Birmingham Mail

WE’VE not even reached ‘Twelfth Night’, and yet the season of goodwill towards Mick McCarthy has seemingly evaporated quicker than the bottle of Scotch stuck away by Grandad on Christmas night.
Sections of the Wolves’ fanbase, not yet openly but certainly via the perennial ‘Strop Shop’ of phone-ins and Internet messageboards, are vociferously calling for the manager’s head.
And the widespread booing and chants of “You don’t know what you’re during� after replacing a chest infection hit Andy Keogh with Stephen Elliott against Sheffield United certainly shows McCarthy’s honeymoon period has now departed with the tinsel and mistletoe.
It’s a question which has split the Wolves public like a political hot potato.
While those phone-ins and messageboards have been enveloped by angst and vitriol, we must always remember that it is far easier to criticise than to compliment, and those wishing to vent their spleen are always far more likely to put finger to keyboard or telephone dial than those keen to maintain the status quo.
And from talking to a variety of fans from all generations and different corners of Molineux, there is still certainly mixed feelings about where Wolves should go from here.
So what’s the story? Is he under pressure? Should the Wolves fans – those demanding a change – get their New Year wish? Or will the resolve of McCarthy, his team and the Molineux board prove decisive?
It seems inconceivable that the man who could do no wrong last season has certainly built up an army of doubters.
We’re too far down the line for the jury to be out, but there are those who delivered their verdict last season all of a sudden fearing a miscarriage of justice.
So talking of juries, what are the cases for prosecution and defence?

NO-ONE can sensibly argue that the badly needed upgrade of the West Coast line can be achieved without disruption.

Such major projects inevitably mean rail closures and with that comes inconvenience for passengers.

BIRMINGHAM lost many of its architectural gems in the barbaric redevelopments of the the 1950s-70s.

A whole lot more would have been flattened and replaced had it not been for the efforts of the city's Victorian Society, this year celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Allow me to share some thoughts.

1. I didn't see a single tractor all afternoon. Why the Tractorboys?

2. Which one of the FA Committee doesn't wash his hands after he's been to the toilet? This man was one of the 'suits' choosing YOUR England manager... Urgh

3. Ipswich Town are an example to every club in the country - a family club, run on traditional values and with the community at heart. Each corridor is covered in wall-to-wall newspaper cuttings, memorabilia, momentoes of former heroes, great managers (Ramsay and Robson for starters - even though West Ham like to claim exclusivity for England's few success stories).

4. Having attended a 'bad taste' party on New Year's Eve I was rather disappointed to not have any funny stories to tell you. And, contrary to rumours, I opted against wearing a Stoke shirt. There's bad taste...and there's bad taste.

5. Ipswich's HOME record W11 D2 L0.... AWAY? W0 D4 L9

If, a big IF, Ipswich sort that away form out then don't be surprised to see Albion's biggest challenge for promotion coming from the Suffolk men. As Albion man I've seen every side this season - Ipswich are the only team to have beaten Albion without any problems. The Baggies got what they deserved.

6. Full marks to Ipswich Town's head of media for having the foresight to attach a handle to the door of the press room. It's a small touch but it's amazing how much it adds to a club.

Some ramblings from the FA Cup.

1. Alan Pardew speaks in hushed tones. Twenty two years of EastEnders tells us that you should never trust a Londoner who does so.

2. Why are Londoners so miserable when they travel on the Underground? Mind you did you know that a visit from Albion once sparked a minor panic on London's Underground system? There was an unfortunate episode, a year or so ago, when an Albion photographer spotted Baggies' legend Tony 'Bomber' Brown stood at the other end of his train carriage. All was well until the star-struck snapper called out his hero's nickname across a train packed full of passengers...

3. Word has reached me, via two friends, of the somewhat extreme lengths Charlton are going to in a bid to entice Albion fans back down to the Valley for the televised Good Friday kick-off when the two sides meet in the League. One of the properties backing onto the away end entrance/exit was occupied by a somewhat troubled young female who decided, quite literally it seems, to bare all in front of her own window, presumably for the benefit of the visiting fans. By all accounts it was more X-rated horror show than Erica Roe. The upshot is, my mates, both of them seasoned followers, intend to watch the League fixture on TV.

