SYNOPSIS

A match-by match look at West Bromwich Albion's 2000-2001 season.

FOREWARD

This time last year, Albion fans were celebrating because their team had just - on the very last day of the season - escaped relegation to the Second Division, by beating champions Charlton Athletic at The Hawthorns. How things can change in twelve months.

This book - the third in an annual series - records the highs and the lows of Albion's best season at this level for a quarter of a century. The season started with the now customary trip to Denmark and, after a difficult start in the League, ended with a thrilling two legged meeting with Bolton Wanderers in the Play-offs. It is now history that the campaign ended in glorious failure - thanks to eight minutes of madness at The Hawthorns when a two goal lead was squandered against Bolton, but that should not take away any credit from manager Gary Megson, who produced an exciting attack-minded team who gave the club its highest finish in the League for fifteen years.

As usual, I would like to thank everybody who contributed to this book and towards The Baggies newspaper in the past twelve months, especially John Homer, Kevin Grice, Dave Holloway, Dave Hewitt, Laurie Rampling, Colin Mackenzie, Robert Bradley and Jill Pearson.

Glenn Willmore
July 10 2001

This book is dedicated to the memory of a great footballer,
Ronnie Allen, 1929-2001. R.I.P.