🐦 Woodman Corner #1 - A lick of paint can go an awful long way
We make a quick trip to The Hawthorns to check on the progress of the Shrine's facelift in the first edition of Woodman Corner, and there's an update on when we can expect the club's new kit.
Hello and welcome to edition #1 of Woodman Corner. I’m Joe Chapman, and I’m a lifelong Albion fan, previously a season ticket holder, who has covered the club for the Birmingham Mail. Thank you for tuning in.
Woodman Corner has been created to bring you the very best bits of Albion content, uninterrupted, from across the web, and some original stuff from yours truly along the way.
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Operation restoration
🏟 I popped down to The Hawthorns this week, after being made aware of some redecorating taking place. The Shrine was looking resplendent - apologies in advance for the amateur photography - with the Brummie Road having been given a lick of paint. The pedestrian path which runs alongside it has been cordoned off while work continues.
I’ve been told it’s cost Albion hundreds of thousands of pounds to carry out this work, which has involved a jet wash and a substantial painting job. The contractors have also given a new lease of life to the Astle gates, too. Work began weeks ago and will be completed in time for the new season.
It’s clearly a work in progress, and there remains plenty of time before the new season commences, but it’s heartening to see Bilkul give our favourite ground some overdue love. It comes on the back of the hawthorn trees which have been planted in the stadium grounds. All of the above is to mark 125 years of The Hawthorns with more plans in the pipeline to celebrate the anniversary. [WBA]
👕 I’m told that Albion’s new Macron kit will be released earlier than the July date on which they hit the shelves - or coat hangers - last summer. Expect the new threads within the next ten days.
🎙 New gaffer Ryan Mason is going to be unveiled to the press by early July, it’s anticipated.
🏠 Albion will welcome Spanish side Rayo Vallecano to The Hawthorns on Saturday, August 2. It’s Albion’s first home pre-season game since 2022 when they welcomed Hertha Berlin to the Black Country.
📣 Your weekly Albion round-up
🤏 Owen Hargreaves. Remember the summer of 2011, when Roy Hodgson tried to bring the England midfielder to The Hawthorns on a free transfer? It transpires Albion were oh so close to hauling a deal over the line…only for a last-minute disagreement. David Platt, in a pub, took advantage. [FourFourTwo]
⮑ “I came close to signing for West Brom on a free transfer but, right after agreeing everything, they wanted to insert an extra clause in my contract that I didn’t agree with. I spoke to the manager, Roy Hodgson, and he agreed that the clause made it impossible for me to sign, which he was disappointed about as he really wanted me.“
🌏 For the first time in six summers, Grady Diangana won’t be reporting for Albion duty at their Walsall training ground in the coming weeks. His time at the club is over, but it’s still uncertain what’s to come. It’s understood that he is keen on a move abroad, but he wishes to remain in Europe. Still, there is interest and contact from the Saudi Pro League… [BirminghamLive]
✊ Albion legend Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown has discussed with the Express and Star (🚨 paywall warning 💰) how proud he was to be able to call the revered Three Degrees his teammates, in a footballing era when racism was rife. Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson were all crucial components of that successful side in the 1970s.
⮑ "They were trendsetters. It spread the word for West Bromwich Albion. It was unique in this country. You didn't see many black players.”
🧤 Albion number one Josh Griffiths is back training already. The goalie has shared a video on his Instagram page of him, in Portugal, being put through various routines under the watchful eye of former Walsall coaches Jon Whitney and Neil Cutler. Griffiths was joined by former Baggie Sam Johnstone and Rangers keeper Jack Butland.
Blasts from the past
Each week - and particularly at this time of the year with the transfer window open - we’ll check in with Albion players from the past, and their movements.
👉 Rekeem Harper, who worked under Darren Moore at promoted Port Vale last season, will remain in League Two with AFC Barrow, where he has signed a two-year deal. [AFCB]
👉 Matt Smith, an Albion academy product who was once snaffled by Manchester City, has returned to England after spending time in Scotland with relegated SPL side St Johnstone. The midfielder has joined Newport County. [BBC Sport]
The transfer column
✍ Former Baggie Semi Ajayi looks set to remain in the Championship and even revisit The Hawthorns at some stage next season with a move to Hull City on the cards. [HullLive]
✍ Albion have been credited with an interest in Bournemouth forward and Welsh international David Brooks, who turned in a classy performance and scored against Albion for loan club Southampton, on the night Shilen Patel attended his first game last year. [SaintsMarching]
Essential reading
Something on the new man in charge. Albion released interviews recently with both boss Ryan Mason and sporting director Andrew Nestor, after the former left Spurs to take up his first role in management. It won’t be long before we see him on the touchline and in the press conference room, but in the meantime there are a couple of pieces I’d implore you to check out…
📚 The first rule of Albion fan club is that Andy Caulton’s blogs are worth reading as and when he publishes them. Shortly after Mason’s appointment, the Baggie Bard was at it again, offering a deep dive into Mason’s characteristics, career and why he deems it an especially exciting acquisition. It’s typically brilliant from our resident New Hampshire supporter. [Baggie Bard]
📚 This, I read myself a little while after Mason’s appointment, just while doing some research into the man we now have at the helm. FourFourTwo shared this interview earlier this year, which was first published in 2018, in which Mason goes into detail about the harrowing head injury which ended his career on the spot and almost killed him.
🎧 Our friends over at Albion Analysis have turned their attentions to transfers with the manager now in place. Messrs Mason, Nestor and Ian Pearce are currently getting their heads together to work out how Albion proceed in the transfer market. Chris and Pete have their own well thought out and delivered opinions 👇
What to look out for this week
🌹 I am going out on a limb here, but by the time this newsletter has been sent off for scheduling ahead of landing in your inboxes on Thursday morning, England Under-21s won’t yet have played their German counterparts on Wednesday night. It’d take a catastrophic couple of results, though, to deny the young Lions a place in the quarter finals of the Euros. There remains hope, then, that we may see Tom Fellows in action this summer having been an unused sub up to now.
📅 The Premier League released their fixtures on Wednesday (18th). The EFL are set to release theirs on Thursday 26 June, at 12pm. At 4:30pm, later that day, Albion will also discover their opponents for the first round of the Carabao Cup, which takes place shortly after the new campaign commences. 🏆
About Woodman Corner
🐦 This is Woodman Corner, your one-stop shop for all things Albion. I’m Joe Chapman, an Albion supporter who has followed the club as a fan for 25 years but also previously as a local reporter for five years. Like what you read? Please consider subscribing.
❓ Have I missed something, or is there anything you’d like to see covered? Give me a shout on this quick form.
Thank you for reading edition #1.
Cheers for this Joe - great read. Looking forward to see how this develops
I see an Andy shoutout, I press the like button