Editing West Bromwich Albion F.C. (section)

==Stadium==
{{Main|The Hawthorns|Stoney Lane|West Bromwich Albion F.C. former grounds}}
[[File:West brom stadium.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[The Hawthorns]], home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
The speed with which the club became established following its foundation is illustrated by the fact that it outgrew four successive grounds in its first seven years. The first was Cooper's Hill, where they played from 1878 to 1879. From 1879 to 1881, they appear to have alternated between Cooper's Hill and Dartmouth Park.<ref>''Full Throstle'' DVD 0:05:36</ref> During the 1881–82 season, they played at Bunn's Field, also known as the Birches. This had a capacity of between 1,500 and 2,000,<ref>''Full Throstle'' DVD 0:06:37</ref> and was Albion's first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time.<ref name="Complete Record p64"/> From 1882 to 1885, as the popularity of football increased, Albion rented the Four Acres ground from the well-established West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club. But they quickly outgrew this new home and soon needed to move again. From 1885 to 1900, Albion played at [[Stoney Lane]]; their tenure of this ground was arguably the most successful period in the club's history, as they won the FA Cup twice and were runners-up three times.<ref>"Matthews (1987) pp.233-234"</ref>

[[File:Throstle at the Hawthorns.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The throstle effigy has been a feature of the Woodman corner since the 1970s.]]
By 1900, when the lease on Stoney Lane expired, the club needed a bigger ground yet again and so made its last move to date. All of Albion's previous grounds had been close to the centre of West Bromwich, but on this occasion they took up a site on the town's border with [[Handsworth, West Midlands|Handsworth]] and [[Smethwick]]. The new ground was named [[The Hawthorns]], after the [[Common hawthorn|hawthorn]] bushes that covered the area and were cleared to make way for it.<ref>''Full Throstle'' DVD 0:15:16</ref> Albion drew 1–1 with [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] in the first match at the stadium, on 3 September 1900.<ref>Matthews (2007) p. 79.</ref> The record attendance at the Hawthorns was on 6 March 1937, when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beat [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final.<ref>Matthews (2007) pp. 83–84.</ref> The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium in the 1990s, in order to comply with the recommendations of the [[Taylor Report]].<ref name="Grounds for debate">{{cite web
| title = The Hawthorns
| url = http://www.wba.co.uk/club/the_hawthorns.aspx
| publisher = West Bromwich Albion F.C.
| date = 2 July 2012
| access-date = 7 January 2013
| archive-date = 16 January 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116060901/http://www.wba.co.uk/club/the_hawthorns.aspx
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> Its capacity today is 26,688,<ref name="Grounds for debate"/> the four stands being known respectively as the Birmingham Road End, Smethwick End, East Stand and West Stand (Halfords Lane).<ref name="Stadium Plan">{{cite web
| title = Stadium Plan
| url = http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/StadiumPlan/0,,10366,00.html
| publisher = West Bromwich Albion F.C.
| date = 21 August 2008
| access-date = 13 December 2008
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081212175628/http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/StadiumPlan/0%2C%2C10366%2C00.html
| archive-date = 12 December 2008
| df = dmy-all
}}</ref> At an altitude of 551&nbsp;feet (168&nbsp;m) above sea level, the Hawthorns is the highest of all the 92 Premier League and Football League grounds.<ref>Matthews (2007) p. 72.</ref>

[[File:Astle gates 02 (4748142515).jpg|thumb|right|The Jeff Astle gates at The Hawthorns.]]
The Hawthorns is certificated under the highest [[UEFA]] pitch surfaces which means it is ready to host almost any competition if required.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wba.co.uk/club/the-hawthorns/history-of-the-hawthorns/|title=History of The Hawthorns|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.|access-date=21 September 2019|archive-date=29 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829001632/https://www.wba.co.uk/club/the-hawthorns/history-of-the-hawthorns/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The stadium's West Stand has the potential to be developed over the Halfords Lane at the back of the stand to allow for an upper tier, bringing the capacity of The Hawthorns to around 30,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2011/05/17/west-brom-reveals-plan-to-expand-hawthorn-stadium/|title=Chairman reveals stadium plans|publisher=Construction Enquirer|date=7 June 2011|access-date=21 September 2019|archive-date=21 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921163516/http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2011/05/17/west-brom-reveals-plan-to-expand-hawthorn-stadium/|url-status=live}}</ref>

West Bromwich Albion own retail outlets around The Hawthorns, including its Stadium Megastore and seasonally a club store in [[West Bromwich]] town centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2014/11/01/baggies-open-west-brom-store/|title=Baggies open West Brom town centre store|date=November 2014 |publisher=Express and Star|access-date=21 September 2019|archive-date=21 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921163516/https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2014/11/01/baggies-open-west-brom-store/|url-status=live}}</ref> They also own the former Hawthorns Pub, a [[Grade II listed]] building behind the West Stand on the corner of Halfords Lane and the Birmingham Road. This has served as the official club fanzone with licensed bars, live music, fan favourites – such as mascots and children activities – as well as being shared with a high street food outlet. The pub competes with The Vine pub in Roebuck Lane, a popular destination for visiting and home football fans year-round.
{{wide image|The Hawthorns 2013-12-21.jpg|900px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.}}