The Hawthorns
Encyclopedia
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium
in West Bromwich
, Sandwell
, England
, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.
since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League
ground to be built in the 19th century. At an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), it is the highest ground
among those of all 92 Premier League and Football League
clubs.
. With a capacity of 1500–2000, it was their first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time. The increasing popularity of football led the well-established West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club to rent their Four Acres ground to Albion from 1882 to 1885, but they quickly outgrew their new home and soon needed to move again. Albion's tenure of Stoney Lane, from 1885 to 1900, was arguably the most successful period in the club's history, as the club won the FA Cup
twice and were runners-up three times.
The expiry of the lease on Stoney Lane, as well as the club's desire for a more spacious location, saw them move once again in 1900, this time permanently. All of Albion's previous grounds had been close to the centre of West Bromwich, but on this occasion they took up an "out of town" site on the borders of Handsworth
. The area was covered in hawthorn
bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new ground, hence its name, the Hawthorns. The club signed a lease for the land on 14 May 1900, giving them the option to buy within 14 years from the owner, Sandwell Park Colliery, and Albion did indeed buy the freehold on the ground in June 1913.
When opened, the Hawthorns could hold around 35,500 spectators. The first match took place on Monday 3 September 1900, when Albion drew 1–1 with Derby County
in front of a crowd of 20,104. Derby's England international Steve Bloomer
scored the first Hawthorns goal, with Chippy Simmons
equalizing for Albion. The first Saturday game followed soon after, with Albion losing out 0-1 to fierce local rivals Aston Villa in front of a capacity crowd. The 1900–01 campaign was not a successful one however, as Albion finished bottom of the table and were relegated to Division Two. Their defeat to Sheffield United
on the final day of the season was witnessed by just 1,050 spectators, which remains the record lowest crowd for a league game at the Hawthorns. The ground was gradually expanded and 1923 saw the first ever 50,000+ gate with 56474 watching a 2–1 win in the cup against Sunderland. The first 60,000+ gate followed in 1925, with 64,612 fans watching a cup tie with arch-rivals Aston Villa. The all-time attendance record at the Hawthorns was set on March 6, 1937, when 64,815 spectators crammed in to see Albion beat hot-favourites Arsenal
3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final. It is worth noting that this attendance was probably bettered, when Albion played Newcastle in a fifth round tie in 1954, when over 80,000 people turned up. The official crowd was put at 61,088. The highest ever league crowd was for a 1–1 draw 60,945 against Wolves
on March 4, 1950.
Concrete terracing was added to the ground in 1920. In 1949 the ground became the first in Britain to have an electronic turnstile
aggregator fitted, in order to automatically calculate attendances. In 1957 electric floodlights
were erected, at a cost of £18,000. The ground's first floodlit match saw Albion draw 1–1 with Chelsea
, on 18 September 1957. Soon afterwards a friendly game against the Russian Red Army was organised to officially open them. Albion won 6–5 in front of 53,805 fans. The ground was once divided by the Birmingham
/Smethwick
border, but was moved completely into the latter by a minor rationalisation of local government borders in the 1960s and is now entirely in Sandwell
. In 1964 the large Handsworth Side terrace was replaced by the Rainbow Stand at a cost of £40,000, reducing capacity to around 50,000. Over the following decades capacity was further reduced and perimeter fences were built to help tackle hooliganism. The Halfords Lane stand was rebuilt in two separate phases between 1979 and 1982, at a cost of around £2.5 million.
By the early nineties the capacity had been slashed dramatically to just over 30,000 and the ground had become quite dilapidated. Following the Taylor Report
, the ground became all-seated with first the Smethwick End and then the much-loved Birmingham Road End terraces being demolished and replaced by all-seater stands, giving it a capacity of more than 25,000. The official re-opening of the redeveloped ground saw Albion beat Bristol City
1–0 on Boxing Day
in 1994. During the mid-late 1990s there were proposals for Moseley Rugby Football Club
to share the ground, but these never materialised. Albion celebrated the stadium's centenary on 3 September 2000 by beating Crystal Palace
1–0 in a Division One match. In 2001 the Rainbow Stand was replaced by the new East Stand.
In 2002, the Hawthorns became the first ground to install big screens in the widescreen
format. The ground hosted its first Premier League match on 24 August 2002, with Albion losing 3–1 to Leeds United. Leeds player Harry Kewell
scored the first Premier League goal on the ground. The Jeff Astle
gates, which commemorate one of Albion's greatest strikers, were unveiled on 11 July 2003. The gates are located on the Birmingham Road, close to the Woodman Corner, and form the entrance to the East Stand car park. In December 2003, the board of directors unveiled plans to increase the stadium's capacity to 40,000 all-seated. However these plans were scraped as Albion slipped out of the Premiership in 2006.
