Albion were a founder member ofthe Football League in1888, the first professional football league in the world. The club has spent the majority of its existence in the top tier of English football, where it has played for 82 seasons, most recently competing in thePremier League in 2021. They have beenchampions of England once, in1919–20, and have been runner-up twice, in1924–25 and1953–54. Albion have reached tenFA Cup finals and won the Cup on five occasions. The first win came in1888, the year the league was founded, followed by wins in1892,1931,1954 and most recently in1968, the club's last major trophy. Albion also won theFootball League Cup at the first attempt in1966, and have reached a further two finals. The club's longest continuous period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it had its longest spell out of the top division.
The team have played in navy blue and white stripes for most of the club's history, and the club badge features athrostle perched on ahawthorn branch. Albion have long-standing rivalries with their traditionalAston Villa andWolverhampton Wanderers. Albion contest theBlack Country derby with the latter.
West Bromwich Albion competing in the 1887 FA Cup Final
The club was founded asWest Bromwich Strollers in 1878 by workers fromGeorge Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich, in theBlack Country.[A][2] They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880, becoming the first team to adopt theAlbion suffix; Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked, close to what is todayGreets Green.[2] The club joined the Birmingham & District Football Association in 1881 and became eligible for their first competition, theBirmingham Cup. They reached the quarter-finals, beating several longer-established clubs on the way. In 1883, Albion won their first trophy, theStaffordshire Cup. Albion joinedthe Football Association in the same year; this enabled them to enter the FA Cup for the first time in the 1883–84 season.[3] In 1885 the club turned professional,[4] and in1886 the team reached the FA Cup final for the first time, losing 2–0 toBlackburn Rovers in a replay. They reached the final again in1887, but lost 2–0 toAston Villa. In1888 the team won the trophy for the first time, beating strong favouritesPreston North End 2–1 in the final.[5] As FA Cup winners, they qualified to play in aFootball World Championship game againstScottish Cup winnersRenton, which ended in a 4–1 defeat.[6]
The Albion team of 1888, FA Cup winners and Football League founder 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 home and away each season. Thus when theFootball League started later that year, Albion became one of the twelve founder members.[7] Albion's second FA Cup success came in1892, beating Aston Villa 3–0. They met Villa again in the1895 final, but lost 1–0. The team suffered relegation to Division Two in 1900–01, their first season atThe Hawthorns.[8] They were promoted as champions the following 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 anotherFA Cup Final, where they were defeated bySecond DivisionBarnsley in a replay.[10]
Albion won the Football League title in1919–20 for the only time in their history following the end ofWorld War I, their totals of 104 goals and 60 points both breaking the previous league records.[11] The team finished as Division One runners-up in1924–25, narrowly losing out toHuddersfield Town, but were relegated in 1926–27.[12] In 1930–31, they won promotion as well as theFA Cup, beatingBirmingham 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 in1935, losing toSheffield Wednesday, but were relegated three years later.[15] They gained promotion in 1948–49,[16] and there followed the club's longest unbroken spell in the top flight of English football, a total of 24 years.[17][18]
In 1953–54, Albion came close to being the first team in the 20th century to win theLeague and Cup double. They succeeded in winning theFA Cup, beating Preston North End 3–2, but injuries and a loss of form towards the end of the season meant that they finished as runners-up to fierce rivalsWolverhampton Wanderers in the league.[19] Nonetheless, Albion became known for their brand of fluent, attacking football, with the 1953–54 side being hailed as the "Team of the Century". One national newspaper went so far as to suggest that the team be chosenen masse to representEngland at the1954 FIFA World Cup finals.[20] They remained one of the top English sides for the remainder of the decade, 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 half of the decade saw West Brom establish a reputation as a successful cup side. Albion entered the Football League Cup for the first time in 1965–66 and, under managerJimmy Hagan, wonthe final by defeatingWest Ham United 5–3 on aggregate. That was the lasttwo-legged final and, the following year, Albion reached thefinal again, the first played atWembley. They lost 3–2 to Third DivisionQueens Park Rangers after being 2–0 up at half-time.[21] Albion's cup form continued under Hagan's successorAlan Ashman. He guided the club to their last major trophy to date, the1968 FA Cup, when they beatEverton inextra time thanks to a single goal fromJeff Astle.[22] Albion reached the FA Cup semi-final andEuropean Cup Winners Cup quarter-final in1969, and were defeated 2–1 byManchester City in the1970 League Cup Final.[23]
