West Bromwich Albion

"I remember the scenes when he exited the field on the final day of the season against Luton. He applauded all four sides of the ground as he was substituted and a lot of people then thought that was a farewell.

"You have to wonder if Kyle Bartley, in his mind, had this decision then?"

BBC Radio WM's Steve Hermon reacts to defender Kyle Bartley's retirement after seven years with West Bromwich Albion.

Listen to the full analysis and more on BBC Sounds.

Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason makes his league debut as West Bromwich Albion boss when the side host Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Mason was appointed in June for his first permanent managerial role, having previously been caretaker for Spurs during his seven-year coaching career at the Premier League club.

Though his first game will be a tricky one, with Rovers boss Ismael all too familiar with the Hawthorns' patrons after a seven month spell with the club during the 2021-22 season.

• West Brom have lost just one of their last seven home league games against Blackburn Rovers (W3 D3), though that sole defeat did come in last season's meeting at the Hawthorns (0-2).

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just one of their last seven league games against West Brom (W3 D3), keeping clean sheets in both their matches vs the Baggies last season.

• West Brom have lost on the last two occasions their first league game of the season has been at home, with this the first time they're playing at the Hawthorns on MD1 since 2020-21 (0-3 v Leicester).

• Blackburn have won their opening league match in each of the last four seasons, though is the first time they're playing away from home on MD1 since a 3-2 loss at Bournemouth in 2020-21.

• Blackburn boss Valerien Ismael's only previous meeting with his old club West Bromwich Albion was a 2-2 draw with Watford in September 2023.

Tony 'Bomber' Brown
Former WBA striker and BBC WM summariser

Image source, Getty Images

Baggies record scorer and BBC Radio WM's Albion summariser Tony 'Bomber' Brown looks ahead to the new season as West Bromwich Albion get their 2025-26 campaign under way on Saturday, as they welcome Blackburn Rovers to The Hawthorns (15:00 BST).

There is nothing like the apprehension that comes with the first game of the season. From the dressing room to the training ground, there is truly nothing like it,

The opening game really is the first opportunity Ryan Mason will get to see what his team is like. As a head coach, you can play as many pre-season games as you'd like but you only see your true players when the season is under way.

In football, you live and die by your goalscorers, that never changes. Last season we struggled in that part of the pitch, especially after the injuries we had.

After Josh Maja got injured, Albion's form was never the same, he was such a huge miss. His relationship with Tom Fellows was brilliant, the pair had such a good understanding.

If you have got one or two players in the squad to be able to help with a couple of goals, it is incredibly important. It's impossible to rely on just one striker, you need two or three people in the team who can contribute.

Isaac Price is someone who has very good potential and from what I have seen so far, he can certainly help chip in with a few goals this season. He is someone who finds space in midfield and that is where he gets his goals from.

From a former player's point of view, if he can get himself a little bit more disciplined with his shape setting up defensively, he can do a big job for the club, not just with goals but overall as a player.

I used to be similar to him when I started my career, wanting to get forward all the time, but you become a better all-round player by doing the defensive work as well.

He is a young lad with a great career in front of him, fantastic ability and a good strike on him as well, so I am hoping he is going to help going forward.

Image source, Getty Images

Tammer Bany and Daryl Dike will miss the start of the 2025-26 Championship season after picking up injuries during pre-season., external

Attacking midfielder Bany has a hamstring injury whilst striker Dike has injured his thigh.

Both will be reintegrated into training after the September international break.

With the new Championship season a week away, how do you think the Baggies will do this year?

Another promotion charge or struggle street?

Have your say by clicking here.

West Brom have made a bid for Los Angeles FC left-back Luca Bombino, who is currently on loan at fellow MLS side San Diego FC. (EFL Analysis), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

English striker Devante Cole, 30, is set to depart West Bromwich Albion a year after joining from Barnsley. (Darren Witcoop via X), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

West Bromwich Albion, Norwich and Middlesbrough are all interested in signing 27-year-old Northern Ireland left-back Jamal Lewis following his release by Newcastle. (SportsBoom, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

West Brom are closing in on South Korean international winger Jeon Jin-woo, 25, with a fee of around £1m agree with his club Jeonbuk. (Joel Kim, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Caleb Taylor says he is hungry to prove himself to West Brom boss Ryan Mason and earn a first-team spot this season.

