“ The Baggies ” redirects here. For other uses, see Baggies ( disambiguation )
Football club
West Bromwich Albion Football Club ( ), normally referred to as West Brom, is an english professional football cabaret based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has played at its home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900. albion was one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, the first professional football league in the world. The club has spent the majority of its being in the acme tier of English football, where as of 2020–21 it has played for 82 seasons. The club has been champions of England once, in 1919–20, and has been runner-up doubly. Albion teams have reached ten-spot FA Cup finals and won the Cup on five occasions. The first gain came in 1888, the year the league was founded, and the most holocene in 1968, the clubhouse ‘s last major trophy. It besides won the Football League Cup at the first attack in 1966. The baseball club ‘s longest continuous time period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it spent its longest ever spell out of the top division. The team has played in dark blue blasphemous and white stripes for most of the golf club ‘s history, and the club badge features a throstle perched on a hawthorn branch. Albion has a issue of long-standing rivalries with early West Midlands clubs, with its traditional rivals being Aston Villa and Wolves. Albion contests the Black Country derby with the latter .
history [edit ]
early years ( 1878–1950 ) [edit ]
West Bromwich Albion competing in the 1887 FA Cup Final The club was founded as West Bromwich Strollers in 1878 by workers from George Salter ‘s bounce Works in West Bromwich, in the Black Country. [ 2 ] They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880, becoming the first team to adopt the Albion suffix ; Albion was a zone of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked, close to what is nowadays Greets Green. [ 2 ] The club joined the Birmingham & District Football Association in 1881 and became eligible for their first contest, the Birmingham Cup. They reached the quarter-finals, beating respective longer-established clubs on the means. In 1883, Albion won their first trophy, the Staffordshire Cup. albion joined the Football Association in the same year ; this enabled them to enter the FA Cup for the first clock in the 1883–84 season. [ 3 ] In 1885 the golf club turned professional, [ 4 ] and in 1886 they reached the FA Cup final examination for the first time, losing 2–0 to Blackburn Rovers in a play back. They reached the final again in 1887, but lost 2–0 to Aston Villa. In 1888 the team won the trophy for the first time, beating potent favourites Preston North End 2–1 in the final. [ 5 ] As FA Cup winners, they qualified to play in a Football World Championship game against scottish Cup winners Renton, which ended in a 4–1 frustration. [ 6 ]
The Albion team of 1888, FA Cup winners and Football League collapse members In March 1888, William McGregor wrote to what he considered to be the top five english teams, including Albion, informing them of his intention to form an association of clubs that would play each other dwelling and away each season. therefore when the Football League started later that year, Albion became one of the twelve laminitis members. [ 7 ] Albion ‘s second FA Cup success came in 1892, beating Aston Villa 3–0. They met Villa again in the 1895 final, but lost 1–0. The team suffered delegating to Division Two in 1900–01, their first season at The Hawthorns. [ 8 ] They were promoted as champions the follow season but relegated again in 1903–04. [ 9 ] The club won the Division Two championship once more in 1910–11, and the following season reached another FA Cup Final, where they were defeated by Second Division Barnsley in a replay. [ 10 ] Albion won the Football League title in 1919–20 for the merely time in their history following the end of World War I, their totals of 104 goals and 60 points both breaking the previous league records. [ 11 ] The team finished as Division One runner-up in 1924–25, narrowly losing out to Huddersfield Town, but were relegated in 1926–27. [ 12 ] In 1930–31, they won promotion deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the FA Cup, beating Birmingham 2–1 in the final. [ 13 ] The “ double ” of winning the FA Cup and promotion has not been achieved before or since. [ 14 ] Albion reached the final again in 1935, losing to Sheffield Wednesday, but were relegated three years late. [ 15 ] They gained promotion in 1948–49, [ 16 ] and there followed the baseball club ‘s longest unbroken spell in the top fledge of English football, a sum of 24 years. [ 17 ] [ 18 ]
Success and refuse ( 1950–1992 ) [edit ]
