What's the greatest points difference between top and bottom ever? | Football | The Guardian The Knowledge What's the greatest points difference between top and bottom ever? Plus: the highest league ground in Britain; football on Christmas Day, have the FA changed a result (2), and most goals in a campaign. Email knowledge@guardian.co.uk Everton, 1985. A whole lot better than Stoke. Wednesday 2 February 2005 03.42 EST First published on Wednesday 2 February 2005 03.42 EST Share on Messenger Close "What is the greatest ever difference in points between the champion and the last-place finisher in the top English division at the end of a season?" asks David Shepherd. In the 1984-85 season, Everton amassed 90 points from 42 games. Down in 22nd place, however, Stoke City could only manage a paltry 17. This difference, 73 points, is the largest ever recorded in the top division of English football. Sunderland, who were relegated in 21st place, earned 40 points.

More startling, however, is the fact that on two occasions, a mere 16 points separated the top and bottom positions. In the 1937-38 season, Arsenal were crowned champions with 52 points, while West Bromwich Albion finished bottom with 36 points. The 1927-28 First Division also threw up the same points difference. Champions Everton gained 53 points, while Middlesborough propped up the division with 37. That season, seven teams finished on 39 points, including Portsmouth, who were relegated on goal difference. HIGHEST GROUND IN ENGLAND Which is the highest league ground in the English league," asks James Taylor. "I always understood it to be Oldham's Boundary park but the commentator at the recent FA cup tie said it was only the second highest ... if so then which is the highest? According to Simon Inglis's definitive work, Football Grounds Of Britain, the three highest league grounds above sea level belong to West Bromwich Albion, Port Vale and Oldham Athletic. The Hawthorns - built in 1900 - is the highest of the lot, standing at 551 feet above sea level.

Next comes Vale Park (525 feet) and Boundary Park (509 feet). The highest football ground in England, though, is at Silverlands, home to Buxton FC, which is more than 1,000 feet above sea level - but that's nothing compared to the real altitude-busters in central and south America. The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City stands at 7,000 feet above sea level, while the daddy of them all, the National Stadium in the Bolivian capital La Paz, is a breath-sapping 8,500 feet above sea level. FOOTBALL ... ON CHRISTMAS DAY? When was the last time football matches in Britain were played on Christmas Day? asks Kevin Liepins. It's not as far back as you might think, Kevin. As David Ross's website scottishleague points out, in Scotland, the last scheduled round of league fixtures was for Saturday December 25, 1976. However, a combination of reluctance to play and poor weather reduced the card. No Scottish top division matches were played, and these were shifted to Friday 24th, Sunday 26th and Monday 27th.

Of the two games that were played on Christmas Day itself, Clydebank and St Mirren drew 2-2 in a top of the table First Division clash and Alloa beat Cowdenbeath 2-1 at home in the Second Division. In addition, Dundee's official history lists them as winning 1-0 away to Montrose on Christmas Day but another source suggests that this match was in fact played on Monday 27th. The last time a full set of Christmas Day fixtures was played in Scotland was in 1971. Celtic beat Hearts 3-2 at home, Dundee United beat Dunfermline by the same score at Tannadice, and Kilmarnock overcome Morton 4-2 at Rugby Park. Other results that day were: Airdrie 1-1 Clyde, East Fife 1-1 Motherwell, Falkirk 0-3 Aberdeen, Hibs 0-1 Rangers, Partick 0-1 Ayr, and St Johnstone 0-0 Dundee.

Meanwhile the last games played on Christmas day in England were in 1959, when Blackburn beat Blackpool 1-0 at home in the old First Division and Coventry beat Wrexham 5-3 in the Third. HAS THE FA CHANGED A RESULT OF A GAME AFTER IT'S BEEN PLAYED (2) We've dealt with this already in January 12th's Knowledge . However, as Nicolas Nicholl points out, we missed Newcastle United's 4-3 defeat of Nottingham Forest at St James' Park in the 1974 FA Cup quarter-final. "The Magpies conceded a goal (Ian Bowyer) after only 82 seconds and despite getting an equaliser through a rare David Craig goal (21 minutes) they went in at the interval 1-2 down following a Liam O'Kane screamer," Nicholas writes. "Then in the 59th minute referee Roger Kew awarded Forest a penalty for a foul by David Craig on Duncan Mckenzie. The United players surrounded the referee and Pat Howard pushed the referee in the chest. He failed to heed Kew's warnings, carried on disputing the decision and was sent off.

George Lyall scored from the spot and some of the United supporters decided they'd seen enough and invaded the pitch. "After the teams returned, Forest agreed to continue with the game (Well, at 3-1 up and 20 mins to go, they would, wouldn't they?) and ten man United performed an amazing comeback, roared on by the vociferous crowd. Forest keeper Jim Barron inexplicably pushed Macdonald over in the area and McDermott put away the penalty. "Four minutes later Tudor equalised with a brilliant diving header and then in the last minute Moncur got the winner. Afterwards, the FA revoked the result, the ringleader was jailed for six months and Forest were granted a replay at Goodison Park on appeal.

This finished goalless before Newcastle eventually went through 1-0." MOST GOALS IN CAMPAIGN IN BRITAIN (2) In January 19's Knowledge , Alistair Frame asked "what is the most goals ever scored in a league campaign?" We reckoned the British record was held by Peterborough United, who scored 134 goals in 46 games - 2.91 goals per game - in the 1960-61 season. However, as Warren Lyons points out, the most goals scored in a league campaign in Britain is in fact 142 by Raith Rovers in the Scottish second division in 1937-38. "And they only played 34 games, which means they averaged 4.18 goals per game," he adds. "They actually managed more than 74 goals in their away games, including eight on three separate occasions away from home.

"For the highest average goals per game, Glasgow Rangers can even better Raith's record - in the Scottish 1st Division in 1898-99, they scored 79 goals in 18 games (4.38 goals per game), and not only that, they also won all their 18 games." Can you help "Who holds the record for the fastest ever own goal, and what was the official time recorded?" asks Tom Lawrence. "Last year, French second division side Valence were relegated on the final day without having been in the relegation zone at any point throughout the season (apart from the final day of course). Have there been any other examples of this in English or indeed other European championships?" asks Christian Müller. "I was lying in bed the other night and wondering to myself if a goalkeeper had ever been caught offside," says Ethan Mackintosh. "Like Peter Schmeichel in a desperate dash at the death, or something?" "What's the highest position a club in the English top flight has occupied at Christmas, before then getting relegated at the end of the season?" - Drummond Berman.