There had been plans for the Halfords Lane Stand to be rebuilt, but these were shelved due to what Albion chairman Jeremy Peace
called "continuing levels of excess capacity". The stand was instead refurbished and became known as the West Stand, with the capacity reduced to 26,500. Plans were again announced to expland capacity after West Bromwich finished in their highest league position since 1983. The plans involved an increase of capacity to around 30,000 by 2014, regardless of league performance.
Constructed: 1979–1981
Refurbished: 2008
Capacity: 5,110 (seated)
Running along the west edge of the pitch and along Halford's Lane, the West Stand (formerly the Halford's Lane Stand) provided VIP seating before the advent of the new East Stand. The stand houses the main TV cameras as well as the press and commentary area. Chairman Jeremy Peace
had announced that there are plans for the Halfords Lane Stand to be demolished to make way for a single-tier, 10,000 seated stand within the next five years. This would raise the total stadium capacity to around 33,000. However, since Albion's relegation from the Premier League and a drop in attendances, this plan has been shelved for the time being, although Albion did regain their top flight status in 2008. The stand has instead been refurbished, cutting capacity from 28003 to 26,500.
Capacity: 8,286 (seated)
Affectionatly called the Brummie Road by supporters, the traditional Birmingham
Road End runs behind the goal, adjacent to the A41
. Traditionally it has always housed the core of the home support and was the main source of the so-called 'Albion roar. When a terrace, it traditionally held up to 14,000 passionate Baggies, but the stand which replaced it in 1994 holds over 8,000 all-seated spectators. Between this stand and the East Stand lies the Woodman corner, named after the Woodman pub which stood just behind it until its demolition in 2004. The Woodman corner is home to a large throstle mascot, which was originally perched above the old (terraced) Woodman corner, but was housed in the Halfords Lane stand for several seasons until the stadium redevelopments were completed. There are plans in place to expand the Woodman corner in the future.
Capacity: 5,816 (seated)
Running behind the goal at the southern edge of the pitch, the Smethwick End houses the away supporters though they are only allocated part of the stand, except for cup games. The remainder houses the most vocal of the home support. (If and when the new west stand is completed there may be a chance of the Smethwick End going to the visitors).
Capacity: 8,791 (seated)
Replacing the old Rainbow Stand, the East Stand now houses the club's administration offices, club shop, club ticket office and corporate entertainment suites. The wings of the East Stand are known as the Woodman corner (which joins up with the Birmingham Road End, and is named after the Woodman public house that stood there until 2004) and the Millennium Corner (adjacent to the Smethwick End).
Above the Woodman corner sits a giant effigy of a throstle, which had been a familiar feature of the ground for generations. It used to perch on the old scoreboard in the old (terraced) Woodman Corner; after the redevelopment of the ground in 1994 it was moved temporarily to the main stand in Halfords Lane, and it can now be seen back in its old position.
The Rainbow Stand was built in 1964, originally known as the East Stand, but gained the name Rainbow Stand over the next few years owing to its brightly painted seats. It originally consisted of standing accommodation in the lower section and seating in the upper section. However, a refurbishment project in 1977 saw the terracing replaced by executive boxes and seating. It survived until 2000, when it was demolished to make way for the new stand which opened in the 2000–01
season.http://www.oldgrounds.co.uk/rainbow_stand_west_brom.htm
2–0, while on 8 December 1924 they won 4–0 against Belgium. The Hawthorns hosted a 'B' international for the first time in February 1998, when England B
lost 2–1 to Chile. Two months later, a women's international friendly was hosted, Italy
winning 2–1 against England
.
The ground has additionally been the venue for other sporting events. In its early years, the ground was used for athletics meetings; in May 1908, Birchfield Harriers
used the Hawthorns for their Spring Meeting, which included the end of the first marathon
to be run in the Midlands. The runners covered 25 miles (40.2 km) from Coventry
to the Hawthorns, and one of them – Jack Price of Small Heath Harriers – was selected for the British team for the London Olympic Games
on the strength of his performance. The ground also hosted several England matches, the most recent being on October 20, 1945 when England lost 0–1 to Wales in front of 54,611 people. Also, two FA cup semi-finals have been staged at the ground. The first saw Derby County draw 1–1 to Sheffield United in 1902 and the second took place between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1960. Wolves won 1–0 in front of 55,596. In the late 1970s the Hawthorns was the venue for a cricket match between India and Pakistan, watched by 2,641 spectators, while in 2000 and 2001 the ground hosted Kabaddi
tournaments.On 11 January 1987, Telford United (a non league side playing some 30 miles away in Shropshire
) switched their FA Cup
tie against Leeds United
to the Hawthorns as they had refused to host it at their own stadium
as Leeds fans were notorious for hooliganism
at this time.
