Happy New Year, Royals fans! We start 2023 with the toughest of challenges, but we know this team will fight hard for anything on offer at the Hawthorns.
The Royals take on West Bromwich Albion on Monday 2 January 2023, kick-off 3pm, as we bring to an end a hectic festive schedule which will see us play our third game in less than six days! The Baggies are at home and have enjoyed an extra day's rest since their home win over Preston North End. But the Royals are always up for a challenge...
So as we get ready to go for 2023, this is your opportunity to get clued up with your big match preview…
Tickets
Please note that tickets will be available on the day for Royals supporters, cash only, from the Away Ticket Office - situated next to the Away Turnstiles at The Hawthorns.
Any collections and duplicates will available from the away turnstiles from approxumately an hour and a half before kick-off.
| Category | Prices |
| Adult | £25 |
| 65 & Over | £20 |
| 20-25 | £15 |
| 17-19 | £10 |
| Under 17 | £5 |
ROYALSTV
A reminder that our Season and Monthly subscriptions are available for RoyalsTV – fans in the UK/Ireland can get hold of Audio packages (£4.49 per calendar month, or £45 for the remainder of the season), while overseas supporters can get video packages which cover eligible Sky Bet Championship fixtures (£25 per calendar month).
Please note this fixture is a co-broadcast on RoyalsTV and Sky Sports Red Button.
The following Match Passes are available to purchase for this fixture:
- Audio Match Pass (£2.50) | Worldwide
- Video Match Pass (£10) | Worldwide
See our available subscriptions
Travel
For those travelling for Monday's match please take a look at West Bromwich Albion's travel information page.
Travel info
Midland Metro
For any supporters travelling by tram, Midland Metro will be operating a Sunday service. Trams from Wolverhampton St Georges tram stop WV1-3AA to the Hawthorns will be operating every 12 minutes from 08:00 with a journey time of 28 minutes.
Trams from Grand Central Birmingham B2-4JD outside Birmingham New Street railway station will be operating every 12 minutes from 08:00 with a journey time of 15 minutes.
The opposition
A side with promotion aspirations, West Brom got off to a disappointing start with Steve Bruce overseeing just one win in the opening thirteen games, albeit they were only on the losing side on four occasions.
That one win came against Bruce’s former team Hull City when they stuck five past the Tigers, with former Royal John Swift amongst the scorers.
Damagingly for Bruce three of those previously mentioned defeats came in the space of four games and the former Newcastle United boss could only manage a 0-0 draw in a win or bust home match with Luton Town, and the 61-year-old was dismissed two days later.
Under-21 manager Richard Beale took temporary charge and they took all three points back with them from their visit to RG2 in October, in a 2-0 defeat for Paul Ince’s side.
Following successive defeats that saw the Baggies back in the relegation zone, Carlos Corberan was appointed after a brief spell at Olympiacos had succeeded his achievements with Huddersfield Town.
His first match in charge ended in a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United before a late Okay Yokuslu goal secured all three points against Blackpool and began a five-match winning run.
Kyle Bartley was the difference at QPR as the Baggies earned their second away win of the season before Stoke City were beaten back in the Midlands.
Despite falling behind to a Amad Diallo penalty, Corberan’s side came from behind to take all three points at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland before Rotherham United were beaten 3-0 back in B71.
However, a last minute penalty from Viktor Gyokeres denied them a hard earned point at Coventry, but they put it right on Boxing Day with a 2-0 win at Bristol City thanks to goals from Matt Phillips and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
Last time out the Baggies beat Preston North End at The Hawthorns to end the year in fine form and placed 11th in the table - just a point behind the Royals going into Tuesday afternoon's game.
ONE TO WATCH: Jed Wallace
Reading-born Jed Wallace arrived at The Hawthorns last summer following a five-year spell with Millwall and has had a productive start to life in the West Midlands.
The midfielder’s professional career began on the south coast with Portsmouth and he made his debut in a League Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle before spending time on loan at non-league sides Farnborough and Whitehawk. Back at Fratton Park, he scored his first goal in a 3-1 defeat to Hartlepool United and despite scoring a further six goals he was unable to help the side beat the drop.
He netted seven times in Pompey’s first season in the fourth tier since 1980 before doubling his tally in the league in 2014-15 to win the club’s ‘Player of the Season’ award, but they could only finish 16th in the table.
Wallace joined then Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers that summer but after seven appearances he joined Millwall on loan for the rest of the campaign, where he scored once in a win over Blackpool.
Back in the Black Country he made 12 appearances but once again joined the Lions on loan in January 2017 and started their League One Play-Off Final win over Bradford City to send Neil Harris’ side back to the second tier.
Following their promotion Wallace joined the South London club permanently and they just missed out on a Play-Off spot in their first season up. Wallace scored five goals as his team narrowly survived in the second tier, like the Royals, in 2018-19 before he netted double figures in back to back campaigns, including in a 2-1 defeat for his side in RG2 in November 2019 and a 1-1 draw at the Den a year later.
His final season in the capital saw net on six occasions as Gary Rowett’s side finished 9th, departing having made 260 appearances for the club, scoring 43 goals.
Wallace subsequently joined West Brom on a free transfer in July 2022, making his debut for Steve Bruce’s team in a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. He got off the mark with a brace in the 2-2 draw at Huddersfield Town before scoring in the 3-2 home defeat to Birmingham City.
Following the break, the midfielder scored his fourth of the season in a 3-0 win over Rotherham United and has also contributed five assists during his time as a Baggies player.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Royals have won 13 of their 47 matches with West Brom, with our hosts’ victory in October being their 23 in the head to head fixture.
Our last win at The Hawthorns came in February 2010 courtesy of a 3-2 extra-time win in an FA Cup Fifth Round Replay, after Brian Howard’s injury time equaliser rescued us from elimination in dramatic style!
We have played the Baggies seven times in the month of January, with 2006 also seeing The Hawthorns being our first away day of the year where a late Kevin Doyle forced another FA Cup Replay.
Back in RG2, the Royals staged an incredible comeback to knock Albion out of the cup competition courtesy of some Leroy Lita magic!
On our last trip to B71 we were narrowly defeated with a Callum Robinson goal the difference in December 2021.
REF WATCH
The Football League have confirmed that Tom Nield will oversee our clash with Carlos Corboran’s side, with it being the first time this season he has officiated the Royals.
Nield has been officiating in the EFL since 2017 and his first match was Carlisle United’s 2-1 win at Cambridge United that August.
The Yorkshire based official, has taken charge of 18 matches this season, in League One, League Two, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, awarding 46 yellow cards but no red cards.
Nield will be assisted by Robert Merchant and Andrew Aylott whilst Stephen Martin will act as fourth official.