Send your questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com · This article was amended on Thursday May 8, 2008 to credit the source of the answer to the question: "When was the last time football matches in Britain were played on Christmas Day?" How Maradona nearly became a Blade | Football | The Guardian How Maradona nearly became a Blade Send your questions and answers to the.boss@guardian.co.uk and we'll do our best to help. Thursday 8 November 2001 09.26 EST First published on Thursday 8 November 2001 09.26 EST Close DID DIEGO HAVE A TRIAL WITH IPSWICH? "Please help with a bet I foolishly made in the pub which subsequently got out of hand," entreats Richard Freeland. "I heard that Diego Maradona once had a trial with Ipswich Town, and for some reason gave credence to this story. Does anyone have more details?" You better start counting those pennies Richard, because Diego Armando Maradona never had a trial at Ipswich.

However, in mitigation, you might mention that a few famous names have trialed and failed at Portman Road, including Ruud Gullit, John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne. "Bobby Robson was worried about Gullit's discipline," reckons James Newton, "while Gascoigne was considered to be too fat." If that doesn't convince your friends, point out that if it wasn't for the stinginess of the Sheffield United board, Maradona would have played in England in the late 70s. In 1978, the Sheffield United manager Harry Haslam saw the 17-year-old Maradona in action on a scouting trip to Argentina and was so impressed he immediately arranged a £200,000 deal. But that deal fell through when United, then in the Second Division, failed to stump up the cash. So Haslam signed another Argentine instead, River Plate midfielder Alex Sabella for a club-record £160,000. Sadly, although Sabella wowed the Bramall Lane crowds, he couldn't stop United sliding into the Third Division in 1978-79.

In 1980, Sabella was offloaded to Leeds for £400,000, and the Blades slipped quietly into the Fourth Division later that season. Meanwhile Diego... HIGHEST GROUND ABOVE SEA LEVEL "Which English team's ground is the highest above sea level?" asks Kevin Scott. "I think it's Burnley, but my mate thinks it's Sheffield Wednesday. Can you help?" You're both slightly wide of the mark, Kevin. According to Simon Inglis's definitive work, Football Grounds Of Britain, the three highest grounds above sea level belong to West Bromwich Albion, Port Vale and Oldham Athletic. The Hawthorns - built in 1900 - is the highest of the lot, standing at 551 feet above sea level. Next comes Vale Park (525 feet) and Boundary Park (509 feet). The highest football ground in England is at Silverlands, home to Buxton FC, which is more than 1,000 feet above sea level. But that's nothing compared to the real altitude-busters out there in central and south America.

The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City stands at 7,000 feet above sea level, while the daddy of them all, the National Stadium in the Bolivian capital La Paz, is a breath-sapping 8,500 feet above sea level. No wonder Brazil lost there last night. (They're also rubbish, obviously.) SAME SURNAMES IN NATIONAL SQUAD "After Ashley Cole, Joe Cole and Andy Cole were picked in the same squad, has any home nation team had more players with the same name in the same squad?" asks Tom Gard. We're still no nearer on the home nations front, Tom. But several of you have written in saying that other countries can not only match England's tally, they can knock it into a cocked hat. There's the three Kellys of Ireland - Alan, David and Gary - who all made the Republic squad for the 1994 World Cup and played together on numerous occasions. "It's hardly surprising given that Kelly is the second most common surname in Ireland after Murphy," says Colin O'Connor.

Then there's the four Hansens of the Faroe Islands - Jens Kristian, Johan Byrial, Hans Frodi and Ossur - who all started for the Faroe Islands against Russia in September this year. But, as James Syme points out, those figures are blown out of the water by South Korea. "South Korea have a 28-man squad with five Chois, five Kims and seven Lees," he says. "This gives them a lot of potential. The recent second leg of a friendly against Nigeria had four Chois on the pitch at one time. "Against the Czech Republic in August the starting eleven had 4 Lees. One was subbed off (boo, hiss), but three more were subbed on, for a magnificent total of seven Lees at the final whistle." Surely no-one can beat that? Over to you. SITUATIONS VACANT A couple of weeks ago, we decided to draw up a list of sit-com characters and the teams they support. We didn't get very far, but the gods (Alan Simpson and Ray Galton) must have been listening kindly, because we were inundated with useful (or -less, depending on your point of view) information.

Let's start with Norman Stanley Fletcher from Porridge, who hails from Muswell Hill and supports the Spurs. "I remember seeing an episode where Fletch wangles a weekend pass home to see his missus on the grounds of domestic disharmony," writes Graeme Atkinson. "He spent his time down the Lane, scoffing a huge Sunday lunch, and sleeping it off in 'his big crisp bed with his big crisp old lady'." On to Fletch's cellmate Lenny Godber. "His footy allegiance is given away in the first episode when he walks in with shoulder bag with the mighty West Bromwich Albion on it," writes (not that) David Jones. "He's from Smethwick too." Before we leave HRH Slade, however, a word from Ian Usher: "Mr Mackay is a Rangers fan. Fletch once mentioned that 'for strict Glasgow Presbyterians like Mr Mackay, sex is only allowed when Rangers beat Celtic'." On to other 70s classics. Wolfie from Citizen Smith was a massive Fulham fan, as plenty of you pointed out.

Although only Eion Hennigan observed that "he would no doubt be disgusted that they now don't follow his Marxist ideals". Eddie Taylor points out that Rigsby from Rising Damp was a Leeds fan. "In the middle of a pro-EC rant, our hero is accused of double standards by Alan. 'You weren't saying that when Bayern Munich beat your lot on the telly.' 'Well what do you expect?' Rigsby replies. 'When they scored that second goal, I thought they were going to break out into the goose-step.' "He was referring, of course, to the 1975 European Cup final. Leeds fans at the time sang: 'Rigsby is a Leeds fan, Rigsby is a Leeds fan, la la la la...!'" Please keep them coming to the.boss@theguardian.com . (No need to remind us about Alf Garnett and the Hammers any more, though.) CAN YOU HELP?

"How many times did the following eleven start a league game together for Leeds United: Sprake / Harvey (either one), Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, E.Gray?" asks Simon Haddon "As a Rangers man I'm particularly interested in the news that Alessandro Costacurta's nickname is Billy as it improves his chances of a move to Ibrox no end," says Martin Macwhinnie. "Do any of your readers have an insight into this rather unusual epithet for an Italian footballer?" "A friend claims that an All-Ireland XI beat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly in Dublin in the early 70s (possibly 73-74) with Wolves and Northern Ireland's Derek Dougan scoring the winner," says Brian McKenzie. "I can't find any record of this game and think he may be telling porkies. Does anyone know better?" Brian adds: "Also, one record book says that the Republic of Ireland's 6-0 defeat by Brazil in 1982 was a 'disputed score'.