In 1953–54, Albion came close to being the beginning team in the twentieth century to win the League and Cup double. They succeeded in winning the FA Cup, beating Preston North End 3–2, but injuries and a loss of human body towards the end of the season meant that they finished as runner-up to fierce rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league. [ 19 ] Nonetheless, Albion became known for their sword of fluent, attacking football, with the 1953–54 slope being hailed as the “ team of the Century ”. One national newspaper went so far as to suggest that the team be chosen en masse to represent England at the 1954 FIFA World Cup finals. [ 20 ] They remained one of the top English sides for the remainder of the ten, reaching the semi-final of the 1957 FA Cup and achieving three consecutive top five finishes in Division One between 1957–58 and 1959–60. Although their league form was less impressive during the 1960s, the second gear half of the decade saw West Brom establish a reputation as a successful cup side. albion entered the Football League Cup for the beginning clock time in 1965–66 and, under coach Jimmy Hagan, won the concluding by defeating West Ham United 5–3 on aggregate. That was the last two-legged final examination and, the succeed year, Albion reached the final again, the first played at Wembley. They lost 3–2 to Third Division Queens Park Rangers after being 2–0 up at half-time. [ 21 ] Albion ‘s cup form continued under Hagan ‘s successor Alan Ashman. He guided the club to their last major trophy to date, the 1968 FA Cup, when they beat Everton in extra time thanks to a individual goal from Jeff Astle. [ 22 ] Albion reached the FA Cup semi-final and european Cup Winners Cup quarter-final in 1969, and were defeated 2–1 by Manchester City in the 1970 League Cup Final. [ 23 ] The club were less successful during the reign of Don Howe, and were relegated to Division Two at the end of 1972–73, [ 24 ] but gained promotion three years by and by under the guidance of player-manager Johnny Giles. [ 25 ] Under Ron Atkinson, Albion reached the 1978 FA Cup semi-final but lost to Ipswich Town. [ 26 ] In May of that year, Albion became the beginning English professional team to play in China, going unbeaten on their five-game trip. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] In 1978–79, the team finished third in Division One, their highest station for over 20 years, and besides reached the UEFA Cup quarter-final, where they were defeated by Red Star Belgrade. [ 29 ] The team around this time was luminary for simultaneously fielding three black players : Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson ; and is considered to be an integral separate of the credence of black footballers in the English leagues. [ 30 ] In his second go as director, Ronnie Allen guided the team to both domestic cup semi-finals in 1981–82. [ 31 ] The mid-1980s saw the starting signal of Albion ‘s longest and deepest decline. They were relegated in 1985–86 with the worst commemorate in the club ‘s history, [ 32 ] beginning a menstruation of 16 years outside the top escape. Five years late, the club were relegated to the Third Division for the first base and entirely clock. [ 33 ]
holocene years ( 1992–present ) [edit ]
Chart of historic postpone positions of West Bromwich Albion in the Football League Albion had spent the majority of their history in the top-flight of English football, but when the Premier League was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third grade, which had been renamed Division Two. In 1992–93, Albion finished one-fourth and entered the play-offs for the first time. Albion ‘s first appearance at Wembley for over 20 years – and their last at the original stadium – saw them beat Port Vale 3–0 to return to the second grade – immediately renamed the First Division. [ 34 ] Manager Ossie Ardiles then joined Tottenham Hotspur, however, and a succession of managers over the following few seasons saw Albion consolidate their Division One condition without ever mounting a good forwarding challenge .
The Great Escape, 15 May 2005. Fans entered the pitch after the club survived relegation having been in last place during the final day of the season. Crowd scenes following, 15 May 2005. Fans entered the pitch after the club survived delegating having been in last position during the final day of the season. The appointee of Gary Megson in March 2000 heralded an upturn in the club ‘s fortunes. Megson guided Albion to Division One condom in 1999–2000, and to the play-offs a class subsequently. He went on to lead the club to promotion to the Premier League in 2001–02. [ 35 ] After being relegated in their first Premier League season, [ 36 ] they made an immediate return to the top flight in 2003–04. [ 37 ] In 2004–05, Megson ‘s successor, former Albion midfielder Bryan Robson, led the team to a last-day “ Great Escape ”, when Albion became the first Premier League club to avoid relegation having been bottom of the mesa at Christmas, angstrom well as bottomland on the final day of the season. [ G ] [ 38 ] They failed to avoid the dismiss the follow temper, [ 39 ] and Robson was replaced by Tony Mowbray in October 2006. [ 40 ] The club competed in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2007, but lost 1–0 to Derby County. [ 41 ] The follow season, Mowbray led the Baggies to Wembley again, this time in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they lost 1–0 to Portsmouth. [ 42 ] One month late, Albion were promoted to the Premier League as winners of the Championship, [ 43 ] but were relegated