The club were less successful during the reign ofDon Howe, and were relegated to Division Two at the end of 1972–73,[24] but gained promotion three years later under the guidance of player-managerJohnny Giles.[25] UnderRon Atkinson, Albion reached the 1978 FA Cup semi-final but lost toIpswich Town.[26] In May of that year, Albion became the first English professional team to play in China, going unbeaten on their five-game trip.[27][28] In1978–79, the team finished third in Division One, their highest placing for over 20 years, and also reached theUEFA Cup quarter-final, where they were defeated byRed Star Belgrade.[29] The team around this time was notable for simultaneously fielding three black players:Cyrille Regis,Laurie Cunningham andBrendon Batson; and is considered to be an integral part of the acceptance of black footballers in the English leagues.[30] In his second spell as manager,Ronnie Allen guided the team to both domestic cup semi-finals in 1981–82.[31] The mid-1980s saw the start of Albion's longest and deepest decline. They were relegated in 1985–86 with the worst record in the club's history,[32] beginning a period of 16 years outside the top flight. Five years later, the club were relegated to theThird Division for the first and only time.[33]
Chart of historic table 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 thePremier League was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third tier, which had been renamedDivision Two. In 1992–93, Albion finished fourth and entered theplay-offs for the first time. Albion's first appearance atWembley for over 20 years – and their last at the original stadium – saw them beatPort Vale 3–0 to return to the second level – now renamed theFirst Division.[34] ManagerOssie Ardiles then joinedTottenham Hotspur, however, and a succession of managers over the next few seasons saw Albion consolidate their Division One status without mounting a serious promotion challenge.
Crowd scenes followingThe Great Escape,15 May 2005. Fans enter the pitch after the club survived relegation having been in last place on the final day of the season.
The appointment ofGary Megson in March 2000 heralded an upturn in the club's fortunes. Megson guided Albion to Division One safety in1999–2000, and to the play-offs a year later. He went on to lead the club to promotion to the Premier League in2001–02.[35] After being relegated in their first Premier League season,[36] they made an immediate return to the top flight in 2003–04.[37] In2004–05, Megson's successor, former Albion midfielderBryan 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 table at Christmas, as well as bottom on the final day of the season.[G][38] They failed to avoid the drop the following season,[39] and Robson was replaced byTony Mowbray in October 2006.[40] The club competed in theChampionship play-off final atWembley Stadium on 28 May 2007, but lost 1–0 toDerby County.[41] The following season, Mowbray led the Baggies to Wembley again, this time in the semi-finals of theFA Cup, where they lost 1–0 toPortsmouth.[42] One month later, Albion were promoted to the Premier League as winners of the Championship,[43] but were relegated at the end of the2008–09 campaign.[44] Mowbray left the club and was replaced byRoberto Di Matteo,[45] who led the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt,[46] but was dismissed in February 2011 and replaced byRoy Hodgson.[47]
Hodgson guided Albion to an 11th-place finish for the2010–11 season.[48] Then followed an eight-season continuous run in thePremier League. It included an 8th-place finish in2012–13 underSteve Clarke,[49] and 10th-place finishes under Roy Hodgson in2011–12[50] andTony Pulis in2016–17.[51] In August 2016, it was announced that long-term ownerJeremy Peace had sold the club to a Chinese investment group headed up byLai Guochuan.[52] By this time, the club had begun to fall into a state of torpor, and were relegated at the end of the2017–18 season, ending their eight-year Premier League stay.[53] Pulis[54] and his replacementAlan Pardew were both dismissed during the season. Albion finished fourth in their first season back in the Championship under the management ofDarren Moore, losing the Championship play-off semi-final on penalties.[55]
Slaven Bilić took over as manager in June 2019,[56] and led Albion to automatic promotion back to the Premier League during the2019–20 season.[57] Back in the Premier League, Bilić was controversially sacked on 16 December 2020,[58] withSam Allardyce named as his replacement the same day.[59] After Albion were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the2020–21 season, Allardyce resigned from his position.[60] The club endured disappointing results back in the Championship during the tenures ofValérien Ismaël[61][62] andSteve Bruce, who left the club in the relegation places in the2022–23 season.[63][64]Carlos Corberán was named as successor on 25 October 2022.[65] He guided Albion to a 5th-place finish and the play-off semi-finals at the end of the2023–24 season.
