West Bromwich Albion F.C.
33921
226143045
2008-07-17T00:37:50Z
Jameboy
1302184
/* Colours */ no need to link. Link already appears in this section
{{Infobox Football club
| clubname = West Bromwich Albion
| image = [[Image:West Bromwich Albion crest.png|150px|West Bromwich Albion crest]]
| fullname = West Bromwich Albion<br />Football Club
| nickname = ''Albion'' <p>''The Baggies'' <p>''The Throstles'' <p> ''West Brom''
| founded = 1878 (as ''West Bromwich Strollers'')
| ground = [[The Hawthorns]]<br />[[West Bromwich]]
| capacity = 28,003<ref name="Ground Capacity">Matthews (2007) p70. "2006 – With extra seating, the capacity of The Hawthorns rose to 28,003."</ref>
| chairman = {{flagicon|England}} [[Jeremy Peace]]
| mgrtitle = Manager
| manager = {{flagicon|England}} [[Tony Mowbray]]
| league = [[Premier League]]
| season = [[2007-08 in English football|2007–08]]
| position = [[Football League Championship|The Championship]], 1st<br>(promoted)
| pattern_la1=_white_stripes|pattern_b1=_navystripes|pattern_ra1=_white_stripes
| leftarm1=000077|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=000077|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=000077
| pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
| leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=000080|socks2=FFFFFF
| shirtsupplier=[[Umbro]]
| shirtsponsors=[[T-Mobile]]
}}
'''West Bromwich Albion Football Club''' (also known as '''West Brom''', '''The Baggies''', '''Albion''', '''The Albion''', '''The Throstles''' or '''W.B.A.''') are an [[England|English]] professional [[Football (soccer)|football]] club based in [[West Bromwich]], [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]. The club was formed in 1878 by workers from Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich, and have played their home games at [[The Hawthorns]] since 1900.
Albion were one of the founding members of [[The Football League]] in 1888 and have spent the majority of their existence in the top tier of English football.<!--The latter will remain true until at least 2042--> They have been [[English football champions|champions of England]] only once, in [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]], but have had more success in the [[FA Cup]], with five wins. The first came in [[FA Cup Final 1888|1888]], the year the league was founded, and the most recent in [[FA Cup Final 1968|1968]], their last major trophy. They also won the [[Football League Cup]] at the first attempt in [[1966 Football League Cup Final|1966]]. Since the early 1980s the club has been less successful. From [[1985-86 in English football|1986]] to [[2001-02 in English football|2002]] they spent their longest ever period out of the top division, although there has been something of a revival in recent years: [[Premier League 2008-09|2008–09]] will be the club's fourth season in the Premier League since 2002.
The team have played in blue and white stripes for most of their history. They have a number of long-standing rivalries with other Midlands clubs; their traditional rivals were [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], but more recently their major rivalry is with [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]], with whom they contest the [[Black Country derby]].
==History==
{{main|History of West Bromwich Albion F.C.}}
{{dablink|For a statistical breakdown by season, see [[West Bromwich Albion F.C. seasons]].}}
The club was founded as '''West Bromwich Strollers''' in 1878 by workers from [[Avery Weigh-Tronix|George Salter's Spring Works]] in West Bromwich, then in [[Staffordshire]] but now part of the West Midlands administrative county.<ref>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.</ref><ref name="Early years">McOwan pp7–10.</ref> They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880, becoming the first team to adopt the ''[[Albion (disambiguation)#Football and rugby|Albion]]'' suffix. Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked, close to what is today [[Greets Green]].<ref name="Early years"/> The club joined the Birmingham & District Football Association in 1881 and became eligible for their first competition, the [[Birmingham Senior Cup|Birmingham Cup]]. They reached the quarter-finals, beating several longer-established clubs on the way. In 1883, Albion won their first trophy, the [[Staffordshire Senior Cup|Staffordshire Cup]]. Albion joined [[the Football Association]] in the same year; this enabled them to enter the FA Cup for the first time in the [[1883-84 in English football|1883–84]] season.<ref>McOwan pp13–14.</ref> In 1885 the club turned professional,<ref name="Club records">{{cite web
|date=2007-05-14
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10366~1022925,00.html
|title=In the record book
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> and in [[1886 FA Cup Final|1886]] they reached the FA Cup final for the first time, losing 2–0 to [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] in a replay. They reached the final again in [[1887 FA Cup Final|1887]], but lost 2–0 to [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]. In [[1888 FA Cup Final|1888]] the team won the trophy for the first time, beating strong favourites [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] 2–1 in the final.<ref>McOwan p20.</ref>
[[Image:West Bromwich Albion team 1888.jpg|thumb|right|200px|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 the [[Football League]] started later that year, Albion became one of the twelve founder members.<ref>McOwan pp19–21.</ref> Albion's second FA Cup success came in [[1892 FA Cup Final|1892]], beating Aston Villa 3–0. They met Villa again in the [[1895 FA Cup Final|1895]] final, but lost 1–0. The team suffered relegation to Division Two in [[1900-01 in English football|1900–01]], their first season at [[The Hawthorns]].<ref>McOwan p30.</ref> They were promoted as champions the following season but relegated again in [[1903-04 in English football|1903–04]].<ref>McOwan p32.</ref> The club won the Division Two championship once more in [[1910-11 in English football|1910–11]], and the following season reached another [[1912 FA Cup Final|FA Cup Final]], where they were defeated by [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] in a replay.<ref>McOwan pp36–37.</ref>
Albion won the Football League title in [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]] for the only time in their history following the end of the [[First World War]], their totals of 104 goals and 60 points both breaking the previous league records.<ref>McOwan p42.</ref> The team finished as Division One runners-up in [[1924-25 in English football|1924–25]], narrowly losing out to [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]], but were relegated in [[1926-27 in English football|1926–27]].<ref>McOwan p45.</ref> In [[1930-31 in English football|1930–31]] they won promotion as well as the [[1931 FA Cup Final|FA Cup]], beating [[Birmingham F.C.|Birmingham]]<!--They weren't Birmingham City until 1943--> 2–1 in the final.<ref>McOwan pp50–51.</ref> The "''Double''" of winning the FA Cup and promotion has not been achieved before or since.<ref>As of 2007. Matthews (2007) p23.</ref> Albion reached the final again in [[1935 FA Cup Final|1935]], losing to [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], but were relegated three years later.<ref>McOwan pp53–55.</ref> They gained promotion in [[1948-49 in English football|1948–49]],<ref>McOwan p58.</ref> and there followed the club's longest unbroken spell in the top flight of English football, a total of 24 years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/sport/clubs/baggies/history.shtml
|title=West Bromwich Albion Football Club History
|publisher=bbc.co.uk
|accessdate=2007-11-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/W-BROMWA.HTM
|title=West Bromwich Albion
|publisher=Football Club History Database
|accessdate=2007-11-19}}</ref>
In [[1953-54 in English football|1953–54]] Albion came close to being the first team in the 20th century to win the [[The Double|League and Cup double]]. They succeeded in winning the [[1954 FA Cup Final|FA Cup]], beating Preston 3–2, but a loss of form towards the end of the season meant that they finished as runners-up to fierce rivals [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]] in the league.<ref>McOwan pp67–68.</ref> 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 chosen ''en masse'' to represent [[England national football team|England]] at the [[1954 FIFA World Cup|1954 World Cup]] finals.<ref>{{Citation
| last=Wilson
| first=Peter
| title=Let 'Team of Century' play for England in World Cup
| newspaper=[[Daily Mirror]]
| date = [[1954-03-17]]
| pages = p15
| year=1954
}}</ref> 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 in English football|1957–58]] and [[1959-60 in English football|1959–60]].