Does anyone know why this might have been the case?" "I remembering flicking through a magazine which claimed that when he was about 14, Carlton Palmer set the world record for endurance skipping," says Shervin Moghaddam. "It even had a photo of a young Carlton, skipping rope in hand, next to the article. However when I tell my friends this they are all disbelieving and I can find no references to Carlton's alleged achievement. Can anyone help?" Send your questions and answers to the.boss@theguardian.com . Meanwhile, take a trawl through our Knowledge archive .

West Bromwich Albion FC Fixtures and Results West Bromwich Albion FC Fixtures and Results DATES FOR YOUR DIARY LAST UPDATED 16:50 11/09/2012 West Bromwich Albion FC Fixtures and Results LATEST NEWS Everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's clash at The Hawthorns 15 hours 42 mins ago Loyalty scheme in place for first London Stadium visit 16 hours 41 mins ago Striker recalled to The Hawthorns 19 hours 27 mins ago Opportunity to work at The Hawthorns 20 hours 38 mins ago "When he plays on snow, he doesn't leave any footprints." Manager Wed 11 Jan 2012 Benefits of signing up QUICK FACTS The Hawthorns is the highest football ground above sea level in the UK at 551 feet GALLERY West Bromwich Albion Business Finder is powered by city-visitor.com & cityvisitor.co.uk By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can change this and find out more by following this link .

Accept Cookies The Hawthorns | West Bromwich Albion FC | Football Ground Guide West Bromwich Albion v Peterborough United FA Cup 4th Round Saturday 30th January 2016, 3pm Darren Gilbert (Peterborough United fan) Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Hawthorns Football Ground? As a Posh fan i was looking forward to this game as we don't go to many Premier League grounds or get to the FA fourth round too often! How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Our journey was very easy. The Hawthorns is located just off Junction 1 on the M5. We found a St Johns ambulance depot that was offering car parking, which was about a ten minute walk away from the ground. It was just around the corner from the Vine pub and cost £3. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? We popped into the Vine pub which welcomed away fans. Inside both home and visiting supporters mixed freely. The home fans who all seemed friendly. The pub was excellent and even offered an indoor BBQ and selection of curries!

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Hawthorns? The Hawthorns ground and surrounding training academy is excellent. Inside the away end there were plenty of food and drink outlets. The only grumble was the leg room when seated. I am 6'4" so it was cramped! Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. The game itself was a belter and ended with the Posh getting a 2 2 draw the atmosphere was fantastic.Stewarding and policing seemed fine on the whole. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: Getting out was easy a ten minute walk to the car and home by 6 30pm. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: Overall I would describe my day as a 'proper' away day; great pub, great ground and a good result for the posh in a superb atmosphere! West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City FA Cup 3rd Round Saturday 9th January 2016, 3pm Steve (Bristol City fan) Why were you looking forward to visiting the Hawthorns Football Ground? The Hawthorns was a ground that I had not been to before.

Plus it is great in the FA Cup to watch your team pit their wits against those from higher or lower leagues, depending on the draw. In our case we were up against a Premiership side. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? The Hawthorns is very easy to find as it is literally just off Junction 1 of the M5. We parked at Beeches Road Methodist church (B70 6QE) as recommended by another contributor to this website. It is easy to locate, off the main roundabout at Junction 1 and then right onto Beeches Road. The staff there are very friendly and the parking is secure with cctv. It cost £5 to park there. The ground was then about a 15 minute walk away. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? We went to The Vine Pub for drinks before the game. I'ts about a 10 minute walk to the ground from there. There is a good mix of home and away fans, a good selection of lagers but minimal cider. The West Brom fans were very friendly here, we had a good chat with a couple of fans next to us.

The pub looks very small from outside but is surprisingly big inside. There is even a BBQ / Kebab room! What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Hawthorns? The ground was smaller than I expected. But it was well maintained and alsthough compact it was enclosed. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. I would recommend (if a large away following) to eat and drink before entering the stadium as there are only a couple of food and drink servers either side of the gangway. The queue for this was horrendous. I spent the best part of 45 minutes waiting (it didn't help that a number of people pushed in) and then when eventually I got to the front I found that they'd sold out of what I wanted! Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: The methodist church is in a great location for leaving the game. Once you've walked back (10 to 15 mins) it's 100 yards and 1 roundabout away from the motorway. Very easy access.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: It's a nice ground, easy to get to and easy to get away from. The fans are friendly the staff are friendly and the prices are very reasonable, especially the ticket price, only £10 per ticket (for FA cup) which I'm sure was a major contribution to a 5500 away following. Other clubs should take note. West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland Premier League Saturday 17th October 2015, 3pm David Dougal (Sunderland fan) Why were you looking forward to visiting the Hawthorns Football Ground? I go to all away games but as this was "Big Sams" first game in charge of Sunderland, it was one that I was very much looking forward to. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Easy. I have been many a time before. I parked in the Beeches Road Methodist Church Car Park, which is just off Junction 1 of the M5. It cost £5 and all the money goes to the church. The two car park attendants were a a laugh and your car is safe there, as they have CCTV cameras in operation 24/7.

It's then about a ten minute walk to the Hawthorns ground. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? I went on my own and visited the new fans zone located next to the Hawthorns. The West Brom fans I met and talked to were friendly, I watched the Spurs v Liverpool match on the big screen there. Then I made my way into the ground. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Hawthorns? As I said I have been here a few times before. It's a nice enclosed ground, a lot smaller than the Stadium of Light but nice all the same. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. I was disappointed with the result as West Brom won 1-0, but there were some positives for Sunderland from the game. I bought a cheese burger and a bovril for about £6. Stewards were a canny bunch.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: As always after the game, the Police seal off the exit onto Halford Lane, meaning that in my case having parked by the M5, that I had to walk around the entire outside of the ground to get back towards where I was parked which took about 25 minutes. It took me five minutes to get back on the M5. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: Good day out apart from the result. West Bromwich Albion is one of the better grounds to visit and no bother for single travelers or families. West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea Premier League Monday 18th May 2015, 8pm Kevin Gallagher (Neutral fan) Why you were looking forward to going to the Hawthorns ground? It was a visit to a new ground - Father and son on an overnight trip from Scotland. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Very easy to locate ground by train. We took a London Midland train from Birmingham Moor Street to The Hawthorns. The ground is in full view when you reach station and is only a five minute walk away. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

