The Hawthorns

The Hawthorns has been the home of West Bromwich Albion since its doors first opened on the third of September 1900. It was the first Football League ground to be built in the 20th Century and its construction took just four months. That isn’t the only first that the Black Country ground lays claim to either, it was also the first stadium to introduce electronic turnstile aggregators!

The Midlands club have long prided themselves on not only being a club of tradition but also of moving with the times and they revolutionized the way grounds are accessed once more when they introduced the Stilecard system. That year also saw them become the first club to have big screens in a widescreen format at their stadium.

As for the Baggies themselves, they’ve had a mixed history. They won the First Division championship, the only time in the club’s history they’ve won the top league, but have spent roughly half of their existence in the second tier of English football. They gained promotion to the Premier League for the 2010-2011 season and have remained in the top flight since.

General information

Arena capacity: 26,688 spectators

Address: 9 Birmingham Rd, West Bromwich B71 4LF, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 52.5090° N, 1.9639° W

Year of construction: September 1900

Construction cost: £7.5 Million (East Stand, 2001)

Field: Desso GrassMaster lawn with dimensions of 105 m x 68 m

Seating plan of The Hawthorns Stadium

The Hawthorns is a compact ground, that is totally enclosed, with the corners filled and is all seated. However, unlike most modern ‘bowl’ stadiums, the Hawthorns has a bit more character with a mixture of different looking stands. On one side is the impressive looking East Stand. Opened in 2001 it is an impressive, large single tiered stand, with a row of executive boxes running along the back. The lower part of the seating area extends around the corners and above the previous open corners have been filled with corrugated sheeting.

There is a thin supporting pillar on each side of the stand to support the corner structures. On the other side is the smaller Halfords Lane Stand. This stand which was opened in 1982 stretches around two corners of the ground. The home end, the Birmingham Road Stand is large, covered, and quite steep. At the other end away fans are housed in the Smethwick End. Both these ends were built in 1994/95. There are two video screens installed in opposite corners of the ground, one at the Smethwick End side of the East Stand and the other in the opposite corner of the Halfords Lane Stand.

An interesting feature of the ground is that in one corner of the ground (between the East Stand  & Birmingham Road End) you will notice perched up on a wall, a large Throstle standing on a football. This has been kept over from the previous stand (it used to sit above the clock on the half time scoreboard) and maintains the links with tradition. Outside the ground on the same corner are the ‘Jeff Astle Memorial Gates’ erected in tribute to the legendary striker. Whilst just beyond the East Stand Car Park is a Memorial Garden.

One strange fact about the Hawthorns is that it is the highest ground in England (in terms of feet above sea level).

Away fans

Away fans are housed on one side of the Smethwick End, where the normal allocation is 3,000 seats. This means that this stand is shared with home supporters. For cup games, the whole of this stand can be allocated to away supporters, raising this figure to 5,200. The facilities and the view of the pitch in the Smethwick End are okay, although the leg room is a little cramped.

The Hawthorns  is a fairly friendly place. The only thing against it, in terms of a day out is the lack of nearby pub for away fans, meaning that most elect to drink inside the ground instead. Considering that the concourse at the back of the Smethwick End is pretty small in comparison to its overall capacity, then it can have an uncomfortable feel, especially when there is a capacity away support.

The Club allows those away fans who need a smoke to stand outside the ground at half time. Food available on the concourse includes; Cheeseburgers (£3.70), Burgers (£3.50), a range of Pukka Pies; Chicken Balti, Chicken & Mushroom, Cheese & Onion, Steak & Kidney (All £3.30), Sausage Rolls (£3.30) and Pasties (£3.30).

There is a Club ‘Fan Zone’ located just across the road from the Stadium on the corner of Halfords Lane and Birmingham Road. This area has live music entertainment, a large screen showing the early kick off, plus food and alcoholic drinks are available. There is also a Greggs outlet nearby which is very handy. Currently this is free to enter and away fans are welcome (although there may be an exception to this when it comes to Wolves and Villa fans!).

One annoying thing is that located by the away turnstiles is a huge metal gate. This is usually open before the match meaning that you can easily access the visitors turnstiles from Halfords Lane. However after the game has ended, it is normally closed, meaning that you can’t access Halfords Lane, Instead, you have to go in the opposite direction, walking along paths ways and streets taking you right around the other side of the ground. You can easily get back to the Hawthorns Station this way, but if you are parked on the other side towards the M5, it can be a pain.

Apart from the West Brom Mascot called ‘Baggie Bird’, the Club also have another ‘mascot’ this season in the form of the fan christened ‘Boiler Man’. This is from the Clubs Sponsors Ideal Boilers and due to its appearance, it has shall we say caught the attention of the away support!

Where to buy tickets?

Tickets for matches at The Hawthorns are generally quite reasonably priced, with even games against the top teams being as low as £39. The club operates a banded system where matches against the Premier League’s top clubs or West Brom’s rivals are classed in band A, whilst games against the rest of the division or lesser cup games count as band B matches.

