List of West Bromwich Albion F.C. records and statistics explained

West Bromwich Albion Football Club are an English professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. The club was founded in 1878 as West Bromwich Strollers, by workers from George Salter's Spring Works and turned professional in 1885.^{[1] [2]} A founder member of the Football League in 1888, the team has spent the majority of its history in the top division of English football.

This list encompasses records set by the club, their managers and their players. The player records section includes details of the club's leading goalscorers and those who have made most appearances in first-team competitions. It also records notable achievements by Albion players on the international stage, and the highest transfer fees paid and received by the club. Attendance records at The Hawthorns, the club's home ground since 1900, are also included. Records generally refer only to first team, competitive matches in national or European competitions. Reserve matches, youth matches, friendlies, testimonials, war-time matches and regional competitions are not considered, except where indicated.

The club's record appearance maker and goalscorer is Tony Brown, who scored 279 goals in 720 appearances between 1963 and 1981.

Player records

Appearances

• Youngest first-team league player: Charlie Wilson, 16 years 73 days, vs Oldham Athletic, First Division, 1 October 1921^[3]
• Youngest Premier League player: Isaiah Brown, 16 years 117 days vs Wigan Athletic, 4 May 2013^{[4] [5]}
• Oldest first-team player: George Baddeley, 39 years 345 days, vs Sheffield Wednesday, First Division, 18 April 1914^[2]
• Oldest Premier League player: Dean Kiely, 38 years 226 days vs Blackburn Rovers, 24 May 2009^[6]
• Most Premier League appearances: 269, Chris Brunt^[7]
• Most substitute appearances: 93, Hal Robson-Kanu, 2016–21

Most appearances

Total appearances including substitute appearances are listed below, with the number of substitute appearances shown in parentheses.^[8]

width=6%	Rank	width=17%	Player	width=12%	Years	width=13%	League	width=13%	FA Cup	width=13%	League Cup	width=13%	Other	width=13%	Total
1		1963–1981	574 (13)	54 (1)			720 (16)
2		1968–1986	504 (2)	34 (2)			622 (4)
3		1970–1983	499 (1)	42 (0)			618 (1)
4		1903–1922	455 (0)	39 (0)			496 (0)
5		1922–1936	445 (0)	33 (0)			479 (0)
6		1937–1958	436 (0)	40 (0)			477 (0)
7		1910–1926	434 (0)	30 (0)			471 (0)
8		1950–1961	415 (0)	42 (0)			458 (0)
9		1921–1936	414 (0)	37 (0)			451 (0)
10		1944–1960	403 (0)	46 (0)			449 (0)

Goalscorers

• Most goals in a season: 40, W. G. Richardson, 1935–36^[9]
• Most league goals in a season: 39, W. G. Richardson, 1935–36^[2]
• Most league goals in one match: 6, Jimmy Cookson, vs Blackpool, Second Division, 17 September 1927^[3]
• First league goal: Joe Wilson, vs Stoke, The Football League, 8 September 1888^[10]
• First FA Cup hat-trick: Jem Bayliss, vs Old Westminsters, sixth round, 13 February 1886^[11]
• First league hat-trick: Tom Pearson, vs Bolton Wanderers, The Football League, 4 November 1889^[12]
• Most hat-tricks: 14, W. G. Richardson, 1931–1938^{[13] [14]}
• Most Premier League goals: 30, Peter Odemwingie
• Oldest Premier League goalscorer: Gareth McAuley, 37 years 87 days, 25 February 2017 vs Bournemouth^[15]

Top goalscorers

Tony Brown is the all-time top goalscorer for West Bromwich Albion.

Appearances, including substitute appearances, are marked in parentheses.^[8]

width=6%	Rank	width=17%	Player	width=12%	Years	width=13%	League	width=13%	FA Cup	width=13%	League Cup	width=13%	Other	width=13%	Total
1		1963–1981	218 (574)	27 (54)	17 (47)	17 (45)	279 (720)
2		1950–1961	208 (415)				234 (458)
3		1929–1949	202 (320)				228 (355)
4		1964–1974	137 (292)	14 (23)			174 (361)
5		1953–1963	157 (262)	16 (29)			173 (291)
6		1921–1936	145 (414)				155 (451)
7		1922–1936	135 (445)				140	140 (479)
8		1992–1998 2000–2003	113 (324)				131 (377)
9		1911–1924		4 (20)
10		1977–1984	82 (237)			4 (12)	112 (302)

International caps

This section refers only to caps won while a West Bromwich Albion player.

