"Bigger club" - Claim made on West Brom rivalry with Wolves | OneFootball

We asked our West Bromwich Albion fan pundit whether he thinks the club is bigger than their main rivals.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

There may have only been three Black Country Derbies since February 2012, but the rivalry between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers is as fierce as ever.

The two sides met for the first time in nearly nine years during the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, although both fixtures that season were played at a time when COVID restrictions meant that supporters could not fill the stands.

West Brom won 3-2 at Molineux before the reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, but supporters of both sides would have been slightly disappointed that they couldn't be in attendance for such significant games.

In January earlier this year, West Brom hosted Wolves in the fourth round of the FA Cup in front of a capacity crowd at The Hawthorns, and the visitors secured a memorable 2-0 victory at the home of their rivals.

That game served as a reminder of what the Black Country Derby is all about, and with the Baggies currently occupying a play-off place in the Championship and Wolves struggling in the top flight, there is a chance that both sides could be in the same division next season.

Claims West Brom are a bigger club than Wolves

We asked our West Bromwich Albion fan pundit, Callum Burgess, which club is the Baggies' main rival, and whether he thinks they are a bigger club.

"I think last season's Black Country Derby emphasised that the rivalry between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers is definitely the biggest that the two clubs have for each other," said Callum.

"While some Albion fans would claim that there is more of a rivalry with Aston Villa, I think the Black Country Derby has that extra bit of hatred between us, while Villa, their main rival is, of course, Birmingham City.

"The Derby games between West Brom and Wolves bring that extra bit of spice.

"You know, we've had that 5-1 victory at Molineux in 2012, which is one of the most infamous games for several reasons. Of course, it played a big part in that spiral that Wolves took so many years to recover from.

"If Albion were to get into the Premier League anytime soon, you would probably be hoping that it is not a repeat of what happened a few years ago, when Wolves were on the rise from the Championship, and we got relegated."

In terms of who he thinks is the bigger club, Callum admitted it was very close, but he feels as though the Baggies deserve that title.

"If I was to be honest, I would say that the clubs are pretty much equal," he said.

"I think Albion might just about be the bigger club, but it is very close, and that's probably being biased of me, of course!

"We have both won a similar amount of trophies, and it has kind of been a topsy-turvy basis where one club is better than the other.

"Either way, I think Albion are the slightly bigger club."

Are West Brom a bigger club than Wolves?

Supporters of either club would be likely to argue that they are bigger than their rivals, and it is difficult to clearly determine which side is correct.

According to 11v11.com, West Brom and Wolves have played each other 163 times since their first meeting in January 1886, and the Baggies have won on 11 more occasions than their opponents.

Since the turn of the century, the two teams have faced each other 18 times, with West Brom having won 10 of those games and Wolves winning just four.

However, Wolves boast a better history when it comes to trophies, with three First Division titles, the top flight of English football, in the 1950s, and four FA Cup successes during their time. The club has also lifted the Football League Cup, which is now commonly referred to as the EFL Cup, twice, as well as being victorious four times in the Charity Shield, now known as the Community Shield.

In comparison, West Brom have won the First Division once, during the 1919/20 season, and lifted the FA Cup on five occasions. They were also victorious in the Football League Cup once, and won two Charity Shields.

There is a wealth of history in the Black Country Derby, with both sides having had periods of success in the past and being followed by loyal fan bases, and when you consider West Brom's results against Wolves in the modern era against the fact that Wolves have won more major trophies over the years, both sets of supporters can make a case that they are currently the bigger club.