“Travelling to the Hawthorns to watch Albion is pretty much always an emotional experience, and has been I expect since time immemorial, but Saturday (23rd April) was tinged wth a great deal of sadness before the Coventry City game, as the club, the media department and the former players that he knew so well, said a tearful; farewell to top Journalist and Commentator Nigel Pearson, who passed away so suddenly on Good Friday. All that knew him have lost a friend, and an inspiration and the Former Players Assocaiation would like to extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to his family at this very sad time. It was certainly a lovely ‘touch’ the club preparing a ‘shrine’ for Nige on the press gantry, as well as a memory table in the media suite.
























The Association’s itineray was as you would expect, as busy as it always is on a match day, with the one and only ‘TG’ Tony Godden, joining Ally Robertson, Bernie MacNally and Gary Hackett in the East stand suites, with four members of the 2002 promotion squad, present to celebrate twenty years ( where have those years gone) since that historic promotion on April 21st 2002, when The Hawthorns erupted following a two nil victory over Crstal Palace. Andy Johnson, now a member of the Albion media team, was joined by the scorer of the second goal that April day so long ago, the one and only Super Bob Taylor and the Chambers ‘twins’ James and Adam, who were guests of the club and also guests pitchside at half time when Bob Taylor did the honours presenting the ‘Children’ of that great side with their club caps, to the delight of the Hawthorns faithful who gave them a terrific ovation.
It was also great to welcome back home, former Albion Apprentice Roy Hunter, who made fourteen first team appearances for the club back in the early nineties, a guest in his own right in the Regis Suite where Bob Taylor was once again ‘on hand’ to do the ‘honours’ with a club cap presentation to Roy, in the presence of our other members Dave Butler, Noel Luke, Darryl Burgess, James and Adam Chambers and Andy Johnson, as well as Secretary Geoff Snape and Treasurer Norman Westbury.
It was also great as it always is to see two absolute ‘legends’ in Tony Brown and Chris Brunt in and around the media area reminding us just how important the Association and its members are to the very fabric of the football club.”