The stadium is served by the Hawthorns station
, which is both a railway station and Midland Metro
(tram) stop. The station is approximately 400 metres from the ground. Due to the large amount of fans travelling in both directions to and from the Hawthorns on matchdays, trains run more regularly at these times, and have been known to depart every ten minutes. This has helped to reduce the time taken for travelling fans to leave West Bromwich and return home.
Bus routes 74 and 75 pass the stadium along the A41
Birmingham Road, with services running between Birmingham
and Dudley
/Wednesbury
. The 450 bus stops on Halfords Lane but is rerouted approximately 1 hour before kick off as police close Halfords Lane. The ground is less than half a mile from Junction 1 of the M5 motorway
.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
, Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
ground to be built in the 19th century. At an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), it is the highest ground
Highest English football stadia by altitude
This is a partial list of English football stadiums, ranked in descending order of altitude.The list is not exhaustive but includes the top three teams from English League football...
among those of all 92 Premier League and Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
clubs.
Previous grounds
During the early years of the club, West Bromwich Albion led something of a nomadic existence, playing at five different grounds in a 22-year period. Their first ground was Cooper's Hill, which the club occupied from 1878 to 1879. From 1879 to 1881 they played at Dartmouth Park, although they may also have alternated between there and Cooper's Hill during this period. Albion's third ground was Bunn's Field, also known as The Birches, where they played for a single season in 1881–821881-82 in English football
The 1881–1882 season was the 11th season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played Ireland for the first time. Their 13–0 victory is still the team's largest ever win.* England score given first...
. With a capacity of 1500–2000, it was their first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time. The increasing popularity of football led the well-established West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club to rent their Four Acres ground to Albion from 1882 to 1885, but they quickly outgrew their new home and soon needed to move again. Albion's tenure of Stoney Lane, from 1885 to 1900, was arguably the most successful period in the club's history, as the club won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
twice and were runners-up three times.
History
Handsworth, West Midlands
Handsworth is an inner city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. The Local Government Act 1894 divided the ancient Staffordshire parish of Handsworth into two urban districts: Handsworth and Perry Barr. Handsworth was annexed to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1911...
. The area was covered in hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new ground, hence its name, the Hawthorns. The club signed a lease for the land on 14 May 1900, giving them the option to buy within 14 years from the owner, Sandwell Park Colliery, and Albion did indeed buy the freehold on the ground in June 1913.
When opened, the Hawthorns could hold around 35,500 spectators. The first match took place on Monday 3 September 1900, when Albion drew 1–1 with Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in front of a crowd of 20,104. Derby's England international Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer was an English footballer and manager who played for Derby County, Middlesbrough and England during the 1890s and 1900s. Bloomer remains a legend at Derby County and the club anthem, Steve Bloomer's Watchin', is played before every home game...
scored the first Hawthorns goal, with Chippy Simmons
Chippy Simmons
Charles "Chippy" Simmons was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward.- Biography :Simmons was born in West Bromwich and turned professional with West Bromwich Albion in April 1898...
equalizing for Albion. The first Saturday game followed soon after, with Albion losing out 0-1 to fierce local rivals Aston Villa in front of a capacity crowd. The 1900–01 campaign was not a successful one however, as Albion finished bottom of the table and were relegated to Division Two. Their defeat to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on the final day of the season was witnessed by just 1,050 spectators, which remains the record lowest crowd for a league game at the Hawthorns. The ground was gradually expanded and 1923 saw the first ever 50,000+ gate with 56474 watching a 2–1 win in the cup against Sunderland. The first 60,000+ gate followed in 1925, with 64,612 fans watching a cup tie with arch-rivals Aston Villa. The all-time attendance record at the Hawthorns was set on March 6, 1937, when 64,815 spectators crammed in to see Albion beat hot-favourites Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final. It is worth noting that this attendance was probably bettered, when Albion played Newcastle in a fifth round tie in 1954, when over 80,000 people turned up. The official crowd was put at 61,088. The highest ever league crowd was for a 1–1 draw 60,945 against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on March 4, 1950.