• First representative honour: Bob Roberts for North vs South, played in London on 26 January 1884^[16]
• First international cap: Bob Roberts for England vs Scotland, 19 March 1887^{[17] [18]}
• Most capped player: Chris Brunt, 47 caps for Northern Ireland as a West Bromwich Albion player (65 caps in total)^{[19] [20]}
• Most capped player for England: Jesse Pennington, 25 caps as an Albion player^[21]
• First players to play in the World Cup Finals: Stuart Williams for Wales vs Hungary in Sandviken and Don Howe, Bobby Robson and Derek Kevan for England vs USSR in Gothenburg, both matches on 8 June 1958 at the 1958 World Cup finals.
• First player to score in a World Cup Finals: Derek Kevan for England vs USSR in Gothenburg on 8 June 1958 at the 1958 World Cup finals.

Transfers

Highest transfer fees paid

Rank	Player	Fee	Paid to	Date	class=unsortable	Notes
1		£15 million	RB Leipzig		^[22]
2		£13 million	Tottenham Hotspur		^[23]
3		£12 million	Zenit Saint Petersburg		^[24]
4		£12 million	Southampton		^[25]
5		£10 million	Dynamo Kyiv		^[26]
6		£10 million	Hull City		^[27]
7		£6.6 million	Sunderland		^[28]
8		£6 million	Everton
9		£5 million	Reading		^[29]
10		£4.7 million	Mallorca		^[30]

Progression of record transfer fee paid

Transfers in bold are also British record transfers

Rank	Player	Fee	Paid to	Date	class=unsortable	Notes
1		£4,000	Port Vale		^[31]
2		£4,100	Huddersfield Town
3		£7,500	Wolverhampton Wanderers
4		£9,500	Belfast Celtic
5		£20,000	Port Vale
6		£25,000	Fulham
7		£44,750	Scunthorpe United
8		£100,000	Sunderland
9		£138,000	Rangers
10		£516,000	Middlesbrough
11		£748,000	Manchester City
12		£1,250,000	Preston North End		^[32] ^[33] ^[34]
13		£2,000,000	Bristol Rovers		^[35]
14		£2,250,000	Tranmere Rovers		^[36]
15		£2,500,000	Coventry City		^[37]
16		£2,700,000	Copenhagen		^[38]
17		£3,500,000	Cardiff City		^[39]
18		£4,700,000	Mallorca
19		£5 million	Reading
20		£6.6 million	Sunderland
21		£10 million	Dynamo Kyiv
22		£12 million	Zenit Saint Petersburg
23		£13 million	Tottenham Hotspur		^[40]
24		£15 million	RB Leipzig

Highest transfer fees received

Rank	Player	Fee	Received from	Date	class=unsortable	Notes
1		£15 million	Stoke City		^[41]
2		£10 million	Aston Villa		^[42]
3		£7 million	Hull City		^[43]
4		£6 million	Fulham		^[44]
5		£5.3 million	Wigan Athletic		^[45]
6		£5,000,001	Coventry City		^[46]

Managerial records

See also: List of West Bromwich Albion F.C. managers.

• First secretary-manager: Louis Ford (fulfilled the role from 1890 to 1892)
• Longest serving secretary-manager: Fred Everiss (fulfilled the role from 1902 to 1948, an English record)^[47]
• First full-time manager: Jack Smith (managed the club between 1948 and 1952)
• Longest serving full-time manager: Vic Buckingham (managed the club from February 1953 to August 1959)

Club records

Goals

• Most league goals scored in a season: 105 in 42 matches, Second Division, 1929–30^[48]
• Fewest league goals scored in a season: 29 in 38 matches, Premier League, 2002–03^[48]
• Most league goals conceded in a season: 98 in 42 matches, First Division, 1936–37^[48]
• Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 27 in 38 matches, Second Division, 1908–09^[48]

Points

• Most points in a season:
  • Two points for a win: 60 (in 42 games in 1919–20), First Division^[48]
  • Three points for a win: 91 (in 46 games in 2009–10), Championship^[49]
• Fewest points in a season:
  • Two points for a win: 12 (in 22 games in 1890–91, First Division)^[48]
  • Three points for a win: 24 (in 42 games in 1985–86, First Division)^[48]