Here we’ll look at the range of prices for league games at the Hawthorns for both adults and senior concessions. The latter are available for people aged over 60.

Home Fans

1. West Stand: Adults £23, Over 65’s £17, Under 23’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.
2. East Stand (Upper Tier): Adults £23, Over 65’s £17, Under 23’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.
3. East Stand (Lower Tier): Adults £20, Over 65’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.
4. Birmingham Road End: Adults £20, Over 65’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.
5. Smethwick End: Adults £20, Over 65’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.

Away Fans

Smethwick End: Adults £20, Over 65’s/Students £15, Under 18’s £10, Under 11’s £5.

The best way to get tickets is by going online to the West Brom ticket sales website, www.wbatickets.co.uk. You can also phone the club’s ticket line or drop in to the ticket office directly at the ground. The club has also now installed two self-service ticket machines at the East Stand box office. This is for those who have pre-paid for their tickets and don’t want to have to queue up with fans who have yet to buy their tickets. There will likely be people around the ground offering to sell you tickets on the day, but these aren’t always genuine and go against the club’s own rules for buying tickets, so it’s recommended against buying your tickets in this manner.

How to get there?

The Hawthorns is located on the A41 (Birmingham-West Bromwich Road). If approaching from outside the area the ground is about half a mile from Junction 1 of the M5. On leaving the M5 take the A41 towards Birmingham, the ground is on your right. Beware though of speed cameras on this stretch of the A41.

Car Parking

Street parking or alternatively there are a few private matchday car parks at some local industrial units near the ground, or at Hawthorns station which costs £4. Parking at the Beeches Road Methodist Church (B70 6QE) costs £5. It is covered by CCTV and is about a ten minute walk away from the Hawthorns. It is easy to get back on the M5 from the car park once the match is over.  Just around the corner from the Vine pub on Roebuck Lane is a St John’s Ambulance Depot that offers matchday parking for £3. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near the Hawthorns Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Post Code for SAT NAV: B71 4LF

By train

The Hawthorns has its own Railway and Metro Station which are about a five minute walk from the Hawthorns ground. They can be reached from Birmingham New Street, either by first taking a train to Smethwick Galton Bridge and changing there for the Hawthorns, or by taking a Metro Tram (which run every eight minutes on Saturday afternoons) from directly outside New Street Station. Total journey time by train is around 20-25 minutes, whilst the Metro is around 13 minutes.

Alternatively the Hawthorns Station is also served by direct trains from Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill. The Metro Line also runs via Birmingham Snow Hill.

Please note though that rail tickets to the Hawthorns are not valid on the Metro line. A separate Metro journey ticket will need to be purchased..A one day saver ticket can be purchased for £5 (per Adult ticket), which covers the journey to the Hawthorns and back from either New Street or Snow Hill.

If you are travelling from the North West and your train calls at Wolverhampton, Then it is a lot easier to get to Hawthorns using the Midland Metro from Wolverhampton. The tram leaves from Bilston Street. You can either off at the Kenrick Park stop for the Vine pub or the Hawthorns for stadium. Continuing by train from Wolverhampton into Birmingham New Street and then taking wither a train or Metro back out to the Hawthorns will add 45 minutes to one hour to your journey time.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

By bus

Most buses in the Black Country stop directly outside The Hawthorns, with your options here being numerous and plentiful. If you’re in the West Midlands the chances are the bus stop you’re at will service West Brom’s ground.

By taxi

A taxi from Birmingham New Street will cost about £15 and take you around 10 minutes. From Birmingham International it will be more like 20 minutes but will set you back nearly £50, so it’s worth going for the train unless you’re in a rush.

Facilities

Given that the East Stand was completed in 2001 and the West Stand was fully refurbished in 2008, it’s fair to say that The Hawthorns is a thoroughly modern ground with all of the facilities you’d expect from such a place.

There are places within the ground to buy food, drinks and alcoholic beverages. There are also huts to go to place bets, buy programmes and other things. There is a club megastore that is open from 9am until 5pm Monday to Saturday, or 9am until kick off on match days. After the match it will then re-open 30 minutes after the final whistle, so there will be loads of time to buy your club memorabilia.

Hospitality

There are numerous hospitality options available at The Hawthorns, with the club coming second for their match day hospitality according to Visit Football for the 2014-2015 season. You can do something as big and expansive as sponsor the entire match, enjoy the game from the director’s box or take advantage of a four course meal.

If you want to go all out and sponsor a match then you’ll be rewarded with use of the Richardson Suite for you and 20 guests, VIP parking, executive seating, a behind the scenes tour of the Hawthorns before the game, entertainment from a club legend, a four course meal, half-time and post-match refreshments, commemorative gifts, a signed framed shirt presented to you by a first team player, a souvenir photograph, complimentary bar and all of the PR you’d expect for yourself or your company.

