West Bromwich Albion Football Club

West Bromwich Albion were founded in 1878 by workers from the George Salter's Spring Works factory and became one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888. The club won the FA Cup for the first time in 1888 and would go on to lift the trophy five times in total, establishing themselves as one of the great names in the competition's history.

The Hawthorns became the club's home in 1900 and quickly developed into one of the most atmospheric grounds in English football. West Brom won the FA Cup again in 1892, 1931, 1954, and — most famously — in 1968, when Jeff Astle's extra-time goal defeated Everton 1-0 at Wembley. Astle became a club legend, and his headed winner remains the defining moment in West Brom's history. The 1968 team also competed in European competition, reaching the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. The club won the League Cup in 1966, adding to an impressive trophy cabinet.

After spending much of the 1980s and 1990s outside the top flight, West Brom's promotion to the Premier League in 2002 under Gary Megson began a remarkable period. The club became known as a "yo-yo" side initially, bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship, but the 2004-05 season produced one of the greatest survival stories in Premier League history. Under Bryan Robson, West Brom became the first team to avoid relegation after being bottom of the table at Christmas — "The Great Escape" entered football folklore.

Tony Mowbray's stylish but ultimately relegated side in 2008-09 was followed by the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo, who won promotion with attacking flair. But it was Tony Pulis who gave West Brom their most sustained period of Premier League stability, keeping the club in the top flight from 2015 to 2017 with his trademark defensive organisation. The club's final Premier League season, 2020-21, ended in relegation under Sam Allardyce — a disappointing end to nearly two decades of top-flight football.