West Brom’s Algarve diary, early arrival and what lies ahead | OneFootball

West Brom’s pre-season base is a sleepy Porches village in the Algarve, where the tour is open to travelling fans for the first time since 2022. Friday’s friendly with Bromley at Albufeira’s Estadio da Nora could easily draw around 2,000.

After a four thirty am alarm, an eight ten am flight left on time from Birmingham International, blue and white dotted across the cabin. The long day continues with a World Cup semi-final still to negotiate.

More Albion supporters surfaced at Faro, from families to the well-known Snarka, recently elected chair of the club’s independent supporters’ trust. Two buses later, the laptop balanced en route, Porches became home for the next three nights.

The Mediterranean sun bites harder than it first seems and the village trades in whitewashed houses along two quiet roads. Church bells mark each half hour and a hammock shop greeted the sparsely filled bus. A fast-food stop was swerved in favour of something no more exotic.

An early start awaits, with an interview with Albion new-boy Barney Stewart at nine am, training to watch and another sit-down later. For now, it is time to find a screen for the football, with England the evening’s focus.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com