2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

During the 2008–09 English football season, West Bromwich Albion competed in the Premier League, following promotion from the Football League Championship as Football League champions the previous season.

West Bromwich Albion
2008–09 season
ChairmanJeremy Peace
ManagerTony Mowbray
StadiumThe Hawthorns
Premier League20th (relegated)
FA CupFourth round
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Chris Brunt (9)
All:
Chris Brunt (9)
Highest home attendance26,344 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 28 December)
Lowest home attendance24,741 (vs. Wigan Athletic, 9 May)
Average home league attendance25,827

Season summary

West Bromwich began the season strongly with ten points from their opening seven games leaving them in midtable, but that proved to be as good as it got for the Midlanders and with only five more league wins during the rest of the season Albion soon sunk to the foot of the Premier League and were relegated in last place.[1] At the end of the season, manager Tony Mowbray left to take charge at Celtic; he was replaced by MK Dons manager Roberto Di Matteo.

In January, an assessment of company accounts by Equifax saw Albion rated third among Premiership clubs by credit rating, with a score of 71 out of 100.[2]

Final league table
Main article: 2008–09 Premier League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
16 Sunderland 38 9 9 20 34 54 −20 36
17 Hull City 38 8 11 19 39 64 −25 35
18 Newcastle United (R) 38 7 13 18 40 59 −19 34 Relegation to the Football League Championship
19 Middlesbrough (R) 38 7 11 20 28 57 −29 32
20 West Bromwich Albion (R) 38 8 8 22 36 67 −31 32
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated.

Background

West Bromwich retained their kit sponsorship deal with English company Umbro, who introduced both a new home kit and a new away kit with navy shorts and yellow shirts and socks. The club was unable to find a kit sponsor for the season, and so became the first club in Premier League history to go a season without any kit sponsorship.

Albion completed a £3 million-plus refurbishment of the Halfords Lane Stand in time for the start of the season. This included new dressing rooms, dugout areas and tunnel, executive boxes and a media gantry. As a result, the capacity of The Hawthorns was slightly reduced to 26,272 and the stand was renamed as the West Stand.[3] New navy blue seats were installed in the stand, replacing the lighter blue seats previously fitted.[4]

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  IRL Dean Kiely[notes 1]
2 DF  BEL Carl Hoefkens
3 DF  ENG Paul Robinson
4 DF  SVK Marek Čech
5 DF  ENG Leon Barnett
7 MF  SVN Robert Koren
8 MF  ENG Jonathan Greening (captain)
9 FW  CZE Roman Bednar
10 FW  ENG Ishmael Miller
11 FW  NIR Chris Brunt
12 FW  SCO Craig Beattie
14 MF  KOR Kim Do-heon
16 FW  ENG Luke Moore
17 MF  SCO Graham Dorrans
18 DF  CPV Pelé[notes 2]
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 GK  ENG Scott Carson
20 MF  POR Filipe Teixeira[notes 3]
21 MF  ARG Juan Carlos Menseguez (on loan from San Lorenzo)
22 DF  NED Gianni Zuiverloon
23 DF  CIV Abdoulaye Méïté[notes 4]
24 DF  ANT Shelton Martis
26 DF  SWE Jonas Olsson
27 MF  SCO James Morrison[notes 5]
28 MF  ESP Borja Valero
29 FW  ENG Jay Simpson (on loan from Arsenal)
30 DF  NED Ryan Donk (on loan from AZ)
31 MF  COD Youssouf Mulumbu[notes 6]
32 FW  GUF Marc-Antoine Fortuné
39 FW  NZL Chris Wood

    Left club during season

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    No. Pos. Nation Player
    15 FW  NED Sherjill MacDonald (on loan to Roeselare)
    — GK  CZE Michal Daněk (on loan from Viktoria Plzeň)
    No. Pos. Nation Player
    — DF  ENG Lee Baker (to Kidderminster Harriers)
    — FW  POL Bartosz Ślusarski (on loan to Sheffield Wednesday; released)

