History and description

On 3 September 1900, the Hawthorns officially opened with a match between West Brom and Derby County. Construction had only taken four months and the ground could hold 35,500 supporters. When the second incarnation of the league was formed in 1953, West Brom were one of the founding members and the new ground had an official capacity of 80,000. West Brom initially only had a lease for 14 years, but bought the freehold in 1913. The club gradually started expanding the stadium over time with funds coming in from successes on the pitch. In 1920, new concrete terraces were built that increased stadium capacity to 65,000. When the second incarnation of the league was formed in 1953, West Brom were one of the founding members and the new ground had an official capacity of 80,000.

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

No significant changes were made in the following decades until a new East Stand was constructed in 1964. The stand became known as "The Rainbow" due to its 4,000 brightly-colored seats. A part of the old East Stand was subsequently used to build a new stand at the Birmingham Road End.

The Halfords Lane Stand was demolished in 1984 and a new stand was built in its place.

In the 1990s, after the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor report, converted into an all-seater stadium, which means 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 has been investigating the feasibility of expanding The Hawthorns to a capacity of over 30,000. Most likely, this expansion would be done by adding an extra tier to the West Stand (Halfords Lane Stand). However, due to the club not consistently selling out their current capacity, these plans have been temporarily shelved.

(photos of the present The Hawthorns below)

How to get to The Hawthorns

The Hawthorns is located in West Bromwich, which is located on the north-western edge of the Birmingham urban area. It lies about 1.5 miles south-east from West Bromwich High Street and 4 miles north from Birmingham City Centre. The stadium is situated 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.

If coming from Birmingham, the stadium can be reached by taking the A41 west. It is located on the left side of the road.

The Hawthorns is located a 5-minute walk away from the Hawthorns rail station, which is served by trains and 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 and arrive at The Hawthorns after a 10-15 minute journey.

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

Address: Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B71 4LF

Eat, drink, and sleep near The Hawthorns

The Hawthorns is located in an area which 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, it is advisable to stay at the Park Inn at junction 1 of the M5. The walk to The Hawthorns only takes 10 minutes. Otherwise, there are no hotels near the stadium.

Alternatively, a stay in the nearby town of Solihull offers some prime shopping opportunities and easy access to Birmingham city centre. For an overview of all hotels near The Hawthorns, please click here. Of course, for most it makes more sense to stay in Birmingham's city centre, from where it's a quick journey to the stadium. Alternatively, a stay in the nearby town of Solihull offers some prime shopping opportunities and easy access to Birmingham city centre.

West Brom Tickets

Tickets for West Bromwich Albion games can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 0871 271 9780, or at the stadium ticket office. If tickets are still available, they can be bought at the ticket office of the stadium on the day of the match. West Brom's attendance has dropped somewhat in recent years, and for most games tickets will easily be available if bought in advance or even on the day.

West Bromwich have defined three ticket pricing categories for matches at the club's home stadium. Tickets in Category A cost £39.00 for all stands, Category B tickets go for £30.00, and Category C tickets cost £25.00.

You can find a seating plan here. For more information, please email [email protected]

Relevant Internet links

The official website of West Bromwich Albion, the public transport information website Nxbus, and the train times and fares website Nationalrail are all excellent resources for travelers in the West Midlands region. I am a finnish fan visiting Hawthorns for the first time in September 1957. In those days, WBA was one of the top teams in English football in competition with "wolves?" and AVilla. My following visits have been in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1998, 2004, 2010 and 2015. Today I follow Premier League on TV. During the last years WBA has played a boring football and I think relegation is the result this year. Best regards, Goran R.

I am a fan of the Finnish football (soccer) club, Helsingin Veikkaus-Brooksbyäidit, visiting Hawthorns for the first time in September 1957. In those days, Hawthorns was one of the top teams in English football competing with “wolves” and AVilla. My following visits have been in 1980 and 2010, totalling 14 times. My last visit was in autumn 2010 combined with my final business trip to Enland. Today I follow Premier league on TV. During the last years Hawthorns has played a boring football, and I think relegation is the result in May this year. Best regards, Goran R.