West Bromwich Albion club badge c. 1900–2006Thecoat of arms ofWest Bromwich has featured intermittently on Albion team shirts.
Albion's main club badge dates back to the late 1880s, when club secretary Tom Smith suggested that athrostle (song thrush) sitting on acrossbar be adopted for the badge.[66][B] The badge has been subject to various revisions since then.[67] It has always featured a throstle, usually on a blue and white striped shield, although the crossbar was replaced with ahawthorn branch at some point after the club's move tothe Hawthorns. The throstle was chosen because thepublic house in which the team used to change kept a pet thrush in a cage. It also gave rise to Albion's early nickname,the Throstles. The hawthorn bush is also a favourite bush of throstles, which were regularly seen on the pre-stadium estate and local area. As late as the 1930s, a caged throstle was placed beside the touchline during matches and it was said that it only used to sing if Albion were winning.[66] In 1979, an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at the Hawthorns,[68] and was returned to the same area of the ground following redevelopment in the early 2000s.[69]
In 1975, a version of the badge (on aroundel rather than a shield) was granted by theCollege of Arms to the Football League for licensing to the club. The badge was described in heraldicblazon as, "On a roundel paly of thirteen argent and azure amistle thrush perched on araspberry branch leaved and fructed proper." This is the only known occasion on which the branch has been described as a raspberry branch rather than a hawthorn branch:Rodney Dennys, theofficer of arms responsible, may have been imperfectly briefed.[70]
The badge was re-designed in 2006, incorporating the name of the club for the first time. The new design aimed to safeguard and consolidate the club's identity.[71] Prior to this, the main club badge rarely coincided with that worn on the first team strip. No badge appeared on the kit for most of the club's history, although theStafford knot featured on the team jerseys for part of the 1880s.[72] TheWest Bromwich townarms were worn on the players' shirts for the1931,1935 and1954 FA Cup finals. The town'sLatin motto, "Labor omnia vincit", translates as "labour conquers all things" or "work conquers all". The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000,[C] with the throstle moved to the collar of the shirts.
Albion's first regular shirt badge appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s where it was blue. Although it featured the throstle, it did not include the blue and white striped shield of the club badge.[73] A similar design was also used during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the mid-1970s, a more abstract version of the throstle was used on the club's shirts, while in the late 1970s through to the mid-1980s, an embroidered WBA logo was displayed, a common abbreviation of the club's name in print.[73] Not until the early 21st century did the full club badge appear on the team's shirts.[73]
Albion's strip from 1882 to 1883 was one of many variations worn during the 1880s. Note that the actual kit had long sleeves.
Albion's most common away colours during the late 20th and early 21st century.
