Bristol City’s Championship rivals West Brom have hired Tony Mowbray as their new manager almost a month after Carlos Corberan’s exit.
Albion supporters were left disappointed when in the wake of the Baggies’ 2-0 win over Bristol City, Corberan left The Hawthorns on Christmas Eve, to join La Liga giants Valencia. The 41-year-old had guided his side to a place in the play-off places last season and was once again competing for the top six this term.
West Brom currently sit seventh in the Championship table, two places and three points ahead of Liam Manning’s Robins in the race for the top six. Although Albion’s form has been mixed recently, a strong start to the campaign once again has them in the mix for the play-off places.
Mowbray has been out of work since last season. The 61-year-old, who has yook charge of 481 Championship games in his career, took over as Birmingham City manager in January of 2024. After a strong start at St Andrew’s, his spell in charge of Blues came to a premature end as he first took a leave of absence in March before stepping down in May.
The 61-year-old revealed that he had made the decision to step back to focus on his health, before later sharing that he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. However, he has now decided the time is right to return to The Hawthorns 16 years after his last spell in charge of West Brom.
Discussing the decision to appoint Mowbray, Albion chairman Shilen Patel said: “Tony’s return is driven by the excellent head coach he is now and while I know he is proud of his previous time with the Albion, his desire to achieve new success shone through from our first meeting.
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“Tony has a wealth of experience across British football and shares our vision for the football club. He truly cares about bringing the best out of players and instils determination and commitment in his teams. I am thrilled he is our new head coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to write a new chapter in his Baggies story with his unwavering desire to compete and win.”
Mowbray’s first game in charge of the Baggies will see them travel to the Riverside Stadium for a crucial clash against fellow play-off contenders Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening, with former City midfielder Chris Brunt set to remain in temporary charge this weekend against Stoke City.
Having already faced off in the Black Country in December, Bristol City won’t welcome Albion to Ashton Gate until April 8 in a game that could prove to be crucial in the race for the top six. The Robins will hope to give a better account of themselves than they did against Corberan’s side last month.