BAGGIES OWN GOAL OVER PREMIER CELEBRATION

06-05-2008

West Bromwich Albion chairman Jeremy Peace has scored a PR own goal by turning down a celebration of the club’s first silverware for 40 years. Sandwell Council wanted to mark the achievement with an open top bus tour of the borough, but the Baggies are refusing to play ball.

Sandwell Councillor Darren Cooper who has been lobbying for the proposed reception feared the worst after Peace failed to honour a pledge to call the local authority’s chief executive Alison Fraser yesterday.

This morning The Baggies have confirmed that they don’t want to take part, which Cooper – at his most diplomatic – says is “very disappointing”.

He explained: “We contacted the club and started talking about this a couple of weeks ago and we had positive feedback.

“After promotion was confirmed last week against Southampton we went back again, and Mr Peace proposed ringing us back yesterday after seeing whether we won the Championship on Sunday.

“He didn’t do that, and now we’ve just been told the club don’t want to do it.

“That’s a real pity, because the Council want it, the fans want it.  They’re the only people who don’t want it.”

A route on an open top bus from the Hawthorns via West Bromwich and onto the Council House in Oldbury had already been drawn up.

Local marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley who completed seven marathons in seven days on seven continents recently was due to be on the tour as well, marking a unique double celebration for Sandwell.

Albion were caught up in a similar controversy last year, when The Stirrer revealed before their play-off final against Derby that they wouldn’t be accepting a civic reception if they got promoted.

In the event, they missed out anyway, but there were high hopes that this year there would be different – especially given the rarity of the Baggies achievement.

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