USA Tour still in limbo

23 June 2005

Albion's proposed pre-season tour of California seems to be hanging in the balance right now. US-based BOING reader Jim N rang the LA Galaxy ticket office to find out more details of the game, scheduled for July 20th, but was told it had been cancelled and that they would be hosting Real Madrid instead. Although the LA Galaxy Web Site confirms that they will play Madrid, and carries a huge picture of Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham to add weight to the story, it hasn't yet got a definite date - they suggest either Monday 18th or Tuesday 19th July. With games against other MLS teams the weekend before and after, it does seem unlikely they'd want to play another friendly that week - and we're unable to find any mention whatsoever of Albion on their site.

And the theme continues - we can't find any mention of us on the Chivas USA Web Site either. Albion are due to play them in the other scheduled game on Tuesday 26th July, but Mark Taylor, another Baggie exiled in California, told us "I rang the Galaxy and was also told that they are playing Madrid. I then called Chivas and was told that they have never even heard of us, let alone anything about playing us. I emailed the Hawthorns, but, as yet have received no reply. Looks like another prime example of West Bromwich Albion organisation!"

Update

Albion's Official Web Site now carries a picture of a stern looking Jeremy Peace together with a statement about the LA Galaxy game in which he says that the club had agreed by e-mail and verbally with a senior executive of LA Galaxy to play them on July 20, and they regard this as a binding commitment that they expect to be honoured - especially as the club have arranged flights and visas at short notice, publicised the games and even arranged package tours for their supporters. They expect the situation to be resolved over the weekend.

In the meantime, perhaps it would be wise not to book any flights, or cancel any that you may have already booked...

Further update

As of Tuesday 28th June, only three weeks before the scheduled date of the LA Galaxy game, there still seems to be no more news. As yet there appears to have been no decision on the date for the Californian sides game against Real Madrid either.

Previous Stories:

  16 June 2005:  USA Tour Announced

  10 June 2005:  Albion at Milton Keynes - Right or wrong?

  23 May 2005:  Great Escape T-Shirts!

Back to the News Index