|  Nickname:
Baggies/Albion/Throstles
Year formed: 1878
Ground: The Hawthorns
Capacity: 28,003 2006/07
average: 20,452
Record attendance:
64,815
For visitors: 3,000 in the
Smethwick End, can rise to 5,200 to
meet demand
Position last season: 4th in
the Championship (play-off final losers)
Manager: Tony Mowbray (October
2006)
 Players
in:
Shelton
Martis (Hibernian), Craig Beattie
(Celtic), Filipe Teixeira (Academica
de Coimbra), Leon Barnett (Luton),
Tininho (Beira Mar), Bostjan Cesar
(Marseille, loan), Carl Hoefkens (Stoke),
James Morrison (Middlesbrough)
Players out: Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester
United) Diomansy Kamara (Fulham),
Jason Koumas (Wigan), Steve Watson
(Sheffield Wednesday), Paul McShane
(Sunderland), Thomas Gaardsoe, Chris
Perry
Key man: Kevin Phillips
Record transfer fee paid:
£3m (Robert Earnshaw, Cardiff,
30 August 2004)
Record transfer fee received:
£6m (Diomansy Kamara, Fulham,
9 July 2007)
Ticket office: 0871 271 9780
Cost of tickets: Adult £23,
concessions £11-£14
Official website: www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk
 How
to get there: Leave the M5 at
junction 1, take the A41 sign-posted
Birmingham. The stadium should be
visible immediately after the motorway
island has been cleared.
Best place to park: Street
parking and some private spaces at
nearby industrial units. Millmore
Lane, Hawthorns Pub, Oak Lane.
Best place to eat: Try out
the Desai Junction Pub, a ten-minute
walk from the ground. They offer an
all-day ‘Balti buffet’ –
all you can eat for £4.95.
Best place to drink: The Vine
on Roebuck Street located between
the town centre and the Hawthorns.
Safe to wear scarf: Yes.
Journey: 330 miles
Journey time: 6 hours
Best League Win:
12-0 v Darwen 04/04/1892 Division
1
Last meeting: Norwich City
1, West Brom 2 (April 9, 2007): Just
as the Canaries had kissed goodbye
to no fewer than nine points in stoppage
time this season, they were about
to surrender another one as Diomansy
Kamara powered in to head Albion’s
winner. But whereas there had been
an element of injustice in one or
two of City’s injury-time mishaps
over the past eight months, they could
have few complaints about the scoreline
this time. Full
Match Report
Last Norwich away win:
11/11/2006 West Brom 0, Norwich 1
(Earnshaw)
Chances: The Baggies suffered
play-off heartbreak at Wembley losing
to Derby County in May and will be
determined to go straight up this
time rather than relying on the play-off
lottery. Manager Tony Mowbray has
the squad to do so despite selling
Jason Koumas and Diomansy Kamara,
as new signing Craig Beattie from
Celtic will look to continue his prolific
pre-season form. Curtis Davis will
also be courted by other clubs and
Mowbray may have to spend a fair proportion
fending off interest in his players.
The play-offs will be a minimum requirement
but expect them to be around the top
spots all season.
Prediction: 1st
For Directions to the Ground click
here.
For an unofficial Guide to the Ground
click
here.
|