Club News

New era captured in an Albion News Special

Albion News returns with a one-off, 132-page eye-bulging special

ALBION News returns on Saturday for the visit of Everton and, in honour of a hectic summer that has seen one era coming to a close and a new one in the offing, we’ve captured it all in a special one-off 132-page issue, all for just a fiver and all for one week only before we return to normal for the visit of Middlesbrough.
 
As Jeremy Peace hands over the Chairmanship of the Club to John Williams, we’ve an exclusive final interview with the outgoing Chairman, reflecting on his 14 years at the helm, the distance we’ve travelled and his hopes for Albion’s future.
 
We take an exhaustive look back at those 14 years, covering promotions, relegations, titles, celebrations, bust ups, laughter, tears and all possible points in between. It’s been a hell of a ride and we’ve captured it all in words, pictures and numbers.
 
We turn our gaze towards the future with an interview with prospective new owner Guochuan Lai in which he maps out his ideas and ambitions for the Throstles in the years ahead. And while we’re on the subject of throstles, the symbol of Mr Lai’s home region, we look back at how that little bird came to be the symbol of the Albion too.
 
There’s also the most in depth look yet on Albion’s first vision of China, away back in 1978 when we headed there as the first English club to play games there. From the manager, players, pressmen and diplomats, we’ve got everything you need to know about that trip, including some previously unseen photographs and new learning on who it really was that came up with “If you’ve seen one wall, you’ve seen them all”. It’s not who you think. 
 
On a more regular note, Tony Pulis and Darren Fletcher pen their columns for us, there’s a comprehensive report on our opening day victory at Selhurst Park and we’ve all the stats and fixtures across Albion’s teams for you to jot into the diary.
 
Champion boxer and Albion fan extraordinaire Tommy Langford offers up his regular column too, keeping you up to date with events on the pitch and in the ring. 
 
We’ve gone inside Euro 2016 with Gareth McAuley, hero of Northern Ireland’s push to the knock-out stages. The big man tells us all about what he did this summer and just how fit and ready he is for another season at The Hawthorns.
 
We feature new man Matt Phillips, talking about the settling in process at The Hawthorns and Academy startlet Kane Wilson fills us in on life with the first team across pre-season.
 
Chris Brunt submits himself to the Q&A treatment and we compare and contrast his answers with those from an Albion star of days gone by, Steve Hunt.
 
Tony Brown picks two great Everton XIs for the ages and we give you the inside scoop on the current collection of Toffees who will be coming to town on Saturday afternoon. 
 
Looking into the past, we begin a look at Albion skippers down the ages, starting with the mighty Derek McInnes, and we investigate turning point moments and personalities in our history that made us the club we are today, beginning with manager Jesse Carver who brought the modern world to God’s country.
 
We feature a controversial Albion game of the past through the eyes of “Match of the Day” commentator Barry Davies, and we dig out cartoonist Norman Edwards’ fantastic history of the Albion from back in 1979.
 
We continue to look at the “History of the Albion in 100 Objects” with a shocker of a shirt worn by Cyrille Regis and we hear echoes of a past programme and season, going back to our first ever Premier League game at The Hawthorns, against Leeds United in August 2002, Jeremy Peace’s first home game as Chairman – we don’t just throw this thing together you know…
 
All of this and plenty more in this special one-off edition of Albion News – get it on Saturday or your chance is gone. You know it makes sense.

Subscribe to the Albion News now and not only will you save 50p per programme (RRP £3.50 each) and receive FREE P&P (UK) but fans who purchase before 31st August will be entered in to a draw and one lucky fan will win a signed ball. 

A 24-issue subscription is £72 and available here