at the end of the 2008–09 campaign. [ 44 ] Mowbray left the club and was replaced by Roberto Di Matteo, [ 45 ] who led the club spinal column to the Premier League at the first attempt, [ 46 ] but was dismissed in February 2011 and replaced by Roy Hodgson. [ 47 ] Hodgson guided Albion to an 11th-place coating for the 2010–11 season. [ 48 ] then followed an eight-season continuous campaign in the Premier League. It included an 8th-place polish in 2012–13 under Steve Clarke, [ 49 ] and 10th-place finishes under Roy Hodgson in 2011–12 [ 50 ] and Tony Pulis in 2016–17. [ 51 ] On 5 August 2016, it was announced that long-run owner Jeremy Peace had sold the club to a chinese investment group headed up by Lai Guochuan. [ 52 ] By this time, the golf club had already begun to fall into a state of torpor, and were relegated to the championship at the end of the 2017–18 season, ending their eight-year Premier League persist. [ 53 ] Pulis [ 54 ] and his successor Alan Pardew were both sacked during the season. Albion finished fourthly in their inaugural season back in the Championship under the management of Darren Moore, and later, caretaker coach James Shan, losing the Championship play-off semi-final against Aston Villa on penalties. [ 55 ] Slaven Bilić took over as boss on 13 June 2019, [ 56 ] and led Albion to automatic promotion back to the Premier League during the 2019–20 season. [ 57 ] After a hapless start to liveliness back in the Premier League, Bilić was sacked on 16 December 2020. [ 58 ] Sam Allardyce was appointed as his substitution the same day. [ 59 ] After Albion were relegated from the Premier League during the 2020–21 season, Allardyce resigned from his position as director. [ 60 ] The clubhouse appointed Valérien Ismaël as his substitute ahead of the 2021–22 season. [ 61 ]
Crest and colours [edit ]
badge [edit ]
West Bromwich Albion club badge c. 1900–2006 Albion ‘s independent club badge dates back to the former 1880s, when cabaret secretary Tom Smith suggested that a song thrush ( birdcall thrush ) sitting on a crossbar be adopted for the badge. [ 62 ] [ B ] The badge has been subject to assorted revisions since then. [ 63 ] It has always featured a song thrush, normally on a blue and white striped shield, although the crossbar was replaced with a hawthorn branch at some detail after the club ‘s motion to the Hawthorns. The song thrush was chosen because the public house in which the team used to change kept a positron emission tomography thrush in a cage. It besides gave ascend to Albion ‘s early nickname, the Throstles. The hawthorn pubic hair is besides a darling bush of throstles, which were regularly seen on the pre-stadium estate of the realm and local sphere. a late as the 1930s, a cage throstle was placed beside the touchline during matches and it was said that it only used to sing if Albion were winning. [ 62 ] In 1979, an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at the Hawthorns, [ 64 ] and was returned to the same area of the ground following renovation in the early on 2000s. [ 65 ] In 1975, a version of the badge ( on a annulet rather than a shield ) was granted by the College of Arms to the Football League for licensing to the club. The badge was described in heraldic coat of arms as, “ On a roundel paly of thirteen argent and azure a mistle thrush perched on a raspberry branch leaved and fructed proper. ” This is the alone know occasion on which the ramify has been described as a raspberry branch preferably than a hawthorn branch : Rodney Dennys, the officeholder of arms creditworthy, may have been imperfectly briefed. [ 66 ] The badge was re-designed in 2006, incorporating the name of the cabaret for the first time. The newly plan aimed to safeguard and consolidate the club ‘s identity. [ 67 ] Prior to this, the main club badge rarely coincided with that wear on the first team leach. No badge appeared on the kit for most of the club ‘s history, although the Stafford knot featured on the team new jersey for region of the 1880s. [ 68 ] The West Bromwich town arms were worn on the players ‘ shirts for the 1931, 1935 and 1954 FA Cup finals. The town ‘s Latin motto, “ Labor omnia vincit “, translates as “ labor conquers all things ” or “ work conquers all ”. The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000, [ C ] with the song thrush moved to the collar of the shirts. Albion ‘s first regular shirt badge appeared in the deep 1960s and early 1970s where it was blue. Although it featured the song thrush, it did not include the blasphemous and blank striped shield of the club badge. [ 69 ] A similar design was besides used during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the mid-1970s, a more abstract version of the song thrush was used on the baseball club ‘s shirts, while in the late 1970s through to the mid-1980s, an embroider WBA logo was displayed, a common abbreviation of the club ‘s name in print. [ 69 ] not until the early twenty-first hundred did the wide club badge appear on the team ‘s shirts. [ 69 ]
Colours [edit ]
Albion ‘s comic strip from 1882–83 was one of many variations worn by the cabaret during the 1880s. note that the actual kit had long sleeves .
