Harri Burton

Sun 14 January 2024 13:10, UK

Fans are up in arms as Joe Chapman confirmed BirminghamLive have scrapped their dedicated West Brom coverage amid a company restructuring by Reach PLC.

They are the latest major organisation to do this with The Athletic also canning their in-depth coverage of the Albion.

Chapman took to X to reveal his last day as the club’s dedicated reporter came on Saturday 14 January as the Baggies defeated Blackburn 4-1.

As expected, the decision has not gone down well with West Brom fans and journalists alike, slamming the company for its decision to scrap coverage at The Hawthorns.

Former Sky Sports Fan Zone commentator for West Brom, Alistair Jones, who is also the found of Action for Albion, was left outraged by the decision, writing via X: “Most of you won’t know, but today was the last day that BirminghamLive will have a dedicated Albion reporter at a game.

“Years of tradition, following the length and breadth of the country, stopped because Reach PLC can’t see that local football is so important to the community.”

Not gone down well

There is no wonder why local fans are furious with the choice to scrap West Brom coverage from BirminghamLive, especially with the aforementioned Chapman given a more generic role within the company.

Chapman has been an incredible source of information for the fans, covering for the website for over nine years. However, it comes as no surprise to most as Reach continues to ignore the wants of the fans.

It was never going to be a popular decision among any of the fans, even those who may not read Chapman’s work regularly. Yet, the company decided without a second thought, leaving everyone angry.

Hundreds of jobs have been lost to Reach’s ruling with an iron fist in recent years, and West Brom will not be the last club to suffer, while Chapman will not be the last journalist stripped of his love and joy.

In other West Brom news, Don Goodman has reacted to news regarding another player Albion are reportedly interested in signing.