š¦ Woodman Corner #3 - Inside Ryan Masonās Albion unveiling and David Brooks hoo-ha
I attended the first press conference of Ryan Mason, following his appointment earlier this summer; elsewhere, there are contract renewals, friendlies booked and cup glory
Hello and welcome to edition #3 of Woodman Corner. Iām Joe Chapman, and Iām 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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Takings from Masonās first press conference
Ryan Mason took his seat to face the local press at his West Bromwich Albion unveiling with assurance. He's had a taste of first-team management, has led a team out in a cup final at Wembley no less when thrust into the limelight the same week Tottenham Hotspur sacked Jose Mourinho before their League Cup date with Manchester City in 2021.
This would have been a piece of cake by comparison, for a man who has only just turned 34. Only Will Still, himself in a job in the EFL for the first time with Southampton, is younger than Mason, who has all sorts of experiences - good and bad - to call on from his playing days, but also inspiration from the wealth of high-quality managers he's worked under since.
This is Mason's turn. Not one to get overly excited, the first impression to garner from this sit-down is that he is a man who is laser focused and has been awaiting this opportunity. Albion may now be under threat of morphing into a side who are perennially in the Championship, but they're still a big enough fish that when the vacancy presents itself, aspiring coaches like Mason will be keen to jump at it.
He presented himself as pleasant and polite, but serious all the same - serious about the job title he now puts his name to, and the responsibility he now holds in his hands. He has arrived at The Hawthorns with the intention of delivering success - how that might be interpreted remains to be seen.
ā You can read the full piece, with quotes from Mason and Andrew Nestor, by clicking here. Thereāll be plenty more to come on BirminghamLive, from the unveiling, in the coming days.
š£ Your weekly Albion round-up
š There was a double dose of pride for the Foundation again this past week. If you read edition #2, youāll know that the Powerchair team reached the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, having won two of their three group games. They were narrowly defeated in the semis by Argentinian side Tigres de Pacheco. Upon their return, Albion Powerchair took on Aspire in the final of the EE Disability FA Cup. They were beaten 2-0 but can remain proud of their efforts.
š There was, however, a happier outcome for Albion Blind, who won their final on the same weekend at St Georgeās Park, beating Royal National College for the Blind 2-0 thanks to a quick-fire brace from Eesa Amjid. It meant that theyād successfully defended their title!
ā Albion are off to Austria for a pre-season training camp, the club have confirmed. They fly on Saturday of this week, play Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv next Friday [11th] behind closed doors and then travel back a day later. The Austrian hills in the summer, huh? Reminds me of a bygone eraā¦
š The fixtures are here - huzzah! āeVeRyOnE pLaYs EaCh OtHeR tWiCeāā¦yes, yes, yes, I know. Still, itās something of an off-season checkpoint, another date which means Albion being back in action is a little closer to returning. Theyāll start with Blackburn and Valerien Ismael at home, and then itās Wrexham away. Full fixture list can be found here.
š And itās Derby County at home in the first round of the EFL Cup, in between those opening games.
š Fare thee well. Albion were back in training this past week and, for the first time since 2019, they did so without either of Grady Diangana or Semi Ajayi - two of 18 players at the club last year who no longer are.
šØāš©āš§āš¦ BBC WM held their Albion fan forum in the Yeltz Bar at Halesowen Town on Friday night. Albion reporter Steve Hermon was joined by Daz Hale and former midfielder Richard Sneekes ahead of the new campaign. You can listen to it, and what Sneekes had to say, via BBC WM Sport.
š¤ Dike! Dike! Dike! Oh for a full season of Albionās own American, whose time at the club has been ravaged by injury. Remarkably heās into the final year of his contract - with Ismael, the man who signed him, coming back to The Hawthorns on the opening day, itās pertinent to point out Albion are onto their fourth manager since that sacking - yet Dike has only had one uninterrupted run in the team. Heās conducted an interview with WBA TV where he saidā¦
āIām really happy to have had a whole summer off and to be going into a whole pre-season to fully regenerate myself, I guess. I want to keep the momentum going into the new season. Iām really happy to have had a whole summer off and to be going into a whole pre-season to fully regenerate myself, I guess. I want to keep the momentum going into the new season.ā
š The new home kit is here! For what itās worth I must say I do like it, although - like every kit in any clubās history - thereāll always be those who arenāt as big a fan of it. You can see Fellows modelling it below and can see the full gallery here.
Blasts from the past
Each week - and particularly at this time of the year with the transfer window open - weāll check in with Albion players from the past, and their movements.