Albion ‘s most common away colours during the belated twentieth and early twenty-first century West Brom have played in dark blue blue sky and white striped shirts for the majority of their being, normally with white shorts and white socks. The team is occasionally referred to as the Stripes by supporters. [ 70 ] A number of different colours were trialled during the golf club ‘s formative years however, including cardinal red and blue quarters in 1880–81, yellow and white quarters in 1881–82, chocolate and blue halves in 1881–82 and 1882–83, loss and white hoops in 1882–83, cocoa and white in 1883–84 and cardinal bolshevik and blue halves in 1884–85. [ 71 ] The blue and white stripes made their beginning appearance in the 1885–86 season, although at that time they were of a lighter ghost of blasphemous ; the navy gloomy stripes did not appear until after the beginning World War. [ 69 ] For the regional leagues played during the second gear World War, Albion were forced to switch to all-blue shirts, as rationing mean that striped material was considered a luxury. [ 72 ] Like all football clubs, Albion sport a secondary or “ change ” undress when playing away from dwelling against a team whose colours clash with their own. As farseeing ago as the 1890s, and throughout much of the club ‘s early history, a change airstrip of white jerseys with black shorts was worn. [ 73 ] The away shirt additionally featured a large ‘V ‘ during the First World War. [ 74 ] In the 1935 FA Cup Final, however, when both of Albion and Sheffield Wednesday ‘s kits clashed, a switch was made to plain united states navy blue shirts. An all-red deprive was adopted at the conclusion of the 1950s, but was dropped following frustration in the 1967 League Cup Final, to be replaced by the all-white design that was worn during the baseball club ‘s FA Cup run of 1967–68. [ 73 ] Since then the away deprive has changed regularly, with scandalmongering and green stripes the most common of a act of different designs used. In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced. [ 75 ] albion players – along with those of other Football League teams – first wear numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40, [ 76 ] and names on the second of their shirts from 1999–2000. [ 77 ] Red numbers were added to the side of Albion players ‘ shorts in 1969. [ 73 ]
BSR Housewares became the club ‘s first shirt sponsor during the 1981–82 temper. [ 69 ] The golf club ‘s shirts have been sponsored for the majority of the time since then, although there was no shirt patronize at the end of the 1993–94 season, after local solicitors Coucher & Shaw were closed down by the Law Society of England and Wales. [ 78 ] unusually for a Premier League club, Albion were again without a shirt patronize for the start of the 2008–09 campaign, as negotiations with a fresh sponsor were calm ongoing when the season began. [ 79 ] The longest-running shirt sponsorship softwood agreed by the club ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2004 with the West Bromwich Building Society. [ 69 ] [ 80 ] Today the club ‘s principal presenter is ideal Boilers. [ 81 ] other sponsors have included T-Mobile ( 2004–08 ), Homeserve ( 2010–11 ), Bodog ( 2011–12 ), Zoopla ( 2012–14 ), Intuit Quickbooks ( 2014–15 ), Tlcbet ( 2015–16 ), K8 group ( 2016–2017 ), and Palm Eco-Town Development ( 2017–18 ). Since July 2018, West Brom ‘s kit has been manufactured by Puma. [ 82 ] previous manufacturers have included Scoreline ( 1989–91 ), Influence ( 1991–92 ), Pelada ( 1993–95 ), Patrick ( 1995-2002 ), Diadora ( 2003–2006 ), Umbro ( 1974–89, 2006–11 ) and Adidas ( 2011–18 ) .
stadium [edit ]
The accelerate with which the club became established following its foundation garment is illustrated by the fact that it outgrew four consecutive grounds in its first base 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. [ 83 ] During the 1881–82 season, they played at Bunn ‘s Field, besides known as the Birches. This had a capacity of between 1,500 and 2,000, [ 84 ] and was Albion ‘s first enclosed anchor, allowing the cabaret to charge an entrance fee for the beginning meter. [ 68 ] From 1882 to 1885, as the popularity of football increased, Albion rented the Four Acres earth from the well-established West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club. But they promptly outgrew this modern home and soon needed to move again. From 1885 to 1900, Albion played at Stoney Lane ; their tenure of this grind was arguably the most successful time period in the cabaret ‘s history, as they won the FA Cup doubly and were runner-up three times. [ 85 ]
The throstle effigy has been a feature of speech of the Woodman corner since the 1970s. By 1900, when the rent on Stoney Lane expired, the baseball club needed a bigger ground however again and indeed made its death motivate to date. All of Albion ‘s previous grounds had been close to the center of West Bromwich, but on this occasion they took up a locate on the township ‘s margin with Handsworth and Smethwick. The new ground was named The Hawthorns, after the hawthorn bushes that covered the area and were cleared to make way for it. [ 86 ] Albion drew 1–1 with Derby County in the first match at the stadium, on 3 September 1900. [ 87 ] The commemorate attendance at the Hawthorns was on 6 March 1937, when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beat armory 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final. [ 88 ] The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium in the 1990s, in ordering to comply with the recommendations of the Taylor Report. [ 89 ] Its capacity today is 26,850, [ 89 ] the four stands being known respectively as the Birmingham Road End, Smethwick End, East Stand and West Stand ( Halfords Lane ). [ 90 ] At an altitude of 551 feet ( 168 thousand ) above sea horizontal surface, the Hawthorns is the highest of all the 92 Premier League and Football League grounds. [ 91 ] The Hawthorns is certificated under the highest UEFA lurch surfaces which means it is ready to host about any competition if required. [ 92 ] The stadium ‘s West Stand has the likely to be developed over the Halfords Lane at the second of the stall to allow for an upper tier, bringing the capacitance of The Hawthorns to around 30,000. [ 93 ] West Bromwich Albion own many retail outlets around The Hawthorns, including its stadium Megastore and seasonally a club shop in West Bromwich township center. [ 94 ] They besides own the early Hawthorns Pub, a Grade II listed build behind the West Stand on the corner of Halfords Lane and the Birmingham Road. This has served as the official club fanzone with accredited bars, alive music, fan favourites – such as mascots and children activities – a well as being shared with a high street food release. The public house competes with The Vine public house in Roebuck Lane, a democratic address for visiting and dwelling football fans year-round .
