During the 2007–08 English football season, West Bromwich Albion competed in the Football League Championship. They finished the season in first place, thus earning promotion to the Premier League the following season.

Season summary After the previous season's play-off final heartbreak, Tony Mowbray set about restructuring his squad, moving out several players for multimillion-pound fees after press reports of dressing room division.Boss: I had to clear decks Express & Star, 12 September 2007 High-profile players such as Jason Koumas, Diomansy Kamara and Curtis Davies were sold to Premier League clubs for large fees, joining Paul McShane, Nathan Ellington, Darren Carter and Steve Watson in leaving the Hawthorns. Mowbray replaced them by signing a total of 14 permanent and loan players in the summer transfer window, making an overall profit in the process.

Despite the large changes in his squad, Mowbray won the Championship Manager of the Month award in September, after Albion gained 13 out of the maximum 15 points and climbed to second. At the start of 2008, Mowbray's young Albion team topped the table, receiving growing plaudits from the media and supportersMowbray hails Baggies fans Birmingham Post, 28 December 2007 alike for their attractive brand of attacking one touch passing football, a reflection of Mowbray's staunch footballing philosophy.Mowbray can pass Premier test Birmingham Post, 11 December 2007

Mowbray guided Albion to the Football League Championship title and promotion to the Premier League, the first league title won by the club since the old Division One in 1920. The club also reached the FA Cup semi-final. The semi-final, the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, pitted Albion against Portsmouth, the only remaining Premier League team left in the FA Cup. Portsmouth won the match 1–0 with the only goal of the game coming from former Albion striker Nwankwo Kanu. Mowbray won the Championship manager of the month award for April, as well as the League Managers Association manager of the year award.

Kit English company Umbro remained West Bromwich's kit manufacturers. T-Mobile remained the kit sponsors.

Final league table

Results West Bromwich Albion's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League Championship DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 11 August 2007 BurnleyA1–215,337 (2,191)Phillips 18 August 2007 Preston North EndH2–019,556Phillips, Miller 25 August 2007 Sheffield UnitedA0–123,491 1 September 2007 BarnsleyH2–018,310 (932)Teixeira, Beattie 15 September 2007 Ipswich TownH4–019,460 (1,013)Miller, Teixeira, Phillips (2) 18 September 2007 Bristol CityA1–116,571 (2,019)Koren 22 September 2007 Scunthorpe UnitedA3–28,307 (1,800)Barnett, Brunt, Teixeira 30 September 2007 Queens Park RangersH5–124,757 (785)Phillips (2), Miller, Koren, Greening 3 October 2007 Stoke CityH1–120,048 (1,384)Barnett 6 October 2007 SouthamptonA2–321,967 (2,218)Koren (2) 20 October 2007 Colchester UnitedA2–35,798 (1,000)Phillips, Miller 23 October 2007 BlackpoolH2–122,030 (1,382)Miller, Morrison 27 October 2007 Norwich CityH2–020,247Miller, Phillips 3 November 2007 WatfordA3–018,273 (2,200)Miller, Phillips, Albrechtsen 6 November 2007 Sheffield WednesdayH1–119,807 (1,726)Phillips 12 November 2007 Coventry CityA4–018,566 (2,818)Robinson, Teixeira (2), Koren 25 November 2007 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–027,493 (2,600) 28 November 2007 Plymouth ArgyleA2–114,348Bednář (2) 1 December 2007 Crystal PalaceA1–115,247Hudson (own goal) 4 December 2007 Coventry CityH2–420,641Bednář (2) 8 December 2007 Leicester CityA2–122,088Gera, Beattie 15 December 2007 Charlton AthleticH4–220,346 (787)Bednář, Gera (2), Phillips 22 December 2007 Stoke CityA1–318,420 (2,439)Bednář 26 December 2007 Bristol CityH4–127,314 (2,600)Bednář, Koren, Phillips (2) 29 December 2007 Scunthorpe UnitedH5–025,238 (584)Phillips (2), Koren, Gera, Beattie 1 January 2008 Ipswich TownA0–224,000 12 January 2008 Hull CityA3–118,391 (1,524)Phillips, Morrison, Bednář 19 January 2008 Cardiff CityH3–322,325 (2,453)Bednář, Albrechtsen, Johnson (own goal) 29 January 2008 Preston North EndA1–212,473 (1,842)Gera 2 February 2008 BurnleyH2–122,206 (2,081)Cesar, Bednář 9 February 2008 BarnsleyA1–213,083 (2,065)Morrison 12 February 2008 Sheffield UnitedH0–022,643 23 February 2008 Hull CityH1–222,716 (1,424)Bednář 1 March 2008 Plymouth ArgyleH3–022,503 (1,346)Gera, Miller, Bednář 4 March 2008 Sheffield WednesdayA1–018,805Phillips 12 March 2008 Crystal PalaceH1–120,378Phillips 15 March 2008 Leicester CityH1–422,038 (1,736)Koren 21 March 2008 Charlton AthleticA1–123,412Phillips 29 March 2008 Colchester UnitedH4–320,433 (686)Phillips, Brunt, Bednář, Morrison 1 April 2008 Cardiff CityA0–013,915 8 April 2008 BlackpoolA3–19,628 (1,900)Phillips (2, 1 pen), Miller 12 April 2008 WatfordH1–126,508Barnett 15 April 2008 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–027,883 (2,600)Gera 19 April 2008 Norwich CityA2–125,442 (2,500)Koren, Gera 28 April 2008 SouthamptonH1–126,167 (1,263)Brunt 4 May 2008 Queens Park RangersA2–018,309 (2,600)Do-Heon, Brunt

