Anger over Albion Jeff Astle leaflets block

Debbie Green, who sits in the Birmingham Road End, has organised for thousands of King Astle number nine posters to be handed out to supporters at the club's final home game against Stoke on Sunday. But she has been dealt a blow after the Premier League club refused to give permission for any of the posters to be given out inside the turnstiles at The Hawthorns.

The club has allowed the group to stand by turnstiles outside two of the stands and by the gates outside the other two.

Miss Green, a mother-of-one and a support worker, said: "We were going to stand inside the turnstiles but we've been told we can't do that because the club doesn't allow any leaflets to be handed out within the stadium.

"I asked whether we could stand outside the turnstiles and we will be able outside the Birmingham Road End as long as we don't block it. We can't stand outside the turnstiles at the Smethwick End but we can stand by the WBA gates.

"At the East Stand, we have to stand by the Astle Gates, not the tunstiles, and we can stand outside the turnstiles by the West Stand.

"It's very disappointing. We will need more people to do this to make sure everyone gets a poster. It's not costing the club anything so it's a real shame they can't get behind it."

Mr Astle's daughter Claire said she hoped the tribute would be a show of love for the striker, who scored 174 goals in 361 games for Albion, and would keep the family's Justice for Jeff campaign at the forefront of people's minds.

The 35-year-old added: "It's not just dad who suffered – there's plenty more players worldwide." Her sister Dawn added: "It's very touching. This will tell another generation of fans about Jeff Astle because it's been decades since he played for Albion.

"He would have been so proud because it shows how much he did for the club that he's remembered like this."

Earlier this season, around 2,400 travelling Albion fans applauded in the ninth minute of the defeat at Hull City as a show of support for the Astle family.

Albion chief executive Mark Jenkins said: "With Sunday's match being the final game of the season, and a sell-out crowd expected, enabling supporters to access and exit the stadium as quickly as possible has to be of paramount importance.

"We never allow anything to be handed out on the concourses as it could impact the flow of supporters coming through the turnstiles.

"For Sunday, we have pinpointed areas outside of the stadium that would enable organisers to distribute the cards without affecting the flow of supporters entering the stadium."