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"Hawthorns" redirects here. For other uses, see Hawthorn (disambiguation).
The Hawthorns
The Shrine
Full name The Hawthorns
Location West Bromwich, England
Built 1900
Opened September 1900
Renovated 2001 East Stand
Demolished Refurbishment of Halfords Lane
Owner West Bromwich Albion
Operator West Bromwich Albion
Surface Grass
Construction cost £7. West Bromwich ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 5 Million for East Stand
Tenants
West Bromwich Albion F.C. (1900-present)
Capacity
28,003 all-seater[1]
Field dimensions
115 x 74 m

The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, England, with a capacity of 28,003. West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting West Bromwich ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 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. West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are The following are the Association football events of the year 1900 throughout the world The ground was (depending on one's definition) either the first Football League ground to be built in the 20th century or the last built in the 19th century. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar At an altitude of 551 feet (168 metres), it is the highest ground among those of all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit This is a partial list of English football stadia, ranked in descending order of Altitude. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs

Contents

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 Coopers 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 Coopers Hill during this period. [2]

Albion's third ground was Bunns Field, also known as The Birches, where they played for a single season in 1881–82. With a capacity of 1500–2000,[2] it was their first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time. [3] 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 Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after

History

Fans spill on to the pitch following Albion's escape from relegation in 2005.
Fans spill on to the pitch following Albion's escape from relegation in 2005.
The Jeff Astle gates at The Hawthorns
The Jeff Astle gates at The Hawthorns

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. Jeffrey (Jeff Astle ( 13 May 1942 &ndash 19 January 2002) was an English footballer. 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. Handsworth ( is an inner city suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. The area was covered in hawthorn bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new ground, hence its name, The Hawthorns. Crataegus monogyna, known as Common Hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia [2] 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,[4] and Albion did indeed buy the freehold on the ground in June 1913. [2]

The first match at The Hawthorns took place on 3 September 1900, when Albion drew 1–1 with Derby County. Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. Derby's England international Steve Bloomer scored the first Hawthorns goal, with Chippy Simmons equalizing for Albion. Steve Bloomer (born January 20 1874, Cradley Worcestershire; died April 16 1938, Derby) was an English Charles "Chippy" Simmons ( 9 September 1878 &ndash 12 December 1937) was an English footballer who played as a 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. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. [5] The attendance record at the Hawthorns was set on March 6, 1937, when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beat Arsenal 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final. The highest league crowd was 60,945 against Wolves on March 4, 1950, a game that finished 1–1.

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. A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of Gate which allows one person to pass at a time [6] In 1957 electric floodlights were erected, at a cost of £18,000. The broad-beamed strong artificial lights known as floodlights are often used to illuminate large or outdoor Playing fields while a sports event is being held during low-light The ground's first floodlit match saw Albion draw 1–1 with Chelsea, on 18 September, 1957. [6] The ground used to be 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. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Smethwick (pronounced 'Smethick' is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 History of the Borough The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the County boroughs of Warley (associated with Worcestershire In the 1990s, following the Taylor Report, the ground became all-seated, with both the Smethwick End and Birmingham Road End terraces being demolished to make way for brand new all-seater stands. 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 During the mid-late 1990s there were proposals for Moseley Rugby Football Club to share the ground, but these never materialised. Moseley Rugby Football Club are an English Rugby union club based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that compete in National Division Albion celebrated the Hawthorns' centenary on 3 September 2000 by beating Crystal Palace 1–0 in a Division One match. A century (from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred is One hundred consecutive Years Centuries are numbered ordinally (e Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. [7] In 2001 the old 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. A widescreen image is a film computer or television image with a wider and shorter aspect ratio than the standard Academy frame developed during the Classical [6] The ground hosted its first Premier League match on 24 August 2002, with Albion losing 3–1 to Leeds United. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Leeds player Harry Kewell scored the first Premier League goal on the ground. Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978 in Sydney, New South Wales) is a professional footballer who plays for Galatasaray. [8] The Jeff Astle gates, which commemorate one of Albion's greatest strikers, were unveiled on 11 July 2003. Jeffrey (Jeff Astle ( 13 May 1942 &ndash 19 January 2002) was an English footballer. [9] 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 have yet to be materialised, as Albion slipped out of the Premiership in 2006, and are unlikely to go ahead unless Albion ever establish themselves as a Premiership club. In September 2007, Albion chairman Jeremy Peace announced that a refurbishment of the Halfords Lane Stand could take place as early as that season, i. Jeremy Roland Peace (born 13 August, 1956 in West Bromwich) is an English company director e. 2007–08. Previous plans to rebuild the stand were shelved due to what Peace called "continuing levels of excess capacity". [10]

Stands

Halfords Lane Stand/West Stand

The Halford's Lane Stand and Smethwick End (exterior).
The Halford's Lane Stand and Smethwick End (exterior).

