The club was formed in 1878 and has played at its home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900. Albion was one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, the first professional football league in the world.
Albion contests the Black Country derby with the latter. ==History== ===Early years (1878–1950)=== The club was founded as West Bromwich Strollers in 1878 by workers from George Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich, in the Black Country .
The first was Cooper's Hill, where they played from 1878 to 1879.
Indeed, from 1878 to 1986 there was always an Albion player or ex-player on the club's committee or board of directors.
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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.
They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880, becoming the first team to adopt the Albion suffix; Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked, close to what is today Greets Green.
Sam Allardyce was appointed as his replacement the same day. ==Crest and colours== ===Badge=== Albion's main club badge dates back to the late 1880s, when club secretary Tom Smith suggested that a throstle (song thrush) sitting on a crossbar be adopted for the badge.
No badge appeared on the kit for most of the club's history, although the Stafford knot featured on the team jerseys for part of the 1880s.
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.
The club joined the Birmingham & District Football Association in 1881 and became eligible for their first competition, the Birmingham Cup.
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.
From 1879 to 1881, they appear to have alternated between Cooper's Hill and Dartmouth Park.
During the 1881–82 season, they played at Bunn's Field, also known as the Birches.
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.
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.
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.
In 1883, Albion won their first trophy, the 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 season.
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.
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.
In 1885 the club turned professional, and in 1886 they reached the FA Cup final for the first time, losing 2–0 to Blackburn Rovers in a replay.
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.
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.
From 1885 to 1900, Albion played at Stoney 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. 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.
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.
Albion's first chairman was Henry Jackson, appointed in 1885, with the club becoming a limited company in June 1891.
In 1885 the club turned professional, and in 1886 they reached the FA Cup final for the first time, losing 2–0 to Blackburn Rovers in a replay.
The two sides have played each other 160 times, with their first major clash being an FA Cup tie in 1886.
They reached the final again in 1887, but lost 2–0 to Aston Villa.
The two clubs contested three FA Cup Finals between 1887 and 1895 (Villa winning two and Albion one).
The club was formed in 1878 and has played at its home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900. Albion was one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, the first professional football league in the world.
The first win came in 1888, the year the league was founded, and the most recent in 1968, the club's last major trophy.
In 1888 the team won the trophy for the first time, beating strong favourites Preston North End 2–1 in the final.
As FA Cup winners, they qualified to play in a Football World Championship game against Scottish Cup winners Renton, which ended in a 4–1 defeat. 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.
Both Albion and Wolves were founding members of the Football League in 1888, making the derby the joint oldest in English league football.
They met first in a league fixture on 19 January 1889, Villa winning 2–0 at home, and again the next week in a 3–3 draw.
Albion's biggest FA Cup victory came when they beat Chatham 10–1 on 2 March 1889.
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.
Albion's first chairman was Henry Jackson, appointed in 1885, with the club becoming a limited company in June 1891.
Albion's second FA Cup success came in 1892, beating Aston Villa 3–0.
The two teams met in two further FA Cup finals in the 19th century, a 3–0 win for West Brom in 1892 and a 1–0 win for Aston Villa in 1895. 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.
They met Villa again in the 1895 final, but lost 1–0.
The two clubs contested three FA Cup Finals between 1887 and 1895 (Villa winning two and Albion one).
The two teams met in two further FA Cup finals in the 19th century, a 3–0 win for West Brom in 1892 and a 1–0 win for Aston Villa in 1895. 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.
The club was formed in 1878 and has played at its home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900. Albion was one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, the first professional football league in the world.
The team suffered relegation to Division Two in 1900–01, their first season at The Hawthorns.
From 1885 to 1900, Albion played at Stoney 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. 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.
Albion drew 1–1 with Derby County in the first match at the stadium, on 3 September 1900.
The phrase was first heard at the Hawthorns in the 1900s, but its exact origins are uncertain.
They were promoted as champions the following season but relegated again in 1903–04.
Bassett became an Albion director in 1905, following the resignation of the previous board in its entirety.
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.
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 when they beat Leicester Fosse by the same scoreline in 1909.
