Pre-season friendlies thread [R]

I noticed that a number of the threads no longer appear on the main Albion page given the default settings, so I decided to start this thread just to take up space.

We begin the pre-season on July 9 at AFC Telford & Cheltenham Town (two matches, different kick-off times and split squads I assume.

One of the more controversial fixtures on the pre-season fixture list is a match at the National Hockey Stadium against Milton Keynes Dons. Should Albion fans give money to 'Franchise FC?' I'm not certain. A friendly against Sheffield Wednesday the following Saturday has been cancelled.

I've seen and reported in other threads about rumours I've seen from other sources that Albion could come to America in the latter part of July to train and possibly play in a friendly against an MLS side. One of these has said that California could be the Albion's destination. IF these whisperings become fact, I would be abslutely thrilled! However, given my very hectic school & work schedule during the month of July, it may only be possible for me to attend a match if Albion came to Northern California - to play in San Francisco, San Jose (or somewhere in between). There seem to be a few Albion fans up here, particularly in the S.F. Bay Area. Unfortunately, a mid-week trip to L.A. is completely out of the question, even for my beloved Albion.

 

Add Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra to the list of pre-season opponents. Albion will visit Gresty Road on Friday, July 15.

This still leaves nearly a month before the start of the new Premiership season. But at this late date, I'm not certain that a U.S. trip is in the cards for the Baggies, as many of the MLS clubs have fixture congestion in July.

 

Mid-week in Southern California. I am thrilled that the Albion will be playing 400 miles to the south, against the two L.A.-based teams in a lovely stadium I know quite well, the Home Depot Center. However... that fact also breaks my heart because of two summer classes I am taking at a local university on top of work. And obviously, because of the MLS schedule, Albion couldn't play the teams during a weekend.

 

I agree. I wish there had been more time for Albion, but according to the Galaxy board we are apparently a last-minute replacement for Everton. The Toffees had planned a visit to L.A. some months ago, but recently cancelled, so Albion have stepped up to fill the gap.

Had I known about this match before I registered for the summer classes, I wouldn't have. And as I have family both in the Los Angeles area and on California's Central Coast (Albion will not play Chivas USA in L.A. but rather in Santa Barbara some 90 miles away... I've no idea why), I could have gone to both matches and saved a lot of money.

I've calculated how much it would cost for me to fly in to L.A. on the afternoon of the Galaxy match (a one-hour flight), hire a car and stay at a hotel (for just a few hours!) and then fly back to Sacramento bright and early the following morning in time for work. About $275 is as cheap as it'll get, not counting match ticket, parking fee at the H.D.C. and food.

I might consider it... but at the moment it's not something I think I can plan to do just yet.

 

PLEASE READ if you are an Albion fan planning to go to L.A....

I may or may not be going to the match myself, but should any Albion fans intending to go to L.A. stumble across this thread, I can hopefully provide some useful information about Southern California in general and the Home Depot Center.

I've been to the HDC on two occasions, both in 2003: when Metrostars visited L.A. in the regular season, and during MLS Cup 2003 when San Jose defeated Chicago. I am very familiar with Southern California, including the various routes to and from the Home Depot Center, and places to see and things to do and suggestions about where to stay. If you have any questions, post in this thread or send me a Private Message.

On the occasions that away fans do travel to see their team play the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center (San Jose fans usually make the trip), the club sometimes arranges to put away fans together in a section in the northeast corner of the stadium (the side closest to Victoria Street). I would be interested to know about the official travel package Albion are offering on the club site, and see if they have made arrangements with the Galaxy about the location of match tickets for away fans. It would help me should I decide to go!

About the only advice I can add about where to stay is DON'T stay near the stadium in Carson! HDC is a lovely facility, but some of the neighborhoods immediately around California State University, Dominguez Hills, where the stadium is located, aren't the nicest. (I know The Hawthorns is not exactly in a rose garden either, but... apples and oranges.) Probably the best place to stay if possible would be one of the South Bay beach cities: Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach or Torrance (er, the part of Torrance by the beach). These are all a short drive from the ground. If you stayed close to the airport (LAX) you would be only a bit farther.

 

I actually don't teach (at the moment) but I am taking classes this summer to earn a certificate to teach English as a foreign language. I'm taking two evening classes and working full-time at the moment. I'm also taking Japanese (handy should I need to ask Inamoto for an autograph... that is, if he's still with the club). I'd like to teach English in Japan for a year or two, then return to university for a master's degree.

It would have been no problem for me to ask for time off work to go to L.A., but those two weeks in July are the final weeks of my university classes.

 

You wha?!

Apparently the Galaxy have decided Real Madrid would be a bigger draw for a mid-week friendly...

According to their site, and according to their board on THIS site, Real Madrid will play Galaxy during that week of July 18-20.

I wonder if the Albion will still come over to America for training even after this fiasco.

Or if they will ever try to arrange a friendly with an MLS side again.

Dunno if the Chivas USA match is still on... OR perhaps they might be able to arrange a friendly up in San Jose instead?