Should you wish to sit in an executive box with a private viewing platform of the pitch then you and up to 8 guests can do so. You’ll receive a four course meal, half-time refreshments, an inclusive bar, VIP parking, a free programme and a team sheet.

There are hospitality packages to meet virtually every need you may have, with good availability on most packages. As you’d expect the price you’ll have to pay differs depending on the fixture, how many people you’re hoping to cater for and what type of hospitality you’d like to take advantage of.

Private hire

From business meetings through to product launches via civil marriages and dinner dances, there aren’t many events you’ll be able to think of that The Hawthorns won’t be able to cater for. All of the club’s suites are multi-functional and available to hire, with the ground itself being easy to get to even if you don’t want to take advantage of the 300 parking spaces at the stadium.

The club has a dedicated conferences and events team that are able to help you figure out what you need, whether it be a small room or a large suite. There is also a banqueting team who can assist you with whatever you need to make your event a roaring success.

Pubs & Bars Near

The main pub for away fans is ‘The Vine’ (pictured right) which is about a 15-20 minute walk from the ground. From Junction 1 of the M5 turn left towards West Bromwich town centre (opposite direction to the ground). Take the first left into Roebuck Street. The Vine is down on the left. You can also street park in this area and then walk to the ground. This pub also offers Indian food and has an indoor tandoori barbeque (from 1pm on Saturdays), plus has a beer garden with children’s play area.

The Vine from the outside looks like any small corner boozer, but inside it is quite large and it is fairly easy to get served. It has a good mix of home and away fans. The Vine is only a few minutes walk away from Kenrick Park Metro station which can be accessed from Birmingham Snow Hill railway/metro station. Turn right out of the station and walk along Devereux Road passing through a residential area. At the end of Devereux Road turn left and the The Vine is just over the other side of the road on the right.

The Park Hotel which is just off junction one of the M5 and a 10 minute walk to the ground. You can park on their car park for £5 and away fans are always welcome. There are plenty of families who meet in here before games and it is a very safe environment. There is also plenty of street parking in and around the area of the hotel if you don’t want to pay the £5.

As you pass the ground on the right on the main Birmingham Road. Carry on about another half a mile and there is a pub on the right set back off the road called the Royal Oak. The beer is okay and they also serve Asian food (try the chicken kebabs!). It has a friendly atmosphere. It also has the added benefit of showing televised football.

If travelling by Metro or train from Birmingham Snow Hill and you like your real ale, then it may be a good idea to stop off on the way to the Hawthorns at the Jewellery Quarter station. Within a 10 minute walk of the station are at least three pubs serving decent real ale.

These are the Rose Villa Tavern, Red Lion and Lord Clifden. The Red Lion and Lord Clifden are both listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, whilst the Brown Lion has recently opened and is effectively the brewery tap for the local Two Towers Brewery. See the Google map below for their locations (this will require you to use the arrows to move the map down and then to the to show the Jewellery Quarter and pubs).

Alcohol is also available within the ground, albeit in plastic bottles/cans, in the form of Carlsberg (£3.70), Tetleys (£3.70), Bathams Bitter (£3.80) and Somerset Cider (£3.70), plus Red and White wine (£3.90) and various Spirit Miniatures (all at £4.20).

Hotels

Given the location of The Hawthorns is about 3 miles from Birmingham, there are a whole host of excellent hotels not far from the stadium. We’ve picked out a few here that offer different facilities and prices, with the cost of your stay likely to be cheaper the further in advance you make your booking.

1. Park Inn by Radisson Birmingham West – £39+. Address: Birmingham Road M5 Jct 1, West Bromwich, B70 6TU. Located around 0.6 miles from the ground, the Park Inn by Radisson is an excellent choice for your night’s stay. With a restaurant and bar as well as an indoor swimming pool and health club, you can get yourself warmed up for the match in style!
2. Hampton By Hilton, Birmingham City North – £75+. Address: 104 Constitution Hill, Birmingham, B19 3JT. Hilton Hotels are synonymous with quality, so you can expect a good night’s sleep here. The hotel has a snack bar, a bar and lounge and a fitness centre. You can find the hotel around 2.6 miles from The Hawthorns.
3. Hallmark Hotel Birmingham, Strathallan – £110+. Address: 225 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 9RY. Another hotel located in central Birmingham, about 3 miles from the ground, is the Hallmark Hotel. It has a restaurant, bar and fitness centre on offer for your stay.

History

West Brom moved to The Hawthorns after playing at five different grounds over 22 years. They won the FA Cup twice in five years when resident at Stoney Lane, the ground they called home for 5 years until their current stadium was built. Arguably the biggest claim to fame for the Hawthorns is the fact that, with an altitude of 551 feet, it is the highest ground out of all 92 stadiums belonging to Football League clubs. Hawthorns has also hosted numerous other sporting events on top of Baggies matches.