Panoramic view of The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion F.C .
Supporters [edit ]
The Lord ‘s my Shepherd, I ‘ll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.Lyrics to first verse of “The Lord’s my Shepherd” from Psalm 23[95]
fan culture [edit ]
West Brom fans and players celebrate in concert with the “ Boing Boing ” chant. The official West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club was founded on 4 October 1951. [ 96 ] In the years since then, over 30 branches have been established throughout the United Kingdom and in Jersey, Ireland, Spain, Malta, India, Thailand and Australia. There are besides supporters groups for those with disabilities, [ 97 ] Punjabi supporters [ 98 ] and LGBT people. [ 99 ] Albion ‘s “ club anthem ” is The Lord’s my Shepherd, a specify of Psalm 23. [ 100 ] Supporters of the team observe goals by bouncing up and toss off and chanting “ Boing Boing ”. This dates back to the 1992–93 season, when the team was promoted from the new Second Division. [ 101 ] The Liquidator instrumental by the Harry J. Allstars has besides been popularly used in the stadium since the recently 1960s. [ 102 ] The reggae birdcall “ West Bromwich Albion ” by Ray King is another club anthem popularly played before matches. [ 103 ] In late years fans of the team have celebrated the end of each season by adopting a illusion dress composition for the final aside meet, including dressing as Vikings in 2004 in award of Player of the Season Thomas Gaardsøe. [ 104 ] In 2002–03 Albion ‘s fans were voted the best in the Premier League by their peers, [ 105 ] while in the BBC ‘s 2002 “ national intelligence quiz ” Test the Nation, they were found to be “ more likely to be smarter than any other football supporters, registering an average seduce of 138 ”. [ 106 ]
celebrated fans include Goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and Ben Foster, comedian Frank Skinner, television receiver presenter adrian Chiles, One Direction singer Liam Payne, comedian Lenny Henry, actress Julie Walters, actor Matthew Marsden, The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, tennis musician Goran Ivanišević, television receiver presenter Cat Deeley, DJ Dave Haslam, boxers Richie Woodhall and Tommy Langford, [ 107 ] and guitarist Eric Clapton. [ 108 ]
Publications [edit ]
The cabaret has published an official matchday program for supporters since 1905. [ 109 ] The issue was entitled Albion News for many years, but was renamed Albion from the 2002–03 season until the close temper of 2013, when it was renamed back to Albion News. [ 110 ] It won Premier League Programme of the year in 2002–03 and Third Division Programme of the year in 1991–92. [ 111 ] In 2007–08, it was awarded Championship Programme of the year by both Programme Monthly and the Football Programme Directory. [ 112 ] The program has a circulation in surfeit of 8,000 copies. [ 113 ] The first West Bromwich Albion fanzine, Fingerpost, was published from 1983 until 1992, and was followed by several others, most notably Grorty Dick ( 1989–2005 ) and Last Train to Rolfe Street ( 1992–1995 ). Since Grorty Dick ceased publication in 2005, the club nowadays entirely has one fanzine dedicated to it ; ‘Baggie Shorts ‘ which is produced by the West Bromwich Albion Supporters ‘ Club London Branch. [ 114 ]
Read more: Chord (music) – Wikipedia
“ Baggies ” nickname [edit ]
Baggie Bird is one of two West Bromwich Albion mascots. is one of two West Bromwich Albion mascots. Although known in their early days as “the Throstles”, the club ‘s more popular nickname among supporters came to be the Baggies, a terminus which the baseball club itself looked down upon for many years but belated embraced. The phrase was first heard at the Hawthorns in the 1900s, but its exact origins are uncertain. [ 115 ] One suggestion is that the diagnose was bestowed on Albion supporters by their rivals at Aston Villa, because of the large baggy trousers that many Albion fans wore at knead to protect themselves from molten iron in the factories and foundries of the Black Country. [ 116 ] Club historian Tony Matthews, however, suggests that it derives from the “ bagmen ”, who carried the club ‘s matchday takings in big leather bags from the turnstiles to the cash agency on the center production line. [ 117 ] other theories relate to the baggy shorts worn by assorted players during the club ‘s early years. [ 115 ] [ 117 ] The official club mascots are named Baggie Bird and Albi ; both are based on the throstle depicted on the club crest. [ 118 ]
Rivalries [edit ]
