Mention the game of Snakes and Ladders around certain parts of the West Midlands and you're quite likely to have your nose bitten off by a rabid West Bromwich Albion fan.
The Baggies define the genre of a yo-yo club having been promoted to the English Premier League five times, including last season, since 2002, while they have been relegated on three occasions.
Only once, in the 2004/05 season, when WBA, under the guidance of serial managerial disappointment Bryan Robson, have they managed to survive relegation after they Forrest Gumped their way to survival on the final day of the season. They remain the only side who occupied bottom place at Christmas to survive the drop.
But those figures don't tell the whole story about the club's fortunes, or at least, the appeal the club has in attracting aspiring players and managers.
West Brom, one of the founder members of The Football League in 1888, run a tight ship behind the scenes. It would have been easy for the club to have smashed their own transfer record 10 times over in an effort to chase survival in the top-flight in their four previous attempts, but Jeremy Peace, the chairman, strikes the right balance between backing his manager in the murky waters of the transfer market, and reining him in when the figures don't add up.
In many ways, a Championship WBA represent one of the most sort-after jobs in England; Tony Mowbray, the former Baggies manager, and Roberto Di Matteo, the current incumbent, certainly showed a yen for it. Examine the prospects at the start of the season in England's second tier: guaranteed automatic promotion, or, at the very least, a play-off spot. Parachute payments from the previous season's toils in the Premier League mean a sizeable war chest is available for players; not necessarily enough to buy their way back, but buy the type of player that will ensure another crack at England's elite the following season.
Then there is the enviable fan base that regularly packs out The Hawthorns' 26,500 capacity. Those supporters have also shown a willingness to back their manager - and team - to the hilt, even when the writing is on the wall.
Di Matteo, the baby-faced Italian guaranteed to put a smile on the face of Mona Lisa after Leonardo Di Vinci has just told her to "Liven up a bit", has already demonstrated a propensity for fending off the bigger sharks in the Premier League pool.
Tying up midfielders and
Graham Dorrens and
Chris Brunt, last season's joint top goalscorers with 13 goals each, on new four and three-year deals respectively, displays a foresight that will ensure the club benefit from the pairs performances for years to come, or that they can sit down and demand lofty transfer fees with both tied to long-term deals.
But the former would be Di Matteo's preferable choice in dealing with the duo. West Ham made no secret of their desire to prize Dorrens, 23, to Upton Park having taken note of his displays in helping WBA finish second in last season's Championship to gain automatic promotion. His runs into the box are threatening, his finishing menacing. It will be expecting too much for him to hit double figures this term, but look forward to some sumptuous performances from the Scotland international.
The same goes for Brunt. He more than most displayed the dedication to playing the game the right way under former manager Mowbray the last time the club were in the top flight in 2008/09; running at defenders with real devil, delivering pin-point crosses that have "tuck me away" written all over them and weighing in with a healthy share of goals from wide positions.
That's not to say I foresee anything other than a season of hardship for the not-so-new newcomers. As with any promoted side, or any side anywhere at any level on the planet for that matter, home form is crucial. Albion look well stocked in the goalkeeping department with the addittion of Boaz Myhill to push Scott Carson for the No 1 jersey, while the defence looks solid without looking like they'll keep too many shutouts. Ishmael Miller and Roman Bendner will be eager to give a better showing of themselves than the paltry nine goals (three for Miller and six for the Czech striker) during their last outing in the top division.
I have them surviving, but only just because I think
Wigan's luck will finally run out this season and because I want to keep seeing Di Matteo's winning, million dollar smile for a few more seasons to come.
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