INTRODUCTION BY TONY MATTHEWS & COLIN MACKENZIE

Although we have both been students of Albion's history for some considerable time now, the 'Centenary A-Z of West Bromwich Albion' was not conceived until as recently as Sep. 24, 1975, on a coach trip to London to watch a League Cup game between Fulham and Albion at Craven Cottage.

Now that our task is completed - and before you - we hope that you have as much pleasure in delving into this encyclopaedia as we have had in compiling it. We know for a fact that the work which is contained in this book is the most comprehensive statistical record yet produced on any one football club, in this country or anywhere in the world.

Our sources of information have been numerous. Frequent reference has been made to the club's official organ, the 'Albion News' which was commenced in 1905, and to the 'History of West Bromwich Albion Football Club' which was serialised in the official Albion programme from 1911-12 to 1929-30. This latter source of material is, on the whole, an accurate account of the club's earlier days.

A variety of local and national newspapers have also been consulted; those most frequently used were the 'Sports Argus', the 'Free Press', the 'Weekly News', the 'Birmingham Daily Gazette', 'Saturday Night' and the 'Midland Athlete'. We would like to point out, however, that in a number of these publications the details of certain Albion goal-scorers vary considerably, especially during the Victorian period (the late 1800s), but every effort has been made to produce accurate statistics from what is an extremely complicated subject.

All the statistical information (mainly results) set out in this book is relevant to the end of May, 1979. The football clubs listed individually are those whom Albion played in the Football League competition since Sep. 1888, and also those current League Clubs whom Albion have not yet played in the League itself but have met in cup competitions, friendly matches and in benefit and testimonial games.

In these individual club sections the tables showing Albion's leading goalscorers are based on the goals scored in the Football League, F.A. Cup and Football League Cup matches ONLY.

A player's debut is listed under the competition in which he first appeared for Albion; i.e. Cyrille Regis made his first appearance for Albion v. Rotherham United in a home League Cup Tie, and thus his name appears in the Rotherham section rather than in that of Middlesbrough, against whom he subsequently played his first league game.

With regard to transfer fees...these have been given in round figures unless otherwise stated. Attendance details have been taken from the official record books of West Bromwich Albion and NOT from the newspapers.

We have covered the complete history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club in this unique book. One hundred years have passed since a group of young men, employed at the George Salter Spring Factory in the heart of West Bromwich, decided one mid-September Saturday afternoon in 1879, to form a soccer team, and although this is not a story of the club's fortunes in chronological order, we quite honestly believe that the contents which lie before you will certainly open your eyes with regard to own personal knowledge of a great Football Club.

We would like to stress in our final sentence that al the views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not West Bromwich Albion F.C.

Tony Matthews and Colin Mackenzie, October, 1979.