historically, Albion ‘s greatest rivals were Aston Villa from nearby Birmingham. The two clubs contested three FA Cup Finals between 1887 and 1895 ( Villa winning two and Albion one ). More recently, however, some Albion fans tend to see Wolverhampton Wanderers as their main rivals, particularly as between 1989 and 2002 Albion and Villa were never in the same division, but Albion were in the same division as Wolves for 11 out of 14 seasons. This had led to Aston Villa supporters immediately considering Birmingham City to be their fiercest rivals. A far less-heated competition besides exists with Birmingham City, with whom Albion contested the 1931 FA Cup final, ampere well as a semi-final in 1968. [ 120 ] [ 121 ] A number of bully firms associate themselves with Albion, including incision 5, Clubhouse and the Smethwick Mob. [ 122 ]
Black Country derby [edit ]
albion and Wolves contest the Black Country derby, one of the longest stand derbies in worldly concern football. It is considered one of the fiercest rivalries in English football. [ 123 ] A 2008 surveil found it to be the most acute competition in the area, with one in four fans from both clubs claiming that their competition went much deeper than football. [ 124 ] The two sides have played each early 160 times, with their first major clang being an FA Cup affiliation in 1886. [ 125 ] Both Albion and Wolves were founding members of the Football League in 1888, making the bowler hat the joint oldest in English league football. The competition came to prominence when the two clubs contested the league claim in 1953–54, and during the 1990s it intensified to new heights among supporters, with both clubs languishing in Division One for much of the decade and alone local pride at stake. [ 126 ] furthermore, in 2002 Albion came from being 11 points adrift to overhaul Wolves to gain promotion. [ 127 ] The competition was further heightened after the sides met in the play-offs in 2007. A 2004 sketch by Planetfootball.com confirmed that the majority of both Albion and Wolves supporters consider the other to be their chief rival. In February 2012 the Baggies beat Wolves 5-1 away from home as Peter Odemwingie netted a hat-trick. This game became known as ‘demolition bowler hat day ‘ and remains the highest marking Black Country bowler hat of the twenty-first hundred. [ 128 ] Despite their geographic placement, chap Black Country club Walsall are seen as lesser rivals, having played in a lower division than Albion for most of their history .
West Bromwich Albion–Aston Villa competition [edit ]
Ranked by The Daily Telegraph as the most boisterous in the region alongside the Black Country bowler hat and the Second City bowler hat, games between Aston Villa and West Brom are particularly cutthroat. [ 129 ] The two first gear met on 9 December 1882, in the second round of the Staffordshire Cup : villa hosted a 3–3 draw in front of 13,900 fans, while in the replay West Brom won by a single goal with an attendance of 10,500. On 3 January 1885, they met for the first time in the third round off of the FA Cup : a scoreless withdraw at West Brom was followed by a 3–0 victory for them away at Villa. [ 130 ] The come year, both teams became laminitis members of the Football League. They met first in a league repair on 19 January 1889, Villa winning 2–0 at home, before a guide the adjacent workweek ending 3–3. [ 131 ] The two teams met in two far FA Cup finals in the nineteenth century, a 3–0 win for West Brom in 1892 and a fortunate 1–0 succeed for Aston Villa in 1895. [ 130 ] Birmingham City were relegated from the Premier League in 2011 and Wolverhampton Wanderers a season late, leaving Aston Villa and West Brom as the only West Midlands teams in England ‘s clear division. Without their respective chief rivals [ 132 ] and with Albion finishing above their nearest rivals for the second temper in a quarrel, the historic competition was rekindled. At the end of the 2015–16 temper, Aston Villa were relegated, leaving West Brom the entirely West Midlands team in the top flight for the 2016–17 season. After West Brom ‘s delegating at the conclusion of the 2017–18 Premier League, the teams faced each early once again in the Championship. In the semi-finals of the 2018–19 EFL Championship play-offs Aston Villa knocked out the Baggies on penalties, after West Bromwich Albion had 2 men controversially sent off over both legs [ 133 ]
In democratic culture [edit ]
In the 2000s BBC television drama series New Tricks, the characters Jack Halford, Brian Lane and Gerry Standing were so named by the writer Roy Mitchell in award of the Halford Lane standing area of Albion ‘s ground. [ 134 ] The 1960s television documentary program Look at Britain screened an episode called “ The Saturday Men “ focusing on the club. [ 135 ] Frank Skinner and Paula Wilcox starred in the drollery series Blue Heaven which followed the adventures of an Albion garter in the 1990s. [ 136 ] Skinner is a real-life Albion patron. [ 137 ] The recommendation match of Albion musician Len Cantello was the subject of the BBC documentary Whites Vs Blacks: How Football Changed A Nation. [ 138 ] The Albion besides featured in Channel Four ‘s ‘Artist in Residence ‘ series in 2018. [ 139 ]