West Brom have played in navy blue and white striped shirts for the majority of their existence, usually with white shorts and white socks. The team is occasionally referred to asthe Stripes by supporters.[74] A number of different colours were trialled during the 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, red and white hoops in 1882–83, chocolate and white in 1883–84 and cardinal red and blue halves in 1884–85.[75] The blue and white stripes made their first appearance in the 1885–86 season, although at that time they were of a lighter shade of blue; the navy blue stripes did not appear until after the First World War.[73] For the regional leagues played during the Second World War, Albion were forced to switch to all-blue shirts, asrationing meant that striped material was considered a luxury.[76]
Like all football clubs, Albion sport a secondary or "change" strip when playing away from home against a team whose colours clash with their own. As long ago as the 1890s, and throughout much of the club's early history, a change strip of white jerseys with black shorts was worn.[77] The away shirt additionally featured a large 'V' during the First World War.[78] In the1935 FA Cup Final, however, when both of Albion andSheffield Wednesday's kits clashed, a switch was made to plain navy blue shirts. An all-red strip was adopted at the end of the 1950s, but was dropped following defeat in the1967 League Cup Final, to be replaced by the all-white design that was worn during the club'sFA Cup run of 1967–68.[77] Since then the away strip has changed regularly, with yellow and green stripes the most common of a number of different designs used. In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced.[79]
Albion players – along with those of otherFootball League teams – first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40,[80] and names on the back of their shirts from1999–2000.[81] Red numbers were added to the side of Albion players' shorts in 1969.[77]
BSR Housewares became the club's first shirtsponsor during the 1981–82 season.[73] The club's shirts have been sponsored for the majority of the time since then, although there was no shirt sponsor at the end of the 1993–94 season, after local solicitors Coucher & Shaw were closed down by theLaw Society of England and Wales.[82] Unusually for a Premier League club, Albion were again without a shirt sponsor for the start of the 2008–09 campaign, as negotiations with a new sponsor were still ongoing when the season began.[83] The longest-running shirt sponsorship deal agreed by the club ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2004 with theWest Bromwich Building Society.[73][84] Today the club's principal sponsor is Ideal Heating.[85]
Since June 2024, West Brom'skit has been manufactured byMacron.[86] Previous manufacturers have included Scoreline, Influence, Pelada,Patrick,Diadora,Umbro,Adidas andPuma.
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.[87] 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,[88] and was Albion's first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time.[72] 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 atStoney 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.[89]
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 withHandsworth andSmethwick. The new ground was namedThe Hawthorns, after thehawthorn bushes that covered the area and were cleared to make way for it.[90] Albion drew 1–1 withDerby County in the first match at the stadium, on 3 September 1900.[91] The record attendance at the Hawthorns was on 6 March 1937, when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beatArsenal 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final.[92] The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium in the 1990s, in order to comply with the recommendations of theTaylor Report.[93] Its capacity today is 26,688,[93] the four stands being known respectively as the Birmingham Road End, Smethwick End, East Stand and West Stand (Halfords Lane).[94] At an altitude of 551 feet (168 m) above sea level, the Hawthorns is the highest of all the 92 Premier League and Football League grounds.[95]
The Jeff Astle gates at The Hawthorns.
The Hawthorns is certificated under the highestUEFA pitch surfaces which means it is ready to host almost any competition if required.[96] 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.[97]
West Bromwich Albion own retail outlets around The Hawthorns, including its Stadium Megastore and seasonally a club store inWest Bromwich town centre.[98] They also own the former Hawthorns Pub, aGrade 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.
Panoramic view of The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Brom fans and players celebrate together with the "Boing Boing" chant.
The official West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club was founded on 4 October 1951.[100] In the years since then, over 30 branches have been established throughout the United Kingdom, and internationally in Jersey, Ireland, Spain, Malta, Croatia, USA, UAE, India, Thailand and Australia. There are also supporters groups for those with disabilities,[101] for mental health support,Punjabi supporters,[102] supporters in the emergency services and armed forces,[103] andLGBT people.[104]
Albion's "club anthem" isThe Lord's my Shepherd, a setting ofPsalm 23. The song originated following a rare Sunday game in the 1970s and has been sung at matches ever since.[105] Supporters of the team celebrate goals by bouncing up and down and chanting "Boing Boing". This dates back to the 1992–93 season, when the team was promoted from the newSecond Division, with the origin of the chant still unclear.[106]The Liquidator instrumental by theHarry J. Allstars has also been popularly played in the stadium and sung to since the late 1960s.[107] Thereggae song "West Bromwich Albion" by Ray King is another club anthem popularly played before matches.[108] In recent years fans of the team have celebrated the end of each season by adopting afancy dress theme for the final away match, including dressing asVikings in 2004 in honour of Player of the SeasonThomas Gaardsøe.[109]
WBA supporters at aFirst Division match in May 1980 at The Hawthorns.
