West Brom - Chelsea

The Hawthorns officially opened on 3 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. 
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 has been investigating the possibilities of expanding The Hawthorns to a capacity of over 30,000, most likely by adding an extra tier to the West Stand (Halfords Lane Stand), however these plans have been shelved for the moment due to the club not consistently selling out their current capacity.

How to get to The Hawthorns

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 stadium 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.

If coming 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.

Capacity: 26,287 seats