The Hawthorns

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Key facts

Club: West Bromwich Albion | Opening: 1900 | Capacity: 26,287 seats

History and description

The Hawthorns officially opened on the 3rd of September 1900 with a match between West Brom and Derby County (1-1). Construction had only taken four months and the ground could hold 35,500 supporters.

West Brom initially only had a lease for 14 years, but bought the freehold in 1913. With funds coming in from successes on the pitch, the club gradually started expanding the stadium. In 1920, new concrete terraces were built that brought capacity  to 65,000.

The Hawthorns recorded its highest attendance in 1937 when 64,815 people saw West Bromwich play Arsenal.

Only minor improvements were made in the following decades until the construction of a new East Stand in 1964. The stand got soon known as “The Rainbow” due to its 4,000 brightly-coloured seats. Part of the old East Stand was subsequently used to built a new stand at the Birmingham Road End.

By the late 1970s the Halfords Lane Stand had fallen into disrepair and over a three-year period a new stand was built in its place.

In the 1990s, after the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor report, the stadium got converted into an all-seater. This meant that both terraces at the ends were replaced by two new all-seater stands.

The Hawthorns underwent its final change in 2001 when the Rainbow Stand got demolished and a new East Stand was built in its place.

West Brom is currently investigating the possibilities of expanding The Hawthorns to a capacity of over 30,000, most likely by adding an extra tier on the West Stand (Halfords Lane Stand). No final announcement has been made yet.

(photos of the present The Hawthorns below)

Getting there

The Hawthorns is located in West Bromwich, a town pegged on the north-western edge of the Birmingham urban area. The stadium lies about 1.5 miles south-east from West Bromwich High Street and 4 miles north from Birmingham’s city centre.

The Hawthorns is situated at just half a mile from the M5 motorway. Take junction 1 and then the A41 in the direction of Birmingham City Centre (east). The stadium will be quickly visible on the right side of the road.

From Birmingham the stadium can be reached by taking the A41 west towards the M5. It is located on the left side of the road.

The Hawthorns lies a 5-minute walk away from The Hawthorns rail station, which is served by trains as well as overground metro.

The metro can be boarded at Birmingham Snow Hill station in Birmingham’s city centre. Get off at The Hawthorns after a 10-minute ride. The metro continues to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton city centres.

Trains depart from Birmingham Moor Street station, also in Birmingham’s city centre, and arrive at The Hawthorns after a 10 to 15-minute journey.

Buses 74 and 75 (from Birmingham) and 79 (from Wolverhampton) also serve the stadium. Get off at Birmingham Road.

Address: Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B71 4LF

Eat, drink, and sleep

The Hawthorns is located in an area that is a mix of light industry, offices, and some residential housing. There is little around, and while there are a few pubs at walking distance, eating and drinking in Birmingham city centre may be a better option.

If you wish to stay as close as possible to the stadium, the Park Inn at junction 1 of the M5 is a very decent option. The walk to The Hawthorns only takes 10 minutes. Nearer to West Bromwich town centre there are a Premier Inn and The Hare & Five Hounds Hotel. They get very good reviews and can (just) be walked from.

For all hotels near The Hawthorns click here. Of course, you can just as well stay in Birmingham’s city centre, which has easy transport connections to the stadium.

Tickets

Tickets for West Bromwich Albion games can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 0871 271 9780, or at the ticket office at the stadium.

If enough tickets remain, these may also be available at the gates of the stadium on the day of the match. In a typical season West Brom sells out about a third of its home matches.

West Bromwich has defined two pricing categories for match tickets. Tickets for category A matches, the more expensive, cost £39.00 for all stands. Category B tickets, the cheaper ones, go for a flat fee of £25.00.

For more information email tickets@wbafc.co.uk.

Attendances

Photos

Relevant Internet links

Wba.co.uk – Official website of West Bromwich Albion.
Nxbus.co.uk – West Midlands public transport information.
Nationalrail.co.uk – Check train times and fares.