The club won the Division Two championship once more in 1910–11, and the following season reached another FA Cup Final, where they were defeated by Second Division Barnsley in a replay. Albion won the Football League title in 1919–20 for the only time in their history following the end of World War I, their totals of 104 goals and 60 points both breaking the previous league records.
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.
The club has been champions of England once, in 1919–20, and has been runners-up twice.
The club won the Division Two championship once more in 1910–11, and the following season reached another FA Cup Final, where they were defeated by Second Division Barnsley in a replay. Albion won the Football League title in 1919–20 for the only time in their history following the end of World War I, their totals of 104 goals and 60 points both breaking the previous league records.
In 1919–20, Fred Morris became the first Albion player to finish as top goalscorer in Division One, a feat which has since been repeated by Ronnie Allen, Derek Kevan, Jeff Astle and Tony Brown.
The team finished as Division One runners-up in 1924–25, narrowly losing out to Huddersfield Town, but were relegated in 1926–27.
The team finished as Division One runners-up in 1924–25, narrowly losing out to Huddersfield Town, but were relegated in 1926–27.
In 1930–31, they won promotion as well as the FA Cup, beating Birmingham 2–1 in the final.
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.
Wilson Keys, during the period 1930–1965, including 15 years as chairman.
The West Bromwich town arms were worn on the players' shirts for the 1931, 1935 and 1954 FA Cup finals.
A far 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. A number of [firm]s associate themselves with Albion, including Section 5, Clubhouse and the Smethwick Mob. ===Black Country derby=== Albion and Wolves contest the Black Country derby, one of the longest standing derbies in world football.
Albion reached the final again in 1935, losing to Sheffield Wednesday, but were relegated three years later.
The West Bromwich town arms were worn on the players' shirts for the 1931, 1935 and 1954 FA Cup finals.
In the 1935 FA Cup Final, however, when both of Albion and Sheffield Wednesday's kits clashed, a switch was made to plain navy blue shirts.
Richardson holds the club record for most league goals in a single season, scoring 39 times in 1935–36. Albion's most capped international player, taking into account only those caps won whilst at the club, is Chris Brunt.
The record attendance at the Hawthorns was on 6 March 1937, when 64,815 spectators saw Albion beat Arsenal 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final.
He remains Albion's longest-serving chairman, having held the position until his death in 1937.
The club's record league defeat was a 3–10 loss against Stoke City on 4 February 1937, while a 0–5 defeat to Leeds United on 18 February 1967 represents Albion's heaviest FA Cup loss. Tony Brown holds a number of Albion's club records.
In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced. Albion players – along with those of other Football League teams – first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40, and names on the back of their shirts from 1999–2000.
They gained promotion in 1948–49, and there followed the club's longest unbroken spell in the top flight of English football, a total of 24 years. ===Success and decline (1950–1992)=== In 1953–54, Albion came close to being the first team in the 20th century to win the League and Cup double.
The club's longest continuous period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it spent its longest ever spell out of the top division. The team has played in navy blue and white stripes for most of the club's history, and the club badge features a throstle perched on a hawthorn branch.
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.
An all-red strip was adopted at the end of the 1950s, but was dropped following defeat in the 1967 League Cup Final, to be replaced by the all-white design that was worn during the club's FA Cup run of 1967–68.
The pub competes with The Vine pub in Roebuck Lane, a popular destination for visiting and home football fans year-round. ==Supporters== ===Fan culture=== The official West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club was founded on 4 October 1951.
They gained promotion in 1948–49, and there followed the club's longest unbroken spell in the top flight of English football, a total of 24 years. ===Success and decline (1950–1992)=== In 1953–54, Albion came close to being the first team in the 20th century to win the League and Cup double.
Nonetheless, Albion became known for their brand of fluent, attacking football, with the 1953–54 side being hailed as the "Team of the Century".
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.
One national newspaper went so far as to suggest that the team be chosen en masse to represent England at the 1954 FIFA World Cup finals.
The West Bromwich town arms were worn on the players' shirts for the 1931, 1935 and 1954 FA Cup finals.
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.
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.
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.
The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000, 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.
Allstars has also been popularly used in the stadium since the late 1960s.
