Albion 'in the hands of people who care'

BBC News

25-06-2025

Albion chairman Shilen Patel has written his latest open letter to supporters and there's plenty to be encouraged by - but it's also honest about their ongoing challenge of abiding by the EFL's profit and sustainability rules (PSR).The Baggies must avoid losses of £39m over a three-year rolling period and the American owner describes the fact that they avoided breaching rules in the last financial year as "a remarkable feat". He has pumped millions of pounds into the club monthly since taking over in February of last year and he and his team absolutely deserve credit for that. However, he has warned the club will have to continue to be "pragmatic and adaptable" when it comes to the transfer market.He writes that fans should expect player departures every summer but they want to recruit "well-vetted" talents. This is the task of sporting director Andrew Nestor and has been displayed by the capture of Isaac Price, who was watched for some time before the Baggies signed him for around £2.5m from Standard Liege in January. He will no doubt be sold for a much higher fee at some point in the future. Likewise, Norwegian defender Torbjorn Heggem was bought for just over £500k last summer but is now worth way more after a stellar debut season in English football and the club will eventually cash in on academy product Tom Fellows. Which one of their high value assets leaves in this window is to be determined but that's the business of football.Patel also recognises the need to grow commercially, he reveals conversations with local political leaders to boost the Baggies' standing in the wider West Midlands region and doesn't forget about their role in the community through the Albion Foundation charity, which he labels "vital".In the last year, the club has invested in the training ground while improvements to the Hawthorns stadium have taken place this summer. It's also a positive that the club consider it a "priority" to find a home ground for the women's team that's closer to West Bromwich. The third-tier side currently play 20 miles away in Redditch and Patel wants a venue that's better suited to "elite-level football". It's worth noting that spending on all these things does not come under PSR.It's a work in progress but the club is in the hands of people who genuinely care. As always in the fickle world of football though, it's what happens on the field that counts. Shilen Patel reckons new men's head coach Ryan Mason has "all the qualities to make a massive mark on the club" and that's what fans will focus on the most.