By Stuart Kidson
April 28 2004

PREMIERSHIP FOOTBALL IS BACK AT THE HAWTHORNS NEXT SEASON AS A GOALESS DRAW BETWEEN WIGAN AND SUNDERLAND ASSURED PREMIERSHIP STATUS FOR THE BAGGIES BEFORE A BALL HAD BEEN KICKED BY THE STARS IN STRIPES. BOING BOING !!!!! West Bromwich Albion (2) v Bradford City (0)
The Hawthorns, Saturday 24th April 2004
Nationwide League Division One

Sunderland sent Baggies fans wild with delight prior to Saturday’s game with Bradford City, as the Black Cats could only manage a draw with Wigan Athletic at The JJB Stadium. This meant that the Albion were a Premiership side before they had even kicked a ball in their penultimate home game of the campaign. Strangely enough April 24th is a memorable day for Baggies fans because on the same date 28 years ago Tony Brown’s volley at Oldham Athletic sent them back to the old First Division.

The Albion decided to broadcast the game between Wigan and Sunderland on the two giant screens inside the ground and opened up the stadium at 12.15pm so Baggies fans could watch prior to the fixture with Bryan Robson’s Bradford City. At 2.25pm the party began as thousands of supporters watched along with the Baggies team warming up in front of the Brummie Road Stand. The Baggies were back in the big time.

The supporters of West Bromwich Albion have been hailed as one of the noisiest sets of fans in the country with admiration coming from all corners of the UK. From Camberley in Surrey to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, fans from other clubs have often said that when The Baggies are in town you certainly know about it. It was therefore of little surprise that the volume inside the ground was at an absolute maximum as the teams ran out onto the field shortly before 3.00pm.

Although promotion had been secured there is still the chase for the League Championship with Norwich to be settled and the Baggies were certainly not going to just sit back and coast through this game. Bradford, who had been consigned to Division Two 7 days previously, were also coming to make a game of it. Andy Johnson thought he had started the party celebrations off in style after just 13 minutes, when flicked the ball past Mark Paston into the net but he was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.

Minutes later Johnson was again in the thick of the action when he saw his goal bound shot cleared off the line by Tom Pendford after Paston had saved Neil Clement’s downwards header following a Jason Koumas corner. Bradford responded well to some early pressure by the Premiership’s newest members and Russell Hoult had to make a fine save to stop Lewis Emanuel from giving the Yorkshire side a lead against the run of play.

Lee Hughes was put through by Johnson moments later but his scuffed effort went wide of the upright from about 15-yards out. The Baggies kept the pressure on the visitors and the likelihood of a goal from the Baggies went from ‘if’ to ‘when’ as the home side wasted chance after chance. Thomas Gaardsoe headed powerfully down after another Koumas corner and Paston did well to stop the shot on the line, but the loose ball would not cross the line as Hughes and Gaardsoe took turns to try to poke it across the line in a desperate goalmouth scramble.

Geoff Horsfield sliced a shot wide after Peter Atherton had difficulty in clearing a wonderfully weighted ball from Paul Robinson as he was pressured by the bearded Hughes and just before the break Hughes again wasted another chance from 12-yards after being set up by Clement.

Following the restart Horsfield continued the alarming rate of wasted chances for the Baggies but Dean Windass almost broke the deadlock for Bradford when he was found in space from a Danny Cadamateri pass. The game needed a goal from either team to make the game, which had the distinct feeling of an anti-climax, exciting. Gary Megson has an uncanny knack of knowing just when to make a substitution this season and Baggies fans now have their very own version of 1970’s Super-Sub Chris Fairclough. Lloyd Dyer has been something of a lucky charm for the Baggies this season and his amazing run of fortune continued as he had been on the field just seconds when Koumas attempted to chip Paston from the right. The ball crashed against the crossbar in front of the packed Brummie Road Stand and fell invitingly for Horsfield to head home. The Hawthorns exploded with noise as the fans now began to celebrate in some style.

Hughes gave them even more cause for celebration, as if they needed any anyway, when he raced onto a superbly weighted ball from Gaardsoe and buried his shot past Paston at the near post from 15-yards. An already noisy Hawthorn got even noisier as the fans erupted for the second time.

Albion now had the bit between their teeth and it looked as if they were going to celebrate promotion with a hatful of goals as Horsfield and Hughes both went close in quick succession but Horsfield’s ankle injury flared up again and the Yorkshire born striker left the field to rapturous applause from all stands.

Hughes continued to threaten and as the game entered the final 15 minutes of play he hit a wonderful right footed volley against the base of the Bradford post. The ground was one big party venue as the game wound down and some fans in the East Stand began a Mexican Wave. After a few faltering attempts the amazing spectacle took off and continued around the ground 7 or 8 times with even the handful of loyal Bradford fans joining in along with Stewards and even the Press Box.

The Albion asked that everyone keep off the pitch following the end of the game and just a handful of fans who were unable to contain their joy, found their way onto the hallowed turf before the players returned to jubilant scenes to take their lap of honour and have their pictures recorded forever with the second ‘We’re Going Up’ flag in two seasons.

East Stand Season ticket holder Jake Kidson selected the baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match and he awarded the honour to Lee Hughes

Teams
Baggies Hoult, Gregan, Gaardsoe, Clement, J. Chambers, Johnson, Kinsella, Koumas, Robinson, Hughes, Horsfield
Subs Murphy, Volmer, Facey, Dyer, Dobie

Bantams Paston, Gavin, Atherton, Wetherall, Heckingbottom, Summerbee, Penford, Wolleaston, Cadamateri, Windass
Subs Combe, Forrest, Sanasy, Bower, Kearney