There is a McDonalds on Birmingham Road End straight across from the ground which is ideal for families visiting The Hawthorns. Very busy as you can imagine but service is swift. The away team bus arrives at Halfords Lane and offers a decent view of arriving players for young fans. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium? The Hawthorns is an impressive ground with three imposing stands towering above the smaller West Stand. We were in the East Stand near the away section. It was ideal for watching the game and taking in the atmosphere. The ground is fully enclosed which is another positive feature. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. Chelsea arrived as Premier League Champions and West Brom's Premier League status had already been secured, so there wasn't much for either side to play for. However, as end of season encounters go this was a very entertaining game. Both sets of fans were in good spirits which made for a lively atmosphere especially the Chelsea fans who sang and chanted throughout. Toilet facilities were good and keeping in line with other Premiership grounds the water is warm for washing your hands.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: We were in the East Stand which meant after the game we had to walk all the way round the ground into to get back to train/metro station so if you are looking for a quick get away towards the station then the West Stand or the Smethwick End Stand would be advisable. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: Very enjoyable match day experience. Hassle free by train. If the chance arose I would certainly make another visit to The Hawthorns. West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa Premier League Monday November 25th 2013, 8pm John Rogers (Neutral fan) 1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be): Changes to the areas in which I work are providing opportunities to tick off a few grounds around the country whilst away on business. Completing the 92 is a secret ambition but I suspect I'm more likely to be aged 92 before I join that exclusive club. The Hawthorns was a ground I last visited in 1979, so I was interested to see whether there was anything to remind me of my last visit.

A free ticket came courtesy of a work colleague, who was supporting Albion. 2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? As a passenger in a car driven by a 'native' of West Bromwich, finding the ground was straight forward. The Hawthorns is situated right next to the M5. The big draw back to the motorway proximity is the awful congestion around the Birmingham area and the ubiquitous road works. The recommendation would be to allow plenty of time for the journey if travelling by road. The Park Inn, a hotel just off the A41, is a ten minute walk from the ground and is a safe place to park the car. It cost £5 and registration numbers are recorded at reception. 3. What you did before the game pub/chippy.... home fans friendly? The Park Inn - welcoming; extensive bar area and no trouble. 4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground? The Hawthorns is quite small but has a modern appearance. Unfortunately there was insufficient time to wander round the ground before kick-off. We were seated in the Halfords Lane stand, opposite the big Rainbow East stand seen on tv. Away fans shared the segregated Smethwick End.

5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. As a Leeds supporter I am generally disappointed by the atmosphere generated by the home support at other grounds, which is often drowned out by Leeds fans' efforts. This occasion was very much an exception, no doubt partly because it was a west Midlands derby - the West Brom and Villa fans were at it from the first minute to the last, with an inventive and vociferous repartee. Albion got off to a great start, with two quality Shane Long goals, but Villa were allowed back into the game and equalised with a screamer from Ashley Westwood. Cue mass hysteria among the claret and blue army. The stewards had little to do in the stand I was in, where I think it was fair to say most of the supporters were of a more mature profile. Refreshments were not sampled, but the big minus for the Halfords Lane Stand was the woefully inadequate leg room - not a problem if under 5' 6" or a contortionist; otherwise very uncomfortable. 6.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: Exiting the ground was easy, but knowing that the traffic would be horrendous we returned to the bar at the Park Inn for a couple of drinks. 7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: It's never the same going to a game that doesn't involve your own team, but this was a good way to spend an evening away from home. The main memories of the evening will be the fantastic atmosphere and the home fans' rendition of 'Popov the Albion Man', to the tune of 'Popeye the Sailor Man'. West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea Premier League Saturday November 17th 2012, 3pm Joe Fowler (Chelsea fan) 1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be): I always enjoy a trip to West Brom. Nice stadium, good team, and friendly supporters. Plus, relatively cheap tickets. 2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Me and my mate got a train into Birmingham, then walked through the city (stopping for food at McDonalds) before getting on the metro to The Hawthorns.

The walk took about 10 minutes, but it would have been longer if a fellow blue hadn’t of pointed us in the right direction! 3. What you did before the game pub/chippy.... home fans friendly? We asked a couple of home fans where a good pub was with a T.V (so we could watch Arsenal destroy Spurs). We were told of an away friendly pub, so we followed them there. We got there to find that half of the furniture was broken/damaged, and that there was one tiny T.V. We left straight away. We then found a pub called the Royal Oak, which was on the main road. We managed to get a couple of seats, and sat down with some drinks and watched the match. There was a good mix if home and away supporters, and plenty of chanting. The bloke next to us had a lovely mixed grill, which smelled heavenly! We then headed to the ground, placing a cheeky bet en route. 4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground? We got to our seats just before kick off. Very good seats too. The away end is good, with a large concourse, and good views of the pitch.

The rest of the ground is really tidy. There is a giant stand to your right, and a really small stand to your left. This gives the stadium a uniqueness that you don’t get at a lot of modern day stadia (City, Arsenal etc..). 5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. The game itself wasn’t a classic. They took an early lead through Shane Long, but we equalised just before half time through Hazard. Spent the entire half time break queuing up for a beer. They were serving all sorts, but I stuck to Carlsberg (£3.20). Just as we were exiting the concourse, we heard a giant cheer. We polished off our drinks, and ran up the stairs to see the West Brom fans celebrating. Odemwingie had just put them 2-1 up. For the rest of the game, we dominated, with Sturridge missing chance after chance. Stewards were laid back, and I saw no trouble. We were stood for the full match, and received no hassle for it. West Brom fans were okay. Loud after their goals, but silent throughout the rest of the match. 6.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: We left the stadium, and took one of the most long winded detours of my life. We had to walk around the entire stadium, to avoid clashing with home fans. This took at least 10 minutes. Got to the station, and jumped aboard an over-crowded metro train back to Birmingham station. Had a quick drink, then got on the train home. 7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: I found it to be a great day out, definitely one of the best this season. All pubs are away friendly, and not overly pricey! West Brom are a really good team and I wish them the best for the rest of the season. Would love to get them in the cup (away), but if not, I will just have to wait until next season to come back! West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers Premier League Saturday April 7th 2012, 3pm Robert Bury (Blackburn Rovers fan) Being the second trip I had ever made to The Hawthorns and previously enjoying the first trip a few years back I was looking forward to a tightly contested match and maybe..

just maybe 3 points to help in Rovers relegation battle. Instead of going with my mates though as done previously this trip would be with my two brothers. The journey for me and my brothers was made by car straight down the M6, jumping on to the M5 for a short stint to Junction 1 where on exiting the motorway the ground becomes clearly signposted and then becomes visible within minutes of leaving the motorway. All in all a very easy trip from Lancashire, the only bit then was a bit of tactical parking trying to find a spot we could quickly escape from after the game. We decided to drive just past the stadium and park down a side street but there are many car parks directly around the stadium charging the usual fees of £5 etc. Before the game we needed to firstly purchase our tickets from the away end ticket office which is just beside the away turnstiles as we had only decided to come down to the game the night before! Once we had done this we saw no point in trying to find a pub so entered the stadium for a pie and beer… or two. The stadium itself is a mismatch of different shaped stands but which try to retain the same style and doesn’t look too shabby considering.