Albion entered the Football League Cup for the first time in 1965–66 and, under manager Jimmy Hagan, won the final by defeating West Ham United 5–3 on aggregate.
It also won the Football League Cup at the first attempt in 1966.
An all-red strip was adopted at the end of the 1950s, but was dropped following defeat in the 1967 League Cup Final, to be replaced by the all-white design that was worn during the club's FA Cup run of 1967–68.
The club's record league defeat was a 3–10 loss against Stoke City on 4 February 1937, while a 0–5 defeat to Leeds United on 18 February 1967 represents Albion's heaviest FA Cup loss. Tony Brown holds a number of Albion's club records.
The first win came in 1888, the year the league was founded, and the most recent in 1968, the club's last major trophy.
He guided the club to their last major trophy to date, the 1968 FA Cup, when they beat Everton in extra time thanks to a single goal from Jeff Astle.
A far 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. A number of [firm]s associate themselves with Albion, including Section 5, Clubhouse and the Smethwick Mob. ===Black Country derby=== Albion and Wolves contest the Black Country derby, one of the longest standing derbies in world football.
Albion reached the FA Cup semi-final and European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final in 1969, and were defeated 2–1 by Manchester City in the 1970 League Cup Final.
Red numbers were added to the side of Albion players' shorts in 1969. ====Kit sponsors==== BSR Housewares became the club's first shirt sponsor during the 1981–82 season.
He became vice-president of the Football Association in 1969. 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.
Albion reached the FA Cup semi-final and European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final in 1969, and were defeated 2–1 by Manchester City in the 1970 League Cup Final.
The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000, 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.
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.
The club were less successful during the reign of Don Howe, and were relegated to Division Two at the end of 1972–73, but gained promotion three years later under the guidance of player-manager Johnny Giles.
The club's longest continuous period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it spent its longest ever spell out of the top division. The team has played in navy blue and white stripes for most of the club's history, and the club badge features a throstle perched on a hawthorn branch.
He became vice-president of the Football Association in 1969. 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.
In 1979, an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at the Hawthorns, and was returned to the same area of the ground following redevelopment in the early 2000s. In 1975, a version of the badge (on a roundel rather than a shield) was granted by the College of Arms to the Football League for licensing to the club.
Under Ron Atkinson, Albion reached the 1978 FA Cup semi-final but lost to Ipswich Town.
In 1978–79, the team finished third in Division One, their highest placing for over 20 years, and also reached the UEFA Cup quarter-final, where they were defeated by Red Star Belgrade.
In 1979, an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at the Hawthorns, and was returned to the same area of the ground following redevelopment in the early 2000s. In 1975, a version of the badge (on a roundel rather than a shield) was granted by the College of Arms to the Football League for licensing to the club.
The list of 16 is as follows: Other notable honours bestowed upon West Brom players include the PFA Young Player of the Year award, which was presented to Cyrille Regis in 1979.
A similar design was also used during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In his second spell as manager, Ronnie Allen guided the team to both domestic cup semi-finals in 1981–82.
Red numbers were added to the side of Albion players' shorts in 1969. ====Kit sponsors==== BSR Housewares became the club's first shirt sponsor during the 1981–82 season.
The first West Bromwich Albion fanzine, Fingerpost, was published from 1983 until 1992, and was followed by several others, most notably Grorty Dick (1989–2005) and Last Train to Rolfe Street (1992–1995).
He became vice-president of the Football Association in 1969. 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.
They were relegated in 1985–86 with the worst record in the club's history, beginning a period of 16 years outside the top flight.
The club's longest continuous period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it spent its longest ever spell out of the top division. The team has played in navy blue and white stripes for most of the club's history, and the club badge features a throstle perched on a hawthorn branch.
Indeed, from 1878 to 1986 there was always an Albion player or ex-player on the club's committee or board of directors.
More recently, however, most Albion fans tend to see Wolverhampton 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.
A similar design was also used during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced. Albion players – along with those of other Football League teams – first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40, and names on the back of their shirts from 1999–2000.
The Hawthorns became an all-seater stadium in the 1990s, in order to comply with the recommendations of the Taylor Report.
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.
It won Premier League Programme of the Year in 2002–03 and Third Division Programme of the Year in 1991–92.