[[Image:1954 FA Cup memorabilia.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Memorabilia from the [[1954 FA Cup Final]]]]
Although their league form was less impressive during the 1960s, the second half of the decade saw West Bromwich Albion establish a reputation as a successful cup side. In [[1966 Football League Cup Final|1966]], under manager [[Jimmy Hagan]], they beat [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham]] in their first League Cup appearance, winning 5–3 on aggregate in the last [[two-legged]] final. The following year they reached the [[1967 Football League Cup Final|final]] again, the first at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]], but lost 3–2 to Third Division [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|QPR]] after being 2–0 up at half-time.<ref>McOwan pp87–88.</ref> 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 Final|1968 FA Cup]], when they beat [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in [[extra time]] thanks to a single goal from [[Jeff Astle]].<ref>McOwan pp94–96.</ref> Albion reached the FA Cup semi-final and [[European Cup Winners Cup]] quarter-final in 1969, and were defeated 2–1 by [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] in the [[1970 Football League Cup Final|1970 League Cup Final]].<ref>McOwan pp97–99.</ref>
The club were less successful during the reign of [[Don Howe]], and were relegated to Division Two at the end of [[1972-73 in English football|1972–1973]],<ref>McOwan p105.</ref> but gained promotion three years later under the guidance of player-manager [[Johnny Giles]].<ref>McOwan pp113–114.</ref> Under [[Ron Atkinson]], Albion reached the 1978 FA Cup semi-final but lost to [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]].<ref>McOwan p120.</ref> In [[1978-79 in English football|1978–79]], the team finished third in Division One, their highest placing for over 20 years, and also reached the [[UEFA Cup 1978-79|UEFA Cup]] quarter-final, where they were defeated by [[Red Star Belgrade]].<ref>McOwan pp124–127.</ref> In his second spell as manager, [[Ronnie Allen]] guided the team to both domestic cup semi-finals in [[1981-82 in English football|1981–82]].<ref>McOwan pp136–138.</ref> The mid-1980s saw the start of Albion's longest and deepest decline. They were relegated in [[1985-86 in English football|1985–86]] with the worst record in the club's history,<ref>McOwan p144.</ref> beginning a period of sixteen years outside the top flight. Five years later the club were relegated to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] for the first time.<ref>McOwan p154.</ref>
[[Image:WBA The Great Escape.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Crowd scenes following ''The Great Escape'', [[15 May]] [[2005]].]]
Albion had spent the majority of their history in the top-flight of English football, but when the [[FA Premier League]] was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third tier, which had been renamed [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]]. In [[1992-93 in English football|1992–93]] Albion finished fourth and entered the [[playoffs]] for the first time, having just missed out the previous year. Albion's first appearance at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] for over twenty years—and their last ever at the original stadium—saw them beat [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]] 3–0 to return to the second level - now renamed the [[Football League First Division|First Division]].<ref>McOwan pp158–159.</ref> Manager [[Osvaldo Ardiles|Ossie Ardiles]] then joined [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] however, and a succession of managers over the next few seasons saw Albion consolidate their Division One status without ever mounting a serious promotion challenge.
The appointment of [[Gary Megson]] in March 2000 heralded an upturn in the club’s fortunes. Megson guided Albion to Division One safety in [[1999-2000 in English football|1999–2000]], and to the playoffs a year later. He went on to lead the club to promotion to the Premiership in [[2001-02 in English football|2001–02]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=Baggies back in big time
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1935828.stm
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=[[2002-04-21]]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> After being relegated in their first Premiership season,<ref>{{cite news
|title=Baggies relegated despite win
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2936479.stm
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=[[2003-04-19]]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> they made an immediate return to the top flight in [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=West Brom 2-0 Bradford
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3634667.stm
|publisher=BBC Sport
|date=[[2004-04-24]]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> In [[2004-05 in English football|2004–05]] Megson's successor, former Albion midfielder [[Bryan Robson]], led the team to a last-day “Great Escape”, when Albion became the first Premiership club to avoid relegation having been bottom of the table at Christmas.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2005-05-15]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/4525119.stm
|title=West Brom 2-0 Portsmouth
|publisher=BBC Sport
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> However they failed to avoid the drop the following season,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~823497,00.html
|title=Albion suffer relegation
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> and Robson was replaced by [[Tony Mowbray]] in October 2006.<ref>{{Cite news
| title = Mowbray leaves Hibs for West Brom
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6043410.stm
| publisher = BBC Sport
| date = [[2006-10-13]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-01}}</ref> The club competed in the [[Football League Championship play-offs|Championship promotion playoff]] final at [[Wembley Stadium]] on [[28 May]] [[2007]], but lost 1–0 to [[Derby County]].<ref>{{cite news
|last=Fletcher
|first=Paul
|date=[[2007-05-28]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/6689971.stm
|title=Derby 1-0 West Brom
|publisher=BBC Sport
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> The following season Mowbray led the Baggies to Wembley again, this time in the semi-finals of the [[FA Cup 2007-08|FA Cup]]. They lost 1–0 to [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]],<ref>{{cite news
|last=McKenzie
|first=Andrew
|date=[[2008-04-05]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7320356.stm
|title=West Brom 0-1 Portsmouth
|publisher=BBC Sport
|accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> but one month later were promoted to the Premier League as champions.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2008-05-04]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7368623.stm
|title=QPR 0-2 West Brom
|publisher=BBC Sport
|accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref>
<!--This section should attempt to maintain a historical perspective of the club. Therefore please do not simply add the latest news, transfer gossip or match score, unless it could be considered significant within the context of West Bromwich Albion's 125+ year history. -->
==Colours==
{{Football kit box
| align = left
| pattern_la = _redpinstripes
| pattern_b = _thinredhoops
| pattern_ra = _redpinstripes
| leftarm = FFFFFF
| body = FFFFFF
| rightarm = FFFFFF
| shorts = FFFFFF
| socks = FF0000
| title = Albion's strip from 1882–83 was one of many variations worn by the club during the 1880s. Note that the actual kit had long sleeves.