Matches

Firsts

• First match: West Bromwich Strollers 0–0 Hudson's, a 12-a-side friendly match on 23 November 1878^[50]
• First competitive match: Calthorpe 2–3 West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham Senior Cup first round, 12 November 1881^[51]
• First FA Cup match: West Bromwich Albion 0–2 Wednesbury Town, first round, 10 November 1883^[52]
• First league match: Stoke 0–2 West Bromwich Albion, Football League, at the Victoria Ground, 8 September 1888^[53]
• First match at The Hawthorns: West Bromwich Albion 1–1 Derby County, 3 September 1900^[54]
• First floodlit match at The Hawthorns: West Bromwich Albion 1–1 Chelsea, Football League First Division, 18 September 1957^[55]
• First League Cup match: West Bromwich Albion 3–1 Walsall, second round, 22 September 1965^[56]
• First European match: DOS Utrecht 1–1 West Bromwich Albion, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, second round, 2 November 1966^[57]
• First Premier League match: Manchester United 1–0 West Bromwich Albion, 17 August 2002^[58]

Wins

• Record league win: 12–0 vs Darwen, First Division, 4 April 1892^[2] (English top division joint record)
• Record Premier League win: 4–0 vs Everton, 19 November 2005;^[59] 5–1 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 12 February 2012; 4–0 vs Sunderland, 25 February 2012; 4–0 vs Burnley, 28 September 2014;^[60] 4–0 vs Burnley, 21 November 2016
• Record FA Cup win: 10–1 vs Chatham, third round, 2 March 1889^[53]
• Record League Cup win: 6–1 vs Coventry City, fourth round replay, 10 November 1965 and 6–1 vs Aston Villa, second round, 14 September 1966^{[2] [61]}
• Record European win: 4–0 vs FC Dinamo București, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, second round second leg, 27 November 1968^[62]

Defeats

• Record league defeat: 3–10 vs Stoke City, First Division, 4 February 1937^[2]
• Record Premier League defeat: 0–6 vs Liverpool, 26 April 2003 and 0–6 vs Chelsea, 14 August 2010
• Record FA Cup defeat: 0–5 vs Leeds United, fourth round, 18 February 1967^[2]
• Record League Cup defeat: 0–6 vs Arsenal, second round, 25 August 2021^[2]
• Record European defeat: 0–3 vs Bologna F.C. 1909, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, third round first leg, 1 February 1967^[63]

Consecutive results

• Record consecutive league wins: 11 (April – August 1930)^[64]
• Record consecutive league draws: 5 (August – October 1999)^[64]
• Record consecutive league defeats: 11 (October – December 1995)^[64]
• Record consecutive league games without defeat: 17 (December 1901 – March 1902;^[65] September – December 1957)^[64]
• Record consecutive league games without a win: 20 (August 2017 – January 2018)^{[66] [67]}
• Record consecutive games without a win, all competitions: 21 (August 2017 – January 2018)^{[66] [68]}
• Record consecutive league games without defeat from the start of the season: 10 (August – September 2021)^[64]
• Record consecutive games without a win from the start of the season: 12 (August – October 1985)^[64]

Attendances

Home attendances

Home attendance records listed are for games at The Hawthorns only (1900–present). For limited details of attendance records at Albion's previous grounds, see West Bromwich Albion F.C. former grounds.

• Highest league attendance: 60,945, vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, First Division, 4 March 1950^[2]
• Lowest league attendance and lowest overall attendance: 1,050, vs Sheffield United, First Division, 30 April 1901^[69]
• Highest FA Cup attendance and highest overall attendance: 64,815, vs Arsenal, sixth round, 6 March 1937^[70]
• Lowest FA Cup attendance: 5,230 vs Leicester Fosse, preliminary round, 14 January 1905^[2]
• Highest League Cup attendance: 41,188, vs Walsall, second round, 22 September 1965^[2]
• Lowest League Cup attendance: 6,288, vs Port Vale, second round first leg, 24 September 1985^[2]
• Highest home European attendance: 35,118, vs Valencia CF, UEFA Cup fourth round second leg, 6 December 1978^[71]
• Lowest home European attendance: 16,745, vs Grasshoppers Zurich, UEFA Cup fourth round second leg, 30 September 1981^[72]
• Highest all-seated attendance: 27,751 vs Portsmouth, Premier League, 15 May 2005^[73]

Away and neutral attendances

• Highest away European attendance: 95,300, vs Red Star Belgrade, UEFA Cup, 7 March 1979^[74]
• Lowest away European attendance: 5,500, vs DOS Utrecht, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 2 November 1966^[57]
• Highest attendance at a neutral venue: 99,852 vs Preston North End, 1954 FA Cup Final, 1 May 1954^[74]

Footnotes

A.  As of May 2019, Brown is the third youngest player to appear in a Premier League match, after Harvey Elliott and Matthew Briggs.

