday Programme: Bristol City v West Bromwich Albion. Goalkeeper Max O'Leary looks back at his City debut against the Baggies six years ago, plus a look back at a memorable win against West Brom in 2019. Manager Nigel Pearson shares his thoughts ahead of the game, plus there's a detailed look at the opposition and more from our guest history writers.
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ROB NS<br />
2021/22 OFFICIAL BRISTOL CITY DIGITAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME<br />
MAX<br />
O'LEARY<br />
#12<br />
v WEST BROMWICH<br />
ALBION<br />
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
ASHTON GATE | SAT MAR 19 | 3PM<br />
MATCH<br />
SPONSOR
ROBINS IN<br />
FOCUS<br />
8<br />
JOE<br />
WILLIAMS<br />
AGE: 25 | POSITION: Midfielder<br />
SIGNED: August 2020<br />
Joe Williams became our first signing<br />
ahead of the 2020/21 season when he<br />
arrived in BS3 from Wigan Athletic for an<br />
undisclosed fee.<br />
Unfortunately, the Liverpool-born<br />
midfielder’s game time was limited to just<br />
two appearances in 2020/21 as injury<br />
setbacks made it a slow start in a <strong>City</strong><br />
shirt.<br />
However, as fans returned to stadiums<br />
across the country for the start of the<br />
2021/22 campaign, so too did the former<br />
Latics man, who came off the bench in the<br />
opening day draw against Blackpool.<br />
He’s featured 19 times in all this season<br />
and while Williams is yet to score for the<br />
Robins, he has two assists to his name so<br />
far, including last weekend’s outside-ofthe-boot<br />
pass to set up Andi Weimann’s<br />
volleyed winner against Blackburn Rovers.<br />
Williams is a graduate of the Everton<br />
Academy and has one youth cap to his<br />
name, having represented England<br />
Under-20s in 2016.<br />
#FulfillingAmbitions
THE<br />
GAFFER<br />
Good afternoon<br />
and a warm<br />
welcome back<br />
to Ashton<br />
Gate where<br />
I hope you<br />
will be entertained with a strong and<br />
positive performance against <strong>West</strong><br />
<strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong>.<br />
It’s a chance for us to bounce back after<br />
the midweek disappointment at Barnsley<br />
and I, as much as the fans who travelled<br />
to Oakwell or watched on Robins TV, was<br />
incredibly frustrated by what happened.<br />
We didn’t match recent performances and<br />
we won’t make significant progress by<br />
being so inconsistent.<br />
On the night we lacked both concentration<br />
and application, we caused our own<br />
problems and, at 2-0 down in the first half,<br />
the damage was done early.<br />
We need one of our better performances<br />
on Saturday and to show we have the<br />
character to bounce back.<br />
We heard the frustrations after the game.<br />
I appreciate all of you who follow us up<br />
WE HEARD THE FRUSTRATIONS<br />
AFTER THE BARNSLEY GAME. I<br />
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO<br />
FOLLOW US UP AND DOWN THE<br />
COUNTRY, YOU SPEND A LOT OF<br />
MONEY TO WATCH US AND<br />
WE APPRECIATE THIS.<br />
NIGEL<br />
PEARSON<br />
By contrast, <strong>West</strong> Brom enjoyed a<br />
midweek win against Fulham so I’m sure<br />
they will come here with confidence. I<br />
look forward to welcoming Steve Bruce,<br />
his players and fans and I hope we can<br />
give them a stern test.<br />
To do that, we have to perform much<br />
better than we did at Barnsley. We simply<br />
didn’t back up our performance against<br />
Blackburn Rovers and that inconsistency<br />
has been our Achilles heel.<br />
and down the country, you spend a lot of<br />
money to watch us and we appreciate this.<br />
There will be ups and downs of course,<br />
but after a step back I want us to move<br />
forward as we go again on Saturday.<br />
Enjoy the game.<br />
Cheers,<br />
Nige<br />
4 | THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 5
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A ST AT<br />
I BET<br />
YOU<br />
DIDN’T<br />
KN W<br />
OVER HALF A MILLION<br />
SKY BET CUSTOMERS USE DEPOSIT LIMITS<br />
TO MANAGE THEIR BETTING BUDGET.<br />
THAT’S ENOUGH TO FILL:<br />
6 WEMBLEYS.<br />
201 ALLY PALLYS.<br />
OR 8 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP DAYS.<br />
(THAT’S A LOT OF TWEED)<br />
ALL GOOD BOOKMAKERS<br />
HAVE DEPOSIT LIMITS.<br />
SO WHOEVER YOU BET WITH,<br />
SET AN APPROPRIATE ONE FOR YOU<br />
AND THEN ENJOY THE SPORT.<br />
DEPOSIT LIMITS<br />
