All posts by h716a5.icu

Key information about the Hawthorns

The Hawthorns was built in 1900 and is currently the home of West Bromwich Albion, who are, at this very moment at least, playing in the Championship. Located in Halfords Lane and at an altitude of 551 feet (168 m), the Hawthorns is the highest ground above sea level among all Premier League and Football League clubs.

Currently, it can seat up to 26,850 supporters and has a pitch size of 105m x 68m. There is also no running track around the ground but they do have undersoil heating installed. The surface is composed of natural grass combined with artificial fibres developed by Desso GrassMaster.

The record attendance stands at 64,815 supporters that witnessed the game vs Arsenal back in 1937.

A history of the Hawthorns

Even though the Hawthorns has been the home of West Bromwich Albion for more than 100 years, when it was built in 1900, it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. Indeed, Albion have been quite nomadic in their early years and the first game to be played at their current stadium was held on September 3 against Derby County, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The initial capacity at the ground was 35,500 because the club only had a 14-year lease on it. Albion would then buy the freehold for £5,350 in 1913, which would also kick-start the further improvements.

In 1920, concrete terracing was installed and by 1924, the capacity grew to 65,000. Soon after, they would record their highest ever attendance in the FA Cup against Arsenal, registering a total of 64,815 fans in the stands.

Further renovations were done over the years, including floodlights in 1947, an electronic turnstile aggregator, the first in whole Britain, in 1949, and then, in 1964, they also started work on the East Stand, which quickly became known as the ‘Rainbow’, on the site of the old Handsworth Stand.

In the 1990s, and following the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor report, the stadium was finally converted into an all-seater, replacing both terraces with all-seater stands.

However, in 2001, the Rainbow stand got demolished and a new East Stand was built in its place. Of course, there were further renovations such as the opening of the newly-refurbished West Stand, a £3million-plus makeover of Halfords Lane Stand, a new car park, new dressing rooms, dugout areas and tunnel, new executive boxes and a gantry.

After they placed a new surface on the pitch from 2011/12, they got a new irrigation system as well as undersoil heating. Works in 2014 boosted the capacity to the current 26,850.

Tickets to watch West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns

All the tickets to watch West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns can be purchased on the club’s official website. While the price is generally not high, it does depend on the age of the buyer and the location in the stands. The highest ticket price for an adult is £23 and the cheapest stands at £20.

There is also an option to buy season tickets, which can also be found on the aforementioned website, but as is the case with most clubs, there is usually a waiting list and only the current season ticket holders can renew their tickets while others have to wait for one to become available first.

Related Links

https://www.wba.co.uk/ – Official website of West Bromwich Albion

https://www.wba.co.uk/tickets/ – West Bromwich Albion Ticket Office

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming as their beloved statue of Dixie Dean outside Goodison Park was lit up with a red flare, as the Merseyside club have since released an official statement on the matter as per their official website.

As per the statement, the Toffees are assisting the Merseyside Police with enquiries into the incident and have urged anyone that knows anything about what happened to contact them as soon as possible.

On a more positive note, the Blues also confirmed that, following inspection and cleaning of the memorial and the site as a whole, no permanent damage has been done to the statue or the floral tributes laid on the foot of it.

The statue itself represents EFC’s greatest ever goalscorer, as Dean scored a quite incredible 60 goals in just 39 games for them in the 1927/28 season, and during the 1928 calendar year he netted a staggering 85 goals, according to the National Football Museum.

These supporters on Twitter were left fuming upon hearing the news of what happened, as Dean is a club legend and the statue and the memorials were a commemoration of both him and what he represented for Everton:

Evertonians, is Dean the greatest to have played for the club? Comment below!

Jose Mourinho is facing his first summer transfer window in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.

After clinching a top six finish on the final day of the Premier League season, Mourinho has turned his attention to the transfer market in preparation for the next campaign.

Daniel Levy has made it clear he will not be spending ‘rivers of money’ in the summer so Mourinho has his work cut out as he will have to hunt for bargains, sign free agents and sort out swap deals to improve his squad.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising that Spurs are plotting a double swoop for Bournemouth duo Callum Wilson and David Brooks. According to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, Spurs ‘admire’ the Cherries stars.

Recent reports revealed the Lilywhites are leading the race to sign Wilson this summer as Daniel Levy is set to launch a bid for the striker who wants to stay in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe’s side are once again preparing for life in the Championship following the conclusion of the campaign. Even though they beat Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton at Goodison Park, Aston Villa’s draw with West Ham was enough to ensure they were relegated from the English top flight for the first time in five years.

This isn’t the first time the Lilywhites have been linked to Brooks, as they were interested in the Welshman long before Mourinho arrived in north London. The Mirror reported Spurs were willing to spend £50m for the Bournemouth star in 2019 after Mauricio Pochettino missed out on the midfielder in 2018.

Now it seems like the Portuguese may finish the job his predecessor Pochettino started, as Brooks is at the top of Mourinho’s transfer wishlist in the summer.

