Algarve watering hole makes 'base camp' offer for touring West Brom fans

A popular Algarve pub has opened its doors to travelling Albion fans for the pre-season tour of Portugal later this month.

James Morrison’s side will spend the week of July 11 to 18 near the southern city of Albufeira, a trip that finishes with a friendly open to supporters.

The Baggies face off against promoted League One new boys Bromley at Estadio da Nora, home of CF Ferreiras north of Albufeira, on Friday, July 17 (7pm kick-off local time).

Tickets for the Bromley clash are now available online and are priced at €15 (£12.85) per person.

Albion supporters have raced to take the rare opportunity to follow their side overseas, with a first opportunity to cheer on the Baggies abroad since the pre-season of 2019.

Back then, an estimated 1,900 Albion fans travelled to La Nucia, near Benidorm, as Slaven Bilic’s men lost 3-0 to Villarreal in a warm weather training camp. Tickets were free to supporters on that occasion, where the friendly had to move location due to a clash with a popular reggae music festival.

The Baggies went on to secure promotion to the Premier League that term.

Baggies supporters have snapped up flights and accommodation to southern Portugal to cheer on Morrison’s men and enjoy the local amenities.

And now, a popular Albufeira pub has extended an invitation to Albion fans to use its services as a “base camp” for the trip.

Broadway Pub, based in the city’s old town, a short walk from the beach, are open well into the early hours of the morning and could be the perfect spot for Baggies fans to sample some of Albufeira’s delights.

The invite was shared via ‘Albion BATS’ - the Baggies Abroad Travel Service group on social media.

A post read: “To all #WBA fans travelling to Portugal: The good people at The Broadway pub in Albufeira old town have invited us to use the bar as our ‘base camp’. See you all there on the Thursday & Friday. Open until 4am!”

The bar in the popular tourist destination boasts ‘live sports and live music’, karaoke and a happy hour daily.

Ticket details for the friendly against Bromley are yet to be confirmed by the club. Estadio da Nora is a 2,000-capacity home of CF Ferreiras, a provincial club in the region.

The Algarve friendly is the first of three public Baggies friendlies open to supporters this summer. Morrison’s men tackle Sheffield Wednesday behind-closed-doors at the FA’s St George’s Park base on July 11 before jetting to Portugal.

Albion are also in action back on home soil much closer to the Black Country, with a trip to Shrewsbury Town of League Two on July 25.

The final warm-up clash is a trip to Peterborough United, of League One, on August 1.