THAT’S BETTING BETTER.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION<br />
CLUB FACTS<br />
GROUND<br />
THE HAWTHORNS<br />
FORMED<br />
1878<br />
MANAGER<br />
STEVE BRUCE<br />
NICKNAME<br />
THE BAGGIES<br />
HONOURS<br />
1 5 1<br />
Football League champions<br />
1919/20<br />
FA Cup winners<br />
1887/88, 1891/92, 1930/31,<br />
1953/54, 1967/68<br />
League Cup winners<br />
1965/66<br />
FA Charity Shield winners<br />
1920, 1954 (shared with Wolves)<br />
Second tier winners<br />
1901/02, 1910/11, 2007/08<br />
CITY SEEK TO GET BACK TO<br />
WINNING WAYS AT HOME<br />
AS STEVE BRUCE’S WEST<br />
BROMWICH ALBION ARRIVE<br />
IN BS3<br />
Clockwise from top: Steve Bruce, who has overseen 1,008 games<br />
in his managerial career; former Robins loanee Callum Robinson;<br />
left-back Conor Townsend and Andy Carroll – who became<br />
Britain's then most-expensive footballer when he moved from<br />
Newcastle United to Liverpool for £35 million in January 2011.<br />
An emphatic 3-2 win in April 2019<br />
has proved our most recent victory<br />
against today’s visitors. We raced<br />
into a 3-0 lead through goals from<br />
Josh Brownhill, Andreas Weimann<br />
and Jack Hunt in front of 20,581<br />
supporters at Ashton Gate, while<br />
strikes from Dwight Gayle and Jay<br />
Rodriguez made it a nervy finale. See<br />
page 17 to relive the win.<br />
LEAGUE ONE CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
49<br />
GOALS<br />
SCORED<br />
70<br />
GOALS<br />
CONCEDED<br />
17<br />
TOP SCORER<br />
ANDI<br />
WEIMANN<br />
POSSESSION<br />
45.2 %<br />
PASSING PERCENTAGE<br />
69.7 %<br />
TACKLE SUCCESS<br />
67.2 %<br />
AVERAGE AERIAL<br />
DUELS WON<br />
24.5<br />
V<br />
HEAD TO HEAD<br />
LEAGUE<br />
POSITION<br />
R3<br />
YELLOW<br />
75 1<br />
CARDS<br />
53<br />
MATCHES PLAYED<br />
Best victory: 3-1 twice, in 1906 and 1977<br />
Worst defeat: 1-4 four times,<br />
in 1926, 2007, 2009 and 2019<br />
Last time out: 0-3, October 2021<br />
2021/22 IN NUMBERS<br />
18 TH<br />
6.93<br />
BEST AVERAGE<br />
RATING (OPTA)<br />
ANTOINE<br />
SEMENYO<br />
R1<br />
RED<br />
CARDS<br />
8<br />
MOST<br />
ASSISTS<br />
ANTOINE SEMENYO /<br />
ANDI WEIMANN<br />
41<br />
GOALS<br />
SCORED<br />
13<br />
TOP SCORER<br />
KARLAN<br />
GRANT<br />
W<br />
15<br />
D<br />
15<br />
42<br />
GOALS<br />
CONCEDED<br />
7.28<br />
BEST AVERAGE<br />
RATING (OPTA)<br />
DARA<br />
O'SHEA<br />
CITY v BAGGIES<br />
28 %<br />
WIN RATE<br />
POSITION<br />
R3<br />
12 TH<br />
YELLOW<br />
71 7<br />
CARDS<br />
POSSESSION<br />
50.5 %<br />
8<br />
MOST<br />
ASSISTS<br />
CALLUM<br />
ROBINSON<br />
PASSING PERCENTAGE<br />
68.4 %<br />
TACKLE SUCCESS<br />
65.8 %<br />
AVERAGE AERIAL<br />
DUELS WON<br />
27.4<br />
R2<br />
L<br />
23<br />
RED<br />
CARDS<br />
8 | THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 9
WEST BROMWICH ALBION<br />
DID YOU<br />
KNOW?<br />
The club spent 24 years in the top flight between<br />
1949-1973 – its longest continuous period in the<br />
First Division and from 1986-2002 the Baggies endured<br />
its longest ever spell out of the top division.<br />
KEY PLAYER<br />
18<br />
KARLAN<br />
GRANT<br />
Grant's 84th-minute penalty – his 13th<br />
goal of the season – helped <strong>West</strong> Brom<br />
earn a 2-2 draw against his former club<br />
Huddersfield Town last weekend.<br />
After arriving from the Terriers for a<br />
reported £15 million fee in October 2020<br />
the 24-year-old marksman returned just<br />
one goal in <strong>Albion</strong>'s 2020/21 top-flight<br />
relegation campaign before reigniting<br />
his Baggies career this season.<br />
“He’s come back into form at a time<br />
when Steve (Bruce) is looking for<br />
results,” former club striker Kevin Phillips<br />
told <strong>West</strong> Brom News. “It will be a<br />
massive boost for Bruce and the lads if<br />
they have any aspirations of getting in<br />
the play-offs, someone has got to step<br />
up and he’s certainly a player that can<br />
do that."<br />
The London-born forward began his<br />
career at Charlton Athletic – scoring 21<br />
goals in all competitions, whilst also<br />
spending time on loan at Cambridge<br />
United and Crawley Town – before a<br />
move to Huddersfield in January 2019.<br />
WEST BROM HEAD TO ASHTON<br />
GATE THREE UNBEATEN AND<br />
OFF THE BACK OF VICTORY<br />
OVER TABLE-TOPPERS<br />
FULHAM.<br />
Former Robins loanee Callum<br />
Robinson’s second-half finish<br />
sealed a 1-0 home win on<br />