The 22-year-old centre-back has been at The Hawthorns since the age of 10 but has played just 11 senior games for Albion across the past four seasons while amassing nearly 100 EFL appearances in loan spells with Cheltenham, Bolton and Wycombe.

After impressing with the Chairboys last season he was recalled in January and played and scored for West Brom in their FA Cup third round defeat at Bournemouth, only to return to Adams Park on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

He told BBC Radio WM: "I definitely got what I wanted last season by playing. I'd have liked to have played at West Brom, but the second best thing was going on loan and going to Wycombe."

Taylor admits he was confused by his January recall, adding: "I was doing so well at Wycombe and I was excited to come back and play and then got told I can go back on loan, it was tough to take because I thought I was ready to play after being on loan so many times.

"I am always hungry to play here, I have been here since the age of 10 and have always looked to play at The Hawthorns, play consistently and break through into the first team. I am desperate to play."

Taylor joined new head coach Ryan Mason and the rest of the squad on the pre-season trip to Austria and says he has been impressed by the former Tottenham assistant boss.

"Already I know exactly what he wants, he's very clear in how he coaches and communicates. I feel like I will learn a lot from him.

"He wants everyone to keep standards high so I am pushing myself every day to try and impress and do well. Everyone is excited for the season and hoping we can do well," he said.

"There's always competition, I'm just going to try my best, work hard, and hopefully play. I have done three loans and I feel like I am ready. I have played over 100 games in league football, I have the experience, I believe in my capability to play here so I am really going to push this season and try to break through to become a regular first team player."

Click here to listen to the full interview via BBC Sounds.

West Bromwich Albion left-back Callum Styles said team-mate Mikey Johnston is "needed" to help the Championship side make a promotion push this season.

The Republic of Ireland winger was originally tipped to depart The Hawthorns for Brazilian side Flamengo, however, the deal fell through and Johnston joined the Baggies for their preseason trip to Austria instead.

Johnston's presence turned out to be a positive one, as he provided the assist for West Brom's goal in their 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv.

"We are all glad he didn't end up going over [to Brazil] because he's an unbelievable player," Styles told BBC Radio WM.

"He's what we need to be fighting in the league, where we want to be."

Albion did not get the win against the Ukrainian champions but Styles said that new boss Ryan Mason's style of play is something the players want to stick to through thick and thin.

"We have certain patterns [Mason] wants us to play, sometimes they will come off in the game, sometimes they won't," he added.

"The main thing is we've got to keep doing it, whether it goes good or bad in preseason, we've just got to keep forcing it to make sure we know where we need to be."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

West Bromwich Albion winger Tom Fellows, 21, is attracting the interest of Everton and Leeds after impressing for England Under-21s this summer. (SportsBoom, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

New West Bromwich Albion boss Ryan Mason says he saw aspects from his side during their 1-1 friendly draw against Dynamo Kyiv that "excite" him.

The two sides met in Austria to round off Albion's week of pre-season training in the country.

"There's still work to do of course but there are definite elements of our game that excite me and hopefully the players can feel that as well," Mason told BBC Radio WM.

"It was a good challenge and I think we came through it in a good, positive way."

Something Mason is specifically pleased with his side's performance while fatigued, something that should benefit them through a demanding Championship season.

"It's been a tough week so to go into a game like that under fatigue is really good, healthy for us to play under that kind of stress," Mason added.

"It was a positive match, positive outcomes and we look forward."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Steve Hermon

It's the final full day in Burgenland for Albion's players and staff and they've rounded off a productive pre-season training camp with a 1-1 draw against Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv.

The game was played at the home of SC Bad Tatzmannsdorf, who play in the fourth tier of Austrian football. You can't call it a stadium as there was perhaps only around 100 seats, with everyone else crammed under the clubhouse roof when the rain came down in the second half.

