After watching a superb performance at Anfield at the end of January, little did I think that Albion would lose every game they would play in the next two months, but that is what has happened.
Alan Pardew has presided over a run of nine straight defeats and is now only three short of equalling the all-time club record of 12 which Albion suffered in 1995-96 under the stewardship of another Alan, Mr Buckley.
With Alan Irvine joining the list of unsuccessful Alans in charge of the Baggies, ’68 Cup Winner, Alan Ashman, stands alone as a successful Alan! Board members, take note when choosing future managers!
A comparison with the Great Escape season seems a but pointless now, but I’ll continue the story for the sake of interest, and to re-live that remarkable survival.
Game 32 was memorable thanks to an injury time equaliser at Villa Park scored by fans’ favourite, Paul Robinson, a result that lifted Albion out of the bottom three for the first time since early November.
After that match the table stood as follows:
| Premier League Relegation Battle – 10th April 2005 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 17. | West Brom | 32 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 31 | 52 | -21 | 28 |
| 18. | Southampton | 32 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 34 | 51 | -17 | 27 |
| 19. | Crystal Palace | 33 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 57 | -21 | 27 |
| 20. | Norwich City | 33 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 35 | 66 | -31 | 24 |
Here are the full season by season comparisons.
| Home | Away | Season End | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn* | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn | Pts | |
| 2002/2003 | 32 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 50 | 21 | 19th | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 29 | 8 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 32 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 31 | 52 | 28 | 17th | 4 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 31 | 9 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 32 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 28 | 49 | 27 | 17th | 6 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 8 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 32 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 59 | 25 | 20th | 5 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 30 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 29 | 7 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 46 | 59 | 39 | 10th | 6 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 15 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 32 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 39 | 43 | 39 | 13th | 5 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 8th | 9 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 16 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 15 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 32 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 37 | 48 | 32 | 16th | 3 | 8 | 5 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 26 | 15 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 32 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 30 | 46 | 33 | 14th | 6 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 26 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 32 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 31 | 39 | 40 | 13th | 6 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 39 | 41 | 44 | 8th | 9 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 22 | 15 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 32 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 25 | 51 | 20 | 20th | 2 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 26 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 7 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2016/2017 | 32 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 37 | 47 | 36 |
| 2016/2017 Results | Burnley (H) | W | 4-0 | ||||
| Swansea City (H) | W | 3-1 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 05/04/2003 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2004/2005 | 10/04/2005 | Aston Villa (A) | D | 1-1 | Robinson |
| 2005/2006 | 01/04/2006 | Liverpool (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2008/2009 | 11/04/2009 | Portsmouth (A) | D | 2-2 | Greening, Brunt |
| 2010/2011 | 09/04/2011 | Sunderland (A) | W | 3-2 | Odemwingie, Mulumbu, Scharner |
| 2011/2012 | 07/04/2012 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | W | 3-0 | M Olsson (o.g.), Fortuné, Ridgewell |
| 2012/2013 | 06/04/2013 | Arsenal (H) | L | 1-2 | Morrison (pen) |
| 2013/2014 | 05/04/2014 | Norwich City (A) | W | 1-0 | Amalfitano |
| 2014/2015 | 11/04/2015 | Leicester City (H) | L | 2-3 | Fletcher, Gardner |
| 2015/2016 | 09/04/2016 | Manchester City (A) | L | 1-2 | Sessègnon |
| 2016/2017 | 08/04/2017 | Southampton (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2017/2018 | 31/03/2018 | Burnley (H) | L | 1-2 | Rondón |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 12/04/2003 | Everton (H) | L | 1-2 | Balis (pen) |
| 2004/2005 | 20/04/2005 | Tottenham Hotspur (A) | D | 1-1 | Gera |
| 2005/2006 | 09/04/2006 | Aston Villa (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2008/2009 | 19/04/2009 | Manchester City (A) | L | 2-4 | Brunt (2) |
| 2010/2011 | 16/04/2011 | Chelsea (H) | L | 1-3 | Odemwingie |
| 2011/2012 | 11/04/2012 | Manchester City (A) | L | 0-4 | |
| 2012/2013 | 20/04/2013 | Newcastle United (H) | D | 1-1 | Jones |
| 2013/2014 | 12/04/2014 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | D | 3-3 | Vydra, Brunt, Sessègnon |
| 2014/2015 | 18/04/2015 | Crystal Palace (A) | W | 2-0 | Morrison, Gardner |
| 2015/2016 | 16/04/2016 | Watford (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2016/2017 | 16/04/2017 | Liverpool (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2017/2018 | 07/04/2018 | Swansea City (H) |
* Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the Premier League table after all fixtures for that day have been completed.
^ Fixtures against promoted clubs are compared against fixtures against the relegated clubs from last season with the club finishing 1st in the Championship compared against the club finishing 18th in the Premier League, 2nd compared with 19th and the play-off winners compared against the club who finished bottom.