Spurs need to find a backup striker for Harry Kane and Wilson would be able to provide suitable cover and competition. While he has struggled for goals this season, as he only scored eight times in 35 games in the Premier League, he bagged almost double that tally last year.

Both players should be available for a cut-price as the Cherries aim to reduce their financial losses after their relegation.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign the Bournemouth duo this summer? Let us know down below!

An MP has made a claim on the proposed takeover of Newcastle United which involves fans of the Tyneside club.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery said with regards to the prospective £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group:

“We could [alternatively] raise it with the DCMS Select Committee. So, this might just be the catalyst which means that football supporters nationwide might be invited in through the doors to be involved in the decision-making process.”

Indeed, if Lavery as well as the other 40 MPs who wrote to the Premier League last week do not get a reply from the top flight or its chief executive Richard Masters, then they could well go to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to raise the issue.

Lavery argues that fans from around the country may then get an invite to be involved in the decision-making process.

The Saudi-led consortium, consisting of the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman/head of PCP Capital Partners Amada Staveley and the London-based billionaire Reuben brothers, officially withdrew their own bid after growing increasingly frustrated with just how long it was taking for the Premier League and its CEO to come up with their final decision.

However, if supporters were potentially to get involved in the process, then it may well be accelerated and perhaps make it easier for the Premier League to arrive at their final decision.

Nevertheless, the league will surely have to give more clarity as to how exactly their process works in order for this to happen, in addition to giving their full cooperation to the parties involved in the deal.

Geordies, would you get involved in the takeover process if given the chance? Comment below with your views!

Sunderland have completed the signing of former Burnley striker Will Harris, who will now link up with Elliot Dickman’s under-23 side.

The Black Cats’ academy teams had a disastrous 2019/20 campaign which saw both the under-18 and under-23 sides fail to record a single victory in their respective divisions.

Following such poor performances, Paul Reid left his role as academy manager, prompting speculation over the future of the Wearside club’s Tier 1 academy status, which was further amplified after several players left the academy setup.

Three new faces arrived last month to bolster Dickman’s under-23 squad in the shape of Sam Wilding, Bobby Beaumont and Vinnie Steels, whilst Kenton Richardson also signed.

With those additions coming in to Sunderland’s youth ranks, a fifth arrival has now been confirmed to add further depth and strength to the squad. Harris has put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Sunderland after leaving Burnley last month when his contract expired.

The 19-year-old striker joins the Black Cats after three years with the Clarets which included loan spells with non-league sides Colne FC and Warrington Town.

Upon his arrival at the Academy of Light, Harris said: “Being a local lad, it’s a dream come true to sign a contract with Sunderland. I’m delighted to be here, and I can’t wait to get started.”

This latest addition to Dickman’s squad will bolster his options ahead of the new season and, after a wretched 2019/20 campaign at underage level, things drastically needs to improve.

Hopefully the arrival of Harris should see some progress in the right direction, allied with the other new faces in the under-23 ranks.

Are you pleased with the signings Sunderland are making to improve the under-23 squad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…

Aston Villa could land themselves some vital strength in depth with a summer swoop for a former Premier League regular…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Midlands outfit are keen to land Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier in order to bolster Dean Smith’s leaky defence.

It’s claimed that the Villa boss has made a new right-back one of his top priorities before the start of the new season and is targeting an ambitious move for the Englishman either on loan or on a permanent basis.

The 29-year-old has featured quite a bit under Diego Simeone and is valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt. The Sun suggested back in May that £20m could be enough to tempt Atletico into a sale.

Defensive depth

Smith has regularly played summer arrival Frederic Guilbert in the right-back role but post-lockdown, the Frenchman was only able to make two appearances.

Meanwhile, at 32 years old, Ahmed Elmohamady is hardly going to be an option for much longer.

Trippier played 32 times in all competitions for the Spanish giants, averaging 2 tackles, 1.7 key passes, 1.6 clearances and 1.3 crosses per game, via WhoScored.

This suggests he’s a slightly more attacking option along the right flank than Smith’s current duo – Guilbert managed just 0.6 crosses and 0.5 key passes each match this term.

Following his debut at the Wanda Metropolitano, Trippier was likened to David Beckham because of his crossing ability by Marca which is hardly a surprise given the former Manchester United man also swapped the Premier League for the Spanish capital.

Gareth Southgate is also a big fan with him still getting selected for this Three Lions squad and prior to the 2018 World Cup, the England boss labelled Trippier as a player with “outstanding quality”.

That’s exactly what Aston Villa would be getting, so Johan Lange should definitely push for this move even if it is a bid bold.

AND in other news, Villa facing an uphill battle to secure £18m transfer…

Loads of Everton fans have been buzzing at the transfer news coming from Peter Harding as the football journalist has claimed on his Twitter page that Wilfried Zaha has apparently told Crystal Palace that he wants to leave in the summer transfer window.

According to Harding, the Merseyside club is allegedly his preferred destination after he told his friends that he would like to be “part of the project” at Goodison Park under Carlo Ancelotti.