4. Let's clear this one up. If you read any reports linking Albion with Luton's David Bell, ignore them. He isn't a target, hasn't been and probably never will be. Tony Mowbray is getting bored of being asked the question and having to deny it. And who can blame him - how many times can you tell people you're not interested in a player until some people, who ought to know better, get the message. While we're at it, there have been no bids for Zoltan Gera since last January. He'll be staying until May unless silly money is offered in January. Richard Chaplow? You can read what Tony Mowbray has to say about him and others in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail or our website, www.icbirmingham.co.uk

5. You'll never guess who's back at The Hawthorns next month...? Again, check out Tuesday's paper or website.

Just a mention for those watching... later this month, birminghammail.net will be launching two of its most controversial columnists at top bloggers on the internet. We will be introducing Faraz Yousufzai, Birmingham's leading voice of Muslim youth, and Veron Graham, the city's leading black opinion writer.

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IF BIRMINGHAM has real ambition to become an international city then it needs an airport to match that aspiration.

Ryanair's plan to massively increase its services from Birmingham International Airport is a step in that direction. And it is a welcome one.

OLDER readers will remember the bleak days that came in a cloud of dust in the middle years of the last century as much of Birmingham's architectural heritage was bulldozed.

Now we are more enlightened and have realised that fine old buildings add interest and character to our city.

Politicos are great fun.
In opposition (eg: Tories in Birmingham up to four years ago) they love the media and talk about freedom of the press, how crucial it is the media gets access to info, how fair and balanced the local papers are.
In power (eg: Tories in Birmingham now) and they hate the media, talk about abuses of the press, how crucial it is that the media is denied info, how unfair and imbalanced the local papers are.
What goes around comes around.

THE confirmation that 375 Midland jobs, which were once part of the proud Britannic empire, are being lost to India and Scotland marks yet another nail in the coffin for the region's business base.

THERE but for the grace of God go all of us.

Yesterday's narrowly averted disaster at Heathrow is a stark reminder of how often our lives are in the hands of others.

Back in 2002, following Jeff Astle's death, Albion announced plans to honour the club's very own King by building gates in his honour, which now stand by the entrance to the East Stand car park.

The Birmingham Mail proposed at the time that the club should rename each one of the four stands after club legends.

We suggested Tony Brown, Ronnie Allen, WG Richardson and Astle were the appropriate heroes. At the very least we called for the fans to be given a chance to vote for their chosen hero.

Albion's then regime liked but, ultimately, rejected the idea, offering the counter argument that the stands were an ideal hook for potential advertisers and could, as a result, generate revenue.

Six years on and there are renewed calls for 'Bomber' Brown - Mr West Bromwich Albion - to be honoured, as underlined by the overwhelming reaction from supporters to our very own Albion Legends supplement last week.

Albion fan Paul Hayward has now gone one better by putting pen to paper in honour of Albion's greatest ever goalscorer and record appearance holder.

Paul has kindly given the Birmingham Mail permission to reproduce his dedication to Bomber.

And we reckon it'll strike a chord with Albion fans everywhere, including the Legend himself.

Bobby Moore stands foot on ball at the head of Wembley way,
And Sir Matt surveys Old Trafford on a wet Manchester day,
A statue too for Shankly who’s been honoured by the Reds,
The greatest men remembered as football thoroughbreds.

There’s a sculpture too of Matthews, a legend up at Stoke,
A player who was knighted, just an ordinary bloke,
Even Wolverhampton’s got one; the great “Sir� Billy Wright,
He played for England many times (and a club that we don't like)

Have Albion got a player to match these football greats?
To deserve a Hawthorns’ statue standing by the Astle Gates,
Did we ever have a player, who for twenty years or more
Broke all appearance records, and never failed to score,
Who Baggies fans are proud to say “he played for us you know;
And I saw him play in blue and white all those years ago�

Yes we have an Albion player who surpassed the very best,
Topped the scoring charts one season beating Charlton, Law and Best,
And all this from midfield, not a striker out and out,
The greatest Albion goal scorer of that there is no doubt.

Who never left this club of ours when relegation came,
And continued his explosive goals as ever just the same,
Rarely missed a penalty, his blasts would burst the net,
The ball he hit at Hillsborough ain’t stopped rolling yet!

