Who are they?
West Bromwich Albion, more commonly known as West Brom, or The Baggies, are an English Premier League side based in the midlands. The team was formed in 1878, and were a founding member of the English football league in 1888.
Why The Baggies?
Who knows. The true answer seems to have been lost to the depths of time, but one theory holds that it was the baggy trousers worn by supporters who worked in the local ironworks.
What have they won?
They have one top tier championship to their name, winning the English football league in the 1919-20 season. They also have five FA cups and a League Cup, the last of which was in 1968.
Last year...
They started the season badly, and by December 29, the club were sitting only a point above the relegation zone. Alan Irvine was sacked as manager and was replaced by Tony Pulis, who turned the ship around, finishing in the relative comfort of 13th.
Star player
Saido Berahino was undoubtedly the main man last season. The 21 year old scored 20 goals across all competitions and caught the eye of several bigger teams, although most of them baulked at the alleged $45m asking price.
Who’s the boss?
Tony Pulis. Pulis has in recent years carved out a reputation for himself as the go-to-guy for getting premier league teams out of the relegation spots and into the safety of mid table. In fact, he’s never been relegated as a manager in 23 years, which is made more impressive when you consider the clubs he’s been at. He took over at Crystal Palace in 2013 when they sat bottom of the Premier League with only 4 points from 11 games and turned the club around, earning him the manager of the year award.
And he has Orlando connections…
Indeed. He has already faced up against the Lions in 2012 as the manager of Stoke City. He is of course also the father of Anthony Pulis, who played for Orlando City from 2012 to 2014, and was recently announced as the Head Coach for the upcoming Orlando City USL team.
What about their supporters?
The Baggies play at The Hawthorns, a 27,000 seater stadium built in 1900, and they fill it on a regular basis.
Boing Boing?
Their supporters bounce up and down shouting Boing Boing repeatedly. Is that weird? We’ll let you decide.
Rivals?
The Baggies biggest rivalry is the Black Country Derby with Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they also have regional rivalries with Aston Villa and Birmingham City.