Tuesday night, while the clean<br />
sheet was boosted by the fact<br />
they stopped Fulham from<br />
registering a shot on goal in the<br />
opening 45 minutes.<br />
Prior to a 2-0 victory over Hull<br />
<strong>City</strong> at the start of the month,<br />
the Baggies had won just once<br />
in 12 games (W1, D3, L8) – a<br />
run of form that saw some<br />
supporters chant <strong>Albion</strong>'s<br />
players were “not fit to wear the<br />
shirt” and led to the departure<br />
of manager Valerian Ismael.<br />
But new boss Steve Bruce,<br />
who was handed an 18-month<br />
contract in early February, has<br />
finally guided his squad out of<br />
their rocky road. The victory over<br />
Hull was followed by a draw with<br />
Huddersfield, before Tuesday<br />
night's defeat of Fulham.<br />
Bruce told the BBC it had been<br />
difficult “in terms of the players'<br />
confidence, but let's hope we<br />
can now really get started –<br />
and let's see if we can make a<br />
charge.” Although <strong>West</strong> Brom<br />
find themselves slap bang in the<br />
Matty James challenges <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> forward Karlan Grant<br />
during the Robins' 3-0 defeat at The Hawthorns in October.<br />
middle of the Championship in<br />
12th position, they are just six<br />
points outside the play-offs with<br />
eight games left to play.<br />
Following relegation from the<br />
Premier League, the club waved<br />
goodbye to a host of players<br />
last summer including Charlie<br />
Austin, Kamil Grosicki, Hal<br />
Robson-Kanu, Matheus Pereira<br />
and Robert Snodgrass.<br />
Andy Carroll joined in January,<br />
reuniting with his former<br />
Newcastle United manager<br />
Bruce. The 33-year-old<br />
veteran has endured a career<br />
of injuries but scored a late<br />
equaliser against Huddersfield<br />
last Saturday. He said it is a<br />
“privilege” to play in a recent<br />
interview with BBC Radio WM.<br />
But fellow striker signing Daryl<br />
Dike, who got injured on his<br />
debut in January, could miss<br />
out today. Bruce has confirmed<br />
the US international, along with<br />
winger Matty Phillips, will likely<br />
instead earn minutes with the<br />
Under-23s on Monday.<br />
10 | THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 11
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ACTION<br />
REPLAY<br />
BAGGIES<br />
BLITZED<br />
3<br />
Brownhill 2, Weimann 16, Hunt 19<br />
2<br />
Gayle 47, Rodriguez 74<br />
Tuesday, April 9th 2019<br />
Ashton Gate<br />
Three goals in an electric opening 20 minutes stretched <strong>City</strong>’s<br />
unbeaten run to five matches.<br />
Josh Brownhill scored the first inside two minutes, while<br />
Andreas Weimann doubled the lead with a close-range finish.<br />
Jack Hunt got off the mark in <strong>City</strong> colours with a back-post<br />
header with Ashton Gate rocking at half-time.<br />
<strong>West</strong> Brom pulled two goals back courtesy of their dangerous<br />
duo Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez to set up a nervy finale but<br />
<strong>City</strong> held on to secure their first win over the Baggies since 2010.<br />
The visitors – under the caretaker management of James Shan<br />
– went on to lose a play-off semi-final against Aston Villa.<br />
2 mins<br />
1-0, Brownhill<br />
16 mins<br />
2-0, Weimann<br />
19 mins<br />
3-0, Hunt<br />
CLICK HERE FOR MATCH HIGHLIGHTS<br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 17
PLAYER<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
Words James Crawley<br />
MAX O'LEARY REFLECTS ON HIS<br />
FIRST-TEAM DEBUT FOR BRISTOL CITY –<br />
AGAINST WEST BROM IN JANUARY 2016…<br />
MAX<br />
EFFECT<br />
It’s six years since<br />
Max O’Leary made<br />
his debut between<br />
the sticks against<br />
then-Premier League<br />
opponents <strong>West</strong><br />
<strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong>.<br />
An injury to Frank Fielding<br />
ensured the 19-year-old<br />
goalkeeper would get his chance<br />
as a half-time substitute in the<br />
Emirates FA Cup tie on January<br />
9th 2016.<br />
Time has flown past since those<br />
days with Max now still pushing<br />
to be in contention for the<br />
keeper jersey in BS3.<br />
He looks back at that allimportant<br />
debut, which ended<br />
a 2-2 draw, as <strong>City</strong> prepare<br />
for its latest fixture against<br />
the Baggies in the Sky Bet<br />
Championship.<br />