Inside it is completely enclosed in all corners even if these corners are not filled with seating. The away end has ample room even though we stood for most of the game. An interesting look about the away end is that it seems to curve upwards rather than go straight up like most stands, this leads to a good feeling when you are stood at the back as you can better see and feel the entire atmosphere in front of you. The beers were what you would expect at most grounds serving plastic bottles of beer and cider and the pies although tasted good but fell apart very easily, I even remember one of my brothers dropping most of his on the floor. The toilets are quite small but for our following that day were not a problem, although I could see a bit of queuing with some pushing and shoving should a bigger team with more of a following visit. The stewards are one part of the day on both occasions that has let The Hawthorns down, this may be because the Blackburn fans can sometimes get rowdy but mainly a bit of over the top stewarding. This is seen on my first visit were the stewards closed in on the Rovers supporters and (in some cases) actually pushed them out the door.

I do think this kind of strict stewarding creates more problems than it solves, usually resulting in the away supporters becoming restless. The game itself started and West Brom quickly took charge dictating the tempo of the game, we knew we would be in for a long game and this was confirmed as West Brom took the lead to go 1-0 up. This was the case for most of the first half and Rovers didn’t seem to be able to get a foothold in the game going in still 1-0 down at half time. After the break we started very brightly and things were looking up with us testing the West Brom keeper on several occasions before disaster struck and West Brom pounced on the break to nick a second. This was later followed by a third and a Rovers sending off to compact a miserable display from Rovers, all in all not the best of games and a big nail in our Premier League coffin. We left 5 minutes early due to a pathetic Rovers display and thinking it would be best to get away before the heavy traffic hit. Even though we did this the traffic outside the stadium was still fairly busy and I know from my previous experience that it can be very slow getting back to the motorway.

Once we got there though it was plain sailing all the way back home thankfully with no motorway hold ups. Overall not the best day out due to the result but I would definitely go again should the opportunity arise. There is something more appealing to me about older mis-matched stadiums that have a real feeling of history about them rather than many of the soulless new concrete bowls being built these days. West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City Premier League & FA Cup 4th Round Saturday 14th & Saturday 28th January 2012, 3pm Mark Knowles (Norwich City fan) Due to the luck of the FA Cup draw, Norwich had ended up with two trips to the Hawthorns in the space of a fortnight – in both cases we made the trip feeling pretty positive about our prospects of a win. The fact that West Brom is one of the easier away journeys from Norwich (though still a 300 mile round trip!) also meant that there was a big away following. In terms of navigation, if you can fall off a log, you can probably manage to find your way to the Hawthorns.

Once we came off the M5 there were plenty of options for parking – on our first visit for the league game we paid £4 to park in one of the industrial estate car parks; when we returned two weeks later in the FA cup we had more time so street parked for free a little further away from the ground. As recommended in the guide, we headed to the Vine on Roebuck Lane for lunch and a pre-match drink. The place is a real Tardis – poky boozer front room, then an atrium bit, then a formica-tabled back room with barbecue and finally a large covered patio out the back. It was absolutely packed with a good friendly mix of home and away fans and several TVs to watch the early kick-off. They had a couple of quaffable local ales too, if fizzy lager isn’t your thing. The choice of food was particularly massive and deserves a mention– a normal pub menu and a blackboard full of curry specialities from the main kitchen, plus a kiosk in the back room doing pies, burgers and chips, then a separate barbecue kitchen with reasonably priced chicken tikka, naans and so on.

The ground itself is smart and modern, and the Astle gates add a touch of class for anyone who appreciates football from before the Premier League era. Entering the ground was quick and easy, with the barcode scanning turnstiles working well, although searches of away fans seemed to be routine. Once inside, the concourse is clean but a little small for the size of the stand.There were lots of TV screens scattered about inside. Our seats had decent leg room and a good view of the pitch, although on our second visit the jumbo screen to our right was partially obscured by a girder. Football-wise, the league and the cup game followed a similar pattern, with Norwich scoring late to run out 2-1 winners on both occasions. It must have been a bit of a Groundhog Day feeling for the Baggies fans! During the league game, the noisiest section of home fans seemed to be in the same stand as us (to the left of the away fans), and managed to engage in a bit of banter. However, as the entire stand was given over to away fans for the cup game, this unfortunately meant these fans were displaced.

As a result the atmosphere suffered, with no “core” to the home support – with 3000 loud away fans, it actually felt more like a home game in terms of atmosphere. Stewards were very hands-off and didn’t seem worried about standing. At half time the queues for refreshments were pretty long, with only four kiosks serving the whole stand as far as I could see. For some reason they had post-office style security screens, which seemed unnecessary, and just meant you had to shout to get your order heard. The toilets were clean and spacious though, very good indeed for a football ground. After the league game, the large gate separating home and away sides at the rear of the stand was closed, so away fans had to make a long trek down a path to the south-east of the stadium and onto Middlemore Road. This is fine if you’re travelling on the away coaches or returning to the station, but as we were heading back to our car near the M5 it added half a mile or more to our walk. Thankfully for the cup game we had the whole stand so were able to exit straight onto Halfords Lane.

Once back at the car the queuing was not too bad and we were on the M5 quickly. Obviously the fact we won both games helped, but overall we very much enjoyed our visits to the Hawthorns. The fact the ground is so easy to get to (and from) makes a real difference, so this is definitely a trip we’d be happy to make again. West Bromwich Albion v Blackpool Premier League Saturday 15th January 2011, 3pm Sean O'Neil (Blackpool fan) 1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be): This was a game that the fans were waiting for. Having already beaten West Brom earlier in the season this was a chance for our second premiership double in a week. Also, proper fans! 2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? Easy to get to and we parked in the 1st car park on the left as you leave the motorway. 3. What you did before the game pub/chippy.... home fans friendly? First stop, pub!

We walked past the ground and whilst the kids got a McDonalds we found a pub just up past Morrisons about a five minute walk past the stadium. It was a bit of a dump, but it was friendly with mainly tangerines inside...the Guinness was good! 4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground? The ground looks really good, a traditional looking ground. I hate the soul less bowls we sometimes have to endure. 5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc.. Now.. the game was a gem! We lost 3-2 in a game that could have been 9-9. Both sides went for it big time and entertained a near as dam it full house. The atmosphere was fantastic, both sets of fans creating plenty of noise that the game deserved. One gripe though...the stewards! The worst I have encountered in the Premier League so far and seemed to take great delight in removing people for standing! I have no problems with sitting down but please set the same rules for fans 15 feet away! A shame really because everything else was just about perfect.