B. The "Other" column constitutes goals and appearances (including those as a substitute) in the FA Charity Shield, European Cup Winners' Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Texaco Cup, Watney Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup, Tennent Caledonian Cup, Full Members Cup, Football League Trophy and in play-offs and test matches.

C.  The fee for Long may rise to £6.5m with add-on clauses.

D.  The record was equalled by Nottingham Forest when they beat Leicester Fosse by the same scoreline in April 1909.^[75]

E. Excludes Anglo-Italian Cup games

References

General

• Book: McOwan, Gavin . The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion . Headline . 2002 . 0-7553-1146-9.
• Book: Matthews, Tony . Mackenzie, Colin . Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987 . Breedon Books . 1987 . 0-907969-23-2.
• Book: Matthews, Tony . The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion . Breedon Books . 2005 . 1-85983-474-4.
• Book: Matthews, Tony . West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record . Breedon Books . 2007 . 978-1-85983-565-4.
• Book: Matthews, Tony . West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record . Derby Books . 2012 . 978-1-78091-029-1.
• Book: Rollin. Glenda . Rollin . Jack . Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008–2009 . Headline . 2008 . 978-0-7553-1820-9.

Specific

Notes and References

1. McOwan pp. 7 - 8.
2. Web site: In the record book . West Bromwich Albion F.C. . 14 October 2008 . 22 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071217182406/http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10366~1022925%2C00.html . 17 December 2007 .
3. Rollin p. 399.
4. Web site: Premier League All time – Youngest appearances. Statbunker. 20 February 2018.
5. Web site: Elliott makes history as league's youngest player. Premier League. 5 May 2019. 31 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190504192834/https://www.premierleague.com/news/1207789. 4 May 2019. live.
6. Web site: Dick. Brian. West Bromwich Albion's oldest players set Jonas Olsson quite a target. BirminghamLive. 19 November 2014. 20 February 2018.
7. Web site: West Bromwich Albion:All-time Premier League Player Stats. PremierLeague.com. 6 March 2021.
8. McOwan pp. 294–317; Matthews (2007) pp. 409–428.
9. McOwan p. 233.
10. Matthews (2007) p. 250.
11. McOwan p. 188.
12. McOwan p. 190.
13. Matthews (2005) p. 194.
14. McOwan pp. 227–236.
15. Web site: Premier League All time – Oldest Goal Scorers. Statbunker. 20 February 2018.
16. Matthews (1987) p. 317.
17. Matthews (2005) pp. 197–198.
18. Web site: Robert Roberts – England stats. englandstats.com. 17 November 2008.
19. Web site: Player Records. West Bromwich Albion. 23 February 2021.
20. Web site: Chris Brunt announces his retirement from international football. irishfa.com. 21 August 2018. 24 April 2019.
21. Matthews (2007) pp. 404–408.
22. Web site: Oliver Burke: West Brom sign winger on a five-year deal. BBC Sport. 25 August 2017. 22 December 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222015957/https://www.wba.co.uk/club/the-hawthorns/general-information/. 22 December 2017.
23. News: West Brom sign Nacer Chadli from Tottenham for club record £13m fee . . 29 August 2016 . 10 February 2017.
24. Web site: Salomon Rondon: West Brom sign striker for club record £12m. BBC Sport. 10 August 2015. 10 August 2015.
25. News: Jay Rodriguez: West Brom sign striker from Southampton in £12m deal . . 2 July 2017 . 2 July 2017.
26. News: Brown Ideye: West Brom break club record to sign Nigerian striker . . 18 July 2014 . 27 July 2014.
27. News: West Brom complete signing of Jake Livermore from Hull City . BBC Sport . 20 January 2017 . 10 February 2017.
28. News: West Brom sign Stephane Sessegnon and Victor Anichebe . . 3 September 2013 . 19 January 2014.
29. News: West Bromwich Albion sign Shane Long from Reading . . 10 August 2011 . 19 February 2012.