Five years later, the club were relegated to the Third Division for the first and only time. ===Recent years (1992–present)=== Albion had spent the majority of their history in the top-flight of English football, but when the Premier League was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third tier, which had been renamed Division Two.
In 1992–93, Albion finished fourth and entered the play-offs for the first time.
This dates back to the 1992–93 season, when the team was promoted from the new Second Division.
The first West Bromwich Albion fanzine, Fingerpost, was published from 1983 until 1992, and was followed by several others, most notably Grorty Dick (1989–2005) and Last Train to Rolfe Street (1992–1995).
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.
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 the Law Society of England and Wales.
The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000, 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.
In 1996, the club became a public limited company, issuing shares to supporters at £500 and £3,000 each, under the Chairmanship of Paul Thompson.
The longest-running shirt sponsorship deal agreed by the club ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2004 with the West Bromwich Building Society.
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.
Megson guided Albion to Division One safety in 1999–2000, and to the play-offs a year later.
In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced. Albion players – along with those of other Football League teams – first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40, and names on the back of their shirts from 1999–2000.
Manager Ossie Ardiles then joined 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.
In 1979, an effigy of a throstle was erected above the half-time scoreboard of the Woodman corner at the Hawthorns, and was returned to the same area of the ground following redevelopment in the early 2000s. In 1975, a version of the badge (on a roundel rather than a shield) was granted by the College of Arms to the Football League for licensing to the club.
The town arms were revived as the shirt badge from 1994 until 2000, 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.
In the 1990s and 2000s a third kit has occasionally been introduced. Albion players – along with those of other Football League teams – first wore numbers on the back of their shirts in the abandoned season of 1939–40, and names on the back of their shirts from 1999–2000.
He went on to lead the club to promotion to the Premier League in 2001–02.
The club's longest continuous period in the top division spanned 24 years between 1949 and 1973, and from 1986 to 2002 it spent its longest ever spell out of the top division. The team has played in navy blue and white stripes for most of the club's history, and the club badge features a throstle perched on a hawthorn branch.
The publication was entitled Albion News for many years, but was renamed Albion from the 2002–03 season until the close season of 2013, when it was renamed back to Albion News.
It won Premier League Programme of the Year in 2002–03 and Third Division Programme of the Year in 1991–92.
More recently, however, most Albion fans tend to see Wolverhampton 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.
Moreover, in 2002 Albion came from being 11 points adrift to overhaul Wolves to gain promotion.
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. In September 2007, Peace acquired additional shares in West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited, taking his total stake in the company to 50.56%.
Bryan Robson was also an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002, to be joined two years later by Geoff Hurst.
After being relegated in their first Premier League season, they made an immediate return to the top flight in 2003–04.
In 2004–05, Megson's successor, former Albion midfielder Bryan 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.
The longest-running shirt sponsorship deal agreed by the club ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2004 with the West Bromwich Building Society.
A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com confirmed that the majority of both Albion and Wolves supporters consider the other to be their main rival.
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.
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. ==References== General Specific ==External links== West Bromwich Albion F.C.
Since Grorty 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. ==="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.
They failed to avoid the drop the following season, and Robson was replaced by Tony Mowbray in October 2006.
The badge was described in heraldic blazon as, "On a roundel paly of thirteen argent and azure a mistle thrush perched on a raspberry 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, the officer of arms responsible, may have been imperfectly briefed. The badge was re-designed in 2006, incorporating the name of the club for the first time.
Previous manufacturers have included Scoreline (1989–91), Influence (1991–92), Pelada (1993–95), Patrick (1995-2002), Diadora (2003–2006), Umbro (1974–89, 2006–11) and Adidas (2011–18). ==Stadium== 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 club competed in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2007, but lost 1–0 to Derby County.
In 2007–08, it was awarded Championship Programme of the Year by both Programme Monthly and the Football Programme Directory.
The rivalry was further heightened after the sides met in the play-offs in 2007.
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. In September 2007, Peace acquired additional shares in West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited, taking his total stake in the company to 50.56%.
One month later, Albion were promoted to the Premier League as winners of the Championship, but were relegated at the end of the 2008–09 campaign.