“I remember seeing Frankie<br />
struggling a bit before half-time<br />
and I got a few looks from the<br />
lads,” O’Leary recalls. "I was<br />
told to get ready just in case<br />
and at half-time I was told I was<br />
coming on. I had to quickly get<br />
my tape on and my shin pads<br />
and I went straight into it.<br />
“I was really nervous but excited<br />
as well. Between those two<br />
emotions they helped me get<br />
through it, especially with the<br />
adrenaline rush at the beginning.<br />
It was a big game, they were a<br />
Premier League side at the time<br />
and it was a lot to take in.<br />
“It was also the FA Cup and<br />
that’s a special occasion so<br />
it was a big game. Anytime<br />
you can get on the pitch is<br />
something to look forward to<br />
and ultimately I just had to enjoy<br />
it. I got a good luck message<br />
before going on, I’d been seen<br />
in training and trusted so I just<br />
had to go out there, enjoy it and<br />
replicate what I do day in, day<br />
out. 4<br />
20 | THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 21
PLAYER PROFILE<br />
YOU CAN GET<br />
A CHANCE AT<br />
ANY TIME SO IT'S<br />
ABOUT PREPARING<br />
PROPERLY, TRAINING<br />
HARD AND TAKING<br />
THE OPPORTUNITY<br />
WHEN IT COMES.<br />
4“It was a great occasion<br />
and we’ve all seen the<br />
videos of the packed away<br />
end when Kieran Agard<br />
scored. Those moments<br />
will live with me for a long<br />
time and it was even more<br />
special being my first game.”<br />
O’Leary was able to play in<br />
front of a few of his mates<br />
in the away end that night,<br />
but also share the pitch with<br />
England international Ben<br />
Foster in the opponent’s goal.<br />
“I saw him after the game<br />
and shook his hand,” O’Leary<br />
recalled. “Kindly Alby (Aaran<br />
Wilbraham) actually got<br />
his shirt and gave it to me<br />
afterwards. It was signed<br />
with a nice message on it<br />
and that stayed up in my<br />
room for a long time. So I<br />
kept that and gave my<br />
worn shirt to my dad.”<br />
O’Leary went on to make his<br />
league debut in the 2018/19<br />
season, a 1-0 win over<br />
Brentford, and has long been<br />
a part of <strong>City</strong>’s progress in<br />
the last few seasons. He did<br />
go on loan at Shrewsbury<br />
Town in the 2019/20<br />
campaign, where he featured<br />
against would-be Premier<br />
League Champions Liverpool<br />
in the FA Cup Fourth Round.<br />
The Shrews held Jurgen<br />
Klopp’s side 2-2, only to lose<br />
1-0 in the replay at Anfield.<br />
But it’s moments like those<br />
which will live long in the<br />
memory for O’Leary, who<br />
knows all too well the need<br />
for patience as he competes<br />
with others for one spot in<br />
the starting XI.<br />
He said: “It’s the same for<br />
everyone, you can get a<br />
chance at any time so it’s<br />
about preparing properly,<br />
training hard and taking the<br />
opportunity when it comes<br />
along. I sit down with the<br />
goalkeeping coach at the<br />
start of the season, work<br />
on things that need working<br />
CAREER HIGHS<br />
JANUARY 2016<br />
Makes his <strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>City</strong> debut against <strong>West</strong><br />
Brom in the FA Cup Third Round, earning his<br />
full debut in the replay following a 2-2 draw<br />
OCTOBER 2018<br />
Makes his league debut with <strong>City</strong>, a 1-0 win<br />
away at Brentford<br />
MAY 2019<br />
Earns a call-up to the Republic of Ireland<br />
national squad, qualifying through his<br />
Kerry-born grandfather<br />
JANUARY 2020<br />
Helps Shrewsbury Town earn a<br />
FA Cup replay against Liverpool<br />
SEPTEMBER 2020<br />
Awarded a new three-year deal<br />
with the Robins<br />
on and look at what I do<br />
well, and reassess as we go<br />
throughout the season.”<br />
And six years after his first<br />
game against <strong>West</strong> Brom,<br />
the squad are now preparing<br />
for another test against<br />
them as <strong>City</strong> look to end<br />
the season as strongly as<br />
possible in these final eight<br />
games.<br />
O’Leary said: “It should be<br />
a good game, they’ve had<br />
some good results and we’re<br />
looking to bounce back.<br />
“These last games are a<br />
building block for us, it’s<br />
a chance to build towards<br />
next season and create a<br />
statement of intent.<br />
"The lads are buying into it,<br />
we’ve talked a lot and now<br />