Concrete terracing was added to the ground in 1920. In 1949 the ground became the first in Britain to have an electronic turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
aggregator fitted, in order to automatically calculate attendances. In 1957 electric floodlights
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
were erected, at a cost of £18,000. The ground's first floodlit match saw Albion draw 1–1 with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, on 18 September 1957. Soon afterwards a friendly game against the Russian Red Army was organised to officially open them. Albion won 6–5 in front of 53,805 fans. The ground was once divided by the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
/Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
border, but was moved completely into the latter by a minor rationalisation of local government borders in the 1960s and is now entirely in Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
. In 1964 the large Handsworth Side terrace was replaced by the Rainbow Stand at a cost of £40,000, reducing capacity to around 50,000. Over the following decades capacity was further reduced and perimeter fences were built to help tackle hooliganism. The Halfords Lane stand was rebuilt in two separate phases between 1979 and 1982, at a cost of around £2.5 million.
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
, the ground became all-seated with first the Smethwick End and then the much-loved Birmingham Road End terraces being demolished and replaced by all-seater stands, giving it a capacity of more than 25,000. The official re-opening of the redeveloped ground saw Albion beat Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
1–0 on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
in 1994. During the mid-late 1990s there were proposals for Moseley Rugby Football Club
Moseley Rugby Football Club
Moseley Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club, based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that competes in the RFU Championship. The club was historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
to share the ground, but these never materialised. Albion celebrated the stadium's centenary on 3 September 2000 by beating Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
1–0 in a Division One match. In 2001 the Rainbow Stand was replaced by the new East Stand.
In 2002, the Hawthorns became the first ground to install big screens in the widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
format. The ground hosted its first Premier League match on 24 August 2002, with Albion losing 3–1 to Leeds United. Leeds player Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
scored the first Premier League goal on the ground. The Jeff Astle
Jeff Astle
Jeffrey "The King" Astle was an English footballer. He played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion, scoring 174 goals, and was one of the most iconic players in the history of the club...
gates, which commemorate one of Albion's greatest strikers, were unveiled on 11 July 2003. The gates are located on the Birmingham Road, close to the Woodman Corner, and form the entrance to the East Stand car park. In December 2003, the board of directors unveiled plans to increase the stadium's capacity to 40,000 all-seated. However these plans were scraped as Albion slipped out of the Premiership in 2006.
There had been plans for the Halfords Lane Stand to be rebuilt, but these were shelved due to what Albion chairman Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Roland Peace . Since June 2002 he has been the chairman of West Bromwich Albion F.C., a professional football club in the West Midlands, England.-Biography:...
called "continuing levels of excess capacity". The stand was instead refurbished and became known as the West Stand, with the capacity reduced to 26,500. Plans were again announced to expland capacity after West Bromwich finished in their highest league position since 1983. The plans involved an increase of capacity to around 30,000 by 2014, regardless of league performance.
West Stand
Refurbished: 2008
Capacity: 5,110 (seated)
Running along the west edge of the pitch and along Halford's Lane, the West Stand (formerly the Halford's Lane Stand) provided VIP seating before the advent of the new East Stand. The stand houses the main TV cameras as well as the press and commentary area. Chairman Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Peace
Jeremy Roland Peace . Since June 2002 he has been the chairman of West Bromwich Albion F.C., a professional football club in the West Midlands, England.-Biography:...
had announced that there are plans for the Halfords Lane Stand to be demolished to make way for a single-tier, 10,000 seated stand within the next five years. This would raise the total stadium capacity to around 33,000. However, since Albion's relegation from the Premier League and a drop in attendances, this plan has been shelved for the time being, although Albion did regain their top flight status in 2008. The stand has instead been refurbished, cutting capacity from 28003 to 26,500.
Birmingham Road End
Constructed: 1994Capacity: 8,286 (seated)
Affectionatly called the Brummie Road by supporters, the traditional Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Road End runs behind the goal, adjacent to the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
. Traditionally it has always housed the core of the home support and was the main source of the so-called 'Albion roar. When a terrace, it traditionally held up to 14,000 passionate Baggies, but the stand which replaced it in 1994 holds over 8,000 all-seated spectators. Between this stand and the East Stand lies the Woodman corner, named after the Woodman pub which stood just behind it until its demolition in 2004. The Woodman corner is home to a large throstle mascot, which was originally perched above the old (terraced) Woodman corner, but was housed in the Halfords Lane stand for several seasons until the stadium redevelopments were completed. There are plans in place to expand the Woodman corner in the future.
Smethwick End
Constructed: 1994–1995Capacity: 5,816 (seated)
Running behind the goal at the southern edge of the pitch, the Smethwick End houses the away supporters though they are only allocated part of the stand, except for cup games. The remainder houses the most vocal of the home support. (If and when the new west stand is completed there may be a chance of the Smethwick End going to the visitors).