We have an Albion player, who won the FA cup,
And scored the all important goal to take the Albion up,
Then made his name all over again in Big Ron’s brilliant team,
Netting his reputation as our greatest goal machine.

Scored 2 against Valencia in a European match,
With a 70s perm and flailing tongue beneath his thick moustache,
The defining image of an Albion great, at the height of his success,
Let’s mount that image for all to see on a plinth of bronze no less.

His stats say 574 games and 218 goals scored,
Those stats deserve an honour, a lifelong club award,
For even now he’s scoring goals at every Albion game,
From the commentary (not the penalty) box, perhaps it’s not the same,
But it shows his love and support for the club after over forty years,
He’s lived and breathed the Albion, the good times and the tears,
What a journey it’s been since 62 - his debut at Ipswich Town,
Now it’s time we honoured our greatest player – Tony Bomber Brown.

With thanks to Paul.

Over to you now Albion. We tried six years ago - how about now?

Wolves chairman Steve Morgan is probably not a vindictive sort, and lest we forget he remains a boyhood Liverpool fan, but even he could be forgiven a knowing smirk at events up on Anfield just at the moment.
Morgan, who of course has tried and failed to take over at Liverpool on several occasions in the past, was never really in the frame when it came to the ridiculous amounts of money thrown into the pot by American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
But as Morgan went on to point out when he took the reins at Molineux, this was not Gillett and Hicks’s wonga to spend.
It was all based largely on finance agreements, and such has since been the state of the markets that it appears the pair now need to sort out another re-financing agreement to safeguard their position.
Meanwhile the Dubai International Capital conglomerate, who were very much interested at the time Gillett and Hicks took the helm, are also now believed to be once more waiting in the wings to pounce on this current sign of weakness.
Steven Gerrard says it’s all taking its toll on the players, and Rafa Benitez can hardly be thinking life is going swimmingly after the owners admitting talking to Jurgen Klinsmann about possibly moving into his job.
What a farce!
So what has this got to do with Morgan and Wolves?
Not a fat lot other than Morgan, should he so wish, being able to stroll back into Anfield sporting both a knowing smile and a big “I told you so,� t-shirt.
But what it does indicate is how perhaps Wolves have struck lucky with a entrepreneur as prudent and business-savvy as their current owner.
Let’s face it, it’s not been a fantastic season at Molineux thus far.
A decent run when not playing well followed by a far from decent run when not playing well has left supporters – admittedly only those seemingly suffering from amnesia – questioning whether Mick McCarthy should remain as manager.
Morgan meanwhile has kept his calm, kept his counsel and kept his faith, not diverting from his preferred course to avoid becoming a “rent-a-quote� chairman whilst at the same time letting it be known he is more than happy to give McCarthy the time to turn things around.
Of course he won’t be happy with how events have transpired, and rest assured there will have been some ‘lively’ discussions behind the scenes with McCarthy, one of which is known to involve Wolves’ style of play.
There have also been murmurings about possible interference in the identity of transfer targets, but that’s all it’s been, murmurings.
Providing those sort of events are officially kept in-house, and providing Morgan keeps the pressure off McCarthy in the way that he has by remaining cool, calm and collected, the manager is given the freedom to be able to crack on with the job in hand.
And that can only be of benefit to everyone.
You haven’t heard any Wolves player echoing Gerrard’s words about any off-field tensions affecting gold and black performance.
There isn’t, and never will be, the slightest suggestion Morgan is going to potentially damage Wolves by operating beyond his means.
So while there is still a mighty long way for Morgan to achieve the promotion blueprint he has in place at Molineux, just maybe current events at Liverpool will show that the Merseysiders’ loss is to prove very much Wolves’ gain.

IT IS too early to start celebrating success as Midlands hospitals battle against those dreadful infections MRSA and Clostridium difficule.

But let us at least recognise the efforts of health managers, doctors, nurses and other staff in driving down the number of cases over the past six months.

DO NOT be surprised that Birmingham author RJ Ellory has shot to fame with his book A Quiet Belief of Angels chosen by the Richard and Judy Book Club.

This city has a fine and distinguished literary tradition which – in typically Brummie fashion – has remained largely hidden.

GRAFFITI blights neighbourhoods.

Those daubings on walls, fences, bus shelters and park benches speak of an area in which youths roam after dark, free to deface and damage without fear of challenge.