Constructed: 1979–1981
Capacity: 5,110 (seated)

Running along the west edge of the pitch, the Halfords Lane Stand provided VIP seating before the advent of the new East Stand. A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance 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. Jeremy Roland Peace (born 13 August, 1956 in West Bromwich) is an English company director 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. Instead, there are plans to refurbish the stand instead due to its age.

Birmingham Road End

Constructed: 1994–1995
Capacity: 8,286 (seated)

Better known to supporters as the Brummie Road, the traditional Birmingham Road End runs behind the goal, adjacent to the A41. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um The A41 is a formerly-major Trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although as stated below it has now largely been Traditionally housing the core of the home support, its role has been somewhat stolen by the Smethwick End in recent years. Smethwick (pronounced 'Smethick' is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. 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. The Song Thrush ( Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia.

Smethwick End

Constructed: 1994–1995
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 generally only allocated part of the stand, the remainder housing 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: 2001
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. The Song Thrush ( Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. 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.

Other uses

As well as serving as the home ground of West Bromwich Albion, The Hawthorns has also hosted a number of other sporting events over the years. In its early years, the ground was also 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. Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham 's Alexander Stadium, England. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The runners covered 25 miles 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. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London The Hawthorns has hosted two full England internationals. On 21 October 1922, England beat Ireland 2–0, while on 8 December 1924 they won 4–0 against Belgium. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This article deals with the Irish Football Association team up to 1950 when it last picked players from outside Northern Ireland Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. [11] In the late 1970s the ground was the venue for a cricket match between India and Pakistan, watched by 2,641 spectators. The Indian cricket team is an international Cricket team representing India. The Pakistan National Cricket Team is an international Cricket team representing Pakistan. [12]

Records and statistics

Records

Average attendances

Transport

The stadium is served by The Hawthorns station, which is both a railway station and Midland Metro (tram) stop. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons The Hawthorns station is a Railway station and Tram stop, opened in 1995 in Sandwell (very near the border with Birmingham) Jewellry Quarter railway station train and tram - Birmingham - 2005-10-14 The station is approximately 400 metres from the ground.

Bus routes 74 and 79 pass the stadium along the Birmingham Road, with services running between Birmingham and Dudley/Wolverhampton. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Dudley ( is a large town in the West Midlands, England, with a population of 194919. The 450 bus stops on Halfords Lane but is rerouted approximately 1 hour before kick off as police close Halfords Lane.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Matthews (2007) p70. This is a list of English football stadia, ranked in descending order of capacity. "2006 – With extra seating, the capacity of The Hawthorns rose to 28,003. "
  2. ^ a b c d Adrian Chiles (presenter). Adrian Chiles (born 21 March 1967 in Hagley, Worcestershire England) is an English television and radio presenter (2005). Full Throstle: The Official History of West Bromwich Albion [DVD]. Manchester, England: Paul Doherty International. Retrieved on 2007-12-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Cat No. WBADVD05.
  3. ^ Matthews (2007) p64.
  4. ^ Inglis pp173–175
  5. ^ Matthews (2007) p198
  6. ^ a b c Grounds for debate. West Bromwich Albion F. C. (2007-05-14). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Retrieved on 2007-08-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great.
  7. ^ "Ton up Albion sink Palace", BBC Sport, 2000-09-03. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Retrieved on 2007-11-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw  
  8. ^ "Leeds crush Baggies", BBC Sport, 2002-08-24. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Retrieved on 2007-07-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples  
  9. ^ Astle Gates. BOING (2003-07-11). Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great.
  10. ^ "Stand set for revamp", West Bromwich Albion F. C. , 2007-09-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare  
  11. ^ Matthews (1987) p238–239
  12. ^ Matthews (2007) p332.

References

External links

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