Why West Brom fans sing The Lord’s My Shepherd
West Brom’s fans have been integral to their success over the years.
When at their best, the Baggies faithful turn The Hawthorns into a fortress and an intimidating ground for opposition teams to visit.
West Brom’s fortunes may not have been kind in recent years, with their Championship stay now into its fifth consecutive season, but the support in B71 and beyond is just as strong as ever before.
The Lord’s My Shepherd stems from a 1974 rearranged game
West Brom fans are famous for both their ‘Boing Boing’ chant, but also their use of the hymn The Lord’s My Shepherd, which has been passed down through generations of supporters.
Like all unusual songs within English football, there are numerous different theories behind the origins of the song’s use in B71, but perhaps the most common relates to a rearranged game from way back in 1974.
In that era of football, the game was a staple of Saturday afternoons, and 3pm kick-offs were a given and an expectation.
As a result, eyebrows were raised when the miners’ strike had a knock-on effect to West Brom’s FA Cup tie away at Everton in January 1974.
The Baggies were forced to play on a Sunday, as matches played in floodlit conditions were temporarily banned in order to save energy.
The fixture change was controversial at the time, and West Brom fans responded by singing the Psalm 23 Bible verse to poke fun at the misfortune.
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The Lord’s My Shepherd is a symbol of identity for West Brom fans
The Lord’s My Shepherd has since become a staple at The Hawthorns in the years since that day at Goodison Park, and it is immediately recognisable as a West Brom song throughout the Football League.
It is a symbol of identity for Albion fans, given its uniqueness compared to almost every other football chant up and down the country.
West Brom have a proud history as one of the Football League’s founder members, and elements of a matchday like The Lord’s My Shepherd are rightly treasured for the special traditions that they are.
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