Key information about the Hawthorns

The Hawthorns was built in 1900 and is currently the home of West Bromwich Albion, who are, at this very moment at least, playing in the Championship. Located in Halfords Lane and at an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), the Hawthorns is the highest ground above sea level among all Premier League and Football League clubs.

Currently, it can seat up to 26,850 supporters and has a pitch size of 105m x 68m. There is also no running track around the ground but they do have undersoil heating installed. The surface is composed of natural grass combined with artificial fibres developed by Desso GrassMaster.

The record attendance stands at 64,815 supporters that witnessed the game vs Arsenal back in 1937.

A history of the Hawthorns

Even though the Hawthorns has been the home of West Bromwich Albion for more than 100 years, when it was built in 1900, it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. Indeed, Albion have been quite nomadic in their early years and the first game to be played at their current stadium was held on September 3 against Derby County, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The initial capacity at the ground was 35,500 because the club only had a 14-year lease on it. Albion would then buy the freehold for £5,350 in 1913, which would also kick-start the further improvements.

In 1920, concrete terracing was installed and by 1924, the capacity grew to 65,000. Soon after, they would record their highest ever attendance in the FA Cup against Arsenal, registering a total of 64,815 fans in the stands.

Further renovations were done over the years, including floodlights in 1947, an electronic turnstile aggregator, the first in whole Britain, in 1949, and then, in 1964, they also started work on the East Stand, which quickly became known as the ‘Rainbow’, on the site of the old Handsworth Stand.

In the 1990s, and following the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor report, the stadium was finally converted into an all-seater, replacing both terraces with all-seater stands.

However, in 2001, the Rainbow stand got demolished and a new East Stand was built in its place. Of course, there were further renovations such as the opening of the newly-refurbished West Stand, a £3million-plus makeover of Halfords Lane Stand, a new car park, new dressing rooms, dugout areas and tunnel, new executive boxes and a gantry.

After they placed a new surface on the pitch from 2011/12, they got a new irrigation system as well as undersoil heating. Works in 2014 boosted the capacity to the current 26,850.

Tickets to watch West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns

All the tickets to watch West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns can be purchased on the club’s official website. While the price is generally not high, it does depend on the age of the buyer and the location in the stands. The highest ticket price for an adult is £23 and the cheapest stands at £20.

There is also an option to buy season tickets, which can also be found on the aforementioned website, but as is the case with most clubs, there is usually a waiting list and only the current season ticket holders can renew their tickets while others have to wait for one to become available first.

https://www.wba.co.uk/ - Official website of West Bromwich Albion

https://www.wba.co.uk/tickets/ - West Bromwich Albion Ticket Office