we have to go and deliver.<br />
There is belief, but we have<br />
to show everyone – the<br />
manager and the fans – we<br />
mean what we say.”<br />
Above left<br />
Max in action<br />
against Forest<br />
Green Rovers<br />
earlier in the<br />
season<br />
Above<br />
Celebrating<br />
<strong>City</strong>'s 3-2 win<br />
over Cardiff<br />
<strong>City</strong> during his<br />
10-game run in<br />
the first team at<br />
the start of the<br />
New Year<br />
Bottom left<br />
Nineteen-yearold<br />
Max on<br />
his full <strong>Bristol</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong> debut in<br />
January 2016<br />
Bottom right<br />
Max pictured in<br />
October 2013 –<br />
shortly after his<br />
17th birthday<br />
– when he was<br />
named in the<br />
senior squad<br />
for the very first<br />
time.<br />
APPEARANCES<br />
11<br />
MINUTES<br />
PLAYED<br />
1,024<br />
<strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />
Present<br />
Turned pro 2015<br />
2021/22 STATS<br />
SAVES *<br />
17<br />
CAREER PATH<br />
Solihull Moors<br />
2017/18<br />
Loan<br />
PASS<br />
SUCCESS<br />
RATE<br />
* Championship only<br />
Kidderminster Harriers<br />
2016<br />
Loan<br />
SQUAD NUMBER<br />
12<br />
DOB: October 10th 1996<br />
Birthplace: Bath<br />
Position: Goalkeeper<br />
Joined: Academy<br />
58.9 %<br />
Shrewsbury Town<br />
2019/20<br />
Loan<br />
BEST OPTA<br />
RATING<br />
6.97<br />
v READING<br />
AVERAGE<br />
PASSES<br />
PER GAME<br />
33.2<br />
Bath <strong>City</strong><br />
2016/17<br />
Loan<br />
22 | THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 23
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BRISTOL CITY<br />
WOMEN<br />
<strong>City</strong> Women<br />
secured their<br />
fifth successive<br />
victory with<br />
a 3-1 win over Watford at the<br />
Robins High Performance Centre.<br />
<strong>City</strong> Women's club record<br />
goalscorer Abi Harrison<br />
Below: Chloe Bull in action<br />
FIVE STAR<br />
CITY WOMEN EXTEND WINNING RUN<br />
Chloe Bull bagged a brace to put<br />
the Robins in the driving seat<br />
with 10 minutes to play, before<br />
Rosie Kmita picked out the top<br />
corner to make it a tense end to<br />
proceedings in BS8.<br />
However, the inevitable Abi<br />
Harrison popped up with an<br />
injury-time header to seal<br />
the points and become <strong>City</strong><br />
Women’s all-time top goalscorer<br />
with 23 goals.<br />
“I’ll take it, I’m happy and I’m not<br />
stopping there and hopefully<br />
there is plenty more to come,”<br />
said the Scotland striker.<br />
Bull was a standout performer<br />
in BS8 with the midfielder<br />
bagging a brace as well as<br />
picking out Harrison for her<br />
record moment.<br />
Bull said: “It's great to get on the<br />
scoresheet but also I'm doing<br />
it for the team and whoever<br />
scores it's about the three<br />
points at the end of the day.<br />
"The first goal was a bit of a<br />
fluke but the second goal was a<br />
great ball by Ella (Powell), on her<br />
left foot as well and luckily I was<br />
able to finish it.<br />
“The back four had the ball quite<br />
a lot, they (Watford) sat in really<br />
deep and made it hard for us to<br />
play and it did work for them to<br />
be fair. Our class did show when<br />
we popped it around them to get<br />
the goals."<br />
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THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 27
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CITY<br />
ARCHIVES<br />
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894 HALL 1894 OF 1894 FAME 1894<br />
PAUL GAINEY PROFILES WINGER CLIVE WHITEHEAD<br />
894189418941894<br />
Former England youth winger Skilful and fast, Birmingham-born Clive Whitehead<br />
Clive Whitehead netted the goal was one of those young wingers to truly earn the<br />
that beat Portsmouth 1-0 in tag 'exciting.' Signed by Alan Dicks in August 1973,<br />
894April 1976 1894<br />
to clinch <strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s he 1894<br />
scored on his league debut at Millwall 1894<br />
and went<br />
promotion to the First Division.<br />
on to complete 11 starts that season. After 1976/77<br />
he was ever-present on the wing. When Geert Meijer<br />
His precision cross also allowed Paul Cheesley to was brought in as a left winger, Dicks moved him<br />
894<br />
score the only goal of 1894<br />
the game in their opening to 1894<br />
left-back and he adapted effortlessly 1894<br />