    Reserve squad

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    No. Pos. Nation Player
    6 DF  ENG Neil Clement
    13 GK  ENG Luke Daniels
    25 DF  ENG Jared Hodgkiss
    34 DF  ENG Paul Downing
    No. Pos. Nation Player
    38 MF  ENG Romaine Sawyers[notes 7]
    41 GK  ENG Ryan Allsop
    — MF  ENG Joss Labadie
    — MF  ENG David Worrall

    Statistics

    Appearances and goals
    No. Pos Nat Player TotalPremier LeagueFA CupLeague Cup
    AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
    Goalkeepers
    1 GK Dean Kiely 40300010
    19 GK Scott Carson 3903504000
    Defenders
    2 DF Carl Hoefkens 1506+403+1010
    3 DF Paul Robinson 3713502100
    4 DF Marek Čech 1103+502010
    5 DF Leon Barnett 14010+102010
    18 DF Pelé 601+20200+10
    22 DF Gianni Zuiverloon 3513301+1100
    23 DF Abdoulaye Méïté 1901800010
    24 DF Shelton Martis 706+100000
    26 DF Jonas Olsson 2932821100
    30 DF Ryan Donk 19014+203000
    Midfielders
    7 MF Robert Koren 39334+113111
    8 MF Jonathan Greening 38233+123010
    11 MF Chris Brunt 38828+681+2010
    14 MF Kim Do-Heon 1919+703100
    17 MF Graham Dorrans 1105+301+2000
    20 MF Filipe Teixeira 1301+903000
    21 MF Juan Carlos Menseguez 713+410000
    27 MF James Morrison 30329+130000
    28 MF Borja Valero 34027+301+2010
    31 DF Youssouf Mulumbu 602+400000
    Forwards
    9 FW Roman Bednar 31612+1464010
    10 FW Ishmael Miller 15311+430000
    12 FW Craig Beattie 1011+610+200+10
    16 FW Luke Moore 2315+1611010
    29 FW Jay Simpson 1729+413+1100
    32 FW Marc-Antoine Fortuné 1851751000
    39 FW Chris Wood 200+200000
    Players transferred out during the season
    18 FW Sherjill MacDonald 600+50000+10

    Results
    West Bromwich Albion's score comes first
    Win Draw Loss

    League Cup
    DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
    26 August 2008Second roundHartlepool UnitedVictoria Park1–3 (aet)3,387 (704)Koren 87

    FA Cup
    DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
    3 January 2009Third roundPeterborough UnitedThe Hawthorns1–118,659Olsson 64'
    13 January 2009Third round replayPeterborough UnitedLondon Road2-010,735 (1,823)Simpson 18', Robinson 37'
    24 January 2009Fourth roundBurnleyThe Hawthorns2–218,294 (1,270)Koren 31', Kim 45'
    3 February 2009Fourth round replayBurnleyTurf Moor1–3 (aet)6,635 (582)Zuiverloon 60'