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR35 January 2008 Charlton AthleticA1–112,682MillerR3R15 January 2008 Charlton AthleticH2–2 (won 4–3 on pens)12,691Bednář, MorrisonR426 January 2008 Peterborough UnitedA3–012,701Bednář, Koren, Phillips (pen)R516 February 2008 Coventry CityA5–028,163 (5,000)Brunt, Bednář (2, 1 pen), Miller, GeraQF9 March 2008 Bristol RoversA5–112,011 (1,500)Morrison, Miller (3), PhillipsSF5 April 2008 PortsmouthN0–183,584

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR114 August 2007 BournemouthH1–010,250 (432)BeattieR228 August 2007 Peterborough UnitedA2–04,917Gera, EllingtonR325 September 2007 Cardiff CityH2–414,085Miller (2, 1 pen)

Players First-team squad Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Transfers Out Chris Perry – released (later joined Luton Town), 1 June 2007 Diomansy Kamara – Fulham, £6,000,000, 9 July 2007 Steve Watson – Sheffield Wednesday, free, 10 July 2007 Jason Koumas – Wigan Athletic, £5,300,000, 10 July 2007 Paul McShane – Sunderland, £1,500,000, 26 July 2007 Darren Carter – Preston North End, £750,000, 9 August 2007 Nathan Ellington – Watford, £3,250,000, 29 August 2007 Curtis Davies – Aston Villa, season loan, 31 August 2007

In Shelton Martis – Hibernian, £50,000, 2 July 2007. Craig Beattie – Celtic, £1,250,000, 3 July 2007 Tomasz Kuszczak - Manchester United £2,100,000, 9 July 2007 Filipe Teixeira – Académica, £600,000, 17 July 2007 Leon Barnett – Luton Town, £2,500,000, 26 July 2007 Tininho – Beira-Mar, £230,000, 31 July 2007 Boštjan Cesar – Marseille, season loan, 7 August 2007 Carl Hoefkens – Stoke City, £750,000, 7 August 2007 James Morrison – Middlesbrough, £1,500,000, 7 August 2007 Pelé – Southampton, £1,000,000, 9 August 2007 Chris Brunt – Sheffield Wednesday, £3,000,000, 15 August 2007 Ishmael Miller – Manchester City, loan, 15 August 2007(made permanent 31 January 2008 for £900,000) Bartosz Ślusarski – Dyskobolia Grodzisk Michal Daněk – Viktoria Plzeň, loan Roman Bednář – Hearts, loan

References

Notes