ownership and administration [edit ]
As of 9 February 2021 : [ 140 ]
Board of directors [edit ]
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senior management [edit ]
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history of Albion ‘s possession and administration [edit ]
In the club ‘s formative years, West Bromwich Albion were run by a seven-man play committee, and funded by each member contributing a weekly subscription of 6d ( six penny ) ( 2½p ). [ 141 ] Albion ‘s first president was Henry Jackson, appointed in 1885, with the club becoming a express company in June 1891. [ 142 ] other early on chairmen of Albion included Jem Bayliss and Billy Bassett, both of whom had earlier played for the club. indeed, from 1878 to 1986 there was always an Albion musician or ex-player on the baseball club ‘s committee or circuit board of directors. [ 142 ] Bassett became an Albion director in 1905, following the resignation of the previous board in its entirety. The club was in deep fiscal fuss and had had a writ served upon them by their bank, but Bassett and returning chair Harry Keys rescued the club, aided by local fund-raise activities. [ 143 ] Bassett became president in 1908, and helped the baseball club to avoid bankruptcy once more in 1910 by paying the players ‘ summer wages from his own air pocket. [ 144 ] He remains Albion ‘s longest-serving chair, having held the position until his death in 1937. [ 145 ] The club ‘s longest-serving director was Major H. Wilson Keys, during the period 1930–1965, including 15 years as chair. He became vice-president of the Football Association in 1969. [ 146 ] Sir Bert Millichip served as Albion president from 1974 to 1983, after which he chose to concentrate on his function as chair of the Football Association. [ 147 ] In 1996, the club became a public limited caller, issuing shares to supporters at £500 and £3,000 each, under the Chairmanship of Paul Thompson. [ 148 ] The shares were quoted on the Alternative Investment Market, but the baseball club bow out from the stock exchange in order to become a individual company again in 2004. [ 149 ] The name of the company thus reverted from West Bromwich Albion plc to West Bromwich Albion Limited, the latter becoming a subsidiary company of West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited. Jeremy Peace took up the position in 2002, after a rift between previous president Paul Thompson and coach Gary Megson forced Thompson to quit the club. [ 150 ] In September 2007, Peace acquired extra shares in West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited, taking his total venture in the caller to 50.56 %. This triggered a necessity, under the Takeover Code, for him to make a mandate cash offer for the remaining shares in both WBA Holdings Ltd and WBA Ltd. [ 151 ] Later that year, Michelle Davies became Albion ‘s first female film director. [ 152 ] She stepped gloomy in 2010. [ 153 ] Jeremy Peace announced in June 2008 that he was looking for a major new investor for the club, [ 154 ] but no firm proposals were received by the 31 July deadline. [ 155 ] On 24 July 2015, Jeremy Peace announced that his sale exclusivity hand was immediately off after a potential buyer was unable to fulfil the terms of sale. [ 156 ] In July 2016, Peace announced that he had managed to find a buyer in the shape of chinese entrepreneur Lai Guochuan. The calculate agreed upon is believed to have been £200 million. This takeover was successfully completed ahead of agenda on 15 September the same year. [ 157 ] Lai primitively appointed John Williams as Chairman of the club before replacing him with associate Li Piyue after the club ‘s relegation in the 2017–18 season. [ 158 ] Based on monthly figures for the class ending 30 June 2016, the club had an average of 169 employees during that period. [ 159 ]
Players [edit ]
“ WBA players ” redirects here. For athletes affiliated with the World Boxing Association, see World Boxing Association
current team [edit ]
- As of 4 December 2021[160]
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Out on lend [edit ]
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Reserves and Academy [edit ]
Coaching staff [edit ]
As of 04th July 2021
celebrated former players [edit ]