to his new<br />
fixture back in League One at Arsenal.<br />
role.<br />
I loved watching him as a young supporter. Once<br />
894189418941894<br />
found by a full-back’s ball down the line, or galloping<br />
to a centre-midfielder's ranging pass, he became a<br />
sight to behold. As he flashed down the line, seated<br />
8941894supporters 1894<br />
would rise in an impromptu 1894<br />
Mexican<br />
wave. With head down, he would torture opponents<br />
his way through with a mix of cunning and pace,<br />
dropping a shoulder to skin by or tapping the ball<br />
8941894onwards 1894<br />
and bolting beyond them. Most 1894<br />
famous<br />
in his armoury was the dribble, but he had other<br />
brushes with which to paint. The nutmeg was his<br />
impudent, cherished and ornamental tool – a splash<br />
8941894of 1894<br />
art.<br />
1894<br />
As an aspiring journalist, my first published piece<br />
8941894was 1894<br />
a letter to the Evening Post calling<br />
1894<br />
on England<br />
manager Ron Greenwood to pick Clive for the<br />
national side. Sports editor Peter Godsiff wrote<br />
back saying: “Let's hope so ...”<br />
894189418941894<br />
With <strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>City</strong> in deep financial trouble, Whitehead<br />
moved to <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> for a £100,000<br />
fee in November 1981. He subsequently played for<br />
8941894Wolves 1894<br />
(loan), Portsmouth and Exeter 1894<br />
<strong>City</strong> before<br />
ending his career as Yeovil Town player-manager<br />
prior to re-joining <strong>Bristol</strong> <strong>City</strong> as coach in the 1990s.<br />
894189418941894<br />
28 | T HE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong><br />
Gordon Owen's<br />
penalty miss<br />
versus Swindon<br />
With midfield<br />
pocket dynamo<br />
Steve Galliers<br />
making his debut in a scintillating<br />
2-0 win over eventual champions<br />
Bournemouth in February<br />
1987, and big Joe Jordan on<br />
board upfront, a reinvigorated<br />
<strong>City</strong> continued their drive for<br />
promotion.<br />
The play-off spots in 1986/87 were<br />
filled by the teams finishing thirdfifth,<br />
plus the bottom-placed side<br />
in Division Two. Yet, although <strong>City</strong><br />
would be no lower than seventh<br />
for the rest of the season, they<br />
struggled to put a winning run<br />
together.<br />
The Robins did manage back-toback<br />
wins on two occasions, but<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
MISSING<br />
THE SPOT<br />
MIKE ADAMS CONTINUES HIS LOOK BACK AT<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
1894<br />
TERRY COOPER'S SPELL IN CHARGE OF THE ROBINS<br />
picked up just three victories in<br />
their last 10 games. In the 3-1<br />
home win over Notts County on<br />
May 2nd they regained fifth place,<br />
which they preserved by the skin<br />
of their teeth two days later in<br />
a 1-1 draw at Walsall – Trevor<br />
Morgan equalising on 88 minutes<br />
after <strong>City</strong> had laid siege on the<br />
Saddlers’ goal. They now needed<br />
to win their final match, at home<br />
to local rivals Swindon Town, who<br />
were already in the play-offs.<br />
A 19,000-plus crowd, including over<br />
4,000 visiting fans – the highest<br />
attendance since the 1982 crisis<br />
– packed the Gate for this crucial<br />
match. They saw that man Morgan<br />
give <strong>City</strong> a dream start after 12<br />
minutes with a glancing header, as<br />
<strong>City</strong> went on the attack with Gary<br />
189<br />
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Marshall hitting the bar and Rob<br />
Newman bringing out a great save<br />
from keeper Fraser Digby. Cooper’s<br />
side proved masters of their own<br />
downfall, however, when they gave<br />
away an unnecessary free-kick<br />
on 66 minutes. A poor clearance<br />
fell for the unmarked Peter Coyne<br />
whose mis-hit shot went in off a<br />
post to level the scores.<br />
<strong>City</strong> continued to take the game<br />
to Swindon and were awarded a<br />
controversial penalty. After the<br />
hubbub and delays subsided,<br />
Gordon Owen stepped up only to<br />
agonisingly place his spot-kick<br />
wide. In vain, <strong>City</strong> continued to<br />
throw everything at the away<br />
goal but their play-off dreams<br />
evaporated for want of a single<br />
point.<br />
THE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong> | 29
