The Hawthorns
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| Full name | The Hawthorns |
|---|---|
| Location | Halfords Lane West Bromwich B71 4LF |
| Coordinates | 52°30′33″N 1°57′50″W / 52.50917°N 1.96389°WCoordinates: 52°30′33″N 1°57′50″W / 52.50917°N 1.96389°W |
| Owner | West Bromwich Albion F.C. |
| Operator | West Bromwich Albion |
| Capacity | 26,850 |
| Record attendance | 64,815 v Arsenal, 1937 (FA Cup Sixth Round) |
| Field size | 105 m x 68 m |
| Surface | Desso GrassMaster |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1900 |
| Opened | September 1900 |
| Renovated | 2008, West Stand |
| Construction cost | £7.5 Million (East Stand,2001) |
| Tenants | |
| West Bromwich Albion F.C. (1900–present) | |
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,850. It has been the home of Premier League club West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be 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 took only 4 months. At an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), it is the highest ground among those of all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs.
During the early years of the club, West Bromwich Albion led something of a nomadic existence, playing at five different grounds in a 22-year period. Their first ground was Cooper's Hill, which the club occupied from 1878 to 1879. From 1879 to 1881 they played at Dartmouth Park, although they may also have alternated between there and Cooper's Hill during this period. Albion's third ground was Bunn's Field, also known as The Birches, where they played for a single season in 1881–82. With a capacity of 1500–2000, it was their first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time. The increasing popularity of football led the well-established West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club to rent their Four Acres ground to Albion from 1882 to 1885, but they quickly outgrew their new home and soon needed to move again. Albion's tenure of Stoney Lane, from 1885 to 1900, was arguably the most successful period in the club's history, as the club won the FA Cup twice and were runners-up three times.
The expiry of the lease on Stoney Lane, as well as the club's desire for a more spacious location, saw them move once again in 1900, this time permanently. All of Albion's previous grounds had been close to the centre of West Bromwich, but on this occasion they took up an "out of town" site on the borders of Handsworth. The area was covered in hawthorn bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new ground, hence its name, the Hawthorns. The club signed a lease for the land on 14 May 1900, giving them the option to buy within 14 years from the owner, Sandwell Park Colliery, and Albion did indeed buy the freehold on the ground in June 1913.
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