In 2002–03 Albion's fans were voted the best in the Premier League by their peers,[110] while in the BBC's 2002 "national intelligence test"Test the Nation, they were found to be "more likely to be smarter than any other football supporters, registering an average score of 138".[111]
The club has published an official matchdayprogramme for supporters since 1905.[114] The publication was entitledAlbion News for many years, but was renamedAlbion from the 2002–03 season until the close season of 2013, when it was renamed back toAlbion News.[115] It won Premier League Programme of the Year in 2002–03 and Third Division Programme of the Year in 1991–92.[116] In 2007–08, it was awarded Championship Programme of the Year by both Programme Monthly and the Football Programme Directory.[117] The programme has a circulation in excess of 8,000 copies.[118] The first West Bromwich Albionfanzine,Fingerpost, was published from 1983 until 1992, and was followed by several others, most notablyGrorty Dick (1989–2005) andLast Train to Rolfe Street (1992–1995). SinceGrorty Dick ceased publication in 2005, the club now only has one fanzine dedicated to it; 'Baggie Shorts' which is produced by the West Bromwich Albion Supporters' Club London Branch.[119]
Baggie Bird 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 term which the club itself looked down upon for many years but later embraced. The phrase was first heard at the Hawthorns in the 1900s, but its exact origins are uncertain.[120] One suggestion is that the name was bestowed on Albion supporters by their rivals atAston Villa, because of the large baggy trousers that many Albion fans wore at work to protect themselves from molten iron in the factories and foundries of theBlack Country.[121] 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 office on the halfway line.[122] Other theories relate to the baggy shorts worn by various players during the club's early years.[120][122] The official club mascots are namedBaggie Bird andAlbi; both are based on the throstle depicted on the club crest.[123]
Historically, Albion's greatest rivals wereAston Villa from nearbyBirmingham. The two clubs contested threeFA Cup Finals between 1887 and 1895 (Villa winning two and Albion one). More recently, however, most Albion fans tend to seeWolverhampton 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 now consideringBirmingham City to be their fiercest rivals. A less-heated rivalry also exists with Birmingham City, with whom Albion contested the 1931 FA Cup final, as well as a semi-final in 1968.[124][125][126]
A number ofhooligan firms associate themselves with Albion, includingSection 5, Clubhouse and the Smethwick Mob.[127]
Albion and Wolves contest theBlack Country derby, one of the longest standing derbies in world football. It is considered one of the fiercest rivalries in English football.[128] A 2008 survey found it to be the most intense rivalry in the country, with one in four fans from both clubs claiming that their rivalry went much deeper than football.[129] The two sides have played each other 160 times, with their first major clash being an FA Cup tie in 1886.[130] Both Albion and Wolves were founding members ofthe Football League in1888, making the derby the joint oldest in English league football.
The rivalry came to prominence when the two clubs contested the league title 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 only local pride at stake.[131] Moreover, in 2002 Albion came from being 11 points adrift to overhaul Wolves to gain promotion.[132] The rivalry was further heightened after the sides met in the play-offs in 2007. A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com confirmed that the majority of both Albion and Wolves supporters consider the other to be their main rival. In February 2012 the Baggies beat Wolves 5–1 away from home, withPeter Odemwingie scoring a hat-trick. The game became known as the 'demolition derby', and remains the highest scoring Black Country derby of the 21st century.[133] Despite their geographical location, fellow Black Country clubWalsall are seen as lesser rivals, having played in a lower division than Albion for most of their history.[124]
Ranked byThe Daily Telegraph in 2010 as the most fierce in the region, games betweenAston Villa and West Brom are particularly ferocious.[134] The two first 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 of the FA Cup: a goalless draw at West Brom was followed by a 3–0 victory for them away at Villa.[135] The following year, both teams became founder members of the Football League. They met first in a league fixture on 19 January 1889, Villa winning 2–0 at home, before a draw the next week ending 3–3.[136] The two teams met in two further FA Cup finals in the 19th century, a 3–0 win for West Brom in1892 and a 1–0 win for Aston Villa in1895.[135]
Birmingham City were relegated from the Premier League in 2011 and Wolverhampton Wanderers a season later, leaving Aston Villa and West Brom as the only West Midlands teams in England's top division. Without their respective main rivals[137] and with Albion finishing above their nearest rivals for the second season in a row, the historic rivalry was rekindled to pre-1990s competitiveness. At the end of the2015–16 season, Aston Villa were relegated, leaving West Brom as the only West Midlands team in the top flight for the2016–17 season. After Albion's relegation at the end of the2017–18 Premier League, the teams faced each other in the Championship. In the2018–19 EFL Championship play-off semi-finals, Villa controversially knocked out Albion on penalties, after the Albion had two men sent-off over both legs.[138]
