West Bromwich Albion FC Trivia Quiz

Answer: A thrush

Throstle is a dialect word for the song thrush, as used by Shakespeare, no less. Actually Shakespeare used to play for the Albion! True! Check for yourself: but look under Craig NOT William! Although appearing on the club badge and other insignia, the throstle is more of an 'official' nickname: you won't hear anyone shouting "Come on you Throstles!" at an Albion match.

Answer: The Baggies

There are several theories as to how Albion acquired this nickname: maybe it was the style of their football strip, maybe it derived from the heavy money-bags that the gatemen used to carry around the pitch, or maybe it stems from insults directed at Albion fans by Aston Villa supporters. The truth is nobody knows for sure.

Answer: The Hawthorns

The Hawthorns has been Albion's home ground since 1900. It was built on The Hawthorn Estate and situated on the boundaries between West Bromwich, Handsworth and Smethwick. The first match to be played there was against Derby County which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Answer: Navy blue and white

Apparently Albion experimented with several different colours in their early days, including a particularly garish red and yellow outfit (short-lived!). Despite many changes in design they have worn blue and white stripes since co-founding The Football League in 1888.

Answer: West Bromwich Strollers

In 1878, a group of men at Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich decided to form a football team: they had to walk a few miles up the road to Wednesbury to buy their first football, so called themselves West Bromwich Strollers to remember that historic walk! The name was changed to Albion the following year.

Answer: True

The earliest football league in the World was formed in 1888 and comprised twelve teams: West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Derby County, Notts County, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Everton, Accrington Stanley, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke FC and the first ever champions: Preston North End.

Answer: It is the highest football ground in England.

Strange but true, at 551 feet above sea-level, The Hawthorns is the highest league ground in England. So, in one sense at least, we have been the top team since 1900!

Answer: China

The Chinese government were keen to promote football in their country and approached The Football Association asking them to send a team to tour China. Albion were given that honour, playing four matches at different venues.
I'm not sure Anglo-Sinai relations were helped much by Albion player John Trewick's comment about The Great Wall of China: "When you've seen one wall, you've seen 'em all." Hmmm.

Answer: The Lord's My Shepherd

Albion fanatic Mark Fallon explains:

"It was first sung by Albion fans at Everton during an FA Cup match in 1973 which was played on a Sunday - this was one of the first competitive matches ever played on a Sunday and playing the match on this day caused quite a bit of attention at the time.

A group of Albion fans, who were regulars at The Thimblemill pub in Smethwick, travelled up to Everton for the game and started singing TLMS for a joke, singing the hymn as the match was, unusually, being played on a Sunday. Quite a few other Albion fans at the game started joining in and the singing of a religious hymn on a football terrace caused quite a few laughs.

The match ended in a draw and the replay was at West Brom a few days later and following on from the game at Everton it was sung again by those who had been at the first match, and gradually caught on - and the rest is history."

("Abide With Me" is usually sung before the FA Cup Final)

Answer: 64,815

Set in 1937, for an FA Cup quarter-final match against Arsenal. The capacity is now greatly reduced (less than half that figure) due to the requirements for all-seater stadia, so it is extremely unlikely that that record will ever be broken. "Come on you Baggies!"