East Stand
Constructed: 2001Capacity: 8,791 (seated)
Replacing the old Rainbow Stand, the East Stand now houses the club's administration offices, club shop, club ticket office and corporate entertainment suites. The wings of the East Stand are known as the Woodman corner (which joins up with the Birmingham Road End, and is named after the Woodman public house that stood there until 2004) and the Millennium Corner (adjacent to the Smethwick End).
Above the Woodman corner sits a giant effigy of a throstle, which had been a familiar feature of the ground for generations. It used to perch on the old scoreboard in the old (terraced) Woodman Corner; after the redevelopment of the ground in 1994 it was moved temporarily to the main stand in Halfords Lane, and it can now be seen back in its old position.
The Rainbow Stand was built in 1964, originally known as the East Stand, but gained the name Rainbow Stand over the next few years owing to its brightly painted seats. It originally consisted of standing accommodation in the lower section and seating in the upper section. However, a refurbishment project in 1977 saw the terracing replaced by executive boxes and seating. It survived until 2000, when it was demolished to make way for the new stand which opened in the 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season.http://www.oldgrounds.co.uk/rainbow_stand_west_brom.htm
Other uses
As well as serving as the home ground of West Bromwich Albion, the Hawthorns has hosted a number of other football matches. It has hosted two full England internationals: on 21 October 1922, England beat IrelandIreland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
2–0, while on 8 December 1924 they won 4–0 against Belgium. The Hawthorns hosted a 'B' international for the first time in February 1998, when England B
England B national football team
England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
lost 2–1 to Chile. Two months later, a women's international friendly was hosted, Italy
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...
winning 2–1 against England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
.
The ground has additionally been the venue for other sporting events. In its early years, the ground was used for athletics meetings; in May 1908, Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers
Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England.Named after the Birchfield district of Birmingham, their previous home , at nearby Perry Barr, was Alexander Sports Ground. It still carries their badge, a running stag, rendered in...
used the Hawthorns for their Spring Meeting, which included the end of the first marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
to be run in the Midlands. The runners covered 25 miles (40.2 km) from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
to the Hawthorns, and one of them – Jack Price of Small Heath Harriers – was selected for the British team for the London Olympic Games
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
on the strength of his performance. The ground also hosted several England matches, the most recent being on October 20, 1945 when England lost 0–1 to Wales in front of 54,611 people. Also, two FA cup semi-finals have been staged at the ground. The first saw Derby County draw 1–1 to Sheffield United in 1902 and the second took place between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1960. Wolves won 1–0 in front of 55,596. In the late 1970s the Hawthorns was the venue for a cricket match between India and Pakistan, watched by 2,641 spectators, while in 2000 and 2001 the ground hosted Kabaddi
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a South Asian team sport...
tournaments.On 11 January 1987, Telford United (a non league side playing some 30 miles away in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
) switched their FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
to the Hawthorns as they had refused to host it at their own stadium
New Bucks Head
New Bucks Head is a stadium in Telford, England and the home of Conference National football club A.F.C. Telford United. It was originally built for Telford United to play at before they went bankrupt. The stadium is on the same site as the original Bucks Head, which had been home to Telford...
as Leeds fans were notorious for hooliganism
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
at this time.
Records
- All-time Record Attendance: 64,815 v ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, March 6, 1937 (FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Sixth Round) - Modern All-Seated Record Attendance: 27,751 v PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, May 15, 2005 (Premier League)
Average attendances
- 2001–02: 23,655 (Football League Division One)
- 2002–03: 26,776 (Premier League)
- 2003–04: 24,765 (Football League Division One)
- 2004–05: 25,987 (Premier League)
- 2005–06: 25,404 (Premier League)
- 2006–07: 20,472 (Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
) - 2007–08: 22,314 (Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
) - 2008–09: 25,827 (Premier League)
- 2009–10: 22,199 (Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
) - 2010–11: 24,682 (Premier League)
Transport
The Hawthorns station
The Hawthorns station is a railway station and tram stop, opened in 1995 in Sandwell , near Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The station shares its name with the local football ground, The Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C., which it serves....
, which is both a railway station and Midland Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
(tram) stop. The station is approximately 400 metres from the ground. Due to the large amount of fans travelling in both directions to and from the Hawthorns on matchdays, trains run more regularly at these times, and have been known to depart every ten minutes. This has helped to reduce the time taken for travelling fans to leave West Bromwich and return home.
Bus routes 74 and 75 pass the stadium along the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
Birmingham Road, with services running between Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
/Wednesbury
Wednesbury
Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
. The 450 bus stops on Halfords Lane but is rerouted approximately 1 hour before kick off as police close Halfords Lane. The ground is less than half a mile from Junction 1 of the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
.