Photo via BBC Sport

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

The storied rivalry between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion resumes in league play for the first time in over five years, marking their first meeting with supporters present at Molineux since 2012. Their competitive history began in the FA Cup with Albion triumphs in 1886 and 1887, before Wolves earned a 2-1 victory during the inaugural Football League campaign in December 1888.

Over subsequent decades, the rivalry produced numerous standout moments for Wolves, including Steve Bull netting his initial derby goal in 1989, Iwan Roberts scoring three times at The Hawthorns in 1996, and George Ndah bagging a brace set up by Keith Andrews in 2001. A decade later, Steven Fletcher's two goals secured a vital May 2011 win that helped Mick McCarthy's squad avoid Premier League relegation.

West Brom's own folklore features a 35-yard strike by Darren Bradley in 1993, Bob Taylor's late decider at The Hawthorns in 1995, and a December 2001 winner at Molineux from Jordao during a campaign where Albion edged Wolves to promotion by three points. Further memorable contributions include Carlos Vela notching a stoppage-time leveller in Roy Hodgson's managerial debut in 2011, alongside an iconic 5-1 rout.