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8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
894 CITY 1894 IN CARTOONS 1894 1894 1894 1894 1894 1894<br />
with club historian David Woods<br />
8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
Many assume that today’s cartoon of the Ashton<br />
MATCH REPORT<br />
Gate action on Guy Fawkes Day in 1960 is<br />
when <strong>City</strong> achieved their highest competitive<br />
8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
894<br />
11<br />
match score.<br />
YOU CAN<br />
They are, however, incorrect as the Club’s biggest first-team victory<br />
Adrian Williams 5, 42, 50, Tait 10,<br />
was achieved more than 60 years earlier when Eastleigh were<br />
1894 1894 1894 1894 QUOTE 1894 ME 1894 1894<br />
Bailey 21 (og), Atyeo 25, 30, 37, 54, 74 beaten 14-1 in front of barely 1,000 spectators at St John’s Lane in a<br />
Bobby Williams 44<br />
<strong>West</strong>ern League fixture on January 26th 1898.<br />
ON THAT<br />
8941894<br />
If friendly games 1894<br />
are considered then the 20-1 mauling 1894<br />
of the 1894 1894 1894 1894<br />
8941894<br />
0<br />
R.A.S.C. from the nearby White <strong>City</strong> barracks on April 29th 1916<br />
“Nowadays, it seems to me, the team plan comes<br />
takes pride of place.<br />
STEVE SMITH LOOKS BACK first, and all the time. The young player is allowed to<br />
AT AN INTERVIEW WITH CITY develop his own individual ability only if it conforms<br />
Incidentally, Eastleigh 1894<br />
were so fearful of the prospect 1894<br />
of facing <strong>City</strong> 1894<br />
GREAT BILLY 1894<br />
WEDLOCK<br />
to 1894<br />
the general plan. This is surprising 1894<br />
when you<br />
Saturday, November 5th 1960<br />
again that they scratched from their home fixture on March 2nd<br />
FA Cup, 1st Round<br />
consider the great advance made in the status of<br />
1898.<br />
In the second of two interviews the professional player. Nowadays, his wage, and<br />
Chichester are heavily punished for<br />
8941894189418941894that 1894<br />
our first superstar, Billy the conditions in which he plays, is almost princely<br />
1894 1894<br />
surrendering home advantage, as <strong>City</strong> were awarded the points and finished the season as champions<br />
Wedlock had published in compared with the good old days.”<br />
<strong>City</strong> piled on the goals. It was good with the following record: P14 W11 D1 L2 F51 A16 Pts 23.<br />
Charles Buchan’s Football<br />
entertainment for the fans, but many<br />
Monthly, dated January 1952, Billy goes on to name star players from his playing<br />
were disappointed as with an 8-0<br />
8941894189418941894we 1894<br />
find he was not impressed days 1894<br />
(1900-1920) such as Steve Bloomer, 1894<br />
Charlie<br />
half-time lead the prospect of a really<br />
at the standards of 1950s Roberts and Bob Crompton. These must have been<br />
massive score evaporated after the<br />
football.<br />
fine footballers when you consider the likes of<br />
break as many good opportunities<br />
Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Billy Wright were<br />
were spurned in a forlorn quest to<br />
8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
get Jantzen Derrick on the score<br />
“Football has undergone a vast change since I was a established England internationals in the early-1950s<br />
sheet. John Atyeo’s lob into the net<br />
young man in the early part of the century. I cannot<br />
for his second goal is the best of the<br />
say it is for the better," states the 72-year-old. “From Here are Billy’s thoughts for the future of the game:<br />
afternoon.<br />
what I have seen, the present-day players fall far “Walking through the <strong>Bristol</strong> streets today, I rarely<br />
8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
below the standard of 50 years ago, in skill and come across youngsters kicking a ball about in any<br />
<strong>City</strong>: Cook; Collinson, Thresher;<br />
adaptability. Even making allowances for the change odd place. Yet I am certain that is where the player<br />
Connor, Alan Williams, Etheridge;<br />
in the offside law and the speed of the modern acquires his natural ability. It also hardens him to<br />
Tait, Bobby Williams, Atyeo, Adrian<br />
894<br />
Williams, Derrick.<br />
1894 1894 1894 1894<br />
game, I still think the teams 1894<br />
of my day were greatly take 1894<br />
part in many rough and tumbles 1894<br />
on makeshift<br />
