The Hawthorns Stadium Capacity, Tickets, Seating Plan, Records, Location, Parking
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of Championship club West Bromwich Albion since 1900 when it became the sixth ground used by the club.
The Hawthorns was the first football league ground to be built in the 20th century, opening in September 1900 after construction work had taken just 4 months. The official attendance record for The Hawthorns is 64,815, set in 1937.
As well as being the home of West Bromwich Albion for over 120 years, The Hawthorns has also hosted several England internationals, as well as two FA Cup semi-finals. At an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), it is the highest ground above sea level of any Premier League and Football League club.
| Built In: | May – September 1900 |
| Capacity: | 26,850 |
| Home Teams: | West Bromwich Albion |
| Ground Size: | 105 by 68 metres |
The Hawthorns Stadium History
The expiry of Stoney Lane’s lease, as well as the club’s desire for a more spacious location, saw them move once more in 1900, this time permanently. All previous Albion grounds had been near the center of West Bromwich, but on this occasion, they occupied an ‘out of town’ site on the edge of Handsworth.
The area was covered in hawthorn bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new land, hence their name, the Hawthorns. The club signed a lease on the land on 14 May 1900, giving them the option to purchase within 14 years from the owner, Sandwell Park Colliery, and Albion actually purchased the freehold in June 1913.
When it opened, the Hawthorns could hold around 35,500 spectators. The first match took place on Monday 3 September 1900, when Albion drew 1-1 with Derby County in front of 20,104 spectators. Steve Bloomer, who plays for England, scored the first goal for Hawthorns. Chippy Simmons scored the equaliser for Albion.
The first game on Saturday came soon after, with Albion losing 0-1 to fierce local rivals Aston Villa in front of a capacity crowd of 35,417, but with many more forcing their way in and some 15,000 people barred from entering. However, the 1900-01 campaign was not successful as Albion finished bottom of the table and was relegated to Division Two. Their loss to Sheffield United on the final day of the season was witnessed by just 1,050 spectators, which is still the lowest crowd record for a league game at the Hawthorns.
Stadium Capacity
The Hawthorns Stadium has a seating capacity of 26,850.
The Hawthorns Stadium Seating Plan
The Hawthorns Seating Plan:
Notable Events & Records
All-time Record Attendance: 64,815 v Arsenal, 6 March 1937 (FA Cup Sixth Round)
Modern All-Seated Record Attendance: 27,751 v Portsmouth, 15 May 2005 (Premier League)
All-time Record Average Attendance: 40,083 (First Division, 1953–54)
Modern All-Seated Record Average Attendance: 26,776 (Premier League, 2002–03)
Upcoming Events
Not Yet.
Parking
Parking is freely available in the streets surrounding the stadium and you will be unlucky enough to have to park more than a 10-minute walk back to the stadium. However, if you prefer secure private car parks, there are many that charge upwards of £5 per vehicle.