As share of the club ‘s hundred-and-twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations in 2004, a surveil was commissioned via the official West Bromwich Albion web site and the Express & Star newspaper to determine the greatest west Brom players of all clock. A contemporary, 16-man squad was compiled from the results ; all selected players are depicted on a commemorative mural displayed at The Hawthorns. Fourteen of the sixteen players are English-born, with a fifteenth, Cyrille Regis, despite being born in french Guiana besides a full England international. The number of 16 is as follows : [ 161 ]
other luminary honours bestowed upon West Brom players include the PFA Young Player of the Year award, which was presented to Cyrille Regis in 1979. [ 162 ] In 1998, Billy Bassett and Bryan Robson were named among the list of Football League 100 Legends, along with Arthur Rowley, Geoff Hurst and Johnny Giles. [ 163 ] Bryan Robson was besides an inauguration draftee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002, [ 164 ] to be joined two years later by Geoff Hurst. [ 165 ] Bobby Robson, a player with Albion, has besides been inducted, although this was for his achievements as a director. [ 166 ] In 1919–20, Fred Morris became the first Albion player to finish as top goalscorer in Division One, a feat which has since been repeated by Ronnie Allen, Derek Kevan, Jeff Astle and Tony Brown. [ D ] [ 167 ] Brown, who holds the club records for goals and appearances, was voted into the PFA Centenary Hall of Fame in July 2007. [ 168 ]
player of the class [edit ]
partial derivative list of managers [edit ]
The follow managers have all led West Bromwich Albion to at least one of the trace achievements while in blame of the club : winning a major trophy or reaching the final examination, achieving a crown three league stopping point in the top flight, winning promotion or reaching the quarter-finals of a major european competition .
Records [edit ]
Jesse Pennington, Albion’s most capped England international (in terms of caps won whilst at the club). Who represented his country 25 times, serving as captain on two occasions. West Bromwich Albion ‘s read victory was their 12–0 league gain against Darwen on 4 April 1892. [ 169 ] This is placid the widest margin of victory for a game in the top-flight of English football, although the record was equalled by Nottingham Forest when they beat Leicester Fosse by the like scoreline in 1909. [ 170 ] Albion ‘s biggest FA Cup victory came when they beat Chatham 10–1 on 2 March 1889. The club ‘s record league kill was a 3–10 personnel casualty against Stoke City on 4 February 1937, while a 0–5 kill to Leeds United on 18 February 1967 represents Albion ‘s heaviest FA Cup loss. [ 169 ] Tony Brown holds a number of Albion ‘s club records. He has made the most appearances overall for the club ( 720 ), angstrom well as most appearances in the league ( 574 ), FA Cup ( 54 ) and in european competition ( 17 ). Brown is the club ‘s lead scorer in the league ( 218 ), the FA Cup ( 27 ) and in Europe ( 8 ). He is besides the baseball club ‘s record scorer overall, with 279 goals. W. G. Richardson scored 328 goals for the club, but this includes 100 during World War II, which are not normally counted towards competitive totals. Richardson holds the club phonograph record for most league goals in a individual season, scoring 39 times in 1935–36. [ 169 ] [ 171 ] Albion ‘s most capped external player, taking into account only those caps won whilst at the club, is Chris Brunt. He appeared 55 times for Northern Ireland as an Albion player, earning 65 caps in total before retiring from international football in 2017. [ 172 ] [ 173 ] Jesse Pennington is the club ‘s most capped England international, with 25 caps. [ 174 ] The highest transfer fee paid by the club is £15 million to RB Leipzig for Oliver Burke on 25 August 2017. [ 175 ] The record transfer tip received by Albion from another club was for the remove of Salomón Rondón to Dalian Yifang in July 2019 for £16.5 million. [ 176 ]
Honours [edit ]
major honours [edit ]
[ 177 ]
The Albion team of 1920 display the League Championship trophy and Charity Shield .
WBA players celebrate their FA Cup succeed in 1931 .
- Winners (5): 1888, 1892, 1931, 1954, 1968
- Finalists: 1886, 1887, 1895, 1912, 1935
- Winners (1): 1966
- Finalists: 1967, 1970
- Winners (2): 1920, 1954 (shared)
- Runners-up: 1931, 1968
- Winners (1): 1976
- Finalists: 1955, 1969
minor honours [edit ]
- Winners: 1977
- Finalists: 1971
- A. : Older sources quote the year of formation as 1879, as evidence of a Strollers match from 1878 came to light only as recently as 1993.
- B. ^Throstle is a colloquial Black Country name for the song thrush.
- C. ^
- D. ^Ray Crawford of Ipswich Town.
- E. ^
- F. ^
- G. ^
References [edit ]
- General
- Specific