}}
{{Football kit box
| align = right
| pattern_la = _green_stripes
| pattern_b = _greenstripes
| pattern_ra = _green_stripes
| leftarm = FFFF00
| body = FFFF00
| rightarm = FFFF00
| shorts = 007700
| socks = FFFF00
| title = Albion's most common away colours during the late 20th and early 21st century
}}
West Bromwich Albion 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 as '''''The Stripes''''' by supporters.<ref>{{cite news
|first=Emma
|last=Cullwick
|coauthors=Lepkowski, Chris
|title=Fans joy as Albion book Wembley trip
|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline=&method=full&objectid=19118105&siteid=50002-name_page.html
|publisher=[[Birmingham Mail]]
|date=[[2007-05-17]]
|accessdate=2008-07-14}}</ref> 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.<ref>McOwan p13.</ref> The blue and white stripes made their first appearance in the [[1885-86 in English football|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]].<ref name="Historical Kits">{{cite web
|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/West_Bromwich_Albion/West_Bromwich_Albion.htm
|title=Historical football kits - West Bromwich Albion
|publisher=www.historicalkits.co.uk
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> For the regional leagues played during the [[Second World War]], Albion were forced to switch to all-blue shirts, as [[rationing]] meant that striped material was considered a luxury.<ref>McOwan p56.</ref>
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.<ref name="Matthews (1987) p241">Matthews (1987) p241.</ref> The away shirt additionally featured a large 'V' during the First World War.<ref>Matthews (1987) p188.</ref> In the [[1935 FA Cup Final]] however, when both of Albion and [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield 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 the [[1967 Football League Cup Final|1967 League Cup Final]], to be replaced by the all-white design that was worn during the [[FA Cup 1967-68|FA Cup run of 1967–68]].<ref name="Matthews (1987) p241"/> 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.<ref name="Kit Classics">{{cite web
|url=http://www.kitclassics.co.uk/kits/westbrom.gif
|title= West Bromwich Albion historic kits
|publisher=www.kitclassics.co.uk
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
Albion players—along with those of other [[The Football League|Football League]] teams—first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of [[1939-40 in English football|1939-40]],<ref>{{cite web
|last=Young
|first=Peter
|coauthors=Goodwin, Chris
|title=England's Uniforms - Shirt Numbers and Names
|url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamUnif/UnifNosNames.html
|publisher=England Football Online
|date=[[1999-04-09]]
|accessdate=2008-07-15}}</ref> and names on the back of their shirts from [[1999-2000 in English football|1999–2000]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=Put your shirt on squad numbers next season
|url=http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1999/4/9/775565.html
|publisher=[[Lancashire Evening Telegraph]]
|date=[[1999-04-09]]
|accessdate=2008-07-15}}</ref> Red numbers were added to the side of Albion players' shorts in 1969.<ref name="Matthews (1987) p241"/> The club's shirts have been [[English football sponsorship|sponsored]] since the [[1981-82 in English football|1981–82]] season, when BSR Housewares became their first [[Kit (football)|kit]] sponsor.<ref name="Historical Kits"/> The longest-running shirt sponsorship deal agreed by the club ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2004 with the [[West Bromwich Building Society]],<ref name="Historical Kits"/><ref>{{cite news
|title=Baggies shirt sponsorship up for grabs
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~485609,00.html
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> who were succeeded by current shirt sponsor [[T-Mobile]]. Since 2006 Albion's kit has been manufactured by [[Umbro]], who also produced the club's clothing during the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Albion sign up UMBRO
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~809085,00.html
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|date=[[2006-03-31]]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=Albion extend UMBRO deal
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1223588,00.html
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|date=[[2008-01-24]]
|accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref>
==Crest==
[[Image:old west bromwich albion crest.png|thumb|left|125px|West Bromwich Albion's previous club crest, retired in 2006]]
[[Image:westbromcrest.jpg|thumb|right|125px|The town crest of [[West Bromwich]] has featured intermittently on Albion team shirts]]
Albion's main club crest dates back to the late 1880s, when then club secretary Tom Smith suggested that a [[throstle]] sitting on a crossbar be adopted for the crest.<ref name="McOwan p15 Throstle">McOwan p15. ''Throstle'' is a colloquial [[Black Country]] name for the [[song thrush]].</ref> Since then, the club crest has always featured a throstle, usually on a blue and white striped shield, although the crossbar was replaced with a [[Common Hawthorn|hawthorn]] branch at some point after the club's move to [[The Hawthorns]]. The throstle was chosen because the [[public 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'''''. 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.<ref name="McOwan p15 Throstle"/> In 1979 an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at The Hawthorns,<ref>Matthews (1987) p239.</ref> and was returned to the same area of the ground following redevelopment in the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/yfh45/westbrom.htm
|title=West Bromwich Albion ground guide
|publisher=Internet Football Ground Guide
|accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref>
The crest has been subject to various revisions through the years, meaning that the club were unable to register it as a [[trademark]]. As a result of this, the crest was re-designed in 2006, incorporating the name of the club for the first time. The new crest gave Albion the legal protection they sought.<ref name="NewBadge">{{cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~777862,00.html
|title=Albion unveil new badge
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
The main club crest should be distinguished from the badge displayed on the first team strip, as the two have rarely coincided. No badge appeared on the kit for most of the club's history, although the [[Stafford#The Stafford knot|Stafford knot]] featured on the team jerseys for part of the 1880s.<ref name="Complete Record p64">Matthews (2007) p64.</ref> The [[West Bromwich]] town crest was worn on the players' shirts for the [[1931 FA Cup Final|1931]], [[1935 FA Cup Final|1935]] and [[1954 FA Cup Final|1954]] FA Cup finals. The crest's [[Latin]] motto, "[[Labor omnia vincit]]", translates as "labour conquers all things" or "work conquers all". The town crest was revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000,<ref>The town crest remained on the away strip until 2001.</ref> with the throstle moved to the collar of the shirts.