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.
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.
Jeremy Peace announced in June 2008 that he was looking for a major new investor for the club, but no firm proposals were received by the 31 July deadline. On 24 July 2015, Jeremy Peace announced that his sale exclusivity deal was now off after a potential buyer was unable to fulfil the terms of sale. In July 2016, Peace announced that he had managed to find a buyer in the form of Chinese entrepreneur Lai Guochuan.
Mowbray left the club and was replaced by Roberto Di Matteo, who led the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt, but was dismissed in February 2011 and replaced by Roy Hodgson. Hodgson guided Albion to an 11th-place finish for the 2010–11 season.
She stepped down in 2010.
Mowbray left the club and was replaced by Roberto Di Matteo, who led the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt, but was dismissed in February 2011 and replaced by Roy Hodgson. Hodgson guided Albion to an 11th-place finish for the 2010–11 season.
It included an 8th-place finish in 2012–13 under Steve Clarke, and 10th-place finishes under Roy Hodgson in 2011–12 and Tony Pulis in 2016–17.
The two teams met in two further FA Cup finals in the 19th century, a 3–0 win for West Brom in 1892 and a 1–0 win for Aston Villa in 1895. 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.
It included an 8th-place finish in 2012–13 under Steve Clarke, and 10th-place finishes under Roy Hodgson in 2011–12 and Tony Pulis in 2016–17.
The publication was entitled Albion News for many years, but was renamed Albion from the 2002–03 season until the close season of 2013, when it was renamed back to Albion News.
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. ==References== General Specific ==External links== West Bromwich Albion F.C.
At the end of the 2015–16 season, Aston Villa were relegated, leaving West Brom the only West Midlands team in the top flight for the 2016–17 season.
Jeremy Peace announced in June 2008 that he was looking for a major new investor for the club, but no firm proposals were received by the 31 July deadline. On 24 July 2015, Jeremy Peace announced that his sale exclusivity deal was now off after a potential buyer was unable to fulfil the terms of sale. In July 2016, Peace announced that he had managed to find a buyer in the form of Chinese entrepreneur Lai Guochuan.
It included an 8th-place finish in 2012–13 under Steve Clarke, and 10th-place finishes under Roy Hodgson in 2011–12 and Tony Pulis in 2016–17.
On 5 August 2016, it was announced that long-term owner Jeremy Peace had sold the club to a Chinese investment group headed up by Lai Guochuan.
At the end of the 2015–16 season, Aston Villa were relegated, leaving West Brom the only West Midlands team in the top flight for the 2016–17 season.
Jeremy Peace announced in June 2008 that he was looking for a major new investor for the club, but no firm proposals were received by the 31 July deadline. On 24 July 2015, Jeremy Peace announced that his sale exclusivity deal was now off after a potential buyer was unable to fulfil the terms of sale. In July 2016, Peace announced that he had managed to find a buyer in the form of Chinese entrepreneur Lai Guochuan.
By this time, the club had already begun to fall into a state of torpor, and were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2017–18 season, ending their eight-year Premier League stay.
After West Brom's relegation at the end of the 2017–18 Premier League, the teams faced each other once again in the Championship.
He appeared 55 times for Northern Ireland as an Albion player, earning 65 caps in total before retiring from international football in 2017.
The highest transfer fee paid by the club is £15 million to RB Leipzig for Oliver Burke on 25 August 2017.
Other sponsors have included T-Mobile (2004–08), Homeserve (2010–11), Bodog (2011–12), Zoopla (2012–14), Intuit Quickbooks (2014–15), Tlcbet (2015–16), K8 group (2016–2017), and Palm Eco-Town Development (2017–18). Since July 2018, West Brom's kit has been manufactured by Puma.
Slaven Bilić took over as boss on 13 June 2019, and led Albion to automatic promotion back to the Premier League during the 2019–20 season.
The club has spent the majority of its existence in the top tier of English football, where as of 2020–21 it has played for 82 seasons.
After a poor start to life back in the Premier League, Bilić was sacked on 16 December 2020.
They will compete in the EFL Championship for the 2021-22 season after being relegated from the Premier League.
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