I can’t remember the actual first match but it was probably in the 1963/64 season. My dad was a rugby fan and my school only played rugby in the Winter, so it wasn’t until I left that school at 16 that a neighbour decided that I should go to a football game. He was an Albion shareholder and season ticket holder (he always bought four season tickets every year so he could take friends). All I know is that it got me hooked on the Albion; the players at that time included John Kaye, Ray Fairfax, Kenny Foggo and Ronnie Fenton, amongst many others from those long gone days. I then attended Halesowen Grammar School and although rugby was played there, too, I was hooked on football and was a regular at The Hawthorns, going either on the football special from Grammar School Lane (Midland Red bus), or with the aforementioned neighbour; his seats were in the Halfords Lane Stand, next to the old press box and he always had a flask of whisky in his pocket for half time! Great days!

I first came to this board in 2006 or 2007, I think; around that time anyway. The board was run by Iain Bate (Donny Valdo), who I have bumped into on numerous occasions at the Hawthorns since. One of the mods was Northy (Northampton Baggie) and being also in Northamptonshire, I suggested that we might travel together sometime. Northy usually, at that time, went to matches with BaggieBoyGeoff, which is how I met him and I am still in regular contact with Geoff. Our pre-match destination was the Sportsman, where I met many from this board. Then of course, came the Baggies Barge, plenty of tales from those trips!