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It's time once again for our regular Three Questions series, when we ask the SBN blogger from our next opponent some questions (usually three!) about their team and the upcoming match. For the second Premier League opponent in a row, though, Arsenal's opponent on Sunday, West Brom, have no SBN blog. So here I am, again, winging it. Let's get to the questions!
TSF: Where is West Bromwich? What happens there?
TSF: West Bromwich is not, contrary to its name, west of Bromwich. It's actually just a few miles northwest of Birmingham, in a part of the West Midlands known as the Black Country. As with many Midlands towns and cities, West Bromwich was a factory town until the 1970's/80's, when factories across England started shutting down; there is still an industrial base there (primarily metal fabrication and industrial equipment) but West Bromwich also is one of the artistic centers of the West Midlands, thanks to The Public, an art gallery and public venue that draws creatives from all over the region.
TSF: Is anybody famous from West Bromwich?
TSF: You might not know much about West Bromwich itself, but you no doubt know a few of its more famous residents - Robert Plant, Phil Lynott, and most of Judas Priest were born there. Birmingham and the Midlands are known for their metal - the New Wave of British Heavy Metal's ground zero was in Birmingham and the Black Country. Judas Priest, Napalm Death, and Black Sabbath all call the Midlands home. As does mrs. pdb's favorite band of all time ever.
TSF: What is an Albion?
TSF: Edgar Winter. No, wait, that doesn't sound right. An Albion is not a thing, it's a name for a thing. Specifically, it's the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain, derived from the proto-Celtic language. It's still used as a reference to the island - there are pubs named "The Albion", and it is still commonly used in poetry and stories as a way to refer to England.
So now you know more about West Bromwich than you did five minutes ago. Unless you're from West Bromwich, in which case please tell us more about your hometown.