 

I'd been watching the Galaxy site for the last few days and saw no announcement at the same time that Albion had announced the tour on our site. So I have to think negotiations were still going on with Real Madrid at that point.

Now Galaxy have announced the Real match (date to be determined, but it will be between 18 July and 20 July). Furthermore there is no mention of the California trip on the Albion site anymore, which is somewhat worrying...

If I were the Albion, Chivas USA and Anschutz Entertainment Group (who own the Galaxy and a few other MLS clubs and Home Depot Center), this is what I would do:

With Galaxy confirming that they will play Madrid that week, that ensures that Albion will not play L.A. So Albion should play Chivas at the HDC instead of Santa Barbara, either the day before or after the Galaxy-Real match, or possibly as a 'double-header' with Galaxy-Real. The following week, before they fly back to the UK to play Cardiff, they may be able to schedule another friendly with another MLS club. San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake would be the two closest clubs (and there's no secret which team I'd rather see Albion play).

I'd love to see that happen, as Robbo was keen to have his players train here in America.

 

The facts as I know them regarding Albion coming to California (some repetition of facts stated above):

LA Galaxy never announced a friendly against Albion, and have apparently committed to playing Real Madrid during the same week we were supposed to play Galaxy.

Albion have removed the announcement about the Galaxy from the WBA official site. However, there has not been any annoucement of cancellation of the trip.

There has not been any announcement of a friendly on the Chivas USA site.

I think then that one of two things will happen.

1. Cancellation of the U.S. trip will be imminent.

2. Albion are still trying to sort out the details, and will play friendlies against American opposition. However WHO and WHERE they will play has not been finalised as yet.

What is personally troubling to me is that it seemed as though AEG, the corporation that owns the Galaxy, seemed to have reached some sort of agreement in principle with Albion, only to spurn said agreement the moment Madrid called. While it makes sense from a business standpoint, it seems to show a ltotal ack of ethics on the part of the management.

As the fans on the San Jose Earthquakes board will tell you, AEG seem to have little regard for clubs they regard as 'small.'

 

I'm a bit of a mixed mind as the two MLS clubs I follow (Metrostars and Earthquakes) are also AEG-owned clubs. But Albion, I feel, have every right to feel cheated and should sue Galaxy and AEG should the matches not go ahead. I'm sure Mr Peace will phone an attorney here in California (or has done already) to prepare legal action against AEG for breach of contract.

 

Just thought I'd point out that after the Galaxy suffered a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the San Jose Earthquakes (including TWO OWN GOALS! ), that loss reinforces my feeling that Albion are insisting on playing the WRONG Californian team!

 

As an Albion fan I am angry and frustrated by this annnouncement. I was hoping that some alternative arrangement could be made, but I should have realised that it was not to be.

As someone who also supports MLS, I am deeply saddened by what I anticipate the consequences could be after Mr Peace reports this incident to FIFA. AEG-owned clubs - which make up a sizable portion of the league - could be effectively blackballed from participating in friendlies with Premier League or possibly even most UEFA clubs.

 

What's known about the cancellation:

The BBC report that according to Albion chairman Jeremy Peace, it was a "firm commitment" by L.A. to have Albion play on the scheduled dates.

According to Saturday's edition of the Los Angeles Times, Galaxy President Doug Hamilton fired back, saying that the two clubs were "in discussion" and that there was "no contract" and "no agreement."

In light of these, I tend to believe both men... and BLAME BOTH of them for this mess.

Albion should have had a faxed copy of a signed contract in hand before advertising the supporters' trip, the dates, and package trips to L.A. Now Albion fans had spent their hard-earned money for a California tour that will not happen. I feel Albion did jump the gun. The fact that there was no announcement on the Galaxy or Chivas Web sites within 24 hours of Albion's announcement should have been a tip-off right away. Albion should have sought clarification straight away, instead of simply wondering why there was no announcement after more than a week. This was a complete lack of co-ordination that has cost Albion supporters money.

Meanwhile, L.A./AEG should have been up front with the Albion about their negotiations with Real Madrid. An international simply friendly does not happen overnight. If there was any doubt about their ability to host Albion at the HDC, they should have been up front when the clubs were holding their discussions. This practise of "hedging bets" by giving Albion an apparently positive response and then turning around and announcing the Real friendly is absolutely despicable.

Sure, there was no legal binding contract, but it's clear that Albion were led astray by apparent promises all the way up to the day the Real match was announced, then hung out to dry. WHY couldn't AEG have let Albion know about this before they made the announcement public? Why did Albion first have to see said announcement before they realized that the match they thought was happening was cancelled? Someone at AEG was asleep at the wheel when Albion made their announcement, or else they would have requested WBA to pull that announcement from their site.

In the end, I think Albion should admit that it was a too hasty to announce the friendly and the begin working with Lonsdale Travel to sell package trips to L.A. for Albion supporters WITHOUT FINAL CONFIRMATION. However, I think Galaxy are just as if not more guilty for stringing WBA along with promises and then pulling the welcome mat out from under the Baggies' feet when a big club in Real came along.