Albion's first regular shirt crest appeared in the late 1960s and featured the familiar throstle, but without the blue and white striped shield of the club crest.<ref name="Historical Kits"/> This continued until the early 1970s, with a similar design 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.<ref name="Historical Kits"/> Not until the early 21st century did the full club crest appear on the team's shirts.<ref name="Historical Kits"/>
==Grounds==
{{main|The Hawthorns}}
[[Image:TheHawthorns.jpg|thumb|right|225px|[[The Hawthorns]], home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
West Bromwich Albion led something of a nomadic existence during their early years, playing at five different grounds in a 22-year period. Their first ground was Coopers Hill, which the club occupied from 1878 to 1879. From 1879 to 1881 they played additionally at Dartmouth Park, appearing to alternate between the two grounds during this time.<ref name="Full Throstle DVD">{{cite video
| people = [[Adrian Chiles]] (presenter)
| year2 = 2005
| title = Full Throstle: The Official History of West Bromwich Albion
| url = http://www.pdimedia.co.uk/
| medium = DVD
| publisher = Paul Doherty International
| location = Manchester, England
| accessdate = 2007-12-03
| id = Cat No. WBADVD05}}</ref> Albion's third ground was Bunns Field, also known as The Birches, where they played for a single season in [[1881-82 in English football|1881–82]]. With a capacity of between 1,500 and 2,000,<ref name="Full Throstle DVD"/> it was their first enclosed ground, allowing the club to charge an entrance fee for the first time.<ref name="Complete Record p64"/> 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, West Midlands|Handsworth]]. The area was covered in [[Common Hawthorn|hawthorn]] bushes, which were cleared to make way for the new ground, hence its name, [[The Hawthorns]].<ref name="Full Throstle DVD"/> Albion drew 1–1 with [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] in the first match at the stadium, on September 3, 1900.<ref>Matthews (2007) p79.</ref> The Hawthorns experienced its record attendance on [[6 March]] [[1937]], when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beat [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final.<ref>Matthews (2007) pp83–84.</ref> In the 1990s, following the [[Taylor Report]], the ground became all-seated.<ref name="Grounds for debate">{{Cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Hawthorns/0,,10366,00.html
|title=Grounds for debate
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> Today, it is a 28,003 capacity stadium,<ref name="Ground Capacity"/> comprising the Birmingham Road End, Smethwick End, East Stand and Halfords Lane Stand.<ref name="Stadium Plan">{{Cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/StadiumPlan/0,,10366,00.html
|title=Stadium Plan
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> At an altitude of 551 [[foot (unit of length)|feet]] (168 m), The Hawthorns is the [[Highest English football stadia by altitude|highest ground]] among those of all 92 [[Premier League]] and [[The Football League|Football League]] clubs.<ref>Matthews (2007) p72.</ref>
==Supporters==
{{rquote|right|
''The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want:''<br/>
''He makes me down to lie''<br/>
''In pastures green; he leadeth me''<br/>
''The quiet waters by.''|Lyrics to first verse of "The Lord's my Shepherd"|from CCEL<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/anonymous/scotpsalter.p24.html | title=Psalm 23: The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want | publisher=Christian Classics Ethereal Library |accessdate=2007-08-05}}</ref>}}
The official West Bromwich Albion supporters club has branches throughout the [[United Kingdom]], as well as in [[Ireland]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[Malta]] and [[Thailand]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Branches/0,,10366,00.html
|title=Albion Supporters' Clubs Directory
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> Albion's "club anthem" is [[Psalm 23]], commonly referred to as ''The Lord's my Shepherd'', of which only the first verse is sung.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~480525,00.html
|title=Hawthorns set for a tenor treat
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref> Supporters of the team celebrate a goal by bouncing up and down and shouting "Boing Boing", a chant that dates back to the [[1992-93 in English football|1992–93]] promotion season.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~63609,00.html
|title=Lyttle things mean a lot
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref> In recent years fans of the team have celebrated the end of each season by adopting a [[Costume party|fancy dress]] theme for the final away match, including dressing as [[vikings]] in 2004 in honour of Player of the Season [[Thomas Gaardsøe]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=Gaardsoe hails fans
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~523574,00.html
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|date=[[2004-05-11]]
|accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> In 2002–03 Albion's fans were voted the best in the Premiership by their peers,<ref>{{cite web
|date=[[2004-11-17]]
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~551945,00.html
|title=Prove you're No.1 again
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2002-05-13]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1984648.stm
|title= IQ test is ratings hit
|publisher=BBC Sport
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
===Publications===
The club have published an official matchday programme for supporters since 1905.<ref>{{Citation
| last=Millichip
| first=Sir Bert
| title=Past glories and future hopes
| newspaper=Story of the Baggies - Birmingham Evening Mail souvenir
| date = [[1995-01-16]]
| pages = p3.
| year=1995
}}</ref> The publication was entitled ''Albion News'' for many years, but was renamed ''Albion'' from the [[2002-03 in English football|2002–03]] season onwards.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.westbrom.com/0/programmes/overtheyears.html
|title=The Programmes : Over The Years:2000-01 to 2005-06
|publisher=westbrom.com
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> It won Premiership Programme of the Year in 2002–03 and Third Division Programme of the Year in 1991–92.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.pmfc.co.uk/awards_page.php
|title=Programme of the Year Awards
|publisher=Programme Monthly & Football Collectable
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> In 2007–08 it was awarded Championship Programme of the Year by both Programme Monthly and the Football Programme Directory.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Double up for 'ALBION'
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1287194,00.html
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|date=[[2008-04-11]]
|accessdate=2008-04-12}}</ref> The programme has a circulation in excess of 8,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.albionbusiness.co.uk/advertising-opportunities/programme_advertising.html
|title=Programme Advertising
|publisher=Albion Business
|accessdate=2008-07-15}}</ref> The first West Bromwich Albion fanzine, ''Fingerpost'' began in 1983. It was followed by several publications, most notably ''Grorty Dick'' – named after a Black Country dish – which was in circulation from 1989 to 2005.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.albiontillwedie.co.uk/history/overtheyears/fanzines.html
|title=Over the years – fanzines
|publisher=AlbionTillWeDie.co.uk
|accessdate=2008-01-10}}</ref> The club now has no remaining fanzines, although an unofficial newspaper, ''The Baggies'', is still produced.
