ALBION begin their 2018/19 Sky Bet Championship campaign at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
The opposition
Bolton finished 21st in the Championship last season, escaping relegation on the final day with a dramatic 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.
They are managed by Phil Parkinson, who has been with the Trotters since June 2016. He guided them to promotion from League One in his first campaign before then keeping them in the second tier.
Wanderers have had a busy summer so far, bringing in the likes of Clayton Donaldson, Erhun Oztumer, Marc Wilson, Josh Magennis and Luke Murphy amongst others.
Last time out
The most recent fixture between the teams was in 2012 when goals from Chris Brunt and James Morrison saw Albion come from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Bolton.
Earlier that season it was the Baggies who came out on top at The Hawthorns when Jerome Thomas and Shane Long earned Roy Hodgson’s side a 2-1 win.
'Mozza' celebrates netting an equaliser against Bolton
Stats
Albion
- The Baggies haven’t lost at home to Bolton since 2000, a run stretching back seven games (W2, D5).
- Darren Moore currently has a 50% win ratio as Head Coach, winning three, drawing two and losing just one of the six competitive games he has taken charge of.
- Albion went through the whole of pre-season without being defeated - beating Barnet, Swindon, Barnsley and Coventry as well as drawing with Aberdeen.
Bolton
- Bolton and Albion have met six times in August - with the Baggies coming out on top twice, there being three draws and Wanderers winning just the once.
- The Trotters rounded off their pre-season schedule with a 2-0 win at League One Peterborough United last weekend.
- Last season Bolton committed 648 fouls in the Championship, which was more than any other side in the division.
From the archive
Here are the highlights from our last win over Bolton in 2011…
Head to head
The overall head-to-head is extremely close.
Of the 144 matches that have been played, Albion have won 48 times, there have been 47 draws and Bolton have been victorious on 49 occasions.
Man in the middle
The referee for Sunday’s game is Geoff Eltringham, and he’ll be assisted by John Flynn and Billy Smallwood - with Scott Duncan as the fourth official.
Ticket news
Tickets for the game on Saturday are in high demand, with Baggies fans urged to claim their seat in advance.
The Smethwick End has already sold out and the Birmingham Road End is almost at capacity.
Our matchday prices are some of the best in the Championship - ranging from £20 to £23 for adults, with a variety of attractive concessionary rates also available.
Grab your tickets online now at wbatickets.co.uk, in person at the club’s ticket office, or by calling 0121 227 2227.
Remember, the best way to book up and back Darren Moore’s men for this campaign is to join more than 17,000 fellow fans and buy a season ticket.
You can purchase a season ticket here.
Follow the game
Comprehensive coverage of the clash with Bolton is available in our Match Centre, where you can listen to live commentary on WBA Radio or follow our live text feed.
WBA Radio is the only service that allows Baggies fans around the world - from Smethwick to the Sahara - access to uninterrupted live commentaries from every one of our competitive games. Join Gez Mulholland and Dave Bowler for Baggies-biased live commentary on Saturday.
You’ll also be able to find score updates on the club's social media channels.
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