superior.”<br />
grounds. I am convinced that roughing it in all<br />
Chichester: Thomas; Cunningham,<br />
conditions does a youngster far more good than all<br />
Knotts; Rumsey, Bailey, Aburrow;<br />
Green, Hillier, Gilfillan, Blythman,<br />
To put this into context, the 1951/52 league<br />
modern coaching, nursing and grooming to stardom.<br />
894<br />
Harris. 1894 1894 1894 1894<br />
champions were Matt Busby’s 1894<br />
Manchester United, We 1894<br />
trained hard and played hard early 1894<br />
in the century.”<br />
Referee: R Reddaway (Kettering)<br />
with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – with their<br />
Bob Bennett's cartoon reviewing <strong>City</strong>'s 11-0 FA Cup win over Chichester which<br />
Attendance: 12,588 (£2,074.10s.0d)<br />
appeared in the <strong>Bristol</strong> Evening Post on November 7th 1960.<br />
“push and run” side that had landed them the league “When you think of it, perhaps this is one of the<br />
title in 1950/51 – second and third respectively. reasons for the decline."<br />
8941894189418941894189418941894<br />
32 | T HE ROB NS <strong>West</strong> <strong>Bromwich</strong> <strong>Albion</strong>
Football is a game of many opinions, but<br />
there is one that we must all share. There is<br />
no place for discrimination in our game. If<br />
you do not agree, then you are not welcome.<br />
If you see or hear discrimination in this<br />
stadium, please report it to the nearest<br />
steward or via the Kick it Out App.<br />
Because we are all<br />
#TogetherAgainstDiscrimination<br />
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EFL.com
TODAY'S<br />
SQUADS<br />
Saturday March 19th, 3pm kick-off | Ashton Gate | Sky Bet Championship<br />
MANAGER<br />
Nigel PEARSON<br />
BRISTOL<br />
CITY<br />
1 Dan BENTLEY<br />
2 Danny SIMPSON<br />
3 Jay DAS I LVA<br />
5 Rob ATKINSON<br />
6 Matty JAMES<br />
8 Joe WILLIAMS<br />
9 Chris MARTIN<br />
10 Andy KING<br />
11 Callum O’DOWDA<br />
12 Max O'LEARY<br />
14 Andreas WEIMANN<br />
16 Cameron PRING<br />
17 Nathan BAKER<br />
18 Antoine SEMENYO<br />
19 George TANNER<br />
21 Nahki WELLS<br />
22 Tomas KALAS<br />
24 Robbie CUNDY<br />
25 Timm KLOSE<br />
26 Zak VYNER<br />
31 Duncan IDEHEN<br />
33 Sam BELL<br />
34 Ryley TOWLER<br />
36 Alex SCOTT<br />
37 Tommy CONWAY<br />
38 Ayman BENAROUS<br />
42 Han-Noah MASSENGO<br />
45 Kasey PALMER<br />
Match<br />
Referee<br />
Leigh<br />
DOUGHTY<br />
HOME<br />
KIT<br />
v<br />
WEST BROMWICH<br />
ALBION<br />
MANAGER<br />
Steve BRUCE<br />
1 Sam JOHNSTONE<br />
2 Darnell FURLONG<br />
3 Conor TOWNSEND<br />
4 Dara O'SHEA<br />
5 Kyle BARTLEY<br />
6 Semi AJAYI<br />
7 Callum ROBINSON<br />
8 Jake LIVERMORE<br />
9 Kenneth ZOHORE<br />
10 Matt PHILLIPS<br />
11 Grady DIANGANA<br />
12 Daryl DIKE<br />
14 Jayson MOLUMBY<br />
15 Andy CARROLL<br />
16 Matt CLARKE<br />
18 Karlan GRANT<br />
20 Adam REACH<br />
21 Cedric KIPRIE<br />
22 Kea nBRYAN<br />
25 David BUTTON<br />
27 Alex MOWATT<br />
28 Rayhaan TULLOCH<br />
29 Taylor GARDNER-HICKMAN<br />
32 Quevin CASTRO<br />
Goalkeeper Defender Midfielder Forward<br />
HOME<br />
KIT<br />
MATCH OFFICIALS<br />
Assistant<br />
Referee<br />
Craig<br />
TAYLO R<br />
Assistant<br />
Referee<br />
Adrian<br />
WATERS<br />
Fourth<br />
Official<br />
Ollie<br />
YATE S<br />
TODAY'S<br />
FIXTURES<br />
Derby v Coventry<br />
Sheff Utd v Barnsley<br />
<strong>City</strong> v <strong>West</strong> Brom<br />
Huddersfield v Bournemouth<br />
Hull v Luton<br />
Reading v Blackburn<br />
Stoke v Millwall<br />
Swansea v Birmingham<br />
Playing tomorrow<br />
QPR v Peterboro<br />
LEAGUE<br />
TABL E<br />
P GD Pts<br />
Fulham 37 58 77<br />
Bournemouth 35 25 66<br />
Huddersfield 38 11 63<br />
Blackburn 38 11 61<br />
Luton 37 12 60<br />
QPR 37 8 59<br />
Middlesbro 37 8 59<br />
N Forest 36 18 58<br />
Sheff Utd 37 10 58<br />
Millwall 37 5 57<br />
Coventry 37 3 54<br />
<strong>West</strong> Brom 37 6 53<br />
Blackpool 37 1 52<br />
Preston 38 -4 51<br />
Swansea 36 -11 47<br />
Stoke 37 2 46<br />
Cardiff 38 -11 46<br />
CITY 38 -20 43<br />
Hull 38 -9 41<br />
Birmingham 38 -16 41<br />
Reading* 37 -30 30<br />
Barnsley 37 -24 28<br />
Derby** 38 -7 24<br />
Peterboro 37 -46 23<br />
*deducted six points<br />
**deducted 21 points<br />
N EXT AT<br />
ASHTON<br />
G ATE<br />
PETERBOROUGH<br />
UNITED<br />
Ashton Gate<br />
Saturday April 9th,<br />
3pm kick-off<br />
Sky Bet Championship<br />
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