West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion
Overview
West Bromwich Albion returned to the Barclays Premier League after a glorious 2007/08 campaign which saw them clinch the Championship title.

The Baggies won it on the last day with a 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers to claim their first trophy for 40 years as they finished two points clear of Stoke City. It capped a memorable season in which they also reached the FA Cup semi-final.

Founded in 1878 the Midlands club became one of the original members of the Football League 10 years later.

They spent most of their early history in England's top tier, winning the league title in 1920, the FA Cup on five occasions and League Cup once. Their Premier League debut came in 2002.

Heritage
The club was formed in 1878 by workers from George Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich and took the name West Bromwich Strollers a year later.

They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880 - Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked.

Albion entered the FA Cup in 1883 and were finalists in 1886 and 1887 before making it third time lucky with victory in the 1888 final where they beat Preston North End.

That same year, Albion became one of 12 founder members of the Football League and clinched the FA Cup again in 1892 with a 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa.

Three years later, Villa beat them in the FA Cup final and relegation to Division Two followed in 1901 in the first season at their Hawthorns ground.

Although they won promotion at the first attempt as champions, they went down in their first season back in the top flight. Albion won the Division Two title in 1911 and were again FA Cup finalists a year later.

The club claimed the league title in 1920 - the only time in their history - and finished as runners-up five years later.

Another relegation to Division Two came in 1927, but in 1931 they were celebrating promotion and added the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet with victory over Birmingham City.

They were FA Cup finalists again in 1935 - were relegated three years later - but won promotion back to the big league in 1949 where they stayed for 24 seasons.

More FA Cup success arrived in 1954, when they also finished second in the top flight, establishing themselves as one of the best sides in the land.

The League Cup was won in 1966 to go with the FA Cup two years after for a fifth time. Albion were League Cup finalists in 1967 and 1970.

The Baggies have since spent the rest of their history between the top three divisions. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in 2002.

Premier League history
2002/03 - Albion's first season in the Premier League with Gary Megson at the helm, but are relegated.
2004 - The club break their transfer record to sign Robert Earnshaw from Cardiff City for £3.5million.
2004/05 - Megson leads them back to the top flight after one season away. Bryan Robson replaces Megson at the helm in November 2004 and the Baggies stay up.
2005/06 - Robson leaves his post and is replaced by Tony Mowbray in October 2006. Albion are relegated from the Premier League.
2007/08 - Mowbray leads Albion to the Championship title.