West Brom fixtures 2017/18: Five trending storylines
West Brom fans have already started booking their long weekend breaks following the release of the 2017/18 fixture list.
The Baggies faithful had plenty to say on the schedule that see's Tony Pulis' men start at home to Bournemouth and finish at Crystal Palace.
Nathan Judah takes at look at the main talking points:
Champions League here we come
Well at least after the first five games! Albion fans were celebrating what looks on paper to be a very kind schedule.
Four of the Baggies' first five games are against teams who finished in the bottom half of the league last season, with the other away to newly promoted Brighton.
Bournemouth, Burnley, Stoke and West Ham make up the attractive-looking quintet.
Even better news is that Albion beat all four teams last season, so that winning feeling will still be fresh in the memory.
Some fans even predicted that Pulis' men could be top of Premier League following the home game with West Ham on September 16.
'A pint of John Smith's for me please!'
Fans were quick to identify two of the three newly promoted clubs as a definite away day destination.
Half of Sandwell seem set to descend on the John Smith's Stadium as Albion travel to Huddersfield on November 4.
The other half are booking up most of the B&B'S in Brighton for the weekend of September 9 &10.
It will be the first time either club has graced the Premier League with the Terriers' last season in the top flight coming in 1972.
Brighton last mixed it with the big boys in 1983 with many fans rubbing their hands together at the prospect of six away points and a big night out.
Coming home for Christmas
Fans were rejoicing at the Christmas schedule as Albion were given two big games at home.
A testing battle with Everton is quickly followed by a plum tie with Arsenal.
Many were delighted at the prospect of combining family time with their Hawthorns fix.
With fixtures coming thick and fast in December, some feel it would be an ideal time to play the bigger teams.
Fans were not so lucky last year as they made the 250-mile round trip to the Emirates on Boxing Day to watch a 1-0 defeat.
Where's Villa?
Many of the comments on twitter consisted of the tongue-in-cheek question, "When do we play Villa?"
Albion launched a promotional campaign towards the end of last season reminding fans they were the only top flight team in the West Midlands.
And plenty of Baggies were not going to let their bitter rivals forget that they still had to wait another week to find out their own Championship schedule.
Fans were quick to point out that a top-ten Premier League finish would be something others can only 'dream' about.
Beach time deja vu?
The majority of negativity was reserved for Albion's torrid finish to the season.
Tony Pulis' men crawled past the finishing post, sacrificing what looked like a certain 8th place in the process.
And with Manchester United, Spurs and Liverpool along with tricky trips to Newcastle and Crystal Palace making up the final five games, some fans were fearing the worst.
Many feel Albion will need to be safe in early April otherwise they could be in grave trouble, while others predicted Albion to mirror the same 40-point drop off from last season.