š Manchester United have confirmed that Jonny Evans has become their new loans and pathways manager after officially announcing his retirement from the game. Evans played 96 games in three years for Albion and is regarded by many supporters to be among the clubās best defenders in the modern era. He added: āMy biggest and most heartfelt thanks must go to the fans who have supported me during every step of the journey.ā [ManUnited.com]
Ā© Evansā former United and Albion teammate Darren Fletcher is also set for a new role within the club. Previously a first-team coach and technical director, Training Ground Guru reports that he is set to become the new under 18s manager for the Red Devils.
ā³ Thereās not too much from the past, but John Swift, who is currently training with the PFAās out-of-contract group in order to remain fit before he finds himself a new club. Linked with Turkiye, with Stoke City and Derby County, Swift is sure to have himself a new club in time for the season beginning next month šāāļø
The transfer column
ā There was a fair bit of hullabaloo about David Brooks this week. The Bournemouth playmaker, who impressed in the Championship on loan at Southampton, was tipped to join and there were suggestions of a medical etcā¦but it transpires the player was in Australia. Itās not to say that Brooks wasnāt on various lists drawn up by the club, but the generated excitement was more than premature - in fact totally misplaced. Transfer season, eh?! š
ā½ There have been whispers that Albion are interested in QPR striker Charlie Kelman, after his League One exploits last season. The 23-year-old embarked on a mammoth campaign involving 61 appearances which bore 27 goals while on loan at play-off finalists Leyton Orient.
š¶ Albion have, however, signed Jack Bray from Harrogate Town. The young attacker, 18, has signed a three-year contract. He made two appearances for Harrogateās first-team last season, including his league debut on Boxing Day.
ā Thereāll be no Lawrence Shankland at Albion this season. He has penned a new contract with Heart of Midlothian after weeks of weighing up his options. Albion will have to look elsewhere for another forward.
š Reyes Cleary has decided to bid Albion farewell and sign for League One Barnsley. He was offered a contract but has moved on in order to play regular first-team football, for which he should be applauded. His new manager Conor Hourihane saidā¦
ā® āIām thrilled to have Reyes on board. Heās got great attributes - pace, power, and a natural instinct in front of goal. Heās also versatile, which gives us different options across the front line. Most importantly, heās shown a real desire to be here and be part of what weāre building at Barnsley.ā
You can hear from Reyes belowā¦
Essential reading
Away from the newsy stuff, Iāll strive to point out the content you mightāve missed which is worth tapping into each weekā¦
š³ On those hawthorn trees, which have been planted in the grounds of the stadium, Albion fan Down Under Mal Fisher got in touch after his campaigns bore fruit. With the help of the staff-run group āBaggies Pastures Greenā, 20 hawthorn trees have been planted. Mal is a part of the Conservation Optimism group and you can read his Kicking Goals For Nature blog here.
š» You can listen to The Liquidatorās summer special podcast, where hosts Adrian and Chris take in the developments of the off-season, including the appointment of Ryan Mason, the open letter of Shilen Patel and the new fixture list, with some important clarity offered on PSR and the need for Albion to continue being prudent. š
What to look out for this week
šŗ On Thursday, 3 July (today), Sky Sports are due to release their selected fixtures for live broadcast from game week two all the way through to the end of September. The extra time afforded is to allow supporters to have more notice in order to arrange plans around games well in advance.
š» As mentioned, Albion are flying to Austria this coming weekend. Thereāll be plenty of coverage from the club on their relevant social channels between now and the next Woodman Corner, so stay tuned.
š Before the end of this week weāll know who of the under 21s from last season have agreed to sign new deals with the club. Fresh from the new scholars being confirmed, announcements on Akeel Higgins, Layton Love, Eseosa Sule, Michael Parker, Alex Williams and Souleyman Mandey await. Dan Chimeziri and Louis Brady have already committed.
š£ Not one necessarily to look out for, but one to be aware of - the newly formed Fan Advisory Board interviews will be taking place next week. Interviews are being conducted with the FSAās Head of Supporter Engagement and Governance, Ashley Brown, Cyrille Regis Legacy Trust Chair, Julia Regis, and the clubās Director of Communications & Fan Engagement, Ian Skidmore, who will see 14 candidates dropping into four roles.
About Woodman Corner
š¦ This is Woodman Corner, your one-stop shop for all things Albion. Iām 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.
ā Have I missed something, or is there anything youād like to see covered? Give me a shout on this quick form.
Thank you for reading edition #3.
Thanks Joe a great insight into how our new manager comes across,now letās bring in another couple of players and have a right go at getting back where we belong.
Great detailed piece Joe and you can tell he is a very focused individual- next getting a couple of quality additions, because going to be a tough campaign again