[[Image:BaggieBird.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Albion mascot ''Baggie Bird'']]
==="Baggies" nickname===
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.<ref name="McOwan pp38-40">McOwan pp38–40.</ref> One suggestion is that the name was bestowed on Albion supporters by their rivals at [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston 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 the [[Black Country]].<ref name="Full Throstle DVD"/> 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.<ref name="BOING Baggies nickname">{{cite web
|url=http://www.baggies.com/faq/#BAGGIES
|title=Why are we called The Baggies ?
|publisher=[http://www.baggies.com BOING]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> Other theories relate to the baggy shorts worn by various players during the club's early years.<ref name="McOwan pp38-40"/><ref name="BOING Baggies nickname"/> The official club mascot is named ''Baggie Bird'', and is based on the throstle depicted on the club crest.<ref>{{Cite news
|title= Fanzines - No 5. West Bromwich Albion
|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/fanzines/story/0,,437994,00.html
|publisher=GuardianUnlimited
|date=[[2001-02-14]]
|accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref>
===Rivalries===
Despite the club's proximity to [[Birmingham]], most Albion fans see [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] as their main rivals. The two teams have contested the [[Black Country derby]] more than 150 times. Their first major clash was an [[FA Cup]] tie in 1886, although the rivalry really came to prominence when the two clubs contested the league title in 1953–54. During the 1990s the rivalry intensified to new heights among supporters, with both clubs languishing in Division One for much of the decade and only local pride at stake.<ref>McOwan p162.</ref> A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com confirmed that the majority of both Albion and Wolves supporters consider the other to be their main rival, with Baggies fans naming [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], Albion's great rivals historically, and [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] as their second and third rivals respectively.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s120/st44186.htm
|title=Football Rivalries: The Complete Results
|publisher=Planetfootball.com
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf
|title=Rivalry Uncovered!
|publisher=The Football Fans Census
|format=pdf
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] are seen as lesser rivals, due to playing in a lower division than Albion for most of their history. The [[hooligan firm]] who associate themselves with Albion are known as [[Section 5|Section Five]].<ref>{{cite news
| last = Kelly
| first = John
| title = Woz on the telly: Bunch of cowards
| publisher = [[The Sunday Mirror]]
| date = [[2002-05-19]]
| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20020519/ai_n12843434
| accessdate = 2008-03-24 }}</ref>
==Ownership and governance==
[[Image:Billy Bassett chairman.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Billy Bassett]], Albion's chairman 1908–1937]]
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 ([[Sixpence (British coin)|six pence]]).<ref>Matthews (2007) p10.</ref> Albion's first chairman was [[Henry Jackson (football manager)|Henry Jackson]], appointed in 1885, with the club becoming a [[Limited company]] in June 1891.<ref name="Whos Who">Matthews
(2005) pp267–269.</ref> Other early chairmen of Albion included [[Jem Bayliss]] and [[Billy Bassett]], both of whom also 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.<ref name="Whos Who"/> 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.<ref>McOwan p33–34.</ref> 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.<ref>McOwan p34–35.</ref> He remains Albion's longest-serving chairman, having held the position until his death in 1937.<ref>Matthews (2005) pp25–26 & p267.</ref> The club's longest-serving director was Major H. Wilson Keys, during the period 1930–1965, including 15 years as chairman. He became [[The Football Association|FA]] vice-president in 1969.<ref>Matthews (2005) pp267–268.</ref>
Sir [[Bert Millichip]] served as Albion chairman from 1974 to 1983, after which he chose to concentrate on his role as chairman of The Football Association.<ref>Matthews (1987) p309.</ref> In 1996 the club became a [[Public limited company]], issuing shares to supporters at £500 and £3000 each.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10366~1018329,00.html
|title=Albion's timeline
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> The shares were quoted on the [[Alternative Investment Market]], but the club withdrew from the stock exchange in order to become a private company again in 2004.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2004-11-21]]
|url=http://www.footballeconomy.com/archive/archive_2004_nov_11.htm
|title=West Brom Go Private
|publisher=The Political Economy of Football
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> 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. Current chairman [[Jeremy Peace]] took up the post in 2002, after a rift between previous chairman Paul Thompson and manager [[Gary Megson]] forced Thompson to quit the club.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2002-05-01]]
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/1960590.stm
|title=Baggies chief quits over rift
|publisher=The Political Economy of Football
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> 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 the [[Takeover]] Code, for him to make a mandatory cash offer for the remaining shares in both WBA Holdings Ltd and WBA Ltd.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2007-09-17]]
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1113928,00.html
|title=Jeremy Peace statement
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> Later that year, Michelle Davies became Albion's first female director.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2007-12-05]]
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1182978,00.html
|title=Official WBA Statement
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2008-05-10}}</ref> Jeremy Peace announced in the summer of 2008 that he was looking for a major new investor for the club, but that any proposals must be received by the end of July.<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2008-06-13]]
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1327630,00.html
|title=Albion put deadline on investors search
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2008-06-14}}</ref>
==Records and statistics==
[[Image:WBA league finishes.png|right|thumb|400px|West Bromwich Albion league positions since the 1888–89 season. ''Pale horizontal lines indicate boundaries between league divisions.'']]
