A wonderful post - copied and pasted from another WBA site

[Prando]

The author still attends matches (East Stand) I?ve deleted his name.

?I know I?ve posted this before, but I?m bored, so I?ll bore you with it again.
Sorry?.

A Manchester United supporter once said to me "I support the best, why would you follow Albion when you could follow a team that have won everything." This was my answer...
I support West Bromwich Albion. I was born into them.
I live 6 miles from the Hawthorns I have been going over seventy six years. I saw the first match they had under floodlights against Chelsea where my hero Ronnie Allen scored. I've seen China there I've seen them play the Russian army celebrating the new flood lights. I've stood in snow and fog. I've seen the great Stanley Matthews. I've seen the ground transformed many times.
I've listened intently as my father enthused about the 1931 cup side when he was six**** years old.
I was there in 1950 among the most fans ever seen at the Hawthorns for a league game.
I've seen Duncan Edwards, Danny Blanchflower , Len Shackleton. Tom Finney, Nat Lofthouse, Bobby Charlton play there, and many more. I've walked to the ground while talking to Dennis Law. I've gasped at the skill of George Best.
I've seen Jackie Milburn strut his stuff for Newcastle
I've grown from a boy to a man idolising Ronnie Allen and Ray Barlow. I've seen all the 1966 World Cup winners play at the Hawthorns. I've stood and sat in every part of the ground.
The ground that is the highest in the land above sea level. I've seen them play in the third division. Ive been passed over the heads of the adults down to the front. I've sat on the grass at the side of the goals in 1954. Ive seen the team play at my local cricket club, where the great Bobby Robson treated me to an ice cream when I was fif**** years old.
Ive seen the 3 degrees take abuse from racist crowds. Answered in the poise and majestic grace of Laurie Cunningham. The power and strength of Cyrille Regis and the calm displays of Brendan Batson.
Ive smelt the pipe smoke, I've stood with the away supporters as a kid and felt no danger and not heard a swear word. Before the idiotic violence reared its ugly head.

I've seen Wolverhampton Wanderers become champions, In fact I must have seen them over a hundred times. But they could never steal the love I have for the stripes.

I saw jack Vernon and Dave Walsh but to be honest I can't remember too much of them.
Saw the 5:3 win at Manchester United and the 6: 3 win at the Albion.
Seen Johnny on the spot Nicholls poach many goals, and got to know him when I was older.
I've cheered wee Willie Johnston 🎶on the wing, on the wing🎶

I've seen men faint by being crushed. I've seen Astle leap majestically in the air to head home. I've seen Ronnie Allen take penalties with both feet. I've seen the great bomber Brown slice through the defence to nearly break the net.
I've seen Ray Barlow command game after game. I've seen Joe Kennedy amazingly denied a cap for England.
Nothing but nothing can beat being born in The Black Country and supporting the blue and white stripes. I?ve made life long friendships with other Albion fans. And made friends with ex players and sometimes their families..
Albion is an old name for England. And that's what we are. West Bromwich Black Country England. They can keep your Manchester clubs. Long live the Baggies.

PS. The great Duncan Edwards, the Dudley born lad died 67 years today.

[Omegstrat6]

Indeed a great post Prando. Tbh, though, such thoughts, I am sure, are echoed by very many similar older fans for their own local clubs up and down the country. Football fandom as it arguably should be, before too much money got into the game and before increased broadcasting and commercialism created a new genre of "plastic fans" for the big clubs.

The above said, I am also mindful, however, of a degree of hypocrisy on my part. One side of my family history is rooted in the Black Country and I've been a life long Baggie but personal circumstances, including distance and finances, have meant that I have been an overwhelmingly "arm chair" fan for too many years now with visits to the The Hawthorns being all too rare. Does that make me less of a fan? Maybe, and I certainly sometimes feel like it in comparison to those who actually attend games, but then I would go if I could and I still do as much as I can to follow them.

Perhaps the difference between myself (and probably many others in similar positions) and some of the "plastic fans" I've just derided is that I grew up supporting a local team, attended games and followed them through all the ups and downs since. For some illogical reason, results still impact on my mood and I feel elated when we win and down when we lose-and, like all fans, I also have views on managers, players and tactics! Maybe not so different from plastic fans after all?

[Q165]

Nice one.

[stargazer_1962]

Prando,
Thanks for posting, I haven't read this before.
I could write a script on the subject but may leave it for now.
Whilst you can still go to the matches, do so.
I hate watching football on TV due to the multiple replays of missed goals etc etc and missing the play (and banal commentary)
Will be there tomorrow and hopefully a victory.
I've come across too many man utd / liverpool supporters from this area who were always TV supporters only. sad.

[On Balance]

Absolutely great post.

As a fan, supporter whatever, Winning trophies is easy. Going week after week, after week after week or just following the Baggies is just brilliant. Being a Baggie can make your day, it can make your weekend, it can make getting through the week to the weekend great or a struggle on all counts. It hurts sometimes but I’d rather it be that way having the love of a great, great team, with real, real fans than being a plastic.

Love the sentiments of the author of that post.

Thanks Prando, never seen that before.

[Leicesterbaggie]

As with the original poster of this thread it was Ronnie Allen who made me an Albion fan at the tender age of seven. I was brought up in the wilds of Herefordshire in the fifties annd sixties and when we played football in the school yard there was this lad who always wanted to be Ronnie Allen. I just copied him and the rest is history.

Being an Albion fan has been a huge part of my life and still is. I have witnessed the highs and lows over the years but one thing that has not changed is my loyalty to the club. I am afraid that money and television is to blame for creating these plastic fans who support the successful sides of today. True football fans accept the bad times as well as the good times as we, who are true Albion fans, have experienced over many years as supporters of the club. I remember watching the successful sides of the fifties, sixties and seventies but also some of the poor sides of the late eighties and nineties. Through it I all though, the one thing that remains, is the loyalty to the club which will always remain.