    Premier League
    DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
    16 August 2008ArsenalEmirates Stadium0–160,071 (2,996)
    23 August 2008EvertonThe Hawthorns1–226,190 (2,598)Bednar 89' pen.
    30 August 2008Bolton WanderersReebok Stadium0–020,387
    13 September 2008West Ham UnitedThe Hawthorns3–226,213 (2,592)Morrison 3', Bednar 37' pen., Brunt 83'
    21 September 2008Aston VillaThe Hawthorns1–226,011 (2,595)Morrison 33'
    27 September 2008MiddlesbroughRiverside Stadium1–026,248 (2,480)Olsson 53'
    4 October 2008FulhamThe Hawthorns1–025,708Bednar
    18 October 2008Manchester UnitedOld Trafford0–475,451
    25 October 2008Hull CityThe Hawthorns0–326,323 (2,596)
    28 October 2008Newcastle UnitedSt James' Park1–245,801Miller 65'
    1 November 2008Blackburn RoversThe Hawthorns2–224,976 (1,238)Bednar 55', Miller 62'
    8 November 2008LiverpoolAnfield0–343,451 (1,400)
    15 November 2008ChelseaThe Hawthorns0–326,322 (2,600)
    22 November 2008Stoke CityBritannia Stadium0–126,613
    29 November 2008Wigan AthleticJJB Stadium1–217,054 (4,053)Miller 47'
    7 December 2008PortsmouthThe Hawthorns1–124,964Greening 39'
    13 December 2008SunderlandStadium of Light0–436,280 (1,307)
    21 December 2008Manchester CityThe Hawthorns2–125,010 (1,419)Moore 69', Bednar 93'
    26 December 2008ChelseaStamford Bridge0–243,417
    28 December 2008Tottenham HotspurThe Hawthorns2–026,344Bednar 83', Beattie 94'
    10 January 2009Aston VillaVilla Park1–241,757 (2,800)Morrison 49'
    17 January 2009MiddlesbroughThe Hawthorns3–025,557 (1,287)Brunt 4', Fortune 54', Koren 67'
    27 January 2009Manchester UnitedThe Hawthorns0–526,105 (2,600)
    31 January 2009Hull CityKC Stadium2–224,879 (2,500)Simpson 53', Brunt 73' pen.
    7 February 2009Newcastle UnitedThe Hawthorns2–325,817 (1,700)Fortune 4', and 73'
    22 February 2009FulhamCraven Cottage0–222,394
    28 February 2009EvertonGoodison Park0–233,898
    3 March 2009ArsenalThe Hawthorns1–326,244 (2,598)Brunt 7'
    16 March 2009West Ham UnitedBoleyn Ground0–030,842
    21 March 2009Bolton WanderersThe Hawthorns1–125,530 (1,462)Shittu 82' o.g.
    4 April 2009Stoke CityThe Hawthorns0–226,277 (2,592)
    11 April 2009PortsmouthFratton Park2–220,376 (1,100)Greening 48', Brunt 62'
    19 April 2009Manchester CityCity of Manchester Stadium2–440,072 (1,698)Brunt 37', 54'
    25 April 2009SunderlandThe Hawthorns3–026,256 (2,597)Olsson 40', Brunt 58', Menseguez 88'
    2 May 2009Tottenham HotspurWhite Hart Lane0–135,836
    9 May 2009Wigan AthleticThe Hawthorns3–124,741 (598)Fortune 8', 73', Brunt 59'
    17 May 2009LiverpoolThe Hawthorns0–226,138 (2,600)
    24 May 2009Blackburn RoversEwood Park0–028,389

    Notes
    1. Kiely was born in Salford, England, and represented them at U-15, U-16, and U-18 level, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in November 1999.
    2. Pelé was born in Albufeira, Portugal, but also qualified to represent Cape Verde internationally and made his international debut for Cape Verde in 2006.
    3. Teixeira was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, but also qualified to represent Portugal internationally and represented them at U-18, U-20, and U-21 level.
    4. Méïté was born in Colombes, France, but also qualified to represent the Ivory Coast internationally and made his international debut for the Ivory Coast in 2003.
    5. Morrison was born in Darlington, England, and represented them at U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-21 level, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally through his grandparents and made his international debut for Scotland in May 2008.
    6. Mulumbu was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), but also qualified to represent France internationally and represented them at U-20 and U-21 level before making his international debut for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in March 2008.
    7. Sawyers was born in Birmingham, England, but also qualified to represent Saint Kitts and Nevis internationally and represented them at U-23 level before making his international debut for Saint Kitts and Nevis in October 2012.

    References
    1. "West Bromwich Albion 2008–2009". Statto.com. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
    2. Paul, David (4 January 2009). "Credit crunch tackle brings the top clubs down to earth". Sunday Express.
    3. "A History of The Hawthorns". West Bromwich Albion F.C. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
    4. Lepkowski, Chris (29 May 2009). "New look for West Brom ground The Hawthorns". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
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