West Bromwich Albion's record victory was their 12–0 league win against [[Darwen F.C.|Darwen]] on [[4 April]], [[1892]].<ref name="Club records"/> This is still the widest margin of victory for a game in the top-flight of English football, although the record was equalled by [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] when they beat [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester Fosse]] by the same scoreline in 1909.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/Articles/NottmF1909.htm
| title=Nottingham Forest 12 Leicester Fosse 0
| publisher=FootballSite.co.uk
| accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> 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 against [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] on [[4 February]], [[1937]], while a 0–5 defeat to [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] on [[February 18]], [[1967]] represents Albion's heaviest FA Cup loss.<ref name="Club records"/>
[[Tony Brown (English footballer)|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 during the [[Second World War]], 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 in English football|1935–36]].<ref name="Club records"/><ref>McOwan p319.</ref>
Albion's most capped international player, taking into account only those caps won whilst at the club, is [[Stuart Williams (footballer)|Stuart Williams]], who appeared 33 times for [[Wales national football team|Wales]]. [[Jesse Pennington]] is the club's most capped [[England national football team|England]] international, with 25 caps.<ref name="Complete Record pp404-405">Matthews (2007) pp404–405.</ref> The highest transfer fee paid by the club is £3.5 million to [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] for [[Robert Earnshaw]] in August 2004. The record fee received by Albion for a player is £6 million from [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] for [[Diomansy Kamara]] in July 2007.<ref name="Club records"/>
==Players==
:''As of [[15 July]] [[2008]].''<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/TeamHome/0,,10366,00.html
|title=West Bromwich Albion 1st team
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
===Current squad===
{{football squad start}}
{{football squad player| no= 1| nat=Republic of Ireland | pos=GK| name=[[Dean Kiely]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 2| nat=Belgium | pos=DF| name=[[Carl Hoefkens]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 3| nat=England | pos=DF| name=[[Paul Robinson (defender born 1978)|Paul Robinson]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 4| nat=England | pos=DF| name=[[Leon Barnett]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 5| nat=England | pos=DF| name=[[Neil Clement]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 7| nat=Slovenia | pos=MF| name=[[Robert Koren]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 8| nat=England | pos=MF| name=[[Jonathan Greening]]|other=[[captain (football)|captain]]}}
{{football squad player| no= 9| nat=Czech Republic | pos=FW| name=[[Roman Bednář]]}}
{{football squad player| no=10| nat=Scotland | pos=FW| name=[[Craig Beattie]]}}
{{football squad player| no=12| nat=South Korea | pos=MF| name=[[Kim Do-Heon]]}}
{{football squad player| no=15| nat=Netherlands | pos=FW| name=[[Sherjill MacDonald]]}}
{{football squad player| no=16| nat=England | pos=DF| name=[[Jared Hodgkiss]]}}
{{football squad player| no=17| nat=England | pos=FW| name=[[Ishmael Miller]]}}
{{football squad player| no=18| nat=Netherlands Antilles| pos=DF| name=[[Shelton Martis]]}}
{{football squad mid}}
{{football squad player| no=19| nat=Czech Republic | pos=GK| name=[[Michal Daněk]]|other=on loan from [[FC Viktoria Plzeň|Viktoria Plzeň]]}}
{{football squad player| no=20| nat=Portugal | pos=MF| name=[[Filipe Teixeira]]}}
{{football squad player| no=23| nat=Portugal | pos=DF| name=[[Miguel Tininho|Tininho]]}}
{{football squad player| no=24| nat=England | pos=FW| name=[[Luke Moore]]}}
{{football squad player| no=26| nat=Cape Verde | pos=DF| name=[[Pedro Pelé|Pelé]]}}
{{football squad player| no=27| nat=Scotland | pos=MF| name=[[James Morrison (footballer)|James Morrison]]}}
{{football squad player| no=29| nat=Northern Ireland | pos=MF| name=[[Chris Brunt]]}}
{{football squad player| no=30| nat=Poland | pos=FW| name=[[Bartosz Ślusarski]]}}
{{football squad player| no=31| nat=England | pos=GK| name=[[Luke Daniels]]}}
{{football squad player| no=32| nat=England | pos=MF| name=[[David Worrall]]}}
{{football squad player| no=––| nat=Slovakia | pos=DF| name=[[Marek Čech]]}}
{{football squad player| no=––| nat=Scotland | pos=MF| name=[[Graham Dorrans]]}}
{{football squad player| no=––| nat=Netherlands | pos=DF| name=[[Gianni Zuiverloon]]}}
{{football squad end}}
<!--===Out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs end}}-->
''For recent transfers, see [[List of English football transfers 2007-08]].''
===Notable former players===
{{See also|Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players}}
As part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations in 2004, a survey was commissioned via the official Albion website and the [[Express & Star]] newspaper to determine the greatest West Bromwich Albion players of all time. A modern-day 16-man squad was compiled from the results, and all selected players have been depicted on a special mural displayed at [[The Hawthorns]]. Fourteen of the sixteen players are English-born, with a fifteenth, Cyrille Regis, being a full [[England national football team|England]] international. The list of sixteen is as follows:<ref>{{cite news
|date=[[2004-11-17]]
|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~547701,00.html
|title=The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural
|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
[[Image:Jeff Astle Gates.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Jeff Astle]] gates at The Hawthorns]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left" width="50%"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Name
! class="unsortable"|Nat.
