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A group of workers
from Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich formed a football team
back in 1878, and, after walking to nearby Wednesbury to buy
themselves a ball; they named themselves West Bromwich Strollers.
This is the early
story of the team, which, two years later became West Bromwich
Albion. They won their first trophy, The Staffordshire Cup in 1883,
after beating both Aston Villa in the semis and Stoke in the final.
This was also the year that saw Albion enter the FA Cup for the first
time although it was three years before they reached the final, and
another three years before they claimed the prestigious trophy, after
beating Preston North End 2-1, in 1888.
 This was the very
same season in which the Football League began, and WBA, together
with 11 other clubs, were the league's founder members. In 1900,
Albion moved to their new ground, The Hawthorns, which is not only
the highest football ground in the UK (at 551 ft above sea level) but
also the first Football League ground to be built in the 20th
Century.
 Sadly though, the club were relegated for the first time the
following season and continued to flit between Division One and Two.
1920 was a glorious year for The Baggies. In the first full season
following WWI they won the Division One championship for the first,
and only time, with record points (60) and goals scored (104). Since
then, Albion have had many ups and downs, mainly between the
divisions!
Some of the high points include winning a unique Double in 1931, when
the team gained promotion from Division 2 and also won the FA Cup
after beating Birmingham City 2-1 in the final.
 The 1953/54 season goes down as one of the best in history for
Albion, when they came so close to winning the League and Cup
Double after starting the season with nine straight wins. They also
became the first professional team to win in Soviet Russia in 1957.
The Baggies won the League Cup in 1966, at the first attempt as it
was the first year they had entered the competition it was also the
only year they were successful, however they then went on to play in
their first European competition the following season. 1968 saw them
win their fifth FA Cup, with Jeff Astle (a £25,000 signing in 1964)
scoring the only goal in extra time against Everton, as well as the
Charity Shield.
 The 1975-76 season saw Albion promoted from the old Second Division,
under the player management of Irish born Johnny Giles. In 1978, Ron
Atkinson took over as manager, a season in which they became the
first British club to play in China. However Mr Atkinson in 1981,
left for pastures new in the form of Manchester United. He then came
back in for and got transferred one Bryan Robson and Remi Moses,
effectively ripping the heart out of the team, and for a while, it
sort of all went down hill from there.
 In
1993, Ossie Ardiles, who was the first Albion foreign born manager
guided Albion to promotion through the division two play off final
against Port Vale at Wembley after finishing forth in the league and
beating Swansea over two legs. On this historic day over 42,000
Baggies fans flocked from all corners of the globe to witness Albion
once again playing under those famous twin towers. Although I feel
many more would have made the trip, had they got their hands on the
tickets the Vale hadn't sold.
 2002, Gary Megson achieved promotion to the Premiership for the first
time since 1986, following on from the previous seasons
disappointment of losing in the play offs against Bolton over two
semi final legs. Just to add a little icing on the cake, we also
managed to beat wolves into the automatic second spot having watch
them collapse with Albion hot on their heels for the later part of
the season. All this seems unbelievable if you consider that when
Gary Megson initially took over the management role Albion were
starring relegation in the face, yet with 5 transfer deadline day
signings he turned the corner and the rest as the saying goes is
history.
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