Indeed, the Ivory Coast international is a man that could get EFC supporters off of their feet, averaging a relatively impressive 4.3 dribbles and 1.6 shots per match in the Premier League in the 2019/20 term, as per Whoscored.

Zaha has been a key figure for the Eagles in England’s highest division, scoring 36 goals and making a further 38 assists in a total of 201 appearances over the last six consecutive seasons (per Transfermarkt).

These Toffees buzzed upon reading the news on Twitter, with one Blue even branding the 27-year old as an ‘amazing’ player:

Evertonians, would Zaha be a good signing? Comment below!

Burnley are reportedly keen on a loan move for Tottenham youngster Ryan Sessegnon, although they face competition from two other Premier League clubs.

The Telegraph reported that the Clarets, along with Southampton and Brighton, are interested in taking the 20-year-old on loan, as he has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho at Spurs.

Sessegnon, who is valued at £22.5m by TransferMarkt, joined Tottenham from Fulham in 2019 but has struggled for game-time in north London, making just 12 appearances for Spurs and yet to feature for them so far this season.

However, the left-sided utility player, who is equally capable of operating in defence or midfield and can even be deployed as a wide attacker (as per TransferMarkt), has been hailed as “brilliant” and “unselfish” by Tottenham team-mate Danny Rose, who also described him as a “down to earth” individual (as per Evening Standard).

Sessegnon’s ability to play at left-back could provide stiff competition for Charlie Taylor and Erik Pieters at Burnley; and if Sean Dyche sees him as more of a midfield player, he could be vying with Dwight McNeil for a place on the left flank.

While the 20-year-old has struggled to score in the last couple of seasons, his quality in the final third was illustrated by a return of 16 goals in Fulham’s promotion-winning 2017/18 campaign. Also, his passing success rate of 77.4% last season was bettered by only four players at Turf Moor.

Sessegnon may find it challenging to displace McNeil if he comes to Burnley, with the Clarets winger a firm Dyche favourite as he started every Premier League game in 2019/20. However, the Spurs youngster could certainly stake a claim for the left-back slot, where Dyche has alternated near-equally between Taylor and Pieters last season.

The 20-year-old may have fallen out of favour under Mourinho but, with Burnley’s squad among the smallest in the top flight, opportunities could be more abundant for a talented young player at Turf Moor if the Clarets can beat off the competition for his services on loan.

Burnley fans, do you think Dyche can strike a deal for Sessegnon in this transfer window? Have your say by commenting below!

West Ham United have done well in the Premier League recently as they have won their last two games, and a big reason for this has been their defence.

They kept two clean sheets against Leicester and Wolves to pick up six points, and it shows that the new formation David Moyes is trying, which favours five defenders, is working.

Despite the recent upturn in performances, the Irons have still been linked to players in the domestic transfer window, with Swansea’s Joe Rodon chief among those. However, a lot of Hammers fans were not too pleased with the latest update on this possible transfer – one supporter sarcastically alluded to the “Sullivan masterplan” of another fruitless defensive pursuit, following the owners’ recent near-miss for Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

According to the Daily Star, and as tweeted by @whufc_news, West Ham have cooled their interest in the Welsh defender, who now appears set to join Tottenham.

He would have been a nice addition as he averaged one successful tackle and 1.6 interceptions per game for Swansea in the Championship last season, via WhoScored. This, plus the fact Spurs are keen, highlights the potential and talents of the 22-year-old.

Here is how West Ham fans reacted to the transfer update on Joe Rodon:

West Ham fans, what are your thoughts on the update on Rodon? Comment below with your views!

Leeds United have one of the best managers in the world at the helm, but sometimes we struggle to make sense of Marcelo Bielsa’s ideas and plans.

Indeed, El Loco has been labelled as the best coach in the world in the past, but we can’t help but feel that his latest tactical plan makes very little sense.

The Argentine gave us some insight into the inner workings of his mind when it comes to the pecking order in some key positions in his squad and he stated that Tyler Roberts is his second-choice striker this season behind Patrick Bamford.

“Just to make a reference, for example, we have Bamford and Roberts up front, Rodrigo and Pablo in attacking midfield. Poveda and Costa, Raphinha and Harrison [on the wings],” he said.

It’s great to see that the gaffer has his second-string options all planned out, but it’s hard to understand why he sees Tyler Roberts as his second-choice striker while Rodrigo is considered an attacking midfield option, surely these two should be swapped around?

Now, we’re not saying that Roberts isn’t a good player, he has been described by the boss as a man with “undoubted qualities” in recent weeks, but he doesn’t seem to be cut out to be a top-flight striker.

He played more often as an attacking midfielder last season, earning plaudits from fans in that role with many christening him as the new Samu Saiz, meanwhile, the sad reality is that he doesn’t score enough to be a viable option up front.

He has just seven goals in 59 games for Leeds, and that simply isn’t good enough for a man that you may be relying on to lead your line.

Rodrigo on the other hand, does have that striking instinct that Roberts lacks, he once hit 16 goals in a La Liga campaign and he’s regularly found the back of the net in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

Roberts and Rodrigo both seem to be viewed in the wrong way by the manager.