The visit of Stoke City to The Hawthorns yesterday, certainly wasn’t the highlight of the day in real terms, it was without doubt, for me anyway, the return to our shores, and then of course to the Borough of West Bromwich, of one of Hollands finest, certainly one of Albion’s in the eighties, Marten Jol, who signed for Albion in October 1981, as a replacement for the defecting Bryan Robson.

To see Marten in the Regis Suite yesterday with his family, was something I have long, longed to see, and to present him with his club cap, has also been something that has burned a hole in my pocket for just as long, and how fitting was it to have his old team mate Ally Robertson on hand to do the honours pitchside at half time in front of the SKY cameras.

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Marten was joined by Ally, Nigel Quashie, Bruce Collard and three former Stoke City former players, Phil Heath, Terry Lees and John Ruggeiro, and gentlemen it was a privilege to have you with us on such a day. It was just a shame that our former manager Denis Smith, who had hoped to join us, couldn’t make it. Maybe next time.