! Years
! Apps
! Goals
! Position
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Billy|Bassett}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1886–99
|align=center|311
|align=center|77
|[[Outside right]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Jesse|Pennington}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1903–22
|align=center|496
|align=center|0
|[[Defender (football)|Left back]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|W. G.|Richardson}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1929–45
|align=center|354
|align=center|228
|[[Striker|Centre forward]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Ray|Barlow}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1944–60
|align=center|482
|align=center|48
|[[Wing half|Left half]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Ronnie|Allen}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1950–61
|align=center|458
|align=center|234
|[[Striker|Centre forward]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Don|Howe}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1952–64
|align=center|379
|align=center|19
|[[Defender (football)|Right back]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Tony|Brown|Tony Brown (English footballer)}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1963–81
|align=center|720
|align=center|279
|[[Wing half]]/[[Inside forward]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Jeff|Astle}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1964–74
|align=center|361
|align=center|174
|[[Striker|Centre forward]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|John|Osborne|John Osborne (footballer)}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1967–72<br>1973–78
|align=center|312
|align=center|0
|[[Goalkeeper]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|John|Wile}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1970–83
|align=center|619
|align=center|29
|[[Defender (football)|Centre half]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Willie|Johnston}}
|{{flagicon|Scotland}}
|1972–79
|align=center|261
|align=center|28
|[[Outside left]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Bryan|Robson}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1974–81
|align=center|249
|align=center|46
|Central [[midfielder]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Derek|Statham}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1976–87
|align=center|373
|align=center|11
|[[Defender (football)|Left back]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Laurie|Cunningham}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1977–79
|align=center|114
|align=center|30
|[[Winger (sport)|Winger]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Cyrille|Regis}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1977–84
|align=center|302
|align=center|112
|[[Striker|Centre forward]]
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Russell|Hoult}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|2001–07
|align=center|213
|align=center|0
|[[Goalkeeper]]
|}
Other notable honours bestowed upon West Bromwich Albion players include the [[PFA Young Player of the Year]] award, which was presented to Cyrille Regis in 1979.<ref>{{cite web
|title =Young Player of the Year 1974-2007
|url = http://www.givemefootball.com/rolls_of_honour/youngplayerroll.html
|work = GiveMeFootball.com
|publisher = [[Professional Footballers' Association]]
|accessdate = 2007-11-11
}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite news
|title=Football Legends list in full
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/144986.stm
|publisher=BBC News
|date=[[1998-08-05]]
|accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> Bryan Robson was also an inaugural inductee into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in 2002,<ref>{{cite web
|title =2002 Inaugural Inductees
|url = http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2002.htm
|publisher = [[National Football Museum]]
|accessdate = 2007-11-11
}}</ref> to be joined two years later by Geoff Hurst.<ref>{{cite web
|title =2004 Inductees
|url = http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2004.htm
|publisher = National Football Museum
|accessdate =2007-11-11
}}</ref> [[Bobby Robson]], a player with Albion, has also been inducted, although this was for his achievements as a manager.<ref>{{cite web
|title =2003 Inductees
|url = http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2003.htm
|publisher = National Football Museum
|accessdate = 2007-11-11
}}</ref> In [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]], [[Fred Morris (footballer born 1893)|Fred Morris]] became the first Albion player to finish as top goalscorer in [[Football League First Division|Division One]], a feat which has since been repeated by Ronnie Allen, [[Derek Kevan]], Jeff Astle and Tony Brown.<ref>Kevan was joint-top scorer with [[Ray Crawford (footballer)|Ray Crawford]] of Ipswich Town</ref><ref>{{cite web
| title=English League Leading Goalscorers 1889-2007
| url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html
| publisher=[[RSSSF]]
| date=[[2007-06-14]]
| accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> Brown, who holds the club records for goals and appearances, was voted into the [[Professional Footballers' Association|PFA]] Centenary Hall of Fame in July 2007.<ref>{{cite news
| title='Bomber' enters Centenary Hall of Fame
| url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1068413,00.html
| publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
| date=[[2007-07-09]]
| accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref>
==Notable managers==
{{details|List of West Bromwich Albion F.C. managers}}
[[Image:Fred Everiss.jpg|thumb|right|175px|[[Fred Everiss]], West Bromwich Albion's secretary-manager 1902–1948]]
The following managers have all led West Bromwich Albion to at least one of the following achievements whilst 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.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left" width="75%"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Name
! class="unsortable"|Nat.
! Years
! P
! W
! D
! L
! class="unsortable"|Achievements
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Louis|Ford}}<ref name="Secretary-manager">Secretary-manager. Albion did not appoint a full-time manager until 1948.</ref>
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1890–92
|align=center|58
|align=center|18
|align=center|10
|align=center|30
|<small>[[FA Cup]] winners [[FA Cup Final 1892|1892]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Edward|Stephenson}}<ref name="Secretary-manager"/>
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1894–95
|align=center|36
|align=center|14
|align=center|5
|align=center|17
|<small>FA Cup runners-up [[FA Cup Final 1895|1895]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Frank|Heaven}}<ref name="Secretary-manager"/>
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1896–02
|align=center|214
|align=center|86
|align=center|45
|align=center|83
|<small>[[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] champions [[1901-02 in English football|1901–02]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Fred|Everiss}}<ref name="Secretary-manager"/>
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1902–48
|align=center|1520
|align=center|656
|align=center|331
|align=center|533
|<small>Promotion as Division Two winners [[1910-11 in English football|1910–11]], FA Cup runners-up [[FA Cup Final 1912|1912]], [[FA Cup Final 1935|1935]], [[Football League First Division|Division One]] winners [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]], Division One runners-up [[1924-25 in English football|1924–25]], Promotion as Division Two runners-up [[1930-31 in English football|1930–31]], FA Cup winners [[FA Cup Final 1931|1931]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Jack|Smith|Jack Smith (footballer born 1911)}}
|{{flagicon|Wales}}
|1948–52
|align=center|179
|align=center|70
|align=center|46
|align=center|63
|<small>Promotion as Division Two runners-up [[1948-49 in English football|1948–49]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Vic|Buckingham}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1953–59