In the club's formative years, West Bromwich Albion were run by a seven-man playing committee, and funded by each member contributing a weekly subscription of 6d (six pence) (21⁄2p).[141] Albion's first chairman wasHenry Jackson, appointed in 1885, with the club becoming alimited company in June 1891.[142] Other early chairmen of Albion includedJem Bayliss andBilly Bassett, both of whom had earlier played for the club. Indeed, from 1878 to 1986 there was always an Albion player or ex-player on the club's committee or 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 financial trouble and had had a writ served upon them by their bank, but Bassett and returning chairman Harry Keys rescued the club, aided by local fund-raising activities.[143] Bassett became chairman in 1908, and helped the club to avoid bankruptcy once more in 1910 by paying the players' summer wages from his own pocket.[144] He remains Albion's longest-serving chairman, 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 chairman. He became vice-president of theFootball Association in 1969.[146] SirBert Millichip served as Albion chairman from 1974 to 1983, after which he chose to concentrate on his role as chairman of the Football Association.[147]
In 1996, the club became apublic limited company, issuing shares to supporters at £500 and £3,000 each, under the Chairmanship of Paul Thompson.[148] The shares were quoted on theAlternative Investment Market, but the club withdrew from the stock exchange in order to become a private 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 of West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited.Jeremy Peace took up the post in 2002, after a rift between previous chairman Paul Thompson and managerGary Megson forced Thompson to quit the club.[150]
In September 2007, Peace acquired additional shares in West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited, taking his total stake in the company to 50.56%. This triggered a requirement, under theTakeover Code, for him to make a mandatory 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 director.[152] She stepped down 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 deal was called off after a potential buyer was unable to fulfil the terms of sale.[156]
In July 2016, Peace announced that he had found a buyer in the form of a Chinese investment group headed byLai Guochuan. The figure agreed upon is believed to have been in the region of £175 million – £200 million. The takeover was successfully completed on 15 September the same year.[157]John Williams was originally appointed Chairman of the club before Lai replaced him with associateLi Piyue after the club's relegation in the 2017–18 season.[158] Lai himself took over as Chairman on 2 February 2022.[159] The2022–23 season saw increased scrutiny of the club's ownership, and the practices of majority shareholder Guochuan Lai.[160][161] The club's financial situation began to receive national media attention, having already been commented on frequently in local press.[162][163] Supporter action groups and in-stadium protests by fans to raise awareness of the club's off-field issues took shape during the season,[164] but were briefly paused in April 2023 as the club's fans supported the side's promotion push.[165]
On 15 February 2024, it was announced that Florida-based entrepreneurShilen Patel and his father, philanthropistKiran C Patel had reached an agreement to acquire an 87.8% stake in the club, under the name Bilkul Football WBA. Shilen Patel would also be named as the Chairman of the club.[166][167]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
As part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations in 2004, a survey was commissioned via the official West Bromwich Albion website and theExpress & Star newspaper to determine the greatest West Brom players of all time. A modern-day, 16-man squad was compiled from the results; all selected players are depicted on a commemorative mural displayed atThe Hawthorns. Fourteen of the sixteen players are English-born, with a fifteenth, Cyrille Regis, aFrench Guiana-born fullEngland international. The list of 16 is as follows:[169]
Other notable honours bestowed upon West Brom players include thePFA Young Player of the Year award, which was presented to Cyrille Regis in 1979.[170] In 1998, Billy Bassett and Bryan Robson were named among the list ofFootball League 100 Legends, along withArthur Rowley,Geoff Hurst andJohnny Giles.[171] Bryan Robson was also an inaugural inductee into theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002,[172] to be joined two years later by Geoff Hurst.[173]Bobby Robson, a player with Albion, has also been inducted, although this was for his achievements as a manager.[174] In 1919–20,Fred Morris became the first Albion player to finish as top goalscorer inDivision One, a feat which has since been repeated by Ronnie Allen,Derek Kevan, Jeff Astle and Tony Brown.[D][175] Brown, who holds the club records for goals and appearances, was voted into thePFA Centenary Hall of Fame in July 2007.[176]
Fred Everiss, secretary-manager 1902–1948. The longest serving manager in English football history.Vic Buckingham, manager 1953–1959. Narrowly missed out on a double in the1953-54 season, winning theFA Cup and finishing as league runners-up. His tactical philosophy was a precursor toTotal Football.