The pitch lies at the bottom of the slope from the Baggies' base next to a walking track and while this match wasn't quite played at walking pace, unlike a Mozart masterpiece, it also wasn't a classic.

Pre-season encounters never are to be fair but there were plenty of positives. Mikey Johnston, who just days ago was close to moving to Brazil, came on at half-time for Tom Fellows and crossed the ball in from the right for summer signing Nat Phillips to head home the Baggies goal from close range.

Albion played in a 4-4-1-1 formation and looked comfortable in possession. It was interesting to see some of the patterns of play we witnessed on the training field earlier this week being played out in the game and head coach Ryan Mason told me afterwards he was pleased with that.

The week will also have been about team bonding, particularly for new team-mates and it would have given Mason the chance to get to know his players better.

We witnessed the camaraderie as members of the team gathered to play cards in the hotel foyer during a break from training earlier in the week, while new striker Aune Heggebo, who wasn't involved in the friendly, was filmed by the club playing table tennis with Fellows.

The squad will now head from Burgenland back to the Black Country and then onto their next warm-up match against ex-Baggies boss Steve Bruce's Blackpool a week on Saturday.

You can catch all of Steve Hermon's chats with the West Brom players in Austria on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Steve Hermon

It's my penultimate day in Bad Tatzmannsdorf and I'm writing this from the balcony of the team hotel where there is a lovely view of green hills and trees in this rural region of Austria.

It's an idyllic setting for the Albion squad to prepare for the new season and they have been working hard this week with double sessions on most days.

The trip will culminate in a behind closed doors friendly against Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv tomorrow lunchtime and you'll be able to follow that on Ed James' show on BBC Radio WM.

It's tough opposition and only Albion's second game of the summer, so I wouldn't read too much into the result. It's a fine-tuning exercise in terms of fitness and working the routines I witnessed in training yesterday. I'm really intrigued to see that in action tomorrow.

I'm also really intrigued to see what this secluded town has to offer for us tonight.

While the Albion squad have brought two of the club's chefs with them to cook them the food required for a footballer's diet, myself and the Express & Star's Albion reporter Lewis Cox, who's also on the trip, have had to fend for ourselves and there isn't much open past a certain hour here.

However, I can recommend a langos, which I'm reliably informed is a Hungarian delicacy - Hungary is only 15 miles away from here - and it was like eating a stodgy calzone or Cornish pasty. Mine was filled with pulled pork and it was sehr gut!

That was Tuesday's meal. Last night, we left it too late and ended up sharing a pretzel! We did, however, stumble upon some live music.

In one Bavarian-style bar there was a man playing an accordion, while around the corner in an amphitheatre, there was a band performing to a decent crowd of locals.

Forget K-pop, Austropop is what's on trend here.

Hopefully, Albion's players will be singing from the same hymn sheet tomorrow to close out a productive week in Austria.

You can follow West Bromwich Albion's friendly against Dynamo Kyiv starting from 10:00 BST on BBC Sounds.

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths says new boss Ryan Mason is not just looking at what his shot-stoppers can do with their gloves - but also their feet.

Griffiths is aiming to impress Mason during pre-season as he and team-mate Joe Wildsmith vie to become first choice come the start of the Championship campaign.

The 23-year-old explained that while the goalkeepers still do some individual work, much of their training has been with the rest of the outfield squad.

"He's been keen to get us in, especially in the possessions and things like that," Griffiths told BBC Radio WM in an interview during Albion's tour of Austria.

"Every team needs a goalkeeper who can play with his feet else you're a man down essentially.

"It's great to be involved, we are only going to get better being involved with the [other] players."

Wildsmith made slightly more second-tier appearances last season, 10 to Griffiths' six, after first-choice Alex Palmer left for Ipswich in the winter transfer window.

But Griffiths believes the arrival of Mason means they both have an equal chance of getting into the starting line-up.

"It's a fresh start for everyone," Griffiths added.

"The shirt's up for grabs. We both would like it, obviously, so [we're] just doing as well as we can in pre-season and the number will take care of itself."

West Bromwich Albion are keen on making a move for versatile Ghana midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp following the 32-year-old's release from Premier League side Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.