|align=center|301
|align=center|130
|align=center|78
|align=center|93
|<small>Division One runners-up [[1953-54 in English football|1953–54]], FA Cup winners [[FA Cup Final 1954|1954]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Jimmy|Hagan}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1963–67
|align=center|201
|align=center|78
|align=center|49
|align=center|74
|<small>[[Football League Cup|League Cup]] winners [[Football League Cup Final 1966|1966]], League Cup runners-up [[Football League Cup Final 1967|1967]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Alan|Ashman}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1967–71
|align=center|182
|align=center|64
|align=center|49
|align=center|69
|<small>FA Cup winners [[FA Cup Final 1968|1968]], [[European Cup Winners Cup]] quarter-finalists [[1968-69 in English football|1968–69]], League Cup runners-up [[Football League Cup Final 1970|1970]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Johnny|Giles}}
|{{flagicon|Ireland}}
|1975–77<br>1984–85
|align=center|159
|align=center|60
|align=center|42
|align=center|57
|<small>Promotion from Division Two [[1975-76 in English football|1975–76]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Ron|Atkinson}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|1978–81<br>1987–88
|align=center|212
|align=center|85
|align=center|68
|align=center|59
|<small>Division One 3rd place [[1978-79 in English football|1978–79]], [[UEFA Cup]] quarter-finalists 1978–79</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Osvaldo|Ardiles}}
|{{flagicon|Argentina}}
|1992–93
|align=center|55
|align=center|30
|align=center|11
|align=center|14
|<small>Promotion as Division Two play-off winners [[1992-93 in English football|1992–93]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Gary|Megson}}
|{{flagicon|England}}
|2000–04
|align=center|221
|align=center|94
|align=center|50
|align=center|77
|<small>Promotion as Division One runners-up [[2001-02 in English football|2001–02]], [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]]</small>
|-
|nowrap="nowrap"|{{sortname|Tony|Mowbray}}<ref>Current manager. Figures correct after Queens Park Rangers ''vs'' West Bromwich Albion, 4 May 2008.</ref>
|{{flagicon|England}}
|2006–
|align=center|97
|align=center|48
|align=center|22
|align=center|27
|<small>Promotion as [[Football League Championship|Championship]] winners [[2007-08 in English football|2007–08]]</small>
|}
==Honours==
[[Image:West Bromwich Albion team 1920.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Albion team of 1920 display the League Championship trophy and Charity Shield]]
*'''[[Football League First Division]]''' (old)<ref>Up until 1992, the top division of English football was the Football League First Division; since then, it has been the FA Premier League.</ref>
**Champions: [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]]
**Runners-up: [[1924-25 in English football|1924–25]], [[1953-54 in English football|1953–54]]
*'''[[Football League Second Division]]''' (old),<ref>Up until 1992, the second division of English football was the Football League Second Division; it was then renamed the First Division, and in 2004 renamed again as the Football League Championship.</ref> '''Division One''' (modern), '''Football League Championship'''
**Champions: [[1901-02 in English football|1901–02]], [[1910-11 in English football|1910–11]], [[2007-08 in English football|2007–08]]
**Runners-up: [[1930-31 in English football|1930–31]], [[1948-49 in English football|1948–49]], [[2001-02 in English football|2001–02]], [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]]
*'''Division Two''' (modern)<ref>Up until 1992, the third division of English football was the Football League Third Division; it was then renamed the Second Division, and in 2004 renamed again as Football League One.</ref>
**Play-off Winners: [[1992-93 in English football|1992–93]]
*'''[[FA Cup]]'''
**Winners: [[FA Cup Final 1888|1888]], [[FA Cup Final 1892|1892]], [[FA Cup Final 1931|1931]], [[FA Cup Final 1954|1954]], [[FA Cup Final 1968|1968]]
**Runners-up: [[FA Cup Final 1886|1886]], [[FA Cup Final 1887|1887]], [[FA Cup Final 1895|1895]], [[FA Cup Final 1912|1912]], [[FA Cup Final 1935|1935]]
*'''[[Football League Cup]]'''
**Winners:[[Football League Cup Final 1966|1966]]
**Runners-up: [[Football League Cup Final 1967|1967]], [[Football League Cup Final 1970|1970]]
*'''[[FA Charity Shield]]'''
**Winners: 1920, 1954 (shared with [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]])
**Runners-up: 1931, 1968
* '''Victories in minor cup competitions'''
**[[FA Youth Cup]]: 1976
**[[Tennent-Caledonian Cup]]: 1977
**[[Birmingham Senior Cup]]: 1886, 1895, 1988, 1990, 1991
**[[Staffordshire Senior Cup]]: 1883, 1886, 1887, 1889, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1924, 1926, 1932, 1933, 1951, 1969 (shared with [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]])
**[[Watney Cup]]: Runners-up: 1971
==Footnotes==
{{reflist|3}}
==References==
*{{cite book| last=McOwan | first=Gavin | title=The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion | publisher=Headline | year=2002 | isbn=0-7553-1146-9 }}
*{{cite book| last=Matthews | first=Tony | coauthors=Mackenzie, Colin | title=Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987 | publisher=Breedon Books | year=1987 | isbn=0-907969-23-2}}
*{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4}}
*{{cite book | last=Matthews | first=Tony | title=West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record | publisher=Breedon Books | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-85983-565-4}}
==External links==
{{Commonscat|West Bromwich Albion F.C.}}
*[http://www.wba.co.uk Official site]
*[http://www.wbascofficial.co.uk Official Supporters Club]
*[http://www.oldbaggies.com Former Players Association]
*[http://www.wbawfc.co.uk Women's team]
{{BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=w/west_bromwich_albion}}
*[http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/archive/sport/albion/ Albion news from expressandstar.com]
*[http://www.premierleague.com/west-bromwich-albion.html Premierleague.com - West Bromwich Albion]
<!--Please do not add fansites, bulletin boards or news sites that do not add value -->
{{fb start}}
{{West Bromwich Albion F.C.}}
{{Original Football League clubs}}
{{Premier League teamlist}}
{{English football league system cells | level = 2 | promotion = [[FA Premier League]] | relegation = [[Football League One]]}}
{{Football in England table cells}}
{{fb end}}
[[Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C.| ]]
[[Category:English football clubs]]
[[Category:Sport in the West Midlands]]
[[Category:Football League founder members]]
[[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 1878]]
[[Category:Premier League clubs]]
[[Category:Football League clubs]]
[[Category:Sandwell]]
[[Category:FA Cup winners]]
[[Category:Football League Cup winners]]
{{Link FA|hr}}
[[bg:ФК Уест Бромич Албиън]]
[[ca:West Bromwich Albion Football Club]]
[[cs:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[da:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[de:West Bromwich Albion]]
[[el:Γουέστ Μπρόμιτς Άλμπιον]]
[[es:West Bromwich Albion Football Club]]
[[fr:West Bromwich Albion Football Club]]
[[ko:웨스트 브롬위치 알비온 FC]]
[[hr:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[id:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[it:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[he:וסט ברומיץ' אלביון]]
[[lb:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[lt:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[hu:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[nl:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[ja:ウェスト・ブロムウィッチ・アルビオンFC]]
[[no:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[pl:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[pt:West Bromwich Albion Football Club]]
[[ru:Вест Бромвич Альбион]]
[[simple:West Bromwich Albion F.C.]]
[[sk:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[fi:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[sv:West Bromwich Albion FC]]
[[tr:West Bromwich Albion]]
[[zh:西布罗姆维奇足球俱乐部]]