30. News: West Brom sign midfielder Valero . . 22 August 2008 . 17 November 2008.
31. Matthews (1987) p. 294.
32. News: Nick . Duxbury . Football: Gibson rails at 'grave injustice' . https://archive.today/20130420214604/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gibson-rails-at-grave-injustice-1255918.htm . dead . 20 April 2013 . . 14 June 1997 . 13 September 2009.
33. Web site: Albion's timeline . West Bromwich Albion F.C. . 10 September 2008 . 13 September 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090518091916/http://www.wba.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10366~1018329%2C00.html . 18 May 2009 .
34. Matthews (2007) p. 57.
35. News: Albion win Roberts race . BBC Sport . 26 July 2000 . 17 November 2008.
36. News: West Brom tie up Koumas deal . BBC Sport . 29 August 2002 . 17 November 2008.
37. News: Baggies clinch Hughes deal . BBC Sport . 29 August 2002 . 17 November 2008.
38. News: Baggies sign Albrechtsen . BBC Sport . 3 June 2004 . 17 November 2008.
39. News: Earnshaw signs for Baggies . BBC Sport . 30 August 2004 . 17 November 2008.
40. News: West Brom sign Nacer Chadli from Tottenham for club record £13m fee . Sky Sports . 29 August 2016 . 9 February 2017.
41. News: Saido Berahino hits back at West Brom after signing for Stoke City . Sky Sports . 28 January 2017 . 9 February 2017.
42. News: West Bromwich Albion are the top Midlands team now says Curtis Davies . Sunday Mercury . 30 September 2012 . 10 January 2015.
43. News: Shane Long: Southampton sign Hull City striker . BBC Sport . 14 August 2014 . 10 January 2015.
44. News: Fulham sign Kamara from West Brom . BBC Sport . 9 July 2007 . 17 November 2008.
45. Web site: Wigan complete signing of Koumas . BBC Sport . 10 July 2007 . 17 November 2008.
46. News: Coventry seal Hughes deal . BBC Sport . 8 August 2001 . 17 November 2008.
47. Web site: Longest Serving Managers . . 19 February 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120106201352/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-historical.html . 6 January 2012.
48. Web site: West Bromwich Albion . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 22 November 2008.
49. News: Brunt hails 'special promotion' . . 5 May 2010 . 5 May 2010.
50. Matthews (2007) p. 10.
51. Matthews (1987) pp. 202–203.
52. Matthews (2007) p. 392.
53. Matthews (2007) p. 174.
54. Matthews (1987) p. 16.
55. Matthews (1987) p. 292.
56. Matthews (2007) p. 308.
57. McOwan p. 258.
58. Web site: Man Utd vs WBA . West Bromwich Albion F.C. . 17 August 2002 . 17 November 2008.
59. Matthews (2007) pp. 382–388.
60. Web site: Match report: Albion 4-0 Burnley. wba.co.uk. 28 September 2014. 8 February 2015.
61. Matthews (2007) pp. 308–310.
62. McOwan pp. 258–273.
63. Matthews (1987) p. 181.
64. McOwan p. 184.
65. Matthews (2012) pp. 284, 376.
66. Web site: McNulty . Phil . Stoke City 3–1 West Bromwich Albion . BBC Sport . 23 December 2017 . 23 December 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171223175050/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42375901 . 23 December 2017 .
67. Web site: Abraham . Timothy . West Bromwich Albion 2–0 Brighton & Hove Albion . BBC Sport . 13 January 2018 . 14 January 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180114142415/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42587982 . 14 January 2018.
68. Web site: Pilnick . Brent . Exeter City 0–2 West Bromwich Albion . BBC Sport . 6 January 2018 . 10 January 2018.
69. Matthews (2007) p. 198.
70. Matthews (2007) pp. 83–84.
71. McOwan p. 270
72. Matthews (1987) p. 235.
73. Web site: General Information . West Bromwich Albion F.C. . 22 December 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171222015957/https://www.wba.co.uk/club/the-hawthorns/general-information/ . 22 December 2017.
74. Matthews (1987) p. 236.
75. Web site: Nottingham Forest 12 Leicester Fosse 0. FootballSite.co.uk. 29 November 2009.