So a word of caution....stay sat down even if you are only 13 years of age. 6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: No probs...straight out and home in 2 hours 7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out: Top day out, its rather good be a travelling tangerine at the moment! The Highest and Lowest Stadiums (England and Wales) - Midfield Dynamo England's 10 highest/lowest The Highest and Lowest Stadiums (England and Wales) Ok, so does anybody really care which is the highest or lowest ground in the English Leagues ? Well, for the more geographically-inclined amongst you, we've grabbed a whole load of Ordnance Survey maps and worked them out anyway. The 10 Highest Grounds in England and Wales (2008) No. Wycombe Wanderers 413 Okay, so The Hawthorns may be the highest league ground in England and Wales but we hardly need to get the ski goggles and oxygen masks out for a trip there. Compare it to the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City (7,400 feet) or the Estadio Hernando Siles in Bolivia (9,800 feet).

Now that's height. The 10 Lowest Grounds in England and Wales (2008) No. Scunthorpe United 20 Hmmm, with sea-levels on the rise and the polar icecaps melting away faster than a Mr Whippy in Hyde Park on a sunny afternoon, it looks like all those fans of east-coast clubs better start taking global warming seriously. Time to cash in those hp coupons and ditch those gas-guzzling Chelsea tractors in favour of a Prius or a bicycle, or else it's going to be water polo in the future for you boys. The Full List of the Highest to Lowest Grounds in England and Wales (2008) No. West Bromwich Albion FC History West Bromwich Albion FC History PUBLISHED 13:38 02 October 2015 By Club reporter 1878 - Club formed by workers from Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich. Won first game 1-0 versus Hudsons. 1879 - Took name of West Bromwich Strollers after walking to Wednesbury to buy a ball. 1880 - Changed name from Strollers to Albion.

1882 - Beat Coseley 26-0 in Birmingham Cup - highest score ever recorded by an Albion first team. 1883 - Won first trophy, the Staffordshire Senior Cup, beating Stoke 3-2 in the Final. Entered the FA Cup for the first time, losing 2-0 to rivals Wednesbury Town. 1886 - Lost in the FA Cup Final to Blackburn Rovers after a replay. 1887 - Lost again in the FA Cup Final, this time to Aston Villa 2-0. 1888 - Became founder member of the Football League, winning first game at Stoke City, 2-0, on September 8. Albion won the FA Cup for the first time, beating Preston North End 2-1 at The Oval before a then-record crowd of almost 19,000. Albion then lost 4-1 to Scottish Cup winners Renton in the 1888 Championship of the World game at Hampden Park. 1889 - Albion lost to Preston in the FA Cup semi-final after winning 10-1 at Chatham in an earlier round.

1892 - Albion won the FA Cup for second time, defeating Aston Villa 3-0 at The Crystal Palace before a record 32,700 crowd. Albion beat Darwen 12-0 at home - a record score in Division One, shared with Nottingham Forest. 1893 - Albion beat Wolves 8-0 at Molineux in League game - their best-ever win over the Wanderers. 1895 - Albion lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final, the only goal coming after 39 seconds. The crowd at The Crystal Palace was a record 42,652. 1896 - Fred Everiss joined Albion's office staff. He was to remain at the club until 1951 as assistant secretary, secretary/manager and then director. 1900 - Albion moved to The Hawthorns, the highest ground above sea level in the UK at 551 feet. The first game to be staged at the ground saw Albion draw 1-1 with Derby in a Division One encounter.

County's England international Steve Bloomer scored the first goal at The Hawthorns, with Charlie Simmons equalising. 1901 - Albion were relegated for the first time at the end of 1900/01. They also lost 4-0 to Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final. 1902 - Albion won promotion at the first attempt as champions of Division Two. 1903 - Jesse Pennington joined Albion. He played for the club until 1922, making almost 500 appearances. 1904 - Albion were relegated from the First Division. 1905 - Albion were called the Baggies for the first time. 1907 - Albion were beaten in the FA Cup semi-final by Everton. 1911 - Won the Division Two title with a last-match, 1-0 win over Huddersfield thanks to Fred Buck's penalty. 1912 - Albion lost 1-0 in an FA Cup Final replay to Barnsley, the goal coming in the last minute of extra-time. 1919 - Albion won the Midland Victory League.

1920 - Albion won the Division One championship for the first time with a record 60 points, 104 goals and 28 wins. Fred Morris top-scored with 37 League goals. Albion beat Spurs 2-0 to win the Charity Shield. 1922 - First international played at The Hawthorns: England 2 Ireland 0. 1924 - Second international staged at ground - England 4 Belgium 0. 1925 - Albion finished runners-up to Huddersfield in the First Division. 1927 - Albion relegated to Division Two. Jimmy Cookson scored all six goals as Albion beat Blackpool 6-3 at home in a League game to set a new club individual scoring record. 1930 - Albion netted a record 105 League goals in the 1929/30 season. 1931 - Albion won the FA Cup beating Birmingham 2-1 in Final. They also gained promotion from Division Two to wrap up a unique double, never achieved before or since. Arsenal beat Albion 1-0 to win Charity Shield.

1933 - Fred Everiss's son, Alan, joined the Albion staff. He was associated with the club for 66 years before his death in 1999. He served as clerk, assistant-secretary, secretary, director and life member. 1935 - Albion lost 4-2 to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup Final. Albion won 7-0 at Aston Villa in the league. 1936 - WG Richardson scored a record 40 goals in 1935-36 (39 in the league). 1937 - A record crowd of 64,815 saw the Albion-Arsenal FA Cup-tie at The Hawthorns. Albion lost 10-3 at Stoke in a league game - their heaviest defeat in this competition. 1944 - Albion beat Nottingham Forest 6-5 over two legs to win the Midland Wartime Cup. 1945 - Third international played at The Hawthorns: England 0 Wales 1. 1948 - Albion appointed their first team manager, Jack Smith, who replaced secretary/manager Fred Everiss.

1949 - With Jack Vernon skippering the side, Albion won promotion from the Second Division. 1950 - Ronnie Allen signed from Port Vale for £20,000. He scored on his debut against Wolves in front of a record league crowd at The Hawthorns of 60,946. 1954 - Albion finished runners-up to Wolves in Division One and won the FA Cup, beating Preston North End 3-2 in the final. Albion also drew 4-4 with Wolves in the FA Charity Shield at Molineux, with Ronnie Allen scoring a hat-trick. 1957 - Floodlights were installed at The Hawthorns at a cost of £18,000. Albion lost to Aston Villa in an FA Cup semi-final replay. The Baggies became the first professional club to win in Soviet Russia. Albion also beat Manchester City 9-2 at home - their best-ever league win at The Hawthorns. 1958 - Albion beat Leicester 6-2 at home, Birmingham 6-0 at St Andrews and Portsmouth 6-2 at Fratton Park in early-season league games.

1961 - Albion players' wages went up to £30 per week (from £20). 1963 - Derek Kevan left Albion after ten years' service. Tony Brown scored on his league debut in 2-1 win at Ipswich. 1964 - Albion signed Jeff Astle from Notts County for £25,000. The Rainbow Stand was built at a cost of £40,000. 1966 - Albion won the League Cup at the first attempt, beating West Ham 5-3 on aggregate in the last two-legged final. 1967 - Albion played in Europe for the first time, in the Fairs Cup, and beat Utrecht of Holland, 6-3 on aggregate. Albion lost to QPR 3-2 in the League Cup Final at Wembley after holding a 2-0 half-time lead. 1968 - Jeff Astle scored an extra-time winner - the only goal of the game - against Everton to earn Albion their fifth FA Cup win.

1969 - Albion were knocked out of the European Cup Winners' Cup by Dunfermline, 1-0 on aggregate. Colin Suggett is Albion's first six-figure buy, costing £100,000 from Sunderland. 1970 - Albion were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City after extra-time in the League Cup Final. Astle scored again. 1972 - Albion pay a record £138,000 for left-winger Willie Johnston from Glasgow Rangers. 1973 - Under manager and ex-player Don Howe, Albion are relegated to Division Two. 1974 - Jeff Astle leaves Albion after ten years' service with the club. 1975 - Albion appointed the club's first player/manager, Johnny Giles, from Leeds. He signed Paddy Mulligan, Mick Martin and England's 1966 World Cup hero Geoff Hurst. Bryan Robson played his first game for Albion. 1976 - Albion gain promotion from Division Two with a 1-0 win at Oldham on the last day of the season, with Tony Brown getting the goal.

1977 - Albion gave debuts to Tony Godden, Laurie Cunningham, a £110,000 signing from Orient, and Cyrille Regis. Giles quit as manager and was replaced by former Albion forward Ronnie Allen. 1978 - Ron Atkinson replaces Ronnie Allen as manager. Albion were beaten 3-1 by Ipswich in an FA Cup Semi-final. They became the first British club to play in China. 1979 - Albion lost to Red Star Belgrade - 2-1 on aggregate - in the UEFA Cup. Albion signed Peter Barnes from Manchester City for record fee of £748,000. Laurie Cunningham joined Real Madrid for £995,000. 1980 - Work started on the new Halfords Lane stand. Tony Brown left Albion for Torquay after scoring 218 League goals in 574 games - both club records. 1981 - Bryan Robson was sold to Manchester United for £1.5 million, with Remi Moses also going to Old Trafford for £500,000 to team up with Ron Atkinson.

1982 - Albion are beaten in both the FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals to QPR and Tottenham respectively. The Halfords Lane stand is completed at a cost £2.56 million. 1986 - Albion were relegated to Division Two after the worst season in their history: four league wins, 26 defeats and 24 points. 1991 - Albion were relegated to the 'old' Third Division for the first time, under Bobby Gould's management. Striker Bob Taylor signed from Bristol City for £300,000. 1993 - Albion at Wembley for the first time since 1970 and win promotion to Division Two by beating Port Vale 3-0 in the play-off final. Taylor finished top scorer and became the first player to net 35 goals for the club since Jeff Astle in 1968. Work commenced on the redevelopment of the Brummie Road and Smethwich ends, aimed at creating an all-seater stadium (then capacity 26,000). 1994 - The 'new-look' Hawthorns opened with a game against Bristol City on Boxing Day.

Some 21,000 fans saw Albion win 1-0. Total cost of building new ground is £7.2 million. 1995 - Museum opened at The Hawthorns. Albion bank record receipts of over £240,000 from their home FA Cup replay with Coventry. Andy Hunt finished as Albion's top scorer with 13 goals. 1996 - Albion lost 11 League games on the trot, a club record. The club also took record gate receipts for a home League game against Wolves of £218,535.85, from a 21,761 crowd. Goalkeeper Nigel Spink signed from Aston Villa to become the oldest player ever to join the club at 37. Albion became a Public Limited Company, issuing shares to fans at £500 and £3,000 each. Paul Thompson joined the Board, replacing chairman Trevor Summers. 1997 - Ray Harford was appointed manager in succession to Alan Buckley. Cyrille Regis and John Trewick joined his back-up team.

Irish under-21 star Kevin Kilbane arrived from Preston North End for a record £1.25 million. In December, Albion changed managers again after Ray Harford walked out, being replaced by Denis Smith from Oxford. 1998 - Matt Carbon became Albion's costliest defender at £800,000 from Derby County. A crowd of 23,013 against Nottingham Forest realised record gate receipts of £270,000.Bob Taylor joined Bolton and Andy Hunt signed for Charlton. 1999 - Following a summer of internal strife, Tony Hale retained his position as chairman at an EGM and then appointed Brian Little as manager. Kevin Kilbane was sold to Sunderland for £2.5 million in December, a move which led to the departure of Tony Hale and his replacement as chairman by Paul Thompson. 2000 - In January, Enzo Maresca was sold to Juventus for a club record £4.3million. Brian Little left the club in March and was replaced by Gary Megson. Five deadline-day loan and permanent signings, including the return of Bob Taylor, saw Albion stave off relegation.

Albion signed Jason Roberts for a record £2million from Bristol Rovers. 2001 - The Rainbow Stand was demolished after 37 years to make way for the new East Stand. Albion qualified for the end of season play-offs but lost 5-2 on aggregate to Bolton Wanderers. In August, Lee Hughes became Albion's record sale when he moved to Coventry City for £5,000,001. 2002 - On March 16, Albion led Sheffield United 3-0 at Bramall Lane with 82 minutes gone when the referee was forced to abandon the game as the Blades were down to six men - three were sent off and two left the pitch, unable to continue because of 'injury'. On April 21, Albion beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to secure promotion to the Premiership for the first time. Paul Thompson resigned as chairman on May 20. After Clive Stapleton took on the role in an acting capacity, Jeremy Peace became chairman on June 13.

