Photo via BBC Sport

Why the Black Country derby means so much to Wolves and West Brom

The Black Country rivalry between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion returns to the league schedule after an absence of over half a decade, with spectators attending at Molineux for the first time since 2012. While the Baggies claimed the initial two encounters in the FA Cup during 1886 and 1887, Wolves took the inaugural league meeting by a 2-1 margin in December 1888 during the inaugural Football League campaign.

Across the past four decades, memorable moments have included Steve Bull opening his derby account in 1989, Iwan Roberts notching three goals at The Hawthorns in 1996, George Ndah striking twice following an exceptional display by Keith Andrews in 2001, and Steven Fletcher netting a brace in May 2011 to aid Mick McCarthy's Premier League survival push.

West Brom's history in the clash is equally storied, marked by Darren Bradley's long-distance strike from 35 yards in 1993 and Bob Taylor's late decider at The Hawthorns in 1995. In December 2001, Jordao struck the decisive goal at Molineux during a campaign in which Albion beat their rivals to promotion by a margin of three points.

Roy Hodgson's managerial tenure began in 2011 with a stoppage-time leveller from Carlos Vela, while the rivalry also boasts an iconic 5-1 scoreline.