IN FOCUS: WEST BROMWICH ALBION

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Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-20T08:00:00.000Z

IN FOCUS: WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-20T08:00:00.000Z

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

One of the Football League’s 12 founding members alongside the Clarets, West Bromwich Albion were initially founded in 1878 as the ‘West Bromwich Strollers’ before taking their current name two years later.

Recognised mainly as just ‘West Brom’, the Albion have spent the vast majority of their history in the top two divisions of English football, only once a third-tier club following relegation in 1991 but the Baggies bounced back to the second division at the first attempt.

West Brom have been historically successful in cup competitions, winning the FA Cup five times and the League Cup once, as well as coming runners-up in the FA Cup five times.

After being promoted in 1993 to the Championship, the Albion were then a Premier League club for the first time nine years later.

Many promotions and relegations followed, but one that will stand out for most Baggies fans will be the 2004/05 ‘Great Escape’ as they became the first team in the Premier League to survive after being bottom of the table on Christmas Day.

The Albion returned to the topflight in 2010 and established themselves amongst the best for seven seasons, before being relegated back to the Championship in 2018.

IN FOCUS: WEST BROMWICH ALBION - Image 1

An instant return was on the cards via the play-offs but a defeat to rivals Aston Villa at Wembley meant the Baggies would spend another season in the second tier, where they did then secure promotion at the second time of asking and were back in the Premier League in 2020.

However, the Midlands’ side’s time in the top-flight was only for a single campaign, after being relegated in the behind-closed-doors COVID season, which has since seen the Albion stay in the Championship.

There has been progress though for West Brom, a 10th place finish in the first season back was followed by a 9th place finish the following season in 2023, before then securing a place in the play-offs last season. Unfortunately, the Albion were beaten by eventual winners Southampton over two legs.

Stadium: The Hawthorns (26,850) Halfords Lane, West Bromwich, B71 4LF

Nickname(s): The Baggies, The Albion

Manager: Carlos Corberan

2023/24 finishing position: 5th

2023/24 top scorer (all competitions): Brandon Thomas-Asante (12)

IN FOCUS: WEST BROMWICH ALBION - Image 2

Played for both:

Charlie Austin –

Following two impressive seasons at Swindon Town, Austin arrived at Turf Moor in January 2011 signing a three-and-a-half-year deal. In the striker’s first full season at the Club, Austin bagged 16 league goals in the Championship which saw him finish the Club’s top goal scorer. The forward enjoyed another eye-catching campaign in front of goal in the 2012/23 season, which also saw Austin break a Burnley record, becoming the quickest-ever player to reach 20 goals in a season, after scoring in a 1-0 win over Leeds United in November 2012 in only his 17th appearance of the campaign. 45 goals in 90 games over two seasons saw the striker earn a move to QPR, with Austin spending three years at Loftus Road and four at Southampton before signing for West Brom in 2019. He scored on his debut for the Baggies in an EFL Cup win over Millwall, before scoring his first league goal against Cardiff City two months later, as the Albion went on to seal promotion to the Premier League with the forward finishing the Club’s top-scorer. Austin departed the Hawthorns in January 2021 to re-join QPR and went on to have spells with Brisbane Roar and Swindon Town before leaving the Robins this summer.

Erik Pieters -

Pieters signed for the Clarets in the summer of 2019 from Stoke City having spent the previous six season with the Potters. The full-back made his debut in a 3-0 win over Southampton on the opening day of the season at Turf Moor, where he grabbed two assists for both of Ashley Barnes’ goals. The Dutchman’s first goal for Burnley came in a 4-2 win over Peterborough in the FA Cup, before grabbing his second for the Club in the next round against Norwich City. After three seasons at Turf Moor, the left-back departed the Clarets in the summer of 2022 and joined West Brom ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Pieters played 61 times for the Baggies across his time in the Midlands before leaving the Albion this summer upon expiry of his contract.

Micky Mellon -

Mellon, father of current young Claret Michael, joined West Brom from Bristol City in 1993 after four years at Ashton Gate. The striker only spent a single campaign with the Baggies, scoring six goals in 45 games before leaving the following summer for Sam Allardyce’s Blackpool. The now Oldham Athletic manager then joined Burnley in January 1999 from Tranmere Rovers. After making his debut for the Club in a 4-3 win over Bristol Rovers, the striker bagged his first goal for the Clarets four games later in a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town. In Mellon’s two years at Turf Moor as a player, the forward totalled nearly 100 games in Claret & Blue before leaving in March 2001 to re-sign for Tranmere.