The following managers have all led West Bromwich Albion to at least one of the following achievements while in charge of the club: winning a major trophy or reaching the final, achieving a top three league finish in the top flight, winning promotion or reaching the quarter-finals of a major European competition.
Promotion as Division Two winners 1910–11, FA Cup runners-up1912,1935,Division One winners 1919–20, Division One runners-up 1924–25, Promotion as Division Two runners-up 1930–31, FA Cup winners1931
Jesse Pennington, Albion's most capped England international (in terms of caps won whilst at the club). He represented his country 25 times, serving as captain on two occasions.
West Bromwich Albion's record victory was their 12–0 league win againstDarwen on 4 April 1892.[177] This is still the widest margin of victory for a game in the top-flight of English football, although the record was equalled byNottingham Forest when they beatLeicester Fosse by the same scoreline in 1909.[178] Albion's biggest FA Cup victory came when they beat Chatham 10–1 on 2 March 1889. The club's record league defeat was a 3–10 loss againstStoke City on 4 February 1937, while a 0–5 defeat toLeeds United on 18 February 1967 represents Albion's heaviest FA Cup loss.[177]
Tony Brown holds a number of Albion's club records. He has made the most appearances overall for the club (720), as well as most appearances in the league (574), FA Cup (54) and in European competition (17). Brown is the club's top scorer in the league (218), the FA Cup (27) and in Europe (8). He is also the club's record scorer overall, with 279 goals.W. G. Richardson scored 328 goals for the club, but this includes 100 duringWorld War II, which are not normally counted towards competitive totals. Richardson holds the club record for most league goals in a single season, scoring 39 times in 1935–36.[177][179]
Albion's most capped international player, taking into account only those caps won whilst at the club, isChris Brunt. He appeared 55 times forNorthern Ireland as an Albion player, earning 65 caps in total before retiring from international football in 2017.[180][181]Jesse Pennington is the club's most capped England international, with 25 caps.[182] The highest transfer fee paid by the club is £15 million toRB Leipzig forOliver Burke on 25 August 2017.[183] The record transfer fee received by Albion from another club was for the transfer ofSalomón Rondón toDalian Yifang in July 2019 for £16.5 million.[184]
C. ^ : The town crest remained on the away strip until 2001.
D. ^ : Kevan was joint-top scorer withRay Crawford of Ipswich Town.
E. ^ : Secretary-manager. Albion did not appoint a full-time manager until 1949.
F. ^ : The Football League First Division was the top division of English football until 1992, when the Premier League became the top division. At the same time, the second, third and fourth tiers of English football became known as the Football League First Division, Second Division and Third Division respectively. These three divisions were renamed again in 2004 as part of a Football League re-branding exercise, becoming known as the Football League Championship, League One and League Two respectively.
G. ^ : This feat was repeated by Sunderland in the 2013–14 season and Leicester the following year.
^Phillips, David Llewelyn (2015). "Badges and 'Crests': the twentieth-century relationship between football and heraldry".Coat of Arms. 3rd ser.11 (1): 35–50 (43, and plate 4e).
^"Albion's timeline". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 10 September 2008. Archived fromthe original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved11 November 2007.
^"West Brom Go Private". The Political Economy of Football. 21 November 2004.Archived from the original on 25 November 2007. Retrieved11 November 2007.
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