"Say we are Albion"
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1888 saw the club become one of the founding members of the Football League along with Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Burnley, Stoke, Notts County, Derby, Accrington and local rivals Villa and Wolves.
1888 also saw Albion win the FA Cup for the first time, and it would be one of five times that the club lifted the trophy between 1888 and 1968 by beating Preston North End the league champions that season 2-1 at The Oval. However, Albion had been in the Final in both the previous years losing in Blackburn Rovers in 1886 and Villa in 1887.
Albion won the FA Cup for the second time in 1892, making up for the 1887 defeat by beating Villa 3-0 at The Crystal Palace only to lose to them again 1-0 in the Cup Final three years later.
The club moved to The Hawthorns from Stoney Lane in 1900, but were relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1900/01 season.
Promoted straight away after ending the 1901/02 season as Second Division Champions, the club would last two seasons in the top flight before being relegated once again in 1904.
1911 Albion were Second Division Champions for the second time in their history.
Once again the club were relegated to the Second Division in 1927.
The unique double was achieved in 1931 as Albion won the FA Cup beating local club Birmingham City 2-1 and gained promotion from the Second Division by finishing as runner-ups to Everton. This feat had never been achieved before and it hasn�t been done since.
The highest ever attendance to an Albion game at the Hawthorns was achieved in 1937 when 64,815 turned up to see Albion play Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Relegation again in 1937/38 saw Albion once more in the Second Division
Albion won the FA Cup for the forth time but were denied the Double in 1954 by local rivals Wolves who ended the 1953/54 season as League Champions just four points ahead.
The 1960�s saw players wages increase from �20 to �30 a week, and it was this decade that saw some of the Albion legends emerge, Tony Brown made his debut in 1963 and scored too! While the man who would become �The King�, Jeff Astle was signed from Notts County in 1964.
The only time Albion won the League Cup came in 1966, at the first attempt as the Club had never entered the competition before.
Jeff Astle scored in every round of the FA Cup, a fete not done before or since helping Albion win the FA Cup for the fifth and last time in 1968 including that famous goal in extra time against Everton.
Relegated once more to the Second Division in 1973 and the following year, after ten years at the club Jeff Astle leaves.
1976, Albion gained promotion from the Second Division on the last day of season.
1980, Tony Brown leaves the club to go to Torquay after breaking the club records for most appearances and most goals.
The worst season in the Club�s history occurred in 1985/86, finishing bottom of the First Division with just four wins and twenty-six defeats; Albion were relegated to the Second Division�it would be the last time that the club would ever play top flight football.
For the first time ever in 1991 Albion dropped into the Third Division, the year also marked the signing of a player who would play an important role in the club�s future; Bob Taylor.
The first all seater game was played at the Hawthorns in 1994, and for the next five years the club would either finish just above relegation or mid-table�getting through three managers in the space of four seasons.
1996 also saw Albion lose eleven consecutive games, a new club record and in 1998 Bob Taylor signed for Bolton.
Gary Megson is appointed manager, and makes a number of key loan and permanent signings to keep us in the Division including the return of the prodigal son, Bob Taylor, who�s expression after scoring against Charlton (Division Champions) said it all�we were safe.
What a difference a year makes, the following year Albion finished in the play-offs but were denied a place in the final by Bolton, in the same year, the club broke its transfer record by bringing in Jason Roberts.
The start of the 2001/2002 season begun badly with the sale of Lee Hughes, an Albion fan and a favourite with the fans to Coventry City and then with Jason Roberts breaking his foot in pre-season. Albion lost the first two games in the season but began to crawl their way up the table with a string of 1-0 wins thanks to a rock solid defence, midfield and the signings of Andy Johnson, Darren Moore, Danny Dichio and Scott Dobie.
Albion reached the quarterfinals of the FA Cup for the first time in years before losing to Fulham at the Hawthorns in front of an almost capasity crowd.
Thanks to a fabulous string of wins at the end of the season and with a little help from our neighbours across the way, we finished second in Division One. For the first time in sixteen years the Hawthorns will see top-flight football once again.