Save the throstle! West Brom fan highlights plight of threatened bird that gave club its identity
An expat West Bromwich Albion fan has launched a dual campaign to 'protect the throstle' - the club's traditional mascot and the species of bird that inspired it.
Malcolm Fisher, aged 67, has followed Albion all his life, but does so from Australia since emigrating from Birmingham in 1981.
Albion's traditional club symbol is a throstle (a song thrush) perched on a hawthorn branch and the club were once nicknamed 'the Throstles', before becoming more commonly known as the Baggies.
But Malcolm, who writes about football, has become dismayed at the demise of the mascot 'Baggie Bird' who has been joined by Boiler Man in recent seasons in line with the club's sponsorship deal with Ideal.
He is also concerned about the decline of the song thrush from which the throstle nickname was derived. In recent years it has been placed on the international red list for threatened species.