Albion broke their transfer record with the £2,250,000 signing of Jason Koumas from Tranmere Rovers and then smashed it again, by bringing Lee Hughes back to The Hawthorns for £2,500,000. 2003 - Albion were relegated from the Premier League and endured their worst ever home defeat, losing 6-0 to Liverpool. 2004 - Albion bounced back to the top flight at the first attempt, finishing second in the First Division. The club bought Martin Albrechtsen for a record £2.7million then broke the record again by signing Robert Earnshaw from Cardiff City for £3.5million. On October 28, Gary Megson's four-and-a-half year reign as Albion boss came to an end, with Frank Burrows installed as caretaker manager, Bryan Robson then taking permanent charge. In December, the club changed from a Public Limited Company to a private company - 'WBA Holdings Ltd'. 2005 - Albion became the first-ever side in Premiership history to be bottom at Christmas and beat the drop.

The Baggies were even bottom heading into the final day but survived thanks to a 2-0 win against Portsmouth at The Hawthorns. Off the pitch, the Baggies moved from Centre of Excellence to Academy status. 2006 - Albion took just four points from the last 42 to be relegated to the Championship. Bryan Robson left in September to be replaced by Tony Mowbray. The summer had seen the completion of Albion's £1.7million indoor facility, featuring a full-size pitch, on Halfords Lane. 2007 - Albion played at the new Wembley for the first time, losing 1-0 to Derby County in the play-off final after beating Wolves over two legs in the semi-final. 2008 - Albion were back at Wembley, but were 1-0 losers again, this time to Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final. Compensation came with promotion as they clinched the League Championship with a win at QPR. The transfer record was broken with the arrival of Borja Valero from Real Mallorca for £4.7million.

The newly-refurbished West Stand opened to supporters for the first home game of the 2008/09 Premier League season against Everton on Saturday, August 23. 2009 - Narrow relegation to the Championship was followed by manager Tony Mowbray's departure for Celtic. Albion replaced him with the club's first Head Coach, Roberto Di Matteo. 2010 - Di Matteo led Albion to promotion, the club repeating the feat of 2007/08 by scoring over 100 goals in the season. Albion achieved a first-ever win at the Emirates Stadium early in the Premier League season. 2011 - Di Matteo left the club in February to be replaced by Roy Hodgson. A run of 20 points from the last 12 games saw Albion finish 11th, the best top flight finish since 1983. The highlight of the first half of the following season was back-to-back derby wins over Wolves and Villa in October. 2012 - The team ended long-standing hoodoos with top-flight away wins at Stoke and Liverpool and their first-ever Barclays Premier League victory over Chelsea.

Hodgson guided the Baggies to a famous 5-1 win over Wolves at Molineux in February. By May he had been appointed the new England manager – but remained at The Hawthorns until the end of the season as Albion secured a then-highest ever Premier League finish of tenth. Steve Clarke was chosen as the man to replace him at The Hawthorns and the new head coach made a flying start as his team hit the dizzy heights of third after 13 games. That was in large part thanks to a run of four successive Premier League wins in November, which earned Clarke the Barclays Manager-of-the-Month award. 2013 – On-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku broke Albion’s record for goals in a Barclays Premier League season with 17. He also scored a hat-trick in the Premier League’s first-ever 5-5 draw as the Baggies twice came from two goals down against Manchester United on the final day of the season. Clarke’s men claimed Albion Premier League records in a season of nine home wins and 49 points, as they secured a best-ever Premier League eighth-place finish.

The summer transfer window saw Albion break their transfer record by signing Stephane Sessegnon from Sunderland on deadline day. He played a key role in a famous 2-1 victory at Manchester United in September. But a run of just three wins in the opening 16 games of the campaign saw Clarke lose his job following a 1-0 defeat at Cardiff on December 14. Assistant head coach Keith Downing took caretaker charge of the team until Spaniard Pepe Mel was appointed new head coach on January 9, 2014. RELATED ARTICLES Everything you need to know as Albion's FA Cup adventure gets .... 34 mins ago Rams visit The Hawthorns in the Emirates FA Cup 2 hours 34 mins ago Over 24,000 tickets sold for third-round tie (ko 3pm) 3 hours 19 mins ago Moore recalls a Wembley meeting ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie 6 hours 4 mins ago Hero of '68 Graham Williams to appear on stage 8 hours 44 mins ago And Baggies boss gives a transfer update 9 hours 4 mins ago Alternative History - West Bromwich Albion .

The early days of West Bromwich Albion were exemplified by the name that the club adopted on formation. Their lackadaisical approach to the game brought them the name of West Bromwich Strollers and the opposition were always keen to "walk" around the Strollers. However, the reason for this less than energetic style may have been the fact that there is a reduced oxygen content in the air at The Hawthorns, as it is the highest ground in the UK at 551 feet above sea level. For many years this is the highest the Baggies had got in the game. Many stories surround the various nicknames the Midlands side have.

One about "the Throstles" nickname is that the club used to have such big crowds that to get everyone in before kick-off, they had to introduce turnstiles to get the supporters into the ground and for season ticket holders, they had the first "fast-track" entrances, known as "through-stiles", which became corrupted in common parlance in the Black Country accent to Throstles." The other one about the nickname "The Baggies" is said to come from the size of the shorts the team used to wear in the 1920s, but it actually originates from the sponsorship by a local sports shop, who became the first suppliers of kit bags to West Bromwich Albion and they were required to change their nickname to promote this sponsorship to "The Baggies". They are the proud holders of a couple of records when in 1930-31 they became the only team to win promotion to the top flight and win the FA Cup in the same season and then in 2004-05, Albion became the first ever team to avoid relegation from the Premier League having been bottom at Christmas in 2004/05.

Since then it has been up and down for the Boing Boing Baggies, once more regaining their Premiership place with new boss Roberto Di Matteo in 2010, after going down the previous season. When he moved on, Roy Hodgson took over and steered Albion to another safe placing, before he took over the England national side. It was another former Chelsea man who took the helm at the start of 2012-13 and Steve Clarke's first club management post will be a test for him as the club attempt to push on from their solid positions of recent years.

To be completed Famous players : - Jeff Astle, Tony "Bomber" Brown, Des Whye, Gerald "Blondie" Fortesque, Tommy Manship, Len Cantello, Cyrille Regis, Gerry Ware, William "Ginger" Richardson, Enos Bromage, Gerry Womanship, Bert Millichip, Mickey Mellon, Don Howe, Harry Raw, Martin Fish, Chippy Simmonds, Famous Fans : - Eric Clapton (Rock guitarist), Frank Skinner (Comedian), Dean Hedley (Former Kent and England Cricketer), Adrian Chiles (BBC TV Presenter - "Match of the Day"; "The One Show"; "Daybreak"); Goran Ivanisevic (Wimbledon tennis champion 2001);

Question: Which football ground is